Newcastle have struggled for quality squad depth in recent years, but one area has a wealth of talent. In fact, Daily Star reporter Ian Murtagh has gone as far as claiming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will be envious of Steve Bruce’s options.
At centre-back, Newcastle are loaded with quality, having this season’s top performer Fabian Schar, alongside skipper Jamaal Lascelles, as well as Saturday’s goal-scoring duo Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez.
Given the fact that Clark and Fernandez have been nowhere near first choice for most of the season – Paul Dummett having occupied the third central berth for most games – and that Florian Lejeune is closing in on his return, it is easy to see why Steve Bruce must be thrilled.
Contrast that with Manchester City, who have struggled to find a fit centre-back partnership, with John Stones and Aymeric Laporte spending time out injured, and Vincent Kompany’s days confined to memory.
It makes sense that Guardiola would wish he had the problem Bruce will find himself with in coming games: just who should be his first choice defenders?
Lejeune has always been considered the best centre-back at St James’ park, and with the length of time he has been out, he genuinely is like the proverbial new signing.
His unquestioned quality, and the superb form of Schar, makes an argument that either of the pair would get a starting place in Guardiola’s defensive line.
If you include Jetro Willems’ brilliant strike at Anfield, Newcastle defenders have scored five of our nine Premier League goals this season, and without them, Bruce could have found his side bottom of the table.
There has been reported interest in some centre-back reinforcements in January – Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall and Preston’s Ben Davies – but it is surely pure speculation, as Bruce simply does not need them.
Newcastle need to emulate defensive competition throughout the side
But the quality of the defence should be evidence to Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley of the need to have real quality in numbers at every position throughout the side.
If we could have the same conversation about full-backs, wingers and forwards, Toon fans may not have to suffer a perennial relegation tussle.
It is why, even if Newcastle start to pull away from the bottom three between now and January, Ashley should be freeing up funds to add to the squad, ensuring that sort of competition at every area of the team becomes a reality.
Newcastle are light years away from becoming a side like Manchester City, of course, but at centre-back, we genuinely are a match for current Premier League champions.
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