Joe Buck takes a look at his Newcastle United 2024/25 player ratings. This time, he analyses the defenders to see how Matt Targett, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Tino Livramento rank.
00:00So now we take a look at my Newcastle United defender player ratings this time.
00:08So yesterday I did my goalkeeper player ratings, check that out on the Shields Gazette website for the full rundown of those.
00:14But now, as I said, it's the defender's turn. We've got eight to go through.
00:19It'll be really interesting what you think about my ratings and what your player ratings are, so please leave them down in the comments or comment on this article on site.
00:28But first of all, we're going to go with Matt Target. Now, Target has had really, you know, really injury hit a couple of seasons, actually, you know, ever since he joined as a permanent player, it's not been good.
00:38He only made five appearances in all competitions this year for Newcastle. Three of those in the FA Cup and just two in the Premier League.
00:45So I can't give him more than a three out of ten just because of the lack of game time.
00:49And, you know, there is likelihood that he's played his last ever game on Newcastle United's shirt.
00:54So, yeah, Matt Target, three out of ten. Then we move up to Sven Botman, who gets a five out of ten.
01:00Now, this might seem harsh because, to be fair to Botman, when he's been on the pitch, he has been really good.
01:05Remember that game against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup and in the later games when they've switched to a back five against Chelsea and again also in the league.
01:12He has been really good, but unfortunately, he just hasn't played enough this year to warrant a higher than a five out of ten.
01:18And I don't believe that isn't his fault. You know, he wasn't available till January with the ACL injury he suffered, obviously, last year.
01:24And then that little knee injury sort of around March time really derailed this season.
01:28So hopefully we can see the best version of Sven Botman next year because he is an immense player.
01:33He is an absolute behemoth at the back. But right now, judging on this player, this last season, his rating can't be more than a five out of ten.
01:40We move up to now six out of tens. And for me, the first six out of ten is Kieran Trippier.
01:46Now, Trippier ended the season fairly well.
01:52You will remember that, especially the Carabao Cup final in March, he was absolutely brilliant in that game.
01:57You know, he was the real leader of that side when they needed it in their big moments.
02:01Again, we're going to talk about Arsenal games a lot, but in that Arsenal game, the second legacy in James' Park, he was the perfect player for that.
02:07He rallied the troops. He did what he needed.
02:10And he might not be wearing the captain's armband, but he is still the leader of the group.
02:13So he was brilliant in those games, but he has had injury problems.
02:17And of course, he had a couple of really bad performances.
02:21It was Aston Villa in April and the Manchester City game in February, the one that lost 4-0.
02:27A couple stinkers, really, for his point of view.
02:30And from, you know, the standards he set himself, he sets himself so high standards.
02:34And, you know, so it hasn't been the best campaign, you know, for him.
02:40But 6 out of 10, I think, you know, them big moments really help him bring his mark up to a 6 out of 10.
02:49The next 6 out of 10 goes to Emil Kraft.
02:51Now, again, much of it like Sven Botman, he hasn't really played too often this year.
02:56But we all remember at the beginning of the season when Fabian Sher got sent off against Southampton.
03:01Kraft had to come in for three games and played brilliantly alongside Byrne.
03:04And then the last couple of games of the season, he's played really well.
03:08For me, he never let the team down.
03:09Never has since he joined, really, certainly since Eddie Howe was manager.
03:13He's never let the team down.
03:14Constantly getting contract extensions.
03:16And you can tell he's a big part of the group.
03:18There's lots of people like him.
03:19And no matter if he plays right back, left back or even centre back, he's a brilliant option.
03:22A brilliant squad option.
03:24You can't really get more about the 6 out of 10.
03:26I said he hasn't played too often, but he has.
03:28When he has played, he has played very well.
03:31Now we move up to 7 out of 10.
03:32I mentioned his name just before in the Emil Kraft video, but it's going to be Fabian Sher.
03:35Sher has had a decent season.
03:37He's had a lot better seasons than Newcastle United.
03:39Certainly the last couple of years, he's been better than he was this year.
03:42But he's just been consistent.
03:43And you know what?
03:43For a team who had Jamala Sells out with an ACL injury all year, Sven Botman out until Christmas.
03:48And then his problems, they needed someone like Fabian Sher to be fit all year.
03:52And him, and the man I'll get onto, has done that.
03:55He's chipped in with important goals.
03:57He's had some inconsistent performances, very up and down this year.
