As Sandro Tonali walked by me in the mixed zone at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, I asked him, in Italian, if he could spare two minutes to reflect. ‘Ha due minuti per i giornali?’.
He shook his head and walked on, before making a loud and clearly audible comment that captured his frustration with the team’s performance in recent weeks, a run of one win in seven. I won’t repeat the comment, but it’s fair to say he did not cut a happy figure.
What does this tell us about his future? We should not read too much into the post-game frustrations of a footballer who holds himself and his team-mates to very high standards, but his body language and words were also telling. He expects better.
This, of course, came less than an hour after his post-match exchange with Pep Guardiola, a known admirer of the midfielder, who joined two and a half years ago for £55million from AC Milan.
When I asked Guardiola about this afterwards, he gave a longer answer than anticipated, revealing mutual friends and prior communication. It also came in the week when Tonali’s future was brought into question on deadline day, amid claims of an agent offering him to Arsenal.
The agent most closely associated with Tonali, Giuseppe Riso, later denied making contact with the Gunners, and those inside St James’ Park believe him. However, part of his comments did not go unnoticed. ‘We will see around March about Sandro’s valuation, but only if Newcastle decide to open doors,’ he said.
Sandro Tonali let his frustrations out after Newcastle were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday
Pep Guardiola is a known admirer of Tonali, and they shared an exchange on the pitch on Wednesday after the match
I understand this has raised eyebrows among some insiders, and has them expecting a conversation with regards Tonali’s future in the coming months.
Newcastle are relaxed in that they are protected by a contract that runs to 2030, in effect, but there is also a little apprehension at the prospect of the representatives of a player so integral perhaps testing the waters for a summer move.
Why Tindall wasn’t on touchline
It went a little unnoticed during the semi-final defeat by Manchester City, but Jason Tindall was not present on the touchline.
Confidential can confirm that the Newcastle assistant was at the Etihad but, because of accumulated yellow cards, was not allowed in the dugout. He will return for the visit of Brentford on Saturday.
Catching up with Confidential…
Newcastle have finally committed to what Confidential has long reported – the proposed capacity of a new stadium NOT being beyond the 70,000 many supporters crave.
Indeed, we revealed last year that a video shown to the club’s owners during a Matfen Hall summit depicted a 65,000-seat stadium on Leazes Park. It was expected among insiders that PIF would green light that project imminently. That did not happen and a decision on whether to pursue this option or redevelop St James’ Park is still in the hands of the Saudi owners.
However, CEO David Hopkinson said during a radio interview this week that the supply-demand modelling work the club have carried out would mean a new home of no bigger than 65-68,000. He also said that around another 10,000 could be added to St James’.
For now, though, the infrastructural focus is on improvement work at the current training ground and revealing grand plans for a new £200m training centre at Woolsington. Work on the communications around the latter is ongoing.
A decision on whether to build a new 65,000-seat stadium or redevelop St James’ Park is still in the hands of the Saudi owners
Good news on Miley as Gordon goes for scan
Lewis Miley’s injury has been reported as a knee problem this past week, which I understand is not necessarily the case.
Rather, he took a knee to his thigh in Paris last week and has been nursing a dead leg ever since, restricting movement around his knee area.
Newcastle are hopeful the problem is not serious but they have been careful and the teenager has missed the last two matches. Checks are ongoing and this week has been spent waiting for the issue to settle down.
Anthony Gordon was undergoing a scan on Thursday to determine the extent of the hamstring injury that forced him off at Manchester City on Wednesday.
The word overnight was that the problem was not too serious, but until the results of the scan are known, there is caution in committing to a feeling of positive news.
Anthony Gordon was undergoing a scan on Thursday to determine the extent of the hamstring injury that forced him off at Manchester City on Wednesday
Toon miss out on Zabi
Newcastle have missed out on the signing of Patrick Zabi, the 19-year-old Reims midfielder.
While there was work done on the deal on deadline day, it was not a case of the clock beating them, given it would have been a move for the summer.
Rather, Zabi’s camp let it be known the player preferred to stay in France, rather than move to England or Germany. It was then revealed on Tuesday that a £21.5m deal had been agreed for an end-of-season switch to Paris FC.
Everton pip St James’ to Scots friendly
St James’ Park narrowly missed out on hosting a Scotland friendly against Ivory Coast in March, Confidential can reveal.
Promoters Pitch International opted for Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium as the venue for the game on Tuesday, March 31.
However, we understand the Scottish FA preferred St James’, especially as it could have formed part of their pitch to Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes, whose international future is likely to be decided before the spring break.
Barnes is eligible for England, for whom he has one cap, and Scotland, who would also offer World Cup involvement should the 28-year-old be willing.
Harvey Barnes won his lone England cap in a friendly against Wales in October 2020, and remains eligible to switch his allegiance to Scotland
Toon to appoint set-piece guru
Newcastle are closing in on the appointment of a new analyst who will be tasked with improving set-piece output, at both ends of the pitch.
The club brought in Danish coach Martin Mark as a set-piece specialist in the summer and the team are now in the top six in the Premier League for goals scored (11) from dead-ball situations. They have conceded 11 times from set-pieces, which is mid-range in the table.
But there is a want to better those numbers, especially given the success of league leaders Arsenal (15 for, five against).
The new arrival will work with Mark, Eddie Howe and the other coaches to provide the data that will inform their approach on the training ground.
Newcastle have struggled to maximise their set-piece output, with Ibrahima Konate’s goal to make it 4-1 to Liverpool last week their 11th conceded from dead balls in the league
Toon Teaser
It’s Toon Teaser time… last time we asked you to name the FIVE players who have scored for Newcastle and Aston Villa in the Premier League.
The answers were: Ciaran Clark, Charles N’Zogbia, David Ginola, James Milner and Nobby Solano.
This week, can you name the SEVEN players to have scored for Newcastle and Man City in the Premier League?
