As Newcastle utterly demolished a Leicester City side that was missing several first-team regulars in James Maddison and James Justin, the idea of ​​contesting in the Premier League became more plausible than was merely possible.
Of course, at first glance, the idea seems too hopeful and optimistic. We’re talking about Newcastle, the mid-table team that haven’t finished higher than 10th in the Premier League since 2012. Surprisingly though, Newcastle are looking better than ever.
They are creative and play very entertaining football. Led by the goalscoring prowess of Miguel Almiron and the creativity of Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes, they have created one of the best offenses in the league. And, as their play on Leicester showed, they can use it effectively.
But what changed from Newcastle’s mediocre side two years ago to today’s outstanding squad? And do they have a chance to win it all for the first time in nearly a century?
planting the seeds
To properly explain Newcastle’s excellence in 2022, turn the dial to 2018. The Toon was just months away from a Championship title, and its biggest claim to fame was its success in the late ’90s and early ’00s. After returning to the Premier League, Newcastle broke the bank by signing Almiron from Atlanta United for over $25 million, his most expensive capture since the days of Michael Owen.
At the time, Almiron was seen as a failure. The Paraguayan striker only contributed 12 goals in 100 total Premier League appearances. Some pessimistic Newcastle fans thought promising talent would just be a way to turn a quick profit, as the club did with Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Moussa Sissoko.
But the signing somehow sent Newcastle on an unforeseen spending spree in an attempt to bolster their team and avoid relegation. After spending $63m and finishing 13th, Newcastle would spend over $77m on now-important players like Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin. They, again, finished 13th that season.
After cutting costs and spending around $41m on Callum Wilson and more, Newcastle finished 13th once again. Not only frustrated with the increasingly hostile fanbase, Mike Ashley faced pressure to step down as Newcastle owner.
A Newcastle takeover
Ashley’s resignation invited a Saudi-backed consortium to take control of Newcastle. Why Saudi Arabian Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman wanted to buy a football club, let alone Newcastle, is unknown.
Perhaps it’s because Newcastle-upon-Tyne is arguably the best-known city in the North of England and is a relatively important city in the grand scheme of things. Maybe it’s the desire to compete with Qatar (PSG) and the United Arab Emirates (City) in some kind of bizarre proxy war. Or maybe it’s just a weird way to gain honor and pride. Regardless, Saudi Arabia completed the financial acquisition amid some controversy.
The first action? to spend. Newcastle had their most expensive transfer window of all time in 2020, spending over $115m in the winter transfer window alone. His January haul included Guimaraes, Wood, Trippier and key defender Dan Burn.
He improved his Premier League position from 19th in 20 games played to 11th at the end of the season. If only the second half of the Premier League counted, Newcastle would finish fourth, ahead of Liverpool, United and Chelsea. After spending even more money — $144 million, to be exact — on Sven Botman, Matt Targett, Nick Pope, and Alexander Isak. Now, Newcastle is second in the league.
The entire sequence of events; from winning the Championship to potentially challenging for the Premier League in just five years; it feels like a fever dream for the Newcastle faithful. However, like Newcastle’s chances of making it to European football for the first time in a decade, it is real.
it’s not just money
It’s easy to dismiss Newcastle’s success just because of money. Unsurprisingly, all signs point to it. Newcastle had a huge surge of success as the new owners pumped tons of cash into the club, allowing the team to make some big transfers. But the management signing of Eddie Howe is arguably what really set Newcastle in motion.
When Steve Bruce and the consortium parted company, St. James Park was in flames; And not in a good way. The club was in 19th place and was tipped to suffer relegation when he left.
On the pitch, Newcastle offered nothing new despite their attempts to keep up with the rest of the league with their new signings. The attack was mundane and the defense porous. Off the pitch, dressing room tensions plagued Newcastle, with fans regularly criticizing Bruce’s “negative football”.
We’ve played a certain way in the past to try to make sure we get the results we need. I have let them be comfortable. But, like I say, the gloves are off now. I will do things as I see fit. We’ll do it my way.
Steve Bruce speaks to The Guardian after a 1-0 loss to Sheffield United in 2021
A marker of difference on the bench
The signing of Eddie Howe helped Newcastle gain some consistency. Their 4-3-3 form was robust and fluid, allowing them to not only defend firmly and frustrate opponents, but also attack with pace.
Howe is a match made in heaven for a Newcastle side with plenty of attacking depth and playmakers in the squad. His formation focuses on attacking brilliance and defensive flexibility, allowing the quality of Newcastle’s stars to shine.
Trippier and Joe Willock have provided dangerous crosses. Trippier also provided an additional layer of plays throughout Bruno Guimaraes. Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson provide that vital finishing that contending teams need. The defense is just as impressive as the offense.
Nick Pope, arguably the best goaltender in the league right now, has the highest save percentage and the seventh most saves. Trippier is a solid wall in defense, as is Joelinton when he plays midfielder. Howe has brought all of these players and qualities together, to drastic effect.
What to expect from Newcastle in the Premier League in the future
With new players and a new manager, it looks like Newcastle can carve out a deep league run. And they showed it in their recent win against mid-table team Leicester.
They were incisive, creative, solid; everything a Premier League winner can be. And while dreams of winning the Premier League may be far-fetched, they have the results to back it up. A 3-3 penalty shootout with City, a 2-1 win over Tottenham and a thrilling 1-0 win against Chelsea affirm Newcastle’s new rise to the top.
If they can’t find the points to move past first place Arsenal, Newcastle still look like favorites to reach the top seven and qualify for European football. Although blaming the consortium and the massive investment of money is easy to do, it is disrespectful to the valiant efforts of a Newcastle side who have rebuilt themselves both tactically and mentally. Expect a New Year’s Eve game against relegation candidates Leeds where Newcastle can definitely strut their stuff.
PHOTO: IMAGO / NurPhoto
