Loads of Newcastle United fans have been reacting on social media after the club shared that Fabian Schar had collected his North East Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award.
Schar was honoured at the annual event on Sunday during a dinner held at Ramisde Hall, having been lauded as the top-performing player in the North East of England during the 2019 calendar year.
The 28-year-old is the fourth Magpies player in a row to earn the accolade, following goalkeeper Martin Dubravka last year while Matt Ritchie and Jamaal Lascelles shared the honour in 2017.
Schar faced competition from teammate Isaac Hayden and now-former Middlesbrough goalkeeper Darren Randolph to scoop the gong for 2019, with the pair rounding out the top three.
Was Schar our best player in 2019?
Yes
No
Schar was a mainstay of our first-team for most of 2019, having started the year with a starting call up at home to Manchester United under Rafa Benitez before going on to open 14 of our remaining 17 Premier League matches.
The Swiss international also scored twice against Cardiff City and once in a 2-0 win over Burnley, while assisting strikes against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham before the 2018/19 season came to and end.
Head coach Steve Bruce began his tenure on Tyneside by relying on Schar to start each of his opening nine league games at the helm, though lost his services for six matches over October, November and December through a knee injury.
The 54-cap ace returned to action at half-time in our 2-1 win over Southampton on December 8 and started our next five top-flight fixtures, but has only started one of the following six after sustaining a hamstring injury on New Year’s Day.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to the club’s post celebrating Schar receiving his North East Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award for 2019…
Only winning this because our actual 2 best players both left https://t.co/3yMDMchvJD
— Paul Gibbins (@paulgibbins) February 23, 2020
Maybe Bruce might play him now again 🤔 Schar was one of our standout players last year under Rafa but like so many of the other players this season, Bruce can’t get a performance out of them – the Club is a shambles led by buffoons, such a shame!
— Niall McBrearty (@niallmcb11) February 23, 2020
Player of the year but can’t get a game. Go figure.
— Dean Elder (@deanelder30) February 23, 2020
Hope he thanked Rafa 👍
— United against one man #ashleyout (@TOONRafalution) February 23, 2020
He‘s hardly allowed on the pitch now under anti football Steve Pulis.
— Rafa Facts (@FactsRafa) February 23, 2020
Rarely gets started though. #bruceout
— LT-nufc⏱(FT) (@LTNUFC) February 23, 2020
All down to Rafa, not Bruce.
— Ginkoh_NUFC (@Ginkohro) February 23, 2020
Bruce has killed any confidence Schaer had from last season!!
— Alan B NUFC (@BROWEA) February 23, 2020
That trophy for the winner of a north east of England football award (for an individual person too I may add) is way better than that plaque #NUFC got from UEFA for winning the Intertoto Cup. https://t.co/Bh3MFgPmcb
— Sean Chater (@nufcsean) February 23, 2020
if only we had 11 st maxmins
GRAFTER