It’s been a tough summer for Newcastle United.
The Magpies have said goodbye to Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, who have joined Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively. Those exits were expected, however. What wasn’t on the cards was Eddie Howe’s departure. Nor Bruno Guimaraes’ switch to Arsenal.
Matthias Jaissle has succeeded Howe in the Newcastle dugout, swapping Jeddah for Tyneside. And he’s got a heck of a rebuild on his hands. Admittedly Newcastle have been active in the window already. Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba have both joined from Ajax and Monaco, respectively, to strengthen the midfield.
Bazoumana Toure is Gordon’s replacement and Harvey Barnes has also signed a new deal. The sizeable elephant in the room, though, is Guimaraes. Newcastle must replace their Brazilian talisman at the base of the midfield. While promising pair Steur and Bamba add depth in the middle of the park, they aren’t ready to step up to succeed the Brazilian.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Stiller set for long-awaited Premier League switch?
Newcastle will at least receive a healthy cash boost to sign a successor for Guimaraes. Although the downside is that clubs will know the Magpies have money to burn. In truth, they should take a sizeable amount of the reported £75million and throw it in Stuttgart‘s direction for Angelo Stiller.
The Germany international has long been linked with a Premier League switch, with Manchester United and Liverpool previously credited with an interest. Real Madrid were also tentatively linked with the midfielder. But it’s Newcastle that should make the first move if they are serious about replacing Guimaraes.
Of course, Stuttgart won’t sell Stiller on the cheap. They’ll have been relieved when a rumoured £31m release clause expired last month. After all, the 25-year-old is the Bundesliga side’s tempo setter.
VfB Stuttgart’s brain
Stiller is the brain of Sebastian Hoeness’ side. Stuttgart managed the third highest possession average (57.7%) in the Bundesliga last season due to Stiller’s influence in on the ball. Indeed, his 76.4 passes per 90 minutes was more than any other player at the club last season. His 88.1% pass accuracy ranked fourth. Stiller controlled proceedings in a key area of the pitch, with Guimaraes doing similar for Newcastle.
Stiller’s willingness to receive the ball from the defence and turn in possession is crucial. The centre-backs had the confidence to play the ball to their midfield lynchpin, who in turn would comfortably shake off markets in order to help transition in attack. Stiller was dispossessed just 0.6 times per 90 in the Bundesliga last season.
To put that into context, that was level with Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, and a lower return than compatriot Leon Goretzka (0.7). This press-resistance is a key commodity in the modern-day No.6, who is expected to be able to receive the ball under pressure and successfully retain possession. Stiller does so to a high standard.
Passing range will suit ‘vertical’ Jaissle
And when he shakes off a marker, Stiller’s inclination is to look up to set his side on the frontfoot. Only goalkeeper Alexander Nubel (774) made more forward passes than Stiller (727) for Stuttgart last season. Stiller’s 81 accurate long balls ranked third, but his 55 chances created was the most for Hoeness’ men.
There’s an incredible range of passing that Newcastle’s new head coach could utilise to great effect. Jaissle has previously described his managerial style as “very verticial”. He wants to get the ball forward quickly and with purpose.
The style altered slightly at Al-Ahli, where there was greater onus on a more patient approach. Both, though, suit Stiller’s strengths, as is the case with Guimaraes, who acted in a similar role at St James’ Park.
Off-ball shortcomings
The main problem is that Guimaraes brings a little more bite to the middle of the park. That’s not to say Stiller doesn’t have the weapon in his arsenal. The Stuttgart star averaged a respective 1.6 tackles per 90 in the Bundesliga last season.
By comparison, Guimaraes chipped in with 2.3 tackles per 90 in the Premier League. Additionally, Guimaraes wasn’t afraid to really get stuck in to disrupt opponents, committing 1.7 fouls per 90 last season. Stiller, by comparison, averaged 0.6. He’d need to show a greater willingness to perform the nitty gritty off-the-ball work in order to truly live up to Guimaraes’ standards.
There are also concerns about his stature and suitability to the speed of the Premier League. Hoeness’ Stuttgart often attack quickly when the moment presents itself, to help counter the latter issue.
Guimaraes and Stiller may differ in the out-of-possession tenacity, with the former more of an engine-room midfielder. However, the latter has the technical capabilities to ensure Guimaraes’ absence isn’t keenly felt. Stick a runner alongside Stiller, and it could prove the perfect midfield foundation to make Newcastle tick under Jaissle.