Newcastle United Season Review and End-of-Season Awards

It’s safe to say Newcastle United will be glad to see the back of the 2012-13 season.

Despite an impressive run to the quarter-final of the Europa League, during which they claimed the scalp of Russian giants Anzhi Makhachkala, the Magpies have endured a poor domestic campaign which eventually ended in a 16^th place finish.

The ending of the European campaign coincided with a collapse in domestic form for Newcastle, culminating with two heavy home defeats to arch rivals Sunderland and Liverpool.

It’s hard to put a positive spin on such a poor season but every club has an end of season awards ceremony, so here is a look at who may come out of the season with some shreds of credit. The awards are entirely based on personal opinion, so there will be a number of candidates for each award. Feel free to comment and get involved with what you think.

Future Star: Adam Campbell

One of the most encouraging things Newcastle can take from their poor season is the emergence of youngster Adam Campbell as a potential future star.

The 18-year-old has impressed in the Magpies' youth sides this year and has clearly caught the eye of manager Alan Pardew, who has included the teenager in many of his first-team squads, albeit mostly as an unused substitute.

Campbell has managed to make three appearances from the bench though, most notably against Stoke when he was involved in the build up to Papiss Cisse's last-minute goal.

With signings expected in the summer, it may prove that Campbell's chances next season are limited, although a period away on loan may help the diminutive striker's development. Pardew certainly won't forget about Campbell, who could be the next Geordie striking hero.

Most Underrated Player: Yoan Gouffran

This one is something of a toughie, with underrated players tending to belong to teams that have enjoyed successful seasons, rather than ones that have so drastically underperformed.

Perhaps the person most fitting of the award is Yoan Gouffran, who has settled quickly since making the switch across the channel from French-side Bordeaux. The 26-year-old has chipped in with three goals too, earning plaudits from Toon fans who have shown an appreciation for his talents.

Hard-working, clever and quick, it’s not hard to see why fans have taken to Gouffran as he adapts to life in England. Scoring the winning goal against QPR which confirmed Newcastle’s safety helped, too.

Villain of the Year: Alan Pardew

Only one contender for this award! The Newcastle manager has looked out of his depth trying to balance domestic and European competition, all while getting the best out of his injury-hit squad.

However, highly questionable tactics and feeble post-match comments have not gone down well with Newcastle fans, and many want to see Pardew relieved of his duties in time for the new season.

The eight-year contract the former West Ham manager is sitting on virtually guarantees he will be in charge next year though, so a vast improvement is something Geordie fans will hope for heading into the 2013-14 season.

Young Player of the Year: Massadio Haidara

When five players joined Newcastle in January, Haidara was perhaps the most unheard of. The 19-year-old left-back signed from AS Nancy and was expected to be given the rest of the season in the reserves to acclimatise to the English game.

But with injuries wiping out regular defenders, Haidara was thrust into the first team in European (and later Premier League) action and didn’t look out of place, showing his impressive athletic ability and attacking skills.

His debut season could have been ended early by Callum McManaman’s sickening lunge when Newcastle played Wigan, although the Frenchman returned before the end of the season to leave fans wanting more from their new left-back.

Next season should be more of the same from Haidara, as he continues to pressure Davide Santon for a first-team role.

Player of the Year: Fabricio Coloccini

This was a tough one!

Normally, there are a few candidates for these types of awards at every club. However, there hasn’t been one man who has clearly been ahead of everyone else at St James’ Park.

I’d give the award to Fabricio Coloccini, who has been excellent despite missing two months of the season with a broken back.

Coloccini almost left Newcastle in January when hometown club San Lorenzo came calling, however, the Newcastle captain stayed to help his side out of a tough situation at the bottom of the Premier League.

He may well leave in the summer, which would leave a massive hole in the Toon defence. His composure and reading of the game are superb, as well as his mental strength to get over the breakdown of the move back to South America and get on with playing for his current club.

Coloccini’s return to the first-team at the end of the season was one of the main catalysts behind Newcastle getting the points they needed to stay up and that’s enough to earn the Argentine the player of the year award in this ceremony.