Newcastle’s Serbian gamble: Forgotten signing faces make-or-break audition
As Newcastle United prepare for their third pre-season friendly against Bristol City on Wednesday evening, a forgotten name from the Paul Mitchell era is being handed an unexpected chance to prove his worth. Miodrag Pivas, a 21-year-old Serbian defender who joined the club two years ago from FK Jedinstvo Ub, has suddenly become a central figure in Eddie Howe’s plans — not by design, but by necessity.
With Fabian Schar and Dan Burn both 34, Sven Botman nursing a facial injury, and Malick Thiaw only just back from World Cup duty, Newcastle’s defence is threadbare. The club’s chronic over-reliance on ageing centre-halves has been laid bare. Against Gateshead on Saturday, only Schar was available from the senior ranks, and he managed just 59 minutes. Into the breach stepped Pivas, who looked composed against National League opposition in a 31-minute cameo.
This is a player who has barely featured since arriving on Tyneside. A loan spell at Dutch side Willem II yielded only seven appearances. Last season, he was a mainstay for the under-21s, but first-team football has remained elusive. Now, with Botman’s fitness uncertain and Burn still absent after England’s World Cup bronze medal run, Pivas could be in line for another audition against Championship opposition at Ashton Gate.
It is a curious situation for a club that prides itself on shrewd recruitment. Paul Mitchell, the sporting director who signed Pivas, has faced criticism for a transfer record that has yielded few first-team breakthroughs. Former CEO Darren Eales described Pivas as “a promising talent with high potential” who might develop into “a first team player of the future”. Two years on, that future is now. For Pivas, it is make or break on Tyneside.
Newcastle’s defensive crisis is a reminder of the perils of neglecting the academy pipeline. While the club splashes cash on established names, it has left itself exposed when injuries strike. Pivas may be a raw talent, but he is also a symbol of a broader problem: a reliance on ageing stars and a failure to integrate young signings. Wednesday’s match will tell us whether this forgotten man can seize his moment — or whether he will join the long list of Mitchell-era signings who never made the grade.
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