The mags are on an unstoppable run and right now it feels like we’re unbeatable.
We’re living the dream right now and the crazy thing is that we’re only just getting started.
We’re guaranteed a top four place over the Christmas period when last year, we were second-bottom only on goal difference.
Sunday was another unforgettable away day, with some corking goals (and more lethal celebrations). But even as Trippier said, we weren’t at our best. That’s incredibly telling. The same was true in the Carabao Cup, yet we found a way once again as Pope’s heroics helped us through in a rare shootout win.
It feels strange to say we have even further to go, but we’re barely halfway through the season and there’s plenty up for grabs.
Here are five things we might (and we hope to) see in 2023.
1. Qualifying for Europe
This feels inevitable right now. The only question is which competition we’ll qualify for.
Right now, we feel unstoppable. We look like a team who could and should qualify for the Champions League, because I can’t see anyone beating us. The feel-good factor is sky-high and it’s carrying us through and feeding into the incredible football we’re playing.
The one thing that might put a pin in that is the World Cup. That’s not to say that I expect the mood to dip afterwards, but six weeks is a long time in football – and the longest mid-season break beyond the unexpected COVID call-off.
We have momentum, and breaks can ruin that. With that said, I have no doubt we’ll be in Europe next season. Pre-season, I was confident we’d get into the Europa Conference League at the minimum. Now, I think we’re on course for the main Europa League competition at the minimum.
How we come back together post-World Cup will determine this, and it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the season pans out.
2. Keeping our most important players
Very few players have had an impact as dramatic and as instant as Trippier and Bruno. Granted, the latter took a little time to get his first start, but he’s been on fire for around eight months straight.
Unsurprisingly, he’s turning the heads of football’s elite.
Bruno is a character I didn’t think we’d see the ilk of at Newcastle United for a long time – maybe not even the rest of my lifetime, the way things were going under Ashley.
He’s supremely talented and he knows it – but in a way that never makes you feel like he’s arrogant. There’s nothing wrong with knowing you’re mint, and knowing you’re adored.
He bought into an uncertain project at a time when he was already attracting attention from the best clubs in Europe and he loves it here. He loves being loved by us. He knows we’re on the road to great things, so why would he leave?
Liverpool are apparently sticking their noses in for him, but he’s not daft enough to go there. It’s refreshing knowing we’re likely to hold onto talent and personalities like Bruno.
3. A full-strength squad
We’ve gone on this incredible run without some of the players that, at the start of the season, you’d have said were our most important.
A fiery debate raged in the summer over whether or not we should take £50 million for Maxi, should we have been offered it. We can only assume an offer of that level was never tabled, but the fanbase was divided. (FWIW, you can read my thoughts on that in a previous blog).
His stats across 2021/22 suggested he’d be a huge miss, but we’ve done pretty well without the man who created the most chances for us last season.
Then look at our record signing, Alexander Isak. We haven’t seen as much of him as we’d like to, and we can already tell how technically and strategically gifted he is. But with Callum Wilson firing on all cylinders and staying fit (touchwood), he’ll be hard-pressed to get back into this starting XI once fit. Truthfully, I don’t think he should – we’re scoring for fun, winning games and rampaging on the attack without him – but it’ll be exciting to see the Swedish international once he’s fully fit and firing.
Strength in depth will be extremely important after a World Cup with a shorter resting period and during a busy second half of the season. The lads might have to fight to get a place in the starting line-up but having them fit will be critical to see the season through.
4. Bigger and better facilities
One of Staveley’s big promises was improved training facilities. And while progress is modest because the team and staff are using those facilities near-daily, we’re seeing the improvements start to trickle in.
The extensions are being built and according to Wilson, changes like improved food are already in place. And as he says himself, it’s the small changes that make a big difference.
The stadium will almost certainly be expanded upon – although it’s unclear how that’s going to happen. According to Eales, expansion is the number one priority, not moving the stadium. It would hurt to see St James’ Park elsewhere (or not in existence at all), so it’s good to know that’s essentially a last resort.
Either way, we’ll be making more room for the thousands of extra people clamouring for tickets.
5. The women’s and youth teams
Another big post-takeover promise was investment in the women’s team, academy and U21s. Seeing the women’s team officially come under the umbrella of Newcastle United Football Club is special, because they were stranded and considered a separate entity previously.
These teams, however, require some work – but it’s already paying off. NUWFC are in the fourth division of women’s football but sitting pretty at the top of the table thanks to investment and proper attention from the main entity of the club.
The reserves and academy need some work too. Historically, we’ve been dreadful at developing and progressing talent. I used to be a regular at reserve matches and I’ve seen some incredible talent that just couldn’t break through, yet it seems there will now be a clear focus on creating that pathway for local talents, with Dan Ashworth and Eddie Howe eager to see more Elliot Anderson’s emerge.
I expect NUWFC to get promoted this season and to rise up the ranks. The youth teams might require a little more work, but finally, we’re putting some actual effort into them instead of letting young talent rot away.
Is there anything on your NUFC 2023 wishlist that we’ve missed off?
