Alan Shearer's Return To The Toon Army

Our football columnist and ex-Newcastle striker Mark Viduka recently posted the departures from St James's Park in the January transfer window. Now he's back to give his view of the incoming transfers at Newcastle. Over to Mark.

Four young players from Portugal joined Newcastle as Alan Shearer began to build for the future. Rúben, 22, joins from C.S. Marítimo for a fee of £1.1 million. He is expected to be cover for Italian left back Davide Santon.

Viduka: As a covering left back, he looks great and seems to be a bargain at £1.1 million. Who knows, he could even challenge Davide Santon for a first team place.

Rating: 8/10

The next Portuguese youngster to join is João Mário, 20, who joins on a free transfer.

Viduka: He looks an OK buy with good potential and with the right work in training, he could break into the Newcastle first team.

Rating: 6/10

The third Portuguese youngster to join is Roderick Miranda. 22, who also joins on a free transfer. He has already agreed a loan move with Newcastle's feeder club with St Mirren which sees him join the Scottish club for a full season on the 1st of July.

Viduka: Good potential for a center back and he should be ready to challenge for a first team spot soon. The loan spell at St Mirren will definitely help him progress.

Rating: 7/10

The final Portuguese youngster to join is Alexandre Alfaiate, 17, who joins from Benfica on a free transfer.

Viduka: I think he is the most promising acquisition from Portugal as he seems like a very determined lad. Coming from Benfica, who are a great side, suggests that he has great potential and could go far in the game. I think he is a really good 'buy' for Newcastle.

Rating: 9/10

Slovakian goalkeeper Jan Oblak, 20, joins on a free transfer.

Viduka: He looks like a great transfer for Shearer, as he doesn't really have sufficient backup to Tim Krul. At the age of 20, he brings more experience than current 'backup' goalkeeper Joe van der Sar. Rob Elliot is not really good enough for the squad and will probably be sold now that van der Sar and Oblak are in the team.

Rating: 7/10

Young Italian forward Giuseppe De Luca, 21, comes in from Atalanta for £1 million.

Viduka: A cheap buy for Newcastle as they bring in the Italian, who has played once for Italy U-21s. Shearer has already loaned him out to Charlton Athletic to give him a feel of first team football within England. Great potential and keep an eye out for this kid.

Rating: 8/10

Mounir El Hamdaoui, 29, returns to England having previously played for Tottenham in 2005-2006. He cost Newcastle £1.6 million from Fiorentina.

Viduka: Decent player for a good fee. However, I think he will only be backup to 'Super Sub' Gabby Agbonlahor. He knows the English game having been at Tottenham in 2005-2006. They loaned him out to Derby County.

Rating: 6/10

Joaquín, 31, joins Newcastle from Fiorentina for £2.8 million.

Viduka: The player has been capped 51 times by world champions Spain, but unless Shearer changes the tactics to accommodate him, he won't be used. However I am led to believe that chairman Mike Ashley took charge of transfer proceedings in this case.

Rating: 5/10 because of the fact that he won't get games unless the formation changes.

Italian center back Marco Capuano, 21, joins for £3.4 million from Serie B side Pescara.

Viduka: He is highly rated and with him Astori and Santon, possibly being part of the back four, the Italians could form a great partnership.

Rating: 8/10

The final signing of the winter is English midfielder Tom Cleverley who joins Newcastle from Manchester United for £10.5 million.

Viduka: The 23 year old central midfielder looks set to replace injured Ivorian Cheick Tiote. He played 35 times for Manchester United and was held in high regard by their supporters so for the fee of £10.5 million, it looks like a great buy for Newcastle.

Rating: 9/10

That's all the transfers for this season. Join me, Mark Viduka next season as we analyze any transfers that Newcastle make. Until then, goodbye.

Thanks for 500 views guys. I just want to say that I'm really enjoying writing this story and I hope it continues for a long time Thanks for reading.

1

It was an average month for Newcastle, who played five league games and four cup games. Their league matches were against Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Vila and Crystal Palace. They also played in the Capital One Cup semi-final against Manchester City. They also started their FA Cup campaign. See results below.

