In a season full of surprise stars for both Newcastle United and the rest of the Premier League, just how well Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw have gelled together is certainly up there.
After concussion protocols forced Fabian Schar to the bench, and Dan Burn was moved to left back in the wake of injuries to both Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, the Botman and Thiaw pairing features one defender who’s barely played in the last 18 months, another a summer signing who’s never played in the Premier League before.
But their displays so far have been very encouraging, with Thiaw taking no time to get up to speed with English football, and Botman getting back to his 2022/23 self after a run in the side.
The pairing has attracted rave reviews from fans, pundits and teammates alike, but neither player has been able to catch the eye of their respective national teams: something Eddie Howe in particular seemed surprised by…
Discussing our towering new centre-back pairing, Eddie Howe admitted he’s “always surprised” when neither the Dutchman or the German are called up for the international break.
Somehow, Sven Botman is yet to receive a senior call up for the Netherlands, whilst Malick Thiaw has just three international caps to his name.
However, competition for places in defence for both is intense: Virgil Van Dijk seems insurmountable despite his own rough start to the campaign, whilst Nagelsmann clearly trusts the Bundesliga duo of Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck ahead of anyone else.
Howe feels that both of his players have been seriously overlooked, saying:
> _“They have all the attributes. They have the height, the strength, the power, but also the technical ability, they can do everything._
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> _“They are really good users of the ball and that’s hugely important in the game we want to play._
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> _“In terms of their international careers, they are such high quality players I’m always surprised when they’re not involved with their national teams._
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> _“I’m sure long term that is a big aim for both players and, if they continue to play as they are, they’ll get those call-ups”_
Last season, Schar and Burn was an ever-dependable pairing for Howe, with both men being instrumental in our eventual Carabao Cup success and 5th place in the Premier League.
However, the gaffer faces a difficult decision in defence: slowly phase out the old guard, or immediately assign the younger, in-form duo of Botman and Thiaw as our starting choices when everyone’s fully fit.
Burn is a player who has seemingly got better with age, so you would expect he will always be in the conversation as a starter for the rest of his current contract.
Schar is a different story: although there’s talk of him being offered another contract extension, his future as a starter at St James’ Park seems a lot less clear following Thiaw’s arrival and recent form.