On the eve of the 2024-2025 Premier League campaign, I stuck my neck on the line and made a few bold calls for the season ahead. You can look back and laugh at these predictions here (in regards to Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham anyway...)
It's strange to think back now, but it had been a very unhappy summer. Dan Ashworth had turned tail and run, Eddie Howe was linked to the vacant England manager's post, Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh were sold from under our noses and our pursuit of Marc Guehi turned into one of the most long-winded, pointless and embarrassing transfer stories of recent memory.
And yet through it all; I remained strangely optimistic about our Champions League chances for three key reasons. To summarise:
"1) We've retained the likes of Bruno, Isak, and even Eddie Howe from the persistent media whispers.
2) No European football gives us the easiest schedule out of anyone in the top eight.
3) The other Top Four hopefuls don't look as intimidating as in past seasons."
On face value, it seems I was right on all accounts, or was I?
Marc guehi
Marc Guehi: The summer's longest and ultimately futile transfer saga...
Part One: Retaining Key Players and The Manager
I quite rightly pointed to the fact that while teams around us buckled to the FFP pressure and sold big-hitters (Aston Villa lost Douglas Luis and Moussa Diaby), we clung onto our prized assets (namely Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon).
The benefits of this point are perhaps the most contentious; while Alexander Isak has without doubt enjoyed the best season of his career and announced himself truly as a world-class striker; the attitudes and consistency of Bruno and Gordon have been... rather mixed.
Bruno at times struggled under the weight of the captaincy and the expectation early on, but really came into his own in 2025 alongside Sandro Tonali; while Anthony Gordon has had a very bizarre season. While I don't give in to the reactionary chants of 'get rid' after his red card v Brighton or his huge mistake v Arsenal, it has been a disappointing season for the winger; who earned Newcastle's 'Player of the Season' gong for 2023-2024. Flashes have still been there, he was incredible during our nine-game win streak that kickstarted our season, but question marks are starting to punctuate his name.
The other big name we retained was Eddie Howe; who after a tumultuous summer and a rough start to the campaign; eventually galvanised the team and pulled off tactical masterclasses to outsmart Mikel Arteta and Arne Slot on the way to lifting Newcastle's first domestic silverware in 70 years.
So, while Isak, Eddie and (eventually) Bruno stepped up and proved their worth, it was also the year of the supporting cast that truly turned the season on its head.
Forgotten man Sandro Tonali came out from the cold to grasp Newcastle's midfield by the scruff of the neck, while Dan Burn stepped back into his preferred centre-back role in Sven Botman's absence with some dominant performances; none more memorable of course... than his masterclass at Wembley.
We also need to give Jacob Murphy his flowers. Initially behind even Miguel Almiron in the pecking order, the winger chipped in with 21 G/A in the league this season, and Harvey Barnes also sprung from the shadows when his opportunity came in Gordon's absence. On the defensive flanks, youngsters Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento have made the full back spots their own, and Kieran Trippier has enjoyed a renaissance in Hall's absence.
Last season, we were picked apart by injuries and relied on one or two big names to drag us over the line in games. This year, it's been a collective effort, and while Isak's goals have definitely grabbed the headlines, the Player of the Season award could be given to any of about five players. This feels like a team. Now, we just need more depth.
Trophy win
Lifting the Carabao Cup: Newcastle's team ethic has shone through this year
Part Two: The Benefits of no mid-week football...
If there was one week this year that summarised our chaotic season as a whole, it would probably be April 13th - 19th.
April 13th - Newcastle United 4 - 1 Manchester United
April 16th - Newcastle United 5 - 0 Crystal Palace
April 19th - Aston Villa 4 - 1 Newcastle United
The fact that Eddie Howe wasn't on the touchline for any of these games is balmy enough. And as he recuperated from pneumonia in hospital, Jason Tindall was tasked with managing the side for three games in seven days. The first two, against a poor Manchester United and FA Cup winners-to-be Crystal Palace highlighted the team's strengths as an intense and cohesive unit. Six different Newcastle players scored in those two games (plus a Marc Guehi own goal), and such was the dominance across both games, Tindall saw fit to trust the same starting XI for the third game in seven days; Aston Villa.
The difference was there for all to see.
Newcastle looked tired, ill-disciplined and frustrated. Players were second-best to every ball and made the likes of Ollie Watkins (a good striker but no world-beater) look like a prime Luis Suárez. The team simply couldn't handle a third high-intensity game in a week; something that will consistently happen next season, and exposed the squad's shortcomings horrendously last season.
As amusing as it was to pip Villa to Champions League football on goal difference in the end, their ability to manage the extra European games was highlighted by the gulf in class on the bench. During that 4-1 hammering, a barely fit Anthony Gordon looked like Newcastle's only game-changer, whereas Villa had the likes of Amadou Onana, Jacob Ramsey, Donyell Malen and Marcus Rashford coming off the bench.
The message is simple, this team needs depth. The likes of Alex Isak, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Tina Livramento, Joelinton, Lewis Hall and Anthony Gordon would be welcome assets to almost every club in world football. However, the likes of Joe Willock, Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff and Emil Krafth have all been good servants to the club, but as of right now, would struggle to get in any Premier League Top 10 squad. The ceiling of this team is almost unrivalled, the floor however is among the lowest in the league. We need to bridge that gap, as we can't rely on that one game a week advantage anymore.
Villa loss
Villa 4 - 1 Newcastle: No other game highlighted Newcastle's lack of rotation options more than this one
Part Three: The Decline of our Top Four Rivals
I essentially got this completely right yet disastrously wrong at the same time. The chasing pack behind the 1st place has never looked worse, (except maybe when Leicester won the thing in 2016). The title race was effectively wrapped up in February, such were the declines of Arsenal and Manchester City. Not to be outdone though, Manchester United and Tottenham decided to emulate Chelsea of recent years and dive headfirst into the bottom half of the table. For Newcastle, we just had to make sure we capitalised...
And we almost didn't. Home losses to West Ham, Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham and Everton are the hallmarks of a relegation campaign not a Champions League one, and Newcastle even had to rely on the worst Manchester United side of 50 years to bail them out on the final day of the season.
Unlike Aston Villa and the Super League Six, Newcastle had no European football to distract them, and as good as they were in the latter half of the season, there was still plenty of nervy moments. Luckily though, in a season where almost everyone bar Liverpool slipped up, Newcastle just about did enough to capitalise. But we simply cannot afford to lose twelve Premier League games again next season now Chelsea finally look to have stumbled on a winning formula, Arsenal look to sign a striker, Manchester City welcome Rodri back, and Manchester United no longer have the distraction of Europe.
Some expected rivals for Top Four definitely dropped off, but I certainly didn't prepare for the emergence of Nottingham Forest, the revival of Chelsea, and the consistency of Aston Villa.
Man Utd lose
Manchester United: Newcastle have capitalised on the regression of many competitors this season, including the Red Devils
My Prediction of Top Four was incorrect; but it didn't really matter anyway...
At the end of the day, as soon as we hear that heavenly Champions League anthem ring around St James' Park next season, the circumstances of why and how we got there will be immaterial. Yes, we capitalised on the screw-ups of other clubs and UEFA's coefficient rankings to gain an extra Champions League place... but who cares?
The point is, the talent of this very small squad shone through. Now, the challenge is to add both quality and quantity to a club that needs Champions League football every season if they can start counting themselves among football's elite.
It isn't often I'm optimistic, but the signs were there last season, and the signs are here again now.
Howay the Lads!