The EPL attracts a lot of attention as it features very high stakes for the teams. As such, many people liken it to playing a game of skill like poker or blackjack. You must strategize well in such games to get ahead of the competition, e.g., perfecting your poker face. Luckily, playing in an online casino takes some of the pressure off and allows players to rethink their moves in private. But for EPL players, the pressure is always on as they must face their competition in the field in front of hundreds of thousands. So, how has Newcastle United handled the 2023-2024 season?
Newcastle United on the Spotlight
Teams that do poorly in the EPL get relegated to the EFL Championship. Many teams, including Newcastle United, have faced this axe several times. Only Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have avoided relegation.
Drawing inspiration from Hungary’s footballing legacy, Newcastle United has displayed resilience in the 2023-2024 standings, by 17th January 2024, Newcastle ranks 10th in the EPL with 9 wins, 2 draws, and 10 losses. It has accrued 29 points, which is 16 points behind Liverpool, which is now in the top position. Let’s consider its performance in the previous years:
- 2022-2023: The team came in 4th place with 71 points after 19 wins, 14 draws, and 5 losses,
- 2021-2022: The team was in 11th place with 49 points following 13 wins, 10 draws, and 15 losses,
- 2020-2021: With 45 points after 12 wins, 9 draws, and 15 losses, the team was 12th in the rankings,
- 2019-2020: The team bagged the 13th position after 11 wins, 11 draws, and 16 losses, totalling 44 points,
- 2018-2019: The team was 13th with 45 points after 12 wins, 9 draws, and 17 losses.
The team has already played 21 of its 38 scheduled matches. Based on its current trajectory, it has been either winning or losing its games. If this trend were to continue, the team would likely get an extra 25-30 points, bringing its total to about 54 to 60 at the end of the season. And that would be assuming there would be no draws and the team had a 50-50 chance of winning every other game this season.
What to Expect from Newcastle United
This legacy club has been around for a while and is thus able to attract some of the best players in the industry. As such, its starting squad is full of experienced and talented players who have what it takes to put pressure on other teams. 9 wins in 21 games when rivalling the best clubs in the EPL is not a small feat. Additionally, the team is under dedicated management that goes out of its way to help them in all possible ways. This support, including the financial capital invested in the team, has seen it grow such that it bagged the 4th position in the 2022-2023 season.
However, the team has some weaknesses that could see it not clinch the top five positions. The first would be its untapped young talent. The team has the potential to help some of its young players thrive to keep up with the competition but has not invested much in this. It has also failed to make the best buys during transfer windows despite having access to a lot of resources. When the big clubs are investing huge amounts, Newcastle is a bit more conservative, and the stars thus get swept away by the teams willing to take on more risk.
As a result, while the team often has substantial wins, it’s unable to maintain consistency, which makes it hard for its fans to predict where they will fall. And to make matters worse, other teams know what to expect from Newcastle, making it hard for them to get one over their competition.
Per their current performance and previous stints, the team will likely finish in its current position, give or take two positions. It’s unlikely that it will make it to the top five posts. But on the upside, it’s also unlikely for the team to face relegation if it keeps up its current patterns.
