Newcastle United duo named in BBC's Team of the Week as Troy Deeney takes over

Former Watford man Troy Deeney has taken over the Team of the Week duties on the BBC from Garth Crooks - Hallelujah!

Newcastle United fans will likely be pleased to see the back of Garth Crooks after some questionable comments last season - most memorably when he gave Newcastle players spots in his team of the week but then failed to mention what they had done right, rather focusing on what Tottenham had done wrong that enabled their inclusion.

Troy Deeney has picked two Newcastle players in his first Team of the Week after Game Week 1 of the new Premier League season.

It's quite a shock, to be honest, given how poor Newcastle were at the weekend, although when you realise they are both defensive players, it makes more sense.

Nick Pope somehow kept a clean sheet on Saturday

Newcastle's backs were to the wall for much of the game, and while Joelinton picked up our player of the match, Deeney has gone with Nick Pope and Dan Burn in is team of the week, and it's not hard to see why.

"Nick Pope (Newcastle): He made numerous saves and was just as solid as a rock. He struggled with injuries at the end of last season but was great on Saturday as Newcastle ground out a win with 10 men against Southampton."

Pope kept a clean sheet for Newcastle and pulled off a world-class save at full stretch. It was far from a quiet afternoon for Pope but it was so good to have him back.

Dan Burn is a 'monster'

Deeney also picked Dan Burn calling him an underrated 'monster', which is he. Burn is often a scapegoat for Newcastle fans, and was very much a huge scapegoat for us last year until Eddie Howe moved him over to centre-back where he looks far more comfortable.

"Dan Burn (Newcastle): Playing centre-half - and then in a back three when Newcastle went down to 10 men after Fabian Schar's red card - he was a monster. I don't think he gets the credit he deserves considering just how good he's been for how little they paid Brighton for him."

Burn at centre-back is an entirely different animal to when he's pushed out to left-back. He did great out there in the season we finished fourth, but last season he looked lost and lacked the pace to deal with Premier League wingers, but back in the middle, he became a brick wall again and that's continued into this season.