Everton v Newcastle United | Match Preview | Preseason 2026

Hello, welcome to Toffee TV. It is match preview for Newcastle United. Being played in Edinburgh on a Wednesday at 5:15. It is pre-season. I don't know how they got got to the decision to be playing in Edinburgh at 5:15 on a Wednesday. But fair play. Fair play. I'm sure lots of blues, lots of Newcastle fans will be traveling to this one. Enjoying a day out in Edinburgh. Um, and fair play. Don't fancy it. Edinburgh is a lovely, lovely city. Very nice. But, uh no. It's also fringe, which means it's very expensive. >> very busy as well. >> Very busy, very expensive. But, hey ho. Uh, hey ho indeed. Um yeah. Everton, obviously back from Germany after a win and a defeat. Um up against Newcastle United. If they've got any players left. Um what are you looking for from this game? >> But, I think with this game, this is where like you want to you want to start to see like proper evidence that you know we're getting back into the flow of it and we're starting to see like more excitement going on with the squad. I think we saw the scene there against Stoke. I think the first half you should have seen like the level sort of improved. And then I thought for for the first half, we actually looked quite decent and we were unlucky to not be a few goals up at least. And then it was just a few little moments that sort of let us down. But, then as the second half went on, you seen like as soon as they brought new players on, the quality sort of dropped off and Everton just like petered out then. It didn't look didn't look too good. So, I'm hoping in this one because it is Premier League opposition, you start to see Everton just playing at a bit of a higher level and you know, a bit more hopefully more goals importantly, but you know, a bit more connection between the players and we start to see what it's going to be like on the first day cuz after this there's only one left and little difference zone, isn't it? >> How do you actually feel about playing pre Premier League teams in preseason cuz I I I still find it I know it happens abroad and I know that's a complete monetary thing. Uh but I you know, we're playing Okay, we're playing Scotland, so you know, playing in playing in the British Isles, I mean >> It's a bit boring, isn't it? >> Yeah, this is like I I suppose it's difficult. You've got your own opinion in football, but it's the time you want to see them play like I don't know, somewhere to be a bit different, a bit out there. And yeah, it it it is a bit crap, but >> Fair enough. >> I suppose for actual preseason like testing sort of your level and stuff, going up against someone in the Premier League who was like sort of a finish in a similar position probably is a good good team to play. >> Yeah, I Yeah, [laughter] I I I think boring's always a good word. The fact, you know, going to America last season and seeing us play three minute pre pre Premier League teams I found was a little bit boring. I'd love to have seen us Well, I mean, certainly for us you want to be seeing us play against teams that we don't normally play against and you know, um and I think that comes with that. Uh it would have been nice, but again, I think this is very much a money-making exercise. >> Yeah. >> Someone's obviously set it up to try to get two teams in there who who don't who aren't going on um you know, a big tour somewhere um and have got decent fan bases and I think that's us and Newcastle, so you can understand it from that point of view. I mean, I don't know what what the attendance is going to be um cuz I still think it'll be quite expensive all in all, so but we'll see. We'll see what happens, but it's it's a really interesting one, isn't it? I think Saturday, obviously, the team we started with was a lot more lot more of the players you're trying to I wouldn't I don't want to call them squad players. I think the players you were certainly past the the defense, The players that are trying to get in the team and make a name for themselves in the team. The likes of Harrison Armstrong, Haydon Hackney, I don't think he's a first-day starter, all in all, you know, all in all. Charlie Diblin on the right, Tim Iroegbunam in the midfield, um Tariq Fosu, I don't I don't think he'll start first game of the season. I think he might, but I'm I'm just I'm better up front, so I think it was more you know, Charlie as well, too. You've got players there who all of them are could start, but I'm not sure if any of them will start. But but it's like who can who can find a place in this team? Who who's who's banging on the door? And I think that was interesting just in stage of where we are in preseason. It might be like this game becomes the one where it's like, "No, now we're more dead set on what we're looking at." And Lille Lille normally the week before is normally the team that you they're all there about. >> Yeah. >> For the start of the season. So, after seeing what we see saw on on Saturday, is is this the one now where you are looking at it, or are you just going, "Well, he'll just