The player ratings for FIFA 17 have been released, but what is Newcastle’s best overall XI according to the statisticians at EA?
The numbers haven’t taken much of a dip after the Magpies relegation from the Premier League to the Championship.
In fact there have been some that have seen it actually improve, especially among the young players like Isaac Hayden.
Some inconsistent performances from big players hasn’t seen them be slapped down from their lofty perch.
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On the other hand some positives performances haven’t seen an increase in ratings that the players probably deserve.
Click through the slides below to see the best United team as according to the FIFA 17 ratings that were announced in September.
Matz Sels
New summer signing Matz Sels gets into the side before incumbent goalkeepers Rob Elliot and Karl Darlow.
With a 77 overall he beats Darlow (68) and Elliot (69) into first place, but if Tim Krul had stayed on Tyneside he would have been behind the Dutchman.
Sels has a potential rating of 82 as well, so there is plenty of room for him to grow and progress as a player.
Achraf Lazaar and Jesus Gamez
On paper the best two full-backs in the Newcastle United team are Achraf Lazaar and Jesus Gamez – but on the pitch they’ve not seen much action.
Since arriving from Atletico Madrid in the summer Gamez has hardly featured due to a combination of poor fitness, the form of Vurnon Anita and injury.
Lazaar is just getting into his Toon career and can expect to be featured more heavily in the next few games.
Chancel Mbemba and Ciaran Clark
One of the starts of last season was Chancel Mbemba and he has been rated the highest out of any Newcastle United central defender.
Interestingly, captain and all round defensive rock Jamaal Lascelles has only been given a 71 – while Ciaran Clark was given 76.
And so it is that Mbemba and his Irish companion are the two best players on paper in for this role – if not in real life.
Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie
Chelsea loan player Christian Atsu is a dream to play with on FIFA – if only he was that good on an actual football pitch.
With a solid rating of 76, Atsu is actually given the same as former Bournemouth man Matt Ritchie, who has been far more impressive this season.
In this formation Ritchie will switch to the left hand side in order to accommodate the Ghanaian international of the right.
Jonjo Shelvey and Cheick Tiote
Another strange one from the game is that Ivory Coast midfielder Cheick Tiote is given the highest rating for any midfielder with 78.
He’s hardly featured for Newcastle United over the past season – leading to very valid questions being asked of the guys and gals at EA.
Anyway, Jonjo Shelvey does deserve his 77 rating and lands himself a slot alongside Tiote in the middle of the park.
Mohamed Diame and Aleksandar Mitrovic
New boy Mohamed Diame and powerhouse striker Aleksandar Mitrovic are technically the best two attackers on FIFA 17 for Newcastle United.
Ayoze Perez still doesn’t have the rating he deserves, while Dwight Gayle mysteriously languishes around the low 70 mark.
And so it is that Diame (75) and Mitrovic (76) form the attacking spine of the team – although with Perez and Gayle in reserve there are excellent options.
Karl Darlow, Grant Hanley, DeAndre Yedlin, Jack Colback, Yoan Gouffran, Ayoze Perez, Dwight Gayle
Some of the mentioned Newcastle United substitutes fared well in the FIFA 17 ratings, while others god surprisingly high scores.
Anyone who has watched Jack Colback over recent years will have raised an eyebrow when his score of 76 was announced.
While Yoan Gouffran did well to remain in the mid 70s given his awful form for the club over the past year.
Dwight Gayle and Ayoze Perez will have a right to feel slightly aggrieved at the fact that they don’t score better, either.
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