Jamaal Lascelles and Matt Ritchie will never be the first names on the team sheet in the new era at Newcastle, in fact, the pair have been much maligned in the past by fans. That is all well and good, but the fact that Eddie Howe still has the pair involved in the squad is telling.
From Championship To Champions League
Alongside the long-serving Paul Dummett, Ritchie and Lascelles are the only surviving members of the Newcastle team that won promotion back to the Premier League just six years ago. Now, after an incredible turnaround at St James’ Park, the pair will be part of a toon squad getting ready to tackle Europe’s elite in the Champions League.
It is a sign of the times on Tyneside that Newcastle are just 16/1 to win the league in the English Premier League betting odds this season, with a second successive top-four finish priced at just 8/5. To think that Lascelles, Ritchie and their then teammates were taking on the likes of Burton and Rotherham under manager Rafa Benitez just six years ago shows just how much things have changed for the pair in recent times.
Legacy is a word banded about often, but given the effort and commitment of both Ritchie and Lascelles in the dark times at the club, they have created their own legacy at Newcastle, and despite not getting much recognition from current fans, they have every right to be considered club legends.
No wonder then that the miracle-worker Eddie Howe is keen to keep the pair at the club, even knowing that they are unlikely to make any significant influence on the pitch in the season ahead. It is for their off-pitch actions that Lascelles and Ritchie are valued members of Howe’s squad, and they have played a big role in helping the many new recruits settle, not only at the club but also in the city.
Newcastle qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 YEARS! 💥 pic.twitter.com/myHUFefofp
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) May 22, 2023
When Lascelles Called Out His Teammates
It took Lascelles a while to break into the first team having moved from Nottingham Forest, the centre-back would become a mainstay under Benitez in the 2015/16 Premier League campaign. Famously, Lascelles berated his teammates in a post-match interview towards the end of the season, questioning their fight and attitude as the team headed for the relegation trapdoor.
It was a shocking moment for all involved at the club, but it struck a chord with the Toon faithful who were happy to see at least one of their players showing the same despair and anger they had been experiencing themselves. Lascelles was made captain of the club the following season, something he remains to be to this day.
Newcastle’s newfound wealth and level of performance are likely to continue to attract top-class players in the years to come, but the best squads are built on strong foundations, and Lascelles and Ritchie are likely to be the cornerstones for the next few years at least.
Congratulation the Champion!
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