There’s no getting away from the fact that the 2020-21 Premier League season to this point has been a difficult for the most part for Newcastle United. The Toon are hovering just above the relegation places in the league standings, and are gambling with their long-term future in the top-flight.
That isn’t something that fans would be too happy to see, as they would rather gamble on a site such as fun88 rather than see the future of their team hang in the balance. But, is there cause for concern for Newcastle fans when it comes to the second half of the season?
Are The Toon Safe From Relegation?
No team in the bottom six are safe from the threat of relegation at present, well at least not mathematically. But, it would take a huge turnaround from teams currently in the bottom three to increase the pressure on the Magpies. There is currently an eight-point gap between Newcastle and 18th placed Fulham. It is unlikely that Scott Parker’s side are going to pick up nine more points than the Toon in the second half of the season, but Steve Bruce will be wary of the form that his side have shown.
Things looked more comfortable at the beginning of December, but a run of nine without a win in the league saw the club plummet down the league standings. The only way that the club will get dragged back into a relegation battle is if they go back on that kind of run again, and the sides in the bottom three start winning games consistently. While both look unlikely at this point, it does bold well in the long-term for the Magpies.
Still A Reluctance To Spend
Should the worst-case scenario play out in the second half of the season, then the officials at the club would only have themselves to blame. Mike Ashley refused to splash out on players in the winter transfer window, despite the team crying out for reinforcements. It was clear to see that the club were missing something in the final third, and that was evident in the five games that the club failed to score across December and January.
However, instead of bringing in a new creative player, Bruce now must find a spark with the squad that has been in place with the summer. If the players that the club wanted weren’t available in January, then that would be fair to suggest that the club were right not to have brought in a new player. However, it’s clear as day to all fans that players that could fit into the Magpies starting line-up were there to sign. Jesse Lingard would be a prime example.
The attacking midfielder was available for loan in the winter, but the Magpies seemed reluctant to pay the loan fee that was being asked for by Manchester United. Lingard would have certainly improved Newcastle in the final third, but the board’s reluctance to pay speaks volumes. Fans will be hoping that this won’t be something that everyone connected to the club later regret.