OPINION
Not many good things have been said about Newcastle United full-back Javier Manquillo this season, and that is for good reason.
He has been rather woeful in his outings this season and many of the fans certainly had a right to criticise him for the lack of effort that he has shown in the past.
However, the story could not be more different if you fast forward to 26 February 2019, a day where he impressed against Burnley in United’s 2-0 win, which included playing a major part in Fabian Schar’s wonder strike.
To be honest, he put in more than a decent shift, and this confidence will no doubt have mainstay DeAndre Yedlin – who has made 25 appearances this season – quaking in his boots as a result.
Yedlin is usually Rafa Benitez’ first choice for the right-back role, and that is no surprise given his consistency this term, but Manquillo’s improving form will surely be a cause for concern for the United States international.
Benitez will no doubt be glad that Manquillo is showing steady signs of progress, as it means that he has two quality players to call upon for the position – but at the same time, it will likely cause him a bit of a selection headache.
Many Newcastle fans were surely over the moon with 24-year-old’s outing on Tuesday, and they will probably be calling for him to start against West Ham this Saturday over Yedlin once again after the American sat on the bench for the Burnley clash.
There is no doubting the ability of Yedlin – he has proved many times why he is such a highly regarded defender – but to drop Manquillo all of a sudden despite his assured display would be rather harsh.
Either way, if Manquillo continues to impress when given the chance, then the Magpies star will be sweating buckets.