03:59I think the one thing you'd say about Eddie Howe, not Eddie Howe, Fabian Sher across his time in Newcastle,
04:04under Eddie Howe, is he's been very consistent.
04:07This year, I don't think he has been consistent.
04:08I think he's had some highs and some low performances.
04:11But he's been the man that's just been there.
04:14He's the guy with the build from the back.
04:17And, you know, someone that they're going to find really hard to replace when they do have to replace him.
04:21Because he has qualities that not many defenders in world football have.
04:25So yeah, 7 out of 10, Fabian Sher for me.
04:28The second 7 out of 10 is Tino Livramento.
04:31This is a really difficult one because Livramento has ended the season brilliantly.
04:35You know, the shift to left-back.
04:36It's unbelievable to have a right-back, shift to left-back and play so well.
04:40Probably even better, really.
04:41I think a lot of people think that he has put in his best performances for Newcastle United at left-back.
04:46He was really good in the Champions League last year at left-back.
04:49And he's been really good again this year at left-back in the absence of someone we'll get on to.
04:55But yeah, Livramento, for me, he's had a decent season.
04:58I think there's a couple of games, again, like a lot of the defenders,
05:00a couple of games where he's dropped a bit of a stinker and you think,
05:03oh, you know, have all of Newcastle overspent.
05:06But no, you know what?
05:07He is a fantastic player.
05:08Someone that will be in their team for ages to come.
05:10And 7 out of 10 marks a good season for him.
05:12And I think that mark does get boosted up a little by his end of the season because that was brilliant.
05:16And it's easy to forget they had Lewis Hall's injury.
05:19You know, that could have really derailed the team.
05:22But Livramento stepped into that place with Chippie on the right
05:24and stepped into Lewis Hall's absence and has had a really good year.
05:27And we'll get on to Lewis Hall now.
05:29Yeah, 8 out of 10 for me, Lewis Hall.
05:30I think his injury just stops him from being in the play-of-the-year conversation
05:34because it's easy to forget.
05:35He was absolutely fantastic.
05:36The first few months of the season when you guys hadn't been consistent,
05:39hadn't found their rhythm, Lewis Hall was constantly performing.
05:43You know, he was the man of the matches.
05:44We did a lot of player-of-the-match votes on Shields Gazette.
05:46Lewis Hall was always either in the running or had won the player-of-the-match.
05:50He was absolutely brilliant on that left side.
05:53And, yeah, it's a real shame injury derailed his campaign.
05:55But hopefully he can get back to being the very best, you know, that we've seen him
05:59because he was fantastic.
06:00And obviously we haven't seen him since February.
06:02So hopefully he can get a nice pre-season under his belt.
06:04And, yeah, 8 out of 10 for me because it was a brilliant campaign.
06:07I said it just hasn't – it might have even got more had he been able to play
06:11the last three months of the campaign.
06:13And the last person, of course, is Dan Byrne.
06:16He was an absolute colossus this season.
06:18As I said with Fabian and Cher, they needed someone to stay in the team
06:21and play the majority of games.
06:23Byrne did that, and he hasn't just played the majority of games.
06:25He's absolutely, you know, shone in them, really.
06:28Everyone remembers Wembley, of course, and that will be his crowning moment.
06:32But to get an England call-up as well in that,
06:35deserve an England call-up, two call-ups, in fact,
06:37because he's obviously been called up in the most recent squad.
06:39Yeah, 9 out of 10, Dan Byrne.
06:41There's nothing more I can say.
06:41Everyone knows how good he's been.
06:43And he's certainly going to be in the conversation with player of the,
06:46of the season as a whole.
06:47But that will obviously be coming at a later date.
06:49So, yeah, there are my player ratings.
06:50I'll quickly go through them again.
06:52Matt Target, 3 out of 10.
06:53Sven Botman, 5 out of 10.
06:55Kieran Trippier, 6 out of 10.
06:56Emil Kraft, 6 out of 10.
06:58Fabian Cher, 7.
06:59Libermento, 7.
07:00Lewis Hall, 8.
07:01And Dan Byrne, 9.
07:03As I said at the beginning of the video,
07:04I'd love to know your thoughts.
07:05Drop them in the comments below.
07:07And let me know who your defensive player of the season is.
07:09Stay tuned, because I'll be doing the midfielders and attackers soon.
07:12So, yeah, stay tuned to find out all those results.