reverse it and bring the players who didn't play on Saturday into this game?" >> Yeah, I think you I think you should make a good point there about like sort of the midfield. I think Everton's probably strongest midfield and the two most common was James Garner, just Garner again, and Jean Seri. And obviously going to that first game of the season, you're not going to have two of them. >> Yeah. >> Maybe Jean Seri, and I do think Jean Seri is a safe starter. So, it's like them two of the positions are sort of a fight right now. And you know, there's been people like arguing, you know, um Asmir Armstrong staying and doing it, Iroegbunam leaving potentially, and then Nørgaard's coming to the fore now with Jean Seri, and Haydon Hackney, and you've got like Mel and Rollin and Allan Campbell on top of that. And so, I think these are the games where, you know, you sort of make I don't know, your point of why you should be starting. And same for the wingers, I think. You know, if Brennan Johnson does come, that adds another sort of question to you start on the wing. Obviously, Indaija back now. Grealish, you don't know really what's happening there. So, it's all all these players are sort of fighting for the same position because I don't think anyone right now, maybe, you know, three or four are like set to start for everything. And that that includes everywhere from like the defense the defensive partnership changed and different. >> Yeah. >> I thought it was O'Brien and been different every preseason game and keep switching. So, you you don't really know who's going to be the starting two. Right back. Who knows what's going on with right back. >> What's up right left? >> Left back's Mykolenko, but you know, I give this should be as he with the performances and then So, it's like the whole team still sort of off the question. So, right now, I think going into this Newcastle game, this is the moment where you start to look for who's going to be like your day one starters and who's going to be your core. And so, I think it is a big game for that. And I think you probably will go to like a full strength team, you know. >> No, you know, I think you made some good points, I think. There's definitely two places in our three-man midfield that are off the play off the grabs because I'm not sure on the way Onana is because Arsenal just because of the amount of players that they had at um at the World Cup and obviously because of the amount of games they played last season, they've come back late for preseason. I think they've only really started their preseason and it feels like the last couple of weeks. So, that So, that you don't know where Onana is fitness wise and you don't know whether by the time we get to the first game of the season whether he will whether he will be fit. We know James Garner's out. There's no other center going to get. So, that does leave two spots for all those players to fight over. I think it's it's a it's a shame really cuz Meulensteen will would be in there, I think. But, I think he's going to start the season as right back. >> He could even be right wing though, couldn't >> Yeah. Yeah, right wing, right back. >> Yeah. >> Midfield. It I mean, the lads has had a really good preseason, to be fair to him. And really took you know, you can really see well. I think he will be in the team that starts first game of the season, but it depends on where he is. I mean, as you've mentioned there, maybe Brandon Brandon Johnson changes that if he comes in. Um and maybe Elanga goes to the left. And but there's still definitely there's still definitely a couple of positions. And then Carlos Alcaraz might be thinking to himself, "Well, if this is two positions, maybe he drops Joe Aribo deeper and I get to play the number 10." I think that that's all good. And I think that's maybe why Moyes did that on Saturday. Obviously, he's got to he's got to he's got to give everyone lots of time in it's pre-season. That's the point of it. I don't think we've even started looking yet at the tactical side. I'm not I'm not sure whether we are going to look at the I think it's more that's that's what gets done sort of on the train training Monday to Friday. And um but so it's it is it is up to it is up for the up to for the base who who starts. And I said Harrison Armstrong I think has made a really good show so far as well. Every time he's got an opportunity. Um but this is the next step open. >> Newcastle are uh I mean, they've lost Bruno Guimarães. They've lost Anthony Gordon. >> Moyes >> Tonali's gone to Spurs. Um there's people knocking on the door for other players, but I I don't think it's going to happen now. I think the door's firmly shut now from from Newcastle. They I think Elanga got a serious I don't know if it's how serious, but he got an injury at the weekend against Valencia. In fact, the Valencia player got sent off. That's a pre-season game. That tells you how bad it is. He got stretchered off. So, they really are you know, struggling. They've got a new manager as well. They've lost they've lost they've lost