7. Vurnon Anita Looks Good
Pacey, good on the ball and willing to run, Newcastle's brand new signing from Ajax may have looked a little rusty when he first came on, thanks to a couple of slightly stray touches, but his first appearance for the Magpies hinted at some good promise, and that Graham Carr's scouting team may have hit the jackpot again. It's early days yet, but if Anita ends up having to replace Cheick Tiote, who may still move away from the North East before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, the Dutchman appears to have more than enough to cope. He might be small, but he showed yesterday that he has no fear to put his foot in, while resisting the temptation to make an over-zealous mark on his debut by staying on his feet and harrying opponents as opposed to simply kicking them (as his Ivorian team-mate resorted to quite comically at one stage). If Alan Pardew can keep Tiote, Cabaye, Gutierrez and Anita as the top four central midfield options, with back-up from Haris Vuckic and Mehdi Abeid, the squad going into the rest of the season, including competing on four fronts, looks to have a lot of strength. We now just need a little more depth in defence and attack to match that. So, what do you think Newcastle fans? Did we see enough yesterday to suggest that Newcastle can perhaps hit the heights of last season again? Share your thoughts below.