Newcastle United is ahead of schedule thanks to sensible recruitment and astute management
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Get insight “Newcastle United is ahead of schedule thanks to sensible recruitment and astute management” With seven Premier League games to go, Newcastle United is virtually assured a spot in the Champions League next season. It is a remarkable line to write on account of the fact that when their Saudi-backed takeover became official only 18 months ago, the club was rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.

The situation was so severe at the time that there were even discussions about the optics of the richest club in the world competing in the Championship with relegation from the Premier League odds-on for the club. However, instead of falling, Newcastle has spectacularly risen since October 2021.

Indeed, after 31 games in the 2022/2023 season, the club has accumulated 59 points – six more than fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur. Crucially, the Geordies also have a game in hand which means that the gap could be stretched to nine points with only a handful of fixtures left. While the eventual points tally will change at the conclusion of the season, the thing to note here is that Newcastle has managed to achieve what they set out to do 18 months ago; qualify for European football.

So, how has the club been able to turn their fortunes around so quickly?

Financial muscle

There is a feeling in the world of soccer that Newcastle are yet to fully flex its financial muscles since being taken over by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Of course, there is an element of truth to this when you consider that the club could afford any player they wanted to buy and that their current XI is still made up of a string of players who were purchased by the previous ownership structure.

It is, however, not entirely accurate to say that the club’s progress hasn’t been aided by spending in the transfer market. The truth is that it has, and you only need to look back on the arrival of striker Alexander Isak and creative midfielder Bruno Guimarães, two players that cost Newcastle $130 million, to understand that the Toon has used their financial superiority to their advantage.

This is far from a criticism given that the difference here is that yes, Newcastle has spent a considerable amount but the team has bought intelligently – the same can’t be said for other clubs with billionaire owners. Everton is the best example of this, proving that having deep pockets doesn’t guarantee success.

After all, the Toffees have spent over $1 billion on players since Farhad Moshiri took over in 2016, only for the club to be facing relegation from the Premier League in 2023. At least, a closer look at the latest Betway sports odds for relegation from the Premier League shows Sean Dyche’s team, as of the 25th of April, at -120 to go down. The overall point here is that there has to be thought given to recruitment and Newcastle has carefully considered who to sign before opening the checkbook. This strategy has helped the club charge up the Premier League table.

Eddie Howe’s man management

As previously alluded to, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has had the luxury of being able to buy some of the world’s most talented players, but he has also been able to get the best out of a squad that was regarded as being unable to cope with the demands of the Premier League. The bottom line is that qualifying for the Champions League over the course of a 38-game season requires unfaltering consistency and at the start of the current campaign, Newcastle was thought to be well short of the strength in depth that was needed to finish in the top four.

This is where Howe deserves immense credit as he has been successful in getting the best out of players who may not have long-term futures at the club. Indeed, the former Bournemouth manager has used his expert man-management skills to build a culture of excellence that has seen bit-part players make vital contributions during the chase for Champions League qualification.

Europe calling

As far as their feverishly passionate fanbase is concerned, the 2022/2023 season will go down as one of the most enjoyable in Newcastle’s history owing to the club exceeding expectations. Yes, thanks to a smart approach in the transfer market and the inspired management of the unassuming Howe, the Toon will next be heading on a European adventure next season for the first time since 2003.

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