Newcastle United

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We asked for your views on who should be Newcastle's centre-back pairing for next season.

Here are some of your comments:

Peter: Sven Botman must return and knowing Eddie Howe, he would rather have a right-foot, left-foot combination. That means Botman and Fabian Schar or a new central defender.

Nick: First choice would be Dean Huijsen. I love Schar and Burn but we can't rely on ageing centre backs. With Europe next season, everyone will have their part to play. If at 100% strength, then possibly Botman.

Brian: Unless we get someone in to replace Schar, it is a choice between Botman and Burn really, and a fit and firing Botman will always get that call. But the three of them with two wing-backs worked really well earlier in the season, and the question then becomes, who do you drop further up the pitch.

Bill: I have a strong suspicion that the starting centre-back partnership next season will be Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman. Marc Guehi will probably still cost a little too much and probably wants to go to Chelsea. Dean Huijsen would be an option but I think there will be interest in him from elsewhere. Thiaw on the other hand hasn't really increased in value a huge amount since they last enquired.

Dave: Assuming Botman stays fit, then I would say he needs to get some more game time. I think Burn is having the time of his life on the left side of central defence. Schar is fantastic of course, but I do think we need another younger player to bed in to the squad going forward. A new right-sided defender should be on the summer shopping list.

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Former Magpies defender John Anderson spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle about Eddie Howe's centre-back options: "It's a nice problem for Eddie Howe to have. [Sven] Botman is a quality player, when he is fit and at his best he is very good.

"[Fabian] Schar and [Dan] Burn have had a good season together and individually. The only time they really struggled was against Aston Villa with the pace they have. They got in behind and caused them problems. We know there is a lack of pace there.

"Will they bring in another right-sided centre back? If they do that it will get interesting.

"Botman is the best defender they have got when he is fit and at 100% - he is quicker and younger. It will be interesting to see who the two centre-backs are at the start of next season."

Who would be your preferred centre-back pairing be? Is it two already in the squad or do you think a summer signing is needed - and if so, who and why?

Tell us here

Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

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This weekend saw another win under Newcastle's belt - which is just what we needed after such a poor showing against Aston Villa.

Everything seems to be a bit more normal for us - we are third in the table with a few [tough] games to play. Is it really going to happen again? Champions League football at St James' Park? It looks increasingly likely.

If this season ends with us securing Champions League football and our first domestic trophy in 70 years sparkling in our cabinet then it has to be considered one of the greatest seasons of all time for Newcastle. Even if we do not get one of the coveted Champions League spots, it has to be up there.

The past weekend's game against Ipswich was what we needed - a big atmosphere, a big performance, goals from some of the fan favourites.

In particular, a goal from William Osula, a man we signed in the summer who has quickly made his way into our hearts by behaving, well, VERY enthusiastically when we won the cup (by the end of the celebrations he had many scarves around his head, covered in tinsel). I find this extra fun given he played very few minutes in that competition; he is just enjoying being there!

He has clearly made friends with the squad, and for him to get his first Premier League goal at the weekend was huge. He is also starting to look like an option for us on the right side of attack which is exciting - if Newcastle get back into the Champions League we need options and depth.

And nothing is better than enthusiastic options. My hope is this goal is the tip of the iceberg for this lad.

Every squad needs the fun ones - even better if they are class too.

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

Midfielder Sandro Tonali is planning to stay at Newcastle United for the long term, despite being linked with a return to Italy. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

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Former Newcastle United defender John Anderson lambasted the refereeing in the fixture between the Magpies and Ipswich on Saturday.

Anderson was critical of the decision to disallow a Bruno Guimaraes goal after the midfielder had turned his back on Town keeper Alex Palmer, who came to catch the ball, missed it, and the ball ended up going in off Guimaraes' back.

"The goal that was disallowed is an absolute joke. Guimaraes doesn't do anything, he just stands there. Keeper is expecting him to do something. All he [Guimaraes] did was hold his ground," Anderson told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"The referee had a nightmare. He had a nightmare for both sides.

"He was absolutely abysmal. He just lost the plot early on and never really got it back."

You can listen to the full clip on BBC Sounds

Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff is a target for Leeds United, who have been promoted back to the Premier League. (i Paper), external

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Newcastle United and Ipswich Town.

Here are some of your replies:

Newcastle fans

Simon: Another solid performance, bouncing back from last week's Villa game. A good team performance. Kieran Trippier is having a great spell of form and I'm pleased for Dan Burn and Will Osula in particular. Our final position is in our hands, but we are going to need top performances. Very happy with the way we are playing as a strong team.

David: I know we weren't firing on all cylinders but we still got the job done comfortably. Remember the days when, at this time of the season, we would be so pleased to reach the 40-point mark?

Steve: Great to see Osula finally get some game time. He is a player with a bright future.

