Newcastle United cannot afford to put in a poor performance against Aston Villa at St. James’ Park.
Twice have the Magpies been defeated 4-1 this season, both times on the road, against Leeds United and then Coventry City after the international break.
The new signings must be allowed time to bed in, but some of the pre-existing Toon stars have not been up to scratch, and they may be on borrowed time at the club.
Why Botman & Willock may be on borrowed time at Newcastle
A lot happened on Tyneside this summer, with an exodus countered by a flurry of incomings which may or may not turn out good.
Now, Newcastle need to cut more of the deadwood loose. Many would argue Jacob Murphy should be shipped on, but the 31-year-old is in talks to extend his stay.
However, others may not be so fortunate. For example, Joe Willock is out of contract at the end of the season, and despite a much-improved start to the year, the 27-year-old flattered to deceive against Coventry, and his future is very much up in the air ahead of the January transfer window (when overseas suitors such as Besiktas can explore a pre-contract agreement).
Deeper, Sven Botman is also in real trouble. The 26-year-old has been terrible so far this season, as stable as a teacup during an earthquake. Contractually, the £40m signing from Lille in 2022 might be safe, but his place in Jaissle’s starting 11 certainly isn’t.
He might be suffering as a centre-back, but Botman will at least draw some measure of solace from a truly exceptional goal against the Sky Blues, firing from range with cannon-like force.
Still, we cannot ignore the fact that Botman is many level beneath that erstwhile level. Remember those Champions League performances in 2023/24? Sadly, the Dutchman is not the same player, and the new contract he signed in January (until 2030) likely came as a result of waning interest from elite European suitors.
As with Murphy, it feels like Newcastle are open to extending Willock’s time on Tyneside. Whether the same can be said for Botman as he sinks lower and lower is another question.
The Dutch defender has made five direct defensive errors from six games in the Premier League this season, and his much-publicised problems are distracting the glare on another defensive culprit.
No one is talking about how bad Newcastle star has been
From the moment Howe called time on his Newcastle tenure, it was obvious there would be teething problems for months ahead. In fact, it was clear Newcastle would struggle before then, when Howe’s most precious players were swept away, one by one.
Struggle does not necessarily mean the Toon will sink, though. Had they beaten Coventry, they would have risen into the top four.
Alas, a woeful defensive display has tempered expectations. Botman isn’t the only one at fault, either, with the Netherlands man’s start to the season drawing attention away from Malick Thiaw, who has also left much to be desired.
In August 2025, Newcastle signed Thiaw from AC Milan for around £34.5m. Instantly, it was clear that PIF had pulled off a promising signing, with the towering defender hailed as a “mentality monster” by former Schalke youth teammate Erdem Canpolat.
He was comparatively successful last season, even against the backdrop of Newcastle’s decline, but there is no question that Thiaw has been far from convincing under Jaissle, and that was brutally illustrated during defeat in Coventry.
Sven Botman & Malick Thiaw vs Coventry | ||
|---|---|---|
Match Stats | Botman | Thiaw |
Minutes played | 90′ | 90′ |
Goals + Assists | 1 + 0 | 0 + 0 |
Goals conceded | 4 | 4 |
Touches | 92 | 88 |
Accurate passes | 70/78 (90%) | 66/76 (87%) |
Possession lost | 10x | 10x |
Def. contributions | 10 | 8 |
Ball recoveries | 1 | 5 |
Ground duels won | 1/2 | 0/1 |
Aerial duels won | 10/12 | 2/4 |
Dribbled past | 1x | 1x |
Errors made | 1x | 0x |
Botman, for all his error-strewn, unconvincing defensive play, still produced a robust, take-it-to-them performance, even without his Howitzer of a consolation goal.
Thiaw, by contrast, was too timid, unable to win a single ground battle against Coventry’s spirited forwards. The German can be aggressive and front-footed, but he struggles when hemmed in.
This is perhaps best illustrated by the fact he has not won a single tackle across six Premier League matches this season. That is inexcusable when considering the porous nature of Jaissle’s defensive structure right now. He can make all the clearances in the world, advancing and progressing play besides, but Thiaw is not doing the fundamentals, and thus, is arguably damaging Newcastle even more than his partner.
Thiaw has shown in the past at St. James’ Park that he has the skillset to throw down with the best forwards the Premier League has to offer. Nonetheless, he is a pale imitation of the robust arrival from last season, and with Burn and Schar waiting in the wings, Botman may not be the only one at risk of being chopped.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
