HOWAY THE LADS!!
In over a year, Newcastle United have gone from being just another mid table side in the Premier league to a team that looks hungry for glory and feel like they can take on anybody and win.
The Geordies are daring to dream and this iconic football club is aiming for a feat they have historically once tasted before and that’s the Champions league.
It goes without saying due to the astronomic rise the club has been on this season you wouldn’t bet against them to make it into those converted Champions league places at the end of the season.
Which they eventually did last night after their draw against Leicester City…
In the last 18 months, Newcastle United have been one of the stand out teams this season in the Premier league and they have showed that they too can mix it with the big boys in the land when you look at games like the thrilling 3–3 draw at home to the reigning Premier league Champions Manchester City and beating Spurs home and away with the home game being one of their standout games in a 6–1 demolition of the Lilywhites. One thing is for certain, if you are to get a result against this refurnished Newcastle side then you better roll up your selves because it wouldn’t be an easy feat.
This belongs in the “photos you can hear” category if you ask me…
Newcastle United look a different side these days since Eddie Howe took over, they have gone from a team fighting in the relegation zone earlier last season to a team that look like they can go toe to toe with Europes big guns. Players like Kieran Trippier, Nick Pope, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak were all players brought into the club in a bid to challenge for the converted Champions league positions and they have more than delivered the goods for the club in ever aspect of their position.
The Toon have relished this new found form their team has been on but they wouldn’t forget they were not so happy because of how inconsistent their team’s performances were. Until…
THE TAKEOVER.
Who said money can’t buy happiness?…
Newcastle before now we on a very inconsistent spiral of results as it could be looking good one game and then the next game they would leave their fans asking themselves “what the heck is going on?” due to the fact that their team’s struggles were clear for all to see.
Under former manager Steve Bruce, It never looked like he was managing the team well enough but in his defense the club didn’t really have enough financial resources to make investment in good players so I guess that would be worth pointing out.
Under Bruce’s management, Newcastle finished in 13th place in the Premier League in the 2019–2020 season and 12th place in the 2020–2021 season.
Fortunes changed…
In the 2021, It was believed that the club would undergo a massive take over from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) as they opted to become the majority owners of Newcastle United.
It was such an amazing news to which their fans were on board with as they knew the amazing things that follows after such enormous takeover in a club’s history. It is almost inevitable that success follows with the reigning Premier league champions Manchester City being a prime example.
It was finally made official in April 2021, and that was the start of something magical on Tyneside.
Bruce was inevitably relieved of his duties after the takeover due to a poor run of results and fans discontent.
EDDIE ON TYNESIDE.
Newcastle were in need of a manager who would be the perfect candidate to drive the team to great heights and restore the prestige the team has enjoyed over the last decades.
Eddie Howe was selected among a host of top prospects who were linked to taking over as the team’s head coach.
A sense of optimism grew amongst the fans because of what the Englishman had done in his previous team, AFC Bournemouth.
During his time on the South Coast at AFC Bournemouth, Howe achieved great success by leading the club from League Two to the Premier League. He implemented an attractive and attacking style of play, earning plaudits for his tactical acumen and ability to develop young players with the likes of Josh King, Nathan Aké and Callum Wilson benefiting from this in that Bournemouth setup. Howe’s tenure at Bournemouth included memorable victories over top teams and securing multiple seasons of Premier League survival and also doing it on a rather “shoe lace” budget compared to what he would receive as the Newcastle boss.
You understand why the Newcastle fans were optimistic now?…
THE REJUVENATION.
During his spell at Bournemouth, Howe’s team was driven by the philosophy of constant attacking plays that usually results to hurting opposing teams with rapid turnovers and transition from the flanks and also with a striker who can run in behind defenders and bag so many goals. One of his finest campaigns on the South Coast would definitely be the 2014/15 season in the Championship where his Bournemouth side scored 98 times, the fifth highest total ever posted in that division at the time.
The Newcastle fans knew they were going to be celebrating a lot more goals under Howe because of this but little did they know the Englishman had improved his game on an area the Geordies were lacking and that was in defense.
After a year and a half absence from management, It was understood that Eddie Howe had looked to improve on his trade by studying managers the likes of Diego Simeone of Atletico de Madrid and Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp on how to improve his team’s defense.
His front foot football at Bournemouth had lifted them through the leagues and earned them five seasons in the Premier League. But they were regularly among the top three for goals conceded during that top-flight period, letting in an average of 66 goals per season.
And Howe was looking to change that in any team he was to manage next…
Newcastle under Howe this season have been resolute and water tight at the back which is a massive improvement to what Bruce managed in his time as the manager where they were simply letting in goals for fun.
Howe changed that by signing the likes of Goalkeeper Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, and the indispensable dutch man Sven Botman who has adapted quickly to life in the Premier league and could attract interests from big clubs in the summer.
Eddie Howe has found the formula every big team utilizes to win titles and that’s scoring goals whilst closing out the door at the back.
Howe’s signings have not all been big name players but they have been players that have fit the template of how he wants his side to operate.
Getting it done on a budget.
EVERYONE’S ON BOARD.
As well as bringing in the new, Howe has also demonstrated his ability to get the most out of players already in place at Newcastle.
Players like Miguel Almirón and Joelinton were lacking confidence and had been nowhere close to living up to their expectations when they first signed for the club but that seemed to change this season with Joelinton reverting to a more unorthodox midfield role and Almirón looking like a player reborn and causing a lot of havoc with his frightening pace on the right wing for Newcastle. He has been crucial this season and has contributed with stunning goals and for a player who just wasn’t clinical infront of goal in his first seasons in the league he seems to be having his best season yet in the famous black and white this campaign.
Another player who could be added to this list is a homegrown Geordie in Sean Longstaff who looked to be leaving the club at a stage in his career but seems to be on board and playing freely under Eddie Howe.
Eddie Howe has done a good job in getting the old and new players clicking and showing harmony on the pitch.
You can add that to the many things he has achieved during his time in charge…
He just needs the titles to show for it.
THEY CAN TASTE IT.
After getting to the Carabao cup final which was the club’s first final since the 1999 FA Cup final. They would believe they can replicate it next season and their fans believe it is possible with this bunch of players at the club with Champions league qualification already in the bag for next season, the club would be looking to further improve their squad before the start of next season and I reckon some big names would be interested in joining the club because of how attractive the project is at the moment.
It is no doubt that the qualification for next year’s Champions league is a remarkable achievement for Newcastle United considering the fact that they used to be a relegation candidate few seasons ago.
They haven’t been in the competition since 2003, but they would be going into the competition with much hunger and confidence than the last time I’m sure.
One things for sure, this season would be one to remember for the Toon army and it is a sign of more great thing to come from Tyneside.
More of the same please.
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