Eddie Howe. Um so, it'll be interesting to see how how how they look as well. >> Mhm. I think obviously losing three massive players like that on top of, you know, the players like Eisa and stuff that they lost last season. It's like the the whole like squad's different now. It's like a completely like the the core players are all gone. >> Mhm. >> And then you said, Eddie Howe has left, so that's massive as well for them. >> And you got Ollie as well, I think. >> Yeah. Both They have signed quite a few players in the under the radar. Like they spent quite a bit of money as well on like the new players. But the thing is they're all young, so it's like it's sort of Obviously it can be a massive payoff because you know, we spoke loads about everything, you know, getting young players, selling them. That's how you progress. But if they don't come in and instantly, you know, hit the ground running, then it is could be a massive >> Well, one of the players they they've got from last year, obviously is is Elliot Anderson, and that lot was said about him, you know, whether he was a center forward or whether he's like a number 10. But it looks like he might be might be looking at him as a number 10 now. >> So last season he played 33 times with 24 starts. In the next year, 6.59, scoring eight goals. He also got three assists and had 25 chances created and all those passing numbers when you look at them. Like he's really under the radar passing wise, and his average rating on Football Manager was 6.66. >> Yeah. Decent Decent player. They've played in the right position. I know there was like when we were going for Botman, there was a lot of conjecture over whether we'd go for him or whether we'd go for Botman, but Newcastle went and went big for him, which surprised a lot of people in Germany. >> And then this is all the stats for sort of Newcastle's pre-season. So initially, you know, this game, as we said before, is played at the Scottish Gas North Stand. Last season, Newcastle finished 12th and the top goal scorer was Bruno Guimarães with nine goals, who obviously has left now. They played three pre-season games so far, drawing one all with Gateshead, losing four one to Bristol, and then obviously winning against Valencia two one on the weekend. You know, there's just the names of the play the big players they've lost in Gordon, Bruno, and Tonali. And then the players in is, you know, it's some young names like Harrison, Botman, Stay and Touré, and Yankee. Is that Is that how you pronounce it? They were like, as I said, they spent quite a bit of money on them, but they're all, you know, still fairly young players. You know, have a lot to sort of learn still. Yeah. They also played Darlington but you've completely discounted that. They won 3-0. But we'll just whatever. James, you just you do you, James. Don't worry about it. Um yeah. They've got Leverkusen and they've got Strasbourg uh next week as well. They're playing back-to-back games. Um Sat- uh Saturday and Sunday. And then they start the season with a nice easy home game against Liverpool, then they play Tottenham away, then they play Bournemouth at home, then they play Leeds away. So, the first four games are very tricky for a team that's bedding in. >> Yeah. >> So, it will be an interesting season for Newcastle. But for us, um all we want I mean, we'd love to see a win after after losing. Um and just every player fighting, no injuries, and sort of getting a sense of of of where we're where we're going with the first game of the season. >> Yeah, yeah. I think it's the big one, isn't it? It's like right now, I think if you asked like you know, 10 Everton fans the most different like mid-three midfield three that's going to start. So, it'll be interesting to get sort of a bit of a understanding of that and the rest of the positions and, you know, just start seeing a bit more fight in the Everton team and, you know, a few more goals, ideally. >> Goals, I think I think you're absolutely right. Goals Saturday against Saturday. Stoke had us, as we said, mentioned. We could have we could have got four or five, but we didn't get it we didn't get any. So, we got the penalty. >> Yeah. >> So, we didn't look like getting any in the second half, really, either. We were we were toothless in the second half. Um so, there's no like it's still gives you that feeling that there's no natural sort of way of scoring goals other than it's set pieces and bits and so, that's something we all want to see evolve. But uh let us know your thoughts in the comments, anyway. Are you going up to this game? Um and how do you feel about it? Obviously, it is pre-season, but what do you want to see? I always feel like it's not a case of, you know, what being glued to the results or blah blah blah, but what do you want to see? Who do you want to see? Do you want to see Tyler Dibling start again? Do you want to see, you know, Nathan Patterson playing right back or even Nathan Patterson back in Scotland playing right back? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and uh we'll see you again.