COMMENT by Russell Edge

It is fair to say Newcastle United fans cannot be too disappointed with their team's start to the Premier League.

After seven games the Magpies have 10 points and sit ninth in the table, the highest of all the newly promoted sides.

It has been a hit-and-miss campaign, with a three match winning streak sandwiched by defeats to Huddersfield and Brighton, while disciplinary issues have also reared their ugly head at points already.

Despite that though, there should be a positive air around Tyneside going into the international break, with the majority of the squad having proven they have what it takes to compete at the very top.

However, that does not apply to everyone, with some players, both established stars and new arrivals, having failed to live up to expectation so far.

Here, Football Insider looks at the worst three players from Newcastle United in the opening part of the 2017/18 campaign, including one summer signing who has been a complete waste of money so far.

The list will only look at players who have made a league start (sorry Jack Colback) and will exclude the likes of Paul Dummett and Florian Lejeune, who saw injuries limit them to mere minutes of action.

Click '2' below to see the 24-year-old who has come under serious fire from the Toon Army

nextpage

Ayoze Perez

Up first we have a man who could describe himself as a key member of the Newcastle squad, having started every one of Newcastle's Premier League games this season.

However, it is unlikely the Toon Army are likely to be saying the same thing - in fact, they have described him as a "waste of a shirt" in recent matches.

Despite his constant presence, he appears to offer very little to the team, in spite of him playing in the crucial 'number 10' role.

One assist and no goals in seven appearances is not good enough for a playmaker, although Benitez's options in this position are severely limited.

He must lift his game after the international break, or Newcastle could find themselves continuing to carry a dead weight for their matches.

Click '3' below to see last season's star performer who has bottled his return to the top flight

nextpage

Dwight Gayle

After Perez, it becomes difficult to choose the outright worst players, as no one has had a particularly bad start to the season.

Instead, it comes down to who has disappointed the most, and unfortunately for Newcastle, one man who has failed to live up to expectations is last season's top scorer Dwight Gayle.

There is no doubt that he would have been hoping to prove his ability in the top flight after Crystal Palace let him go, but it would appear the Eagles were right.

Two starts resulted in no goals and very few chances for both Gayle and Newcastle, and it speaks volumes that when he was missing from the matchday squad through injury, Newcastle picked up their biggest win of the season - 3-0 at home to West Ham.

Not only that, but both Joselu and Aleksandar Mitrovic were on the score sheet that day, and despite a handful of substitute appearances Gayle has failed to follow in their footsteps.

He must return to full fitness and prove he has what it takes this winter, or face himself being shipped out in January.

Click '4' below to see the summer signing who has failed to live up to his price tag

nextpage

Jacob Murphy

Like Gayle, Jacob Murphy has been more of a disappointment than anything else.

He was the Magpies big summer signing, with Benitez sanctioning a £12million deal to be struck with Norwich for his services.

However, what does he have to show for it?

Two starts, one in the league and one in the League Cup, and two more substitute appearances.

Against Swansea, he demonstrated his pace and trickery, but his lack of final ball and a distinct lack of physicality meant it was a severely disappointing display.

Yes, the form of Matt Ritchie and Christian Atsu has meant he has some serious competition, but there is no way he should be failing to convince Benitez to give him more minutes from the bench.

He really needs to show the fans he has what it takes to succeed at this level, for at the moment he appears to have been an outright waste of money.

In other Newcastle United news, a report states that a crucial deal could be secured in the coming months.

We’ve launched a << BREAKING NEWS FEED>> exclusively for your club. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Newcastle United breaking news.