The Magpies’ accomplishments this season wasn’t exactly the fruit of the most illustrious crop of players. With a fourth-place finish and an appearance in the Carabao Cup final, Newcastle has surpassed all expectations. One of the key figures responsible for this feat is none other than Eddie Howe, who managed to make the most of a buying spree that didn’t necessarily make sense.
THE EARLY STAGES OF A FINE RUN
The Public Investment Fund acquired Newcastle United on October 7, 2021. The chairman of the organisation is Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose family is worth more than €1 trillion. This inevitably meant that PIF would do as its name suggests, that is, investing from a seemingly bottomless well of funds. Though not Chelsea-esque spending, Newcastle splashed a wave of cash in the recent two summers—an amount verging on the €315m—which is why Newcastle’s success, though admirable, is certainly not the biggest tale of underdogs we’ve ever heard about.
Newcastle’s most prominent summer signings were:
- Alexander Isak – €70m
- Anthony Gordon – €45.6m
- Sven Botman – €37m
- Matt Targett – €17.5m
- Nick Pope – €11.5m
Nevertheless, tying things together was English manager Eddie Howe. The former Bournemouth centre-back managed to avoid replicating Chelsea’s turbulence and, instead, solidified a diverse changing room and imbued a solid basis of football in the process. Despite only managing one win from the first six Premier League matches, Howe was fully trusted with the keys to the black-and-white kingdom. As it happened, this trust ended up paying dividends.
WINNING MENTALITY
Despite Newcastle’s bumpy start, one could definitely see traces of good football. Howe’s men attacked with intensity and defended as a unit, always ready to burst on a counter-attack thanks to Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron, whereas the finishing touches were left mostly to Callum Wilson and Aleksander Isak. Although the latter two strikers had their own patches of injury, they were quick to jump back in to help their team over the line.
Moving away from goal-scoring technicalities, we find that Newcastle’s unwavering belief in its efforts often proved to be the difference. For example, the Magpies have dropped points on just four occasions from 23 matches in which they have taken the lead. On the flip side, Newcastle managed to salvage 14 points after trailing. Couple these statistics with the fact that Howe’s men boasted the best defence in the league (alongside Manchester City), and we have the makings of a top-four team that truly deserves to feature in next season’s UEFA Champions League campaign.
AREAS TO IMPROVE
As we close this season’s chapter, one cannot avoid wondering about what next season will hold for the Magpies. Repeating a top-four finish will certainly be one of the objectives outlined by the board, but that might not be the simplest of tasks.
Securing a top-four position in the Premier League while also competing in the Champions League requires a strong and numerous crop of substitutes that can replace the starting eleven when needed. With a more congested calendar comes a necessity for top-tier substitutes, and to that end, Newcastle will have to continue investing if it wants to avoid a shambolic run of form in either competition.
POTENTIAL TRANSFERS
Despite the fat pockets of Newcastle’s proprietors, Howe has stated that the club “wouldn’t be able to come close to affording” players like Ronaldo and Neymar. Although Magpies fans might be miffed at this statement, we argue that they should be elated. Instead of splurging on extravagant superstars, Howe stressed the importance of “bringing the right people and the right players into the group.” If Newcastle plans its transfer manoeuvres well, it might continue to solidify its attempt at becoming one of the world’s elite.
Newcastle are rumoured to be interested in swooping the following players this summer:
- Raphinha (Barcelona)
- Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City)
- James Maddison (Leicester City)
- Kieran Tierney (Arsenal)
- Crysensio Summerville (Leeds United)
On paper, these signings would add a good combination of experience, talent and substitute numbers to Newcastle’s squad, with the likes of Raphinha and Maddison key to unlocking robust defences.
FUTURE GOALS
“We’ve shot ahead of schedule,” were Howe’s words, which are a testament to Newcastle’s skyrocketing ambitions. The Magpies will be aiming for another top-four finish in the Premier League, since behemoths like Manchester City are still miles away in terms of project stability. Apart from that, a qualification from the UCL group stage would be a great next step, and it would do wonders for Newcastle’s status in world football.
Successful domestic cup runs might also become the unexpected source of silverware for Newcastle. Howe’s men were close to bagging the first piece of silverware since 1955 in the Carabao Cup final, but it was Manchester United who bagged the trophy. Such a promising cup run should only prompt the Magpies further in their hunt for success, and with some wise spending, clinching some silverware can come sooner than expected.
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