Now is the time to cast judgement on Newcastle United’s summer signings - do you agree with our ratings below?
Has enough time passed to fairly judge Newcastle United’s summer signings? According to Eddie Howe, definitely not.
The Toon boss told reporters last month that caution is needed when assessing whether the recent arrivals have been successful. Howe said: "I always say with transfer windows, I think it’s a better reflection in time. Even short-term players can do well, but it’s time that will be the judge.
“I don’t know the exact (time) on that, on when that becomes a fully justifiable analysis, but for me, it’s too early to make strong conclusions from that transfer window. At this moment in time, I’d probably say let’s see where we are at the end of the season, and then even six months into next season too.
“Patience is needed, although it’s a rare commodity these days with transfers. I understand that with the outlay, people will go, ‘You shouldn’t need patience and understanding’. But I’d say with most transfers these days, I think there has to be an element of that."
The Gazette believes that to be wide of the mark. Almost a full season has passed, with just seven games remaining for the Magpies to save face.
Some of the big-money signings arrived from Premier League clubs - killing the “adjustment” argument stone dead. After the dismal 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, now is the time to rank last summer’s signings out of 10.
Newcastle United signings ranked
Malick Thiaw - 8
The pick of the bunch. Newcastle needed a centre-back for several transfer windows and finally got their man in August. Thiaw has a mistake in him - as was seen against Barcelona recently - but the positives outweigh the negatives. A comfortable hit.
Jacob Ramsey - 7
Took his time to settle in, but Newcastle now look like they have a genuine talent on their hands. Ramsey cost £40million - a hefty price tag - and faces Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes as competition. The midfielder has made a solid start without truly blowing anyone away.
Aaron Ramsdale - 6
A steady Eddie. After the James Trafford deal broke down, the Magpies turned to a trusted pair of hands. Ramsdale has done a job and probably played more than he expected. In truth, neither he or Nick Pope provide the long-term solution between the sticks.
Nick Woltemade - 5
This rating is frustrating as Woltemade has the potential to be so much more. He started his Toon career like a house on fire, netting four goals in five Premier League games. However, the German is now deputising in midfield and bereft of confidence. The engine-room experiment should be put to bed.
Anthony Elanga - 3
Admittedly, Elanga has shown signs of improvement recently. But his overall game has been erratic this season. Is the right-winger spot at St James' Park cursed? It is tough to remember the last time Newcastle had a match-winner in that position. Elanga must step it up next season.
Yoane Wissa - 2
Wissa has the potential to be Newcastle’s biggest flop ever. What a nightmare this signing has been. From massively overpaying in a state of panic to spending months on the sidelines, the 29-year-old has just one Premier League goal to his name. Given the context of who he replaced as well, there is no way Wissa could be scored any higher.
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