Newcastle: 7 Problems Pardew Still Needs To Fix Before QPR

6. Dribbling Success

For a team that relies so heavily on pacey attacks and breaking through the opposition attack in numbers, the success rate in take-ons and dribbles is worryingly (and unhelpfully) low. Sammy Ameobi's take-on success rate is only 36%, Gouffran the same number, Cabella 48%, Aarons 45%, Sissoko 41% and Ayoze Perez 27%. The most successful take-on completer was Gabriel Obertan who managed 65% before his thigh exploded, and nobody else is close. Those percentages need to increase if Newcastle's plan of using natural pace is to continue to work, and while the team do try to make a lot of runs, they really need to get up to the 50% to 60% band of success for the team to really succeed at the top end of the league.