What new faces will we see in the Summer? With seven more fixtures to go, head coach Eddie Howe and his players have plenty of games left to play this season. Newcastle is in the hunt for spots that would take them to European competitions. While reaching a Champions League spot is probably out of the realm of reality, reaching Europe League is rather possible for the Magpies, if they hit the right form during the spring. With rumours of Eddie Howe not being the head coach next season getting louder, the Englishman has more than a couple of reasons to win as many games as possible this season.
At the same time, the higher ups at St James Park are already thinking about the next season too. Regardless of who is the coach, and whether the team plays in Europe comes September, the team’s owners are already working on making the team better and morecompetitive. In recent years, since the investment group led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and RB Sports & Media took over, Newcastle has gotten quite close to becoming one of the Big 6 teams in England. (more…)
Woltemade: An excellent start. Saturday’s 2-1 defeat against Brighton at the Amex came as a disappointment after back-to-back wins against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Two goals from Danny Welbeck were enough to give the Seagulls the win, but a superb goal from Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade was a bright spot.
The improvised flick off his heel to finish a chance created by Lewis Miley marked Woltemade’s fourth Premier League goal of the season. It was also his fifth goal in all competitions since making the move to Tyneside from Stuttgart in a deal that is going to be worth more than £65 million once all is said and done. Although still very early in his Newcastle United career, the signs are looking good for the 23 year old Germany international. So is he already proving to be an astute signing and a good replacement for Alexander Isak?
Isak: Definitely a POTS contender. As the Premier League campaign ended, everyone’s eye is on one man: Alexander Isak. With 23 goals, six assists in 34 games, a goal in the EFL Cup final, and a PFA Players’ Player of the Year nomination, his statistics speak for themselves.
But other titles such as Bruno Fernandes, Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, and Alexis Mac Allister have also put their seal of dominance. Let us break down the case for Isak and determine who else needs to be in contention for Player of the Season.
Callum Wilson. Last season’s heroics and the Toon Army’s European adventure are starting to feel like distant memories as this year’s patchy form continues. Finishing in a European spot will still be a priority for Eddie Howe, but mounting injury concerns will be a worry.
Anthony Gordon is the latest star to be injured, lasting just 30 minutes in the 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Gordon’s form has been a highlight of Newcastle’s season, and losing him for important games against Fulham and West Ham could be a real blow to Eddie Howe’s preparation.
Newcastle are waiting for more news on Gordon’s knee injury with Howe saying the star man was in a bit of pain and it did not look good. This will also come as a huge blow to Gordon who looked like he was in contention for an England call up. (more…)
Can the Toon become a permanent fixture in the Champions League? We’ve all got our opinions on exactly how the Premier League will pan out but, on the eve of the new season, betting sites have put their cards on the table and in a prediction that many Magpies might disagree with, have Newcastle missing out on successive Champions League campaigns.
The betting experts at bet-bonuscode.co.uk have analysed the points predictions from different spread betting sites and, while Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United are again expected to fill three of the Champions League places, the other spot is most likely to be filled by Liverpool. (more…)
