Can Newcastle United challenge for European football next season?
983
This time last year, the thought of Newcastle United playing European football was a distant dream. But after a season of change at St. James’ Park, it might not be too long before the Magpies spread their wings across the continent.
In October 2021, Mike Ashley finally sold Newcastle to the Public Investment Fund – the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. The new owners swiftly sacked Steve Bruce and replaced him with Eddie Howe.
The rest, as they say, is history.
At the beginning of last season, Newcastle failed to win any of their eight Premier League games under Bruce – recording three draws and five losses. Nevertheless, Howe – with the help of several January signings – turned things around in style.
The club’s first signing under the new ownership was Kieran Tripper, who joined from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid. Bruno Guimaraes, Chris Wood and Dan Burn followed, while Matt Targett arrived on loan.
It took Howe a little while to steady the ship at St. James’ Park. But after the turn of the year, the Magpies took their game to a whole new level.
Newcastle lost just five of their 19 Premier League games after Boxing Day, picking up 12 wins and two draws along the way. They even enjoyed a couple of three-game winning runs in early 2022 before notching a four-game winning streak in April.
When you consider that Newcastle failed to win any of their first 14 games, the fact that they won nine of their final 14 games is nothing short of remarkable.
The Magpies found themselves second from bottom at the turn of the year. After winning six of their final eight games, they registered a hugely unexpected – but thoroughly deserved – eleventh-place finish.
Thanks to the owners, Newcastle are now one of the richest clubs in the world. So, you would expect the owners to back Howe in the summer transfer market.
If Howe can take Newcastle from the relegation zone to mid-table safety in a matter of months, just image what he could achieve with a stronger squad and more time to implement his philosophy.
It is difficult to overstate the impact that Howe has made at Newcastle. If the right decisions are made during the off-season, there is no reason why they can’t challenge for a top-seven finish next term.
Home
Football 
Basketball
Hockey
American Football
Baseball
Rugby
Volleyball
Handball
Esoccer