: Yoan Gouffran

Newcastle kicked off their new year away to Arsenal, the team they beat 2-0 in September. Newcastle took the lead when Frenchman Yoan Gouffran received the ball after it was tackled through to him on the edge of the penalty area. He looked up, before curling the ball past Wojech Szczesny. He got a second goal when Alessandro Matri played a ball through to him which he trapped and fired into the top corner. Olivier Giroud pulled a goal back for Arsenal when he got on the end of Brazilian midfielder Anderson's corner. Arsenal equalized in the second half when Laurent Koscileny rose above the Newcastle defense to turn Mikel Arteta's cross in. This was a meaningful match for Arsenal's recent acquisition Steven Taylor who only joined the club officially that morning from Newcastle. Tom Cleverley made his debut.
Attendance : 53,878.

: Patrice Evra

Newcastle hosted a match for the first time in 2013 as Manchester United came to visit. The match got off to a disgraceful start as Manchester United striker hacked down Newcastle center back Davide Astori with two feet, whilst the ball was still in the air. He was shown a straight red and headed off down the tunnel. Surprisingly, four Manchester United players surrounded the referee in appeal when they had no right to after the shocking challenge from Van Persie. Manchester United took the lead when Davide Astori missed an interception and the ball went through to Wayne Rooney who placed the ball past Tim Krul. They went 2-0 up when Shinji Kagawa took the ball round Krul and passed the ball into the empty net. Newcastle pulled a goal back when Alessandro Matri picked up Astori's clearance from a Manchester United corner. He ran from his own half, past three United defenders before shocking David De Gea by smashing the ball in at the far post from 25 yards out. Manchester United went 3-1 up when Antonio Valencia got on the end of Kagawa's corner and nodded it past Krul. Attendance: 52,405.

: Gabby Agbonlahor

Newcastle made the trip to Anfield where they faced Liverpool. It was a quiet first half with not much going on. Liverpool perhaps had the better half. 'Super-Sub' Gabby Agbonlahor came on at half time. The first goal came when Luis Suarez got on the end of Fabio Borini's back-heel. Borini played a great back-heel through to Suarez who was set free of the defense. He then curled the ball round Tim Krul and into the net. Ten minteseina haaving come later, Sebastián Coates got the ball mixed up in his feet and it trickled through to substitute Gabby Agbonlahor, who fired into the open net with Reina having come off of his line to pass the ball to Coates. Agbonlahor showed people why he has been labelled as a 'Super-sub' this season when he scored his second since coming on. He scored when Lucas Leiva tackled Nicolás Gaitán but the ball trickled through to Agbonlahor who smashed the ball past Reina. Attendance: 45,276.

: Hatem Ben Arfa

Newcastle hosted relegation-threatened Aston Villa at St James's Park. Newcastle took the lead when Hatem Ben Arfa converted a 30 yard free-kick which bounced in off the crossbar. They got their second when Ben Arfa pulled the ball back to fellow Frenchman Moussa Sissoko who hammered the ball into the net past Brad Guzan. Gabriel Agbonlahor came on at half time to face his former club Aston Villa for the second time since leaving for Newcastle in the summer for £8.25 million. Agbonlahor scored against his old club when he picked up Nicolás Gaitán's pass on the edge of the box and fired it into the bottom corner. He refused to celebrate in front of his new fans and instead just saluted them. Attendance: 47,975.

: Jorge Teixeira

Newcastle looked to avoid defeat for the second time this season against newly promoted Crystal Palace. It was a very quiet first half, perhaps with crystal Palace having the better half. Then after half time substitute Gabriel Agbonlahor netted after reacting first during a penalty area scramble and passed it past the distracted Speroni. With less than ten minutes remaining, Yoan Gouffran was tackeld on the edge of his own penalty area. The ball went through to Jonathan Williams who knocked it past Tim Krul. Attendance: 16,476.