Ozzy: Great to see Eddie Howe back, but you can tell by looking at him that he's not 100% yet. We got better as the match went on and we should have scored a few more goals. VAR was certainly wrong to disallow Bruno Guimaraes' goal in the first half, as the goalkeeper simply misjudged the flight of the ball and fell over. If we get points away to Brighton and Arsenal, then win both of our home games against Chelsea and Everton, it should be enough to qualify for Champions League. Everyone on Tyneside will be keeping everything crossed for the next few weeks.

Ipswich fans

Robert: Well the party is over and we are off to the Championship. Once again, a very lacklustre performance. We went down with a whimper and not with a roar. The stats say it all - Newcastle had 22 shots and Ipswich only had four. A very disappointing season, but what a wonder run with two promotions. The main worry I have for an immediate return to the Premier League is whether we will be able to keep our manager and buy players who can compete at the top level.

Dave: Kieran McKenna - lucky to go up, deserved to go down and, in my opinion, paid too much to get sacked.

Tim: What was Ben Johnson thinking when he committed a blatant foul for his second yellow? That killed the game for us. Our defence did well to keep the score down. I'm going to miss Liam Delap if he does leave - he was a handful for Newcastle with the few scraps he received.

Kevin: The game was quite good. Obviously, Newcastle had more possession, but Town had a few chances on the break. Everything changed after the sending off. Then it was down to the spirit of the players to basically keep the score reasonable against a free-scoring team. Yet again marvellous support from the Tractor Boys. We go again next season.

Bill: Pathetic performances over the season. They were bang average at best and over-hyped.

John Bennett
Final Score reporter at St James’ Park

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There was never really any doubt that Newcastle would welcome Eddie Howe back with a win on Saturday.

I spoke to Dan Burn and Nick Pope who both talked about the boost Howe's return after illness gave the squad going into the Ipswich game. Burn told me the manager said to the players earlier in the week that he would take it easy in training but that only lasted 30 seconds before he had stopped the session!

That just sums up Howe's personality and drive to make this team better.

After the game, Howe admitted to me that he was still lacking energy but he was very keen to thank the fans and everyone at the club for their support.

When asked if he had felt the love from the fans, Howe said he had, even if he was in game mode.

Newcastle are not back in action until Sunday, which will give him a bit more time to fully recover. But but with Champions League football in sight over four "cup finals" (his words), from what Burn was saying, Howe certainly will not be taking a step back in training.

Newcastle United are working on a deal to sign South Korea international defender Kim Min-jae, 28, from Bayern Munich this summer. (Football Insider, external)

Newcastle's shortlist for defensive reinforcements also include Sporting's 21-year-old Ivorian Ousmane Diomande, AC Milan's German defender Malick Thiaw, 23, and Dutchman Jan Paul van Hecke, 24, from Brighton. (GiveMeSport, external)

Meanwhile Newcastle, Chelsea, Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool and Manchester United are all interested in signing Canada striker Jonathan David, 25, when his Lille contract expires in the summer - but Marseille are hoping to persuade the player to stay in France. (RMC Sport, via Get Football News France, external)

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Mark Chapman presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, which saw Ipswich Town's relegation from the top-flight confirmed.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentary from Newcastle United 3-0 Ipswich Town on BBC Sounds.

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Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has been speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle about the Magpies' winning performance: "A huge win. I think the home games are going to be really important and I think that was one on paper that everyone expects us to just turn up and win. So there was that extra bit of pressure on that one.

"Once we had scored that penalty and they had gone down to 10 men, I think we did a really good job of seeing the game out. We have played against 10 men before and took our foot off the gas a little bit, played slowly and let teams back in.

"But I think we were really good. I thought we could have scored more than we got, but we were good value for the win."

On his goal: "I think one thing you can guarantee from Tripps [Kieran Trippier] is the assists that he provides and the crosses that he puts in are perfect. I read it well so I didn't really have to do much, I just had to get contact on it.

"I'm happy. I think that has been a long time coming, that first Premier League home goal of the season. I've always said I should score a lot more, but I can't complain."

On facing his old club Brighton next week: "We are in a good position. I think all of the teams around us are picking up points, but so are we. I think we have good momentum but it would be nice to go down there and put on a good performance.

"It would be nice to get a result because I sort of feel like they have had my number the last few times we have been down there. We haven't really performed well against them, but it's the business end of the season now."

Listen to the full interview here

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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the win: "It was great being back out there. Maybe we were lacking in a bit of energy, but I'm really pleased with the performance and how we navigated the game.

"I thought Ipswich set up really well. They made it difficult for us and got a lot of bodies behind the ball. It was going to be that kind of game where we had to be patient. Of course, having the extra man helped and it was that first goal that was key for us. We played really well in the second half."

