Newcastle United cannot afford a poor performance against Aston Villa at St James’ Park.
The Magpies have lost twice this season away to Leeds United and then to Coventry City after the international break 4-1.
New signings should be given time to bed in, but some existing Toon stars have failed to make the cut and could be on loan at the club.
Why Botman & Willock could be on loan at Newcastle
A lot has happened on Tyneside this summer, with a move coming up against a number of arrivals that may or may not turn out well.
Now Newcastle have to cut down more dead wood. Many would argue that Jacob Murphy should be sent off, but the 31-year-old is in talks to extend his stay.
But others may not be so lucky. Joe Willock, for example, is out of contract at the end of the season and despite a very good start to the year, the 27-year-old was flattered to deceive against Coventry, and his future is up in the air ahead of the January transfer window (when the likes of Besiktas can explore a pre-contract deal).
Deep down, Sven Botman is also in real trouble. The 26-year-old has been terrible so far this season, standing like a teacup during an earthquake. The £40m signing from Lille in 2022 may be secure under contract, but his place in Jaissle’s starting XI certainly isn’t.
He may suffer as a centre-back, but Botman will take some solace from a truly exceptional goal against the Sky Blues, firing from distance with ball-like power.
However, we can’t overlook the fact that Botman was at a lower level than he was at the time. Do you remember the performances of the Champions League in the season 2023/24? Unfortunately, the Dutchman is not the same player, and the new contract he signed in January (until 2030) is likely to have resulted from a decline in interest from elite Europeans.
As with Murphy, Newcastle are open to extending Willock’s time on Tyneside. Whether the same can be said for Botman, who has sunk lower and lower, is another question.
The Dutch defender has made five direct defensive errors in six Premier League games this season, and his much-publicised problems are a distraction from another defensive culprit.
Nobody talks about how bad the Newcastle star is
From the moment Howe called time on his Newcastle stint, it was clear there would be teething problems in the coming months. In fact, it was clear that Newcastle would struggle before Howe’s most valuable players were swept away one by one.
Struggle doesn’t necessarily mean Too will sink. If they beat Coventry they would go into the top four.
Unfortunately, a miserable defensive display dampens expectations. Botman is not the only one to blame, the Dutchman’s start to the season has taken the spotlight away from Malik Tiau, who has left a lot to be desired.
In August 2025, Newcastle signed Tiavi from AC Milan for around £34.5 million. It was immediately clear that PIF had made a promising signing, with the powerful defender hailed as a “monster of mentality” by former Schalke youth team-mate Erdem Canpolat.
Last season was relatively successful, even in the face of Newcastle’s slump, but there is no doubt that Thiaw was far from convincing under Jaissle, and that was brutally illustrated in the defeat at Coventry.
Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw v Coventry | ||
|---|---|---|
Match Statistics | Botman | Thiaw |
Minutes played | 90′ | 90′ |
Goals + Assists | 1 + 0 | 0 + 0 |
Missing arms | 4 | 4 |
It touches | 92 | 88 |
Accurate transmissions | 70/78 (90%) | 66/76 (87%) |
Property lost | 10x | 10x |
Def. contributions | 10 | 8 |
Ball recovery | 1 | 5 |
Ground duels won | 1/2 | 0/1 |
Aerial duels won | 10/12 | 2/4 |
Dripping past | 1x | 1x |
Mistakes were made | 1x | 0x |
Despite an error-ridden, unconvincing defensive game, Botman still produced a strong, accessible performance, even without the consolation goal against the Howitzers.
Thiaw, on the other hand, was too timid to win a one-on-one battle against Coventry’s spirited forwards. The German can be aggressive and front-footed, but he struggles when he gets inside.
This is best illustrated by his winless run in six Premier League games this season. Given the porous nature of Jaissle’s defensive structure, this is unforgivable. He can fill all the gaps in the world, plus play forward and forward, but Thiaw doesn’t do the basics and thus does more damage than his Newcastle partner.
Thiaw in the past St. James showed at the Park that he has the skills to take out the best strikers the Premier League has to offer. Even so, he’s a pale imitation of last season’s strong arrival, and with Burn and Schar waiting in the wings, Botman might not be the only one at risk of getting chopped.