How you rated the Newcastle United players and Eddie Howe over the last 10 months
Newcastle United's head coach Eddie Howe speaks Lewis Hall
Newcastle United's head coach Eddie Howe speaks Lewis Hall
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How quickly the tides can change. A year ago, Newcastle United were celebrating qualifying for the Champions League with silverware in the trophy cabinet and all was well with the world.
Cue Alexander Isak's transfer request, a summer window thrown into turmoil and a season of ups and downs that has left head coach Eddie Howe bruised if not defeated.
That Champions League campaign was the highlight of a season which saw United fall well below their expectations at Premier League level, although it would be too easy to simply focus on what went wrong as winter turned to spring.
There have been positive moments, performances and emerging stars, alongside the frustration of leads thrown away and some glaring errors.
We asked you to rate each Newcastle player out of 10 based on their contribution over the season, as well as Howe, and we compiled an average mark for each. Here are the results in full, and what it tells us about where United are heading.
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Urgent goalkeeper issue
Newcastle are expected to push to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, and according to these ratings, it cannot come quickly enough. Neither Nick Pope nor Aaron Ramsdale convinced last season, and that is reflected in particularly low scores.
While both have made stand-out saves, a series of errors has undermined their overall performances, with Pope, once a key member of the side, averaging just 4.8. Ramsdale, who is expected to return to Southampton when his loan period ends, fared only a little better with 5.2.
United have been linked with names such as James Trafford, Robin Risser and Bart Verbruggen and it appears new blood will be welcomed with open arms.
Players they cannot lose
While the average scores may be lower than previous seasons, there are some regulars who have risen to the top. It perhaps should be no surprise to see the leaders, with Lewis Hall taking the No 1 spot with an excellent average mark of 8.0.
Perhaps Thomas Tuchel should take note, with the left-back strangely left out of England's World Cup squad.
Captain Bruno Guimaraes is just behind in second, with his absence keenly felt during two months on the sidelines this spring. Malick Thiaw is third, with Lewis Miley - who has played in several different positions last term - fourth.
Sandro Tonali completes the top five, with United fans keen to see him stay on Tyneside despite transfer speculation linking him with a move away.
Damning 2025 verdict
Last summer was not ideal for Newcastle, with late deals rushed through after the Alexander Isak transfer saga. However, it was a rare miss-step by the club, judging by these results. While Thiaw stands apart, none of the other five summer signings registered a noteworthy score.
There is most optimism over Jacob Ramsey, who managed an average rating of 6.3 after a stop-start season, while Nick Woltemade scored just 6.0. The big German remains popular, but fans need to see more output from the talented frontman.
However, they are well ahead of transfer disasters Anthony Elanga (3.5) and Yoane Wissa (3.0). Neither have come anywhere near replicating the form they showed with Nottingham Forest and Brentford repsectively, and costing £55m each, it's been a tough year for both.
Things will have to change radically for them to become terrace heroes, but with a full summer's training ahead, United will not have written them off.
Howe harsh reality
For the first time, we've included the chance to rate head coach Howe's performance over the course of the season. He has retained the backing of matchday crowds, despite too many below-par performances, and still appears to have the dressing room very much onside.
He came through a testing period with the support of the club's hierarchy following those meetings at Matfen Hall in April, and will be a big part of the summer rebuild.
There's no doubt Howe remains a popular figure, expecially after ending the trophy drought, but there is also no escaping from an average rating of just 5.5.
That reflects discontent with tactics and line-ups, and perhaps a hangover from last summer, when he was left without a sporting director and CEO, so much of the 'blame' for transfers fell at his door.
Howe will be given the chance to the wagon back on the tracks, both in the boardroom and terraces, but it's clear he has work to do.
Gordon message sent
Anthony Gordon's exit is now imminent, with Barcelona the destinationl. It will be bring to an end more than three years at St James' for the England winger, which have seen him develop into an international regular.
However, it appears fans won't be sorry he's gone. He topped the goalscoring charts last season, and was level with Harvey Barnes when it game to goal involvements, with 22, but a lowly 5.9 rating suggests patience has run thin.
His exit may be very different to that of Isak, but supporters understandably do not like their players casting their glances elsewhere.
Newcastle United fans' end-of-season ratings 25-26
Lewis Hall 8.0
Bruno Guimaraes 7.8
Malick Thiaw 7.4
Lewis Miley 7.2
Sandro Tonali 7.2
Harvey Barnes 7.1
William Osula 6.7
Dan Burn 6.5
Joelinton 6.4
Kieran Trippier 6.4
Jacob Ramsey 6.3
Sven Botman 6.3
Fabian Schar 6.1
Tino Livramento 6.1
Nick Woltemade 6.0
Anthony Gordon 5.9
Eddie Howe 5.5
Aaron Ramsdale 5.2
Jacob Murphy 4.9
Joe Willock 4.9
Nick Pope 4.8
Anthony Elanga 3.5
Yoane Wissa 3.0