Eddie Howe missing a number of Newcastle United players?
What’s new? I hear you say.
This is a bit different though.
I am not talking about Newcastle United players missing due to injury, nor suspension.
I wanted to talk about something else altogether.
The five Newcastle United players that Eddie Howe finds himself down, due to what happened this summer, these past 15 months in actual effect.
These have been the first team signings made since these Newcastle United owners and Eddie Howe arrived.
January 2022
Trippier, Wood, Targett, Burn, Bruno
Summer 2022
Pope, Botman, Isak
January 2023
Gordon
Summer 2023
Tonali, Barnes, Livramento, Hall, Minteh
January 2024
No signings
Summer 2024
Kelly, Osula, Vlachodimos
That very first January 2022 transfer window, was of course, an emergency one.
With relegation looking all but a certainty due to the situation inherited mid-season, drastic action was needed, especially as the only Premier League level striker NUFC had, Callum Wilson, was injured during a 1-1 draw with Man U on 27 December 2021 and looked set to miss the rest of the season.
Anyway, I didn’t want to talk about that window specifically, I just thought worth pointing out how that initial one was a very different one to the norm, due to the circumstances.
Transfer windows
I would say with some confidence, that the plan since the takeover, has been to bring in three first team players each season.
This is what I think those in charge thought financially possible and enough to keep improving the pool of real first eleven contenders, from the Eddie Howe perspective.
Bring in three new signings each season who are better than what you have already got, or at least as good as your first eleven choices, players who you expect to be instantly challenging to be in the team.
In that January 2022 window, I would say Bruno, Trippier and Burn fitted that bill. Targett did a really good job in his initial loan spell but I think was always seen as more of a squad player moving forward. Whilst I think the Wood signing only happened due to the Wilson injury.
The following season, quite clearly in Summer 2022, the Pope, Isak and Botman signings were very definitely first-team contenders.
Then summer 2023, it was Tonali, Barnes and Livramento who were the trio to challenge straight away. Hall and Minteh needing more time.
Yes, we also signed Gordon in January 2023 but as that Amazon documentary appeared to show, that was very much an opportunist extra signing when he became available as Everton needed to raise funds.
Since summer 2023, no Newcastle United players have arrived to challenge the first team.
Nobody in January 2024 and then just three budget squad signings this past summer.
To me, Eddie Howe needed three more first team contenders to arrive, instead he lost Minteh and Anderson.
So for me, effectively five Newcastle United players down for Eddie Howe and this is why the situation is so difficult this season.
The 4-2 defeat at Brentford was of course gutting, however, the FACT that Newcastle United were forced into reverse in terms of recruitment these past 15 months can’t be ignored.
Imagine say in an alternative universe, PSR didn’t exist in this ultra-restrictive form and this past summer Newcastle United hadn’t been forced to sell Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson.
Then also this summer, instead of (or as well as) bringing in a couple of squad players in Osula and Kelly, Newcastle United had been allowed to bring in three new first eleven contenders.
Imagine say Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Marc Guehi.
So Wissa as second striker to Isak (Wilson allowed to move on, or kept as third striker), Mbeumo to play on the right (Almiron and/or Murphy allowed to move on), with Marc Guehi into centre of defence, where he can play left or right, in the middle.
The current top Premier League goalscorers after Saturday’s matches:
Premier League Top ScorersIn that alternative universe, if the Premier League wasn’t the shambles that it is, in terms of ensuring the elite remain so financially more powerful, it would have hardly raised an eyebrow is a club like Newcastle United had kept their two promising players (Minteh and Anderson), whilst buying three new first team contenders (Wissa, Mbeumo and Guehi).
If you don’t believe me, just look at how much the likes of Chelsea and Man U spent this past summer…