On the crowd: "They have always been brilliant with me and they are understanding of my situation currently, so a big thank you to everybody.

"I've been in game mode but I'm very aware that people have been very kind and very warm with me. It's hugely appreciated."

On Dan Burn and William Osula scoring: "Getting goals from different players is key. Dan has always scored important goals for us and it was great to see Will score with a great header. He is a player of rich potential and hopefully that is a real confidence lift for him."

On the club's Champions League hopes: "It will go down to the wire. The important thing today was that we bounced back from last week. We have been very consistent and now we have four huge games."

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

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Saturday's game against struggling Ipswich was viewed by most Newcastle fans as the perfect opportunity to bounce back from last weekend's heavy defeat at Aston Villa - but it was not the straightforward contest the Toon Army might have been expecting.

Well, not initially anyway.

The Magpies failed to register a single attempt until midway through the first half, but the complexion of the game changed completely when Ipswich's Ben Johnson was dismissed for a second bookable offence eight minutes before half-time.

It was one-way traffic from that moment on as Bruno Guimaraes - who had had an earlier effort disallowed - was denied by Luke Woolfenden's goal-line clearance and Sandro Tonali rattled the woodwork with a fierce strike.

But the Magpies were awarded a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when Julio Enciso was adjudged by the video assistant referee to have fouled Jacob Murphy inside the penalty area in first-half added time.

Alexander Isak took full advantage to score his 22th Premier League goal of the campaign, moving him above Erling Haaland in the scoring charts.

The second half was little more than a training exercise for Newcastle as Dan Burn and Will Osula netted their first Premier League goals of the season from Kieran Trippier crosses, earning the hosts a comfortable win on head coach Eddie Howe's return to the dugout.

Howe's team face Brighton, Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton in their remaining four games, but with a two-point cushion over sixth-place Nottingham Forest, a place in next season's Champions League is theirs to lose.

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Newcastle United have dropped just seven points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, fewer than any other side.

The Magpies recorded a 78.0% share of possession in this game, the highest by any team in a Premier League match this season and Newcastle United's highest in the competition on record (since 2003-04).

Alexander Isak's opening goal was his 22nd Premier League goal of the season, the most of any Newcastle United player in a top-flight campaign since Alan Shearer also scored 22 goals in 2003-04.

Were you at St. James' Park or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Newcastle's performance

What did you make of Ipswich's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Chelsea v Everton (12:30)

• Brighton v West Ham

• Newcastle v Ipswich - BBC Radio 5 Live commentary

• Southampton v Fulham

• Wolves v Leicester

All kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

It's great news that Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will be back in the dug-out for this game after his stay in hospital.

I don't see his side having any trouble securing the three points here, based on what I saw from Ipswich against Arsenal last week. That game just wasn't a contest, even before Leif Davis was sent off.

There is a lot at stake for the Magpies in the race for Champions League qualification, while it is just a matter of time until Ipswich's relegation is confirmed.

We might see some anger in Newcastle's performance after their heavy defeat by Aston Villa but, ultimately, this should be a comfortable win for them.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

We asked for your views on which wingers should start for Newcastle against Ipswich on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

Matt: Murphy is locked down on the right. His partnership with Isak is too important to disrupt, so it's between Gordon and Barnes for the left wing. I think currently Barnes deserves to stay in the starting XI. I'm a huge Gordon fan and it pains me to see him starting on the bench, but given current form, and the fact Gordon is working his way back to full fitness still, Barnes deserves 60 mins minimum. It's only fair, as Barnes has patiently waited and made an impact as a sub, and now he's snapped his chance when Gordon gave it to him with the red card. If Barnes' form drops at all, Gordon will have to be ready like Barnes was! Hopefully, they both encourage and push each other to higher levels.

Andrew: I think we should start with Gordon and Murphy, then bring on Barnes at half time/60 mins. Then, next week start Barnes and Murphy, then bring on Gordon at half time/60 mins. It would be a good way for Howe to practise squad rotation for next season.

David: It's a no-brainer - the starters must be Harvey and Jacob. They have worked very, very hard to get into the first team while Gordon seems to have lost his way.

Richard: It's vital that there's meaningful competition for all the positions on the field in order to compete at an elite level. So the selection dilemma over the wide positions is vital. I'm a fan of Jacob Murphy as he absolutely gets his role, both in and out of possession. Gordon and Barnes are better as inverted wingers and therefore better on the left. Murphy is our best option on the right and the stats prove it.

Andy: Eddie has to play whoever is in form and Barnes has earned his place. Nice to have Gordon on the bench to cover both Barnes and Murphy, though.

Peter: Barnes and Murphy should keep their places. There's no doubting the quality of Gordon, but since coming back on the bench he hasn't actually done anything to justify starting ahead of Murphy or Barnes.