Eddie Howe’s side reached the last four of the Carabao Cup and last 16 of the Champions League, but their Premier League campaign has been a huge disappointment and last summer’s transfer window was a nightmare.
So what happens this summer? Should Eddie Howe’s job be safe? Will stars leave? What can Newcastle learn from this season?
Scott Wilson and Dominic Shaw discuss:
SHOULD EDDIE HOWE’S JOB AS NEWCASTLE HEAD COACH BE SAFE?
Scott Wilson: Yes. It’s just over a year ago that Howe was being hailed as Newcastle’s greatest-ever manager after the Carabao Cup success – he has more than earned the right to ride out one disappointing season.
That said, though, there clearly need to be major changes this summer. Last summer, Howe was effectively left in control of Newcastle’s transfer business and the window turned out to be an absolute disaster. Newcastle desperately need to develop a structure where recruitment decisions are driven by their sporting director not their head coach.
Dom Shaw: Yes. Howe has more than enough credit in the bank and there are more than enough mitigating factors that have contributed to this season’s struggle in the league.
The Isak saga was bound to have an impact, as was the workload this season.
But Howe shouldn’t get a free pass and changes need to be made on and off the pitch. Last summer’s transfer window was a disaster and Newcastle can’t afford another. Howe also needs to be more flexible tactically.
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WHY HAVE NEWCASTLE STRUGGLED IN THE LEAGUE THIS SEASON?
SW: Recruitment is the obvious answer. Newcastle spent more than £200m last summer on Yoane Wissa (a disaster), Nick Woltemade (not quite a disaster, but definitely a work in progress), Anthony Elanga (pretty much a disaster), Jacob Ramsey (a slow burner) and Malick Thiaw (the biggest success). Yes, the Alexander Isak saga made things difficult. But Newcastle squandered the money raised by Isak’s sale and are likley to continue paying the price for that in the future. Howe will argue that trying to compete on four different fronts this season has negatively impacted league form. It has. But that doesn’t excuse last summer’s mistakes.
DS: As Scott says, last summer’s window was a shocker, at least in the short term. And while Jacob Ramsey’s displays have been positive of late and Anthony Elanga is showing signs of improvement – from a low base – the Yoane Wissa signing has been an absolute disaster. Nick Woltemade is obviously supremely talented but will he ever be an ideal fit for a Howe side?
The amount of games has obviously taken its toll, which excuses to some extent some of the displays. But it doesn’t excuse the woeful game-management that has cost the Magpies again and again.
WHAT WAS YOUR KEY NEWCASTLE TAKEAWAY FROM THE DERBY?
SW: That the overhaul required this summer needs to be much bigger than perhaps anticipated. It feels like the end of the road for this iteration of Howe’s Newcastle. It can be argued that all elements of the team are malfunctioning at the moment, so getting this summer’s transfer window right has to be a massive priority. The derby defeat also suggested that, for all their well-meaning words, Newcastle still don’t really ‘get’ the derby in the same way that Sunderland do. That has to change next season.
DS: That Newcastle can learn an awful lot from Sunderland’s recruitment, as painful as it might be to hear that on Tyneside. Sunderland signed Brian Brobbey at short notice after losing Marc Guiu back to Chelsea late in the window, and the likes of Noah Sadiki and Robin Roefs – who’d both improve the Magpies – were signed for relatively modest fees in today’s market.
I think it was also more evidence – again painful to hear from a Newcastle perspective – that the Magpies struggle to deal with everything that comes with the derby. Sunderland were out of form and without a whole host of hugely important players. What happened to Newcastle using the pain of December’s defeat as motivation?
WILL ANY STARS LEAVE THIS SUMMER AND WHAT SHOULD BE NEWCASTLE TRANSFER PRIORITIES?
SW: Almost certainly – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Newcastle have been dreadful sellers throughout Howe’s reign, and that has negatively affected their ability to make signings and still remain within PSR parameters. Sandro Tonali looks the likeliest player to leave this summer, although the noises around Tino Livramento also suggest it could be hard to hold on to the full-back, particularly if he has a good World Cup. Priorities for incomings? Clearly, the striker situation needs addressing, although good luck trying to find a buyer for Wissa in particular. Newcastle need a new first-choice goalkeeper and have been crying out for a top-class holding midfielder for quite some time now.
DS: Yes. And as Scott says, if Newcastle learn from the mistakes of last summer, they could use it to their advantage. David Hopkinson said last week Newcastle know the importance of trading, and there’s alignment behind the scenes.
Tonali, Livramento and Gordon are the three attracting interest, though the latter’s form in the Premier League this season has been a big disappointment.
Kieran Trippier’s confirmed exit added to the sense that this summer will be the end of an era at St James’ Park. But again, that’s no bad thing. The squad needs freshening up.