After the end of last season, following Deportivo de La Coruna’s relegation from the La Liga, Fabian Schar signed a three-year deal with Newcastle United. The club had activated his £3 million buy-out clause in his contract.
Following a disappointing start to the season, Newcastle found itself fighting relegation. The defence looked a big mess for Rafa Benitez and things were just not going their way up front. But following an impressive mid-season, the Toons are now 13th in the league table almost safe from relegation. In this miraculous transition, Fabian Schar has played a big role for Newcastle at the back and also upfront.
Fabian Schar: The Most Underrated Centre-Back in the Premier League
Outperforming The Best:
By numbers, Fabian Schar has been the second-best centre back in the Premier League this season after Virgil van Dijk. His stats this season are surprisingly way better than Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte or even Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof. While he has been impressive at the back, the Swiss international has scored three goals for the Rafa Benitez’s side.
His 30-yard stunning striker against Burnley in a 2-0 win was named the February Premier League Goal of the month. Although Virgil van Dijk, Aymeric Laporte and Victor Lindelof get all the recognition as the best centre backs in the Premier League, Schar has quietly out-performed two of them.
Some of his numbers are also better than Virgil van Dijk. The Swiss international has averaged 2.4 tackles, 2.6 interceptions and 5.9 clearances in every game this season, which is way better than Liverpool‘s Dutch hero. Keeping nine clean sheets, Newcastle have the seventh-best defensive record in the Premier League.
Saving Newcastle’s Season
While players like Jamaal Lascelles and Federico Fernandez have not been up to the mark this season, Fabian Schar has played a big role in Newcastle’s mid-season resurgence. The 27-year-old played just 78 minutes of football in the opening ten games of the league season.
Ever since Rafa Benitez started using him regularly, Newcastle’s results began improving. At the end of game week ten, Newcastle stood 19th in the Premier League table with no wins and seven losses. In the next 21 games, Toon have managed nine wins and five draws which has almost kept them in the Premier League for one more season.
The 27-year-old has established himself as a top-class defender through his performances this season. He has literally turned the season around through his match-winning performances in both defensive as well as attacking areas. The Swiss international has done a great job of a defensive wall for Rafa Benitez’s side.
Playing as a centre-back for a lower end table team is always a difficult task. Schar has done it brilliantly well. He has been alert and identified every attacking threat and has nullified it through his tackles and interceptions.
The former Hoffenheim player should be given a lot of credit for his performances in the Premier League this season. He deserves a place in the PFA team of the year for his consistent performances at the back for Newcastle.
At just £3 million, he has been the league’s best bargain buy of last summer. The player surely would have attracted a lot of interest from top European clubs following his performances this season.
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