: Tom Cleverley

Newcastle kicked their FA Cup campaign off away to Npower League 2 side Chesterfield. Newcastle took the lead when debutant Marco Capuano headed in fellow Italian Davide Santon's corner. They went 2-0 up when Hatem Ben Arfa played new signing Tom Cleverley through and Cleverley scored his first goal for the club when he smashed the ball past the keeper. The hosts pulled a goal back when Sam Togwell headed past record breaking keeper Joe van der Sar. Van der Sar had already became the youngest Newcastle player, the youngest Premier League player, the youngest Capital One Cup player and now he had became the youngest FA Cup player. Newcastle restored their two goal lead when debutant João Mário passed the ball to Tom Cleverley who fired in his second goal as he smashed the ball into the bottom corner. The match ended 4-1 after debutant Mounir El Hamdaoui set up Yoan Gouffran who placed the ball into the bottom corner. Attendance: 10,304.

: Gabby Agbonlahor

Having beaten Chesterfield, Newcastle faced another away tie as they traveled to London to play West Ham in the FA Cup 4th round. There was no score in the first half. Gabby Agbonlahor came on at half time and scored pretty much straight away as Nicolás Gaitán headed it down to him. He went on a run before slotting the ball into the bottom corner. They went 2-0 up when
Agbonlahor passed it to new signing Mounir El Hamdaoui who poked it into the net. The scoring was rounded off when substitute and captain Fabricio Coloccini headed in Gaitán's cross. Attendance: 24,965.

Newcastle thrashed Manchester United 4-0 to reach the semi-final against Manchester City. Here's how they lined up for the first leg.

: Alessandro Matri

Newcastle played host to Manchester City in the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi final. Newcastle took the lead when Alessandro Matri played a through ball to Yoan Gouffran who knocked it past the City goalkeeper. Man City equalized when new Newcastle signing Rúben headed back to Tim Krul who completely missed the ball and it went down as a Rúben own goal. Moussa Sissoko put Newcastle back into the lead when Matri squared a ball to him and he taooed it into the open goal. The final score was made 3-1 when Nicolás Gaitán picked up Matri's through ball and poked it past the keeper. Attendance: 52,405.

Man City had a lot of work to do to save the tie as they went into the second leg losing 3-1 on aggregate. Here's how the teams lined up.

: James Milner

Manchester City had to win by three goals or more to secure their place in the final. The first goal came when the ball was cleared out to Gareth Barry on the edge of the Newcastle penalty area. Barry hit the ball first time into the bottom corner. Newcastle equalized one minute later when new signing Tom Cleverley pounced on a spill from Costel Pantilimon and passed the ball into the open goal. Manchester City retook the lead when James Milner crossed to Swedish striker John Guidetti who volleyed it through the hands of Tim Krul. The lead was extended to 3-1 when Sergio Agüero knocked the ball into the penalty area where Samir Nasri was waiting on the byline. Nasri took the ball forwards before firing it in at the near post. As things stood, the match was going to extra time. That was the case until Guidetti tackled Fabricio Coloccini in the Newcastle penalty area. Agüero picked up the ball and drilled it past Tim Krul. The task of scoring another goal wasn't made any easier for Newcastle when young Dutch midfielder Vurnon Anita elbowed Jesús Navas whilst running past him. The Dutchman received a straight red and his manager didn't look happy. The final score was 4-1, which meant that Man City had overturned the game and would progress to the final to play Tottenham. Newcastle will feel slightly hard done by because they played well in both legs but just couldn't defend as much as they perhaps needed to in the second leg. They won't be too disappointed with their exit, as they were only expected to reach the quarter-final, the stage that they will remember for a while after beating Manchester United 4-0. Attendance: 47,405.

Our Player Of The Month award goes to Gabriel Agbonlahor, who scored five goals and set one up, all from off the subs bench.

The Young Player Of The Month award goes to new signing Tom Cleverley, 23, who scored three and set one up, with an average rating of 7.41.

The Goal Of The Month award goes to Alessandro Matri VS Manchester United. The goal came when Matri picked up Davide Astori's clearance an began a terrific run. He ran past three United defenders before stunning the crowd and United goalkeeper David De Gea by shooting from out wide into the far post. It was a great goal as he curled the ball round De Gea and into the net. It was also chosen as the Barclays Goal Of The Month 3rd place.

Join us in February where we will give you more results and awards.