After 26 matches played in the English Premier League, Newcastle United, with 37 points, holds the eighth position. Despite the disappointing 1:4 result in the game against Arsenal, the head coach of the English team NUFC, Eddie Howe, remains optimistic. He names potential psychological or technical issues as possible reasons for this result. The coach intends to work on both these areas and conduct a thorough review of mistakes with his team. He is determined to continue the struggle and achieve future victories. So, what is the secret of Newcastle United’s success, and are they really that good? There are many factors that have influenced this phenomenon, among which several key reasons for their success can be highlighted.
Competent and timely managerial change. Some may say that eighth place is not as prestigious as third, which Arsenal holds, but we firmly disagree, and there are valid reasons for this. If we consider Newcastle United ‘s success retrospectively, it becomes immediately clear that Eddie Howe has done a tremendous job to elevate the team to its current level. Especially when comparing today’s successes of Newcastle United with the performance they had when Howe first took over the team from their former coach, Steve Bruce. At that moment, NUFC was clearly not the bookmakers’ favorites, and only a few would have placed serious bets on them, even considering the generous Crypto Loko no deposit bonus offers. Therefore, changing the coach shortly after the change of ownership of Newcastle United was more than justified and the right decision, especially on the threshold of the upcoming championship.
Dedicated and authoritative coach. Eddie Howe’s personal success and professional contribution as the head coach of Newcastle United are hard to overestimate. He always works hard and takes almost no breaks, with rare exceptions. After leaving Bournemouth in 2020, he digitized his personal coaching guides and created a true database. Howe uses a variety of training methods, using various approaches, each time shifting the focus of the training to a new aspect that he wants to work on with the team. Another characteristic of the Newcastle United coach is his close personal connection with the team: he devotes a lot of time and effort to forming close and trusting relationships with each member of the team. However, the Howe phenomenon does not end there, as it is reliably known that even members of the club’s board listen to his opinions and do not interfere with his managerial decisions, allowing him to polish the team at his own discretion.
Strengthening the team by attracting new strong players. Another significant milestone on the path to Newcastle United’s success was the acquisition of players with good performance records. Undoubtedly, these are right and wise strategic investments. In this regard, among the key figures it is worth mentioning such players as Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, who joined the team in 2022, and Alexander Isak, who significantly strengthened the team and helped its transformation for the better. The strategic value of Bruno Guimaraes lies in his important role in midfield, while Kieran Trippier has proven his worth in both attacking and defensive tactics. Also, let’s not forget about Chris Wood, another newcomer who showed himself excellently last season in the fight to strengthen Newcastle United’s position. Of course, it was no coincidence that we put the international Brazilian midfielder first on the list, as he signed a 5-year contract with the team just last year.
Attracting financial investments and changing ownership. Additional financial injections always have a beneficial effect on the development of any sector, and investing in the development of the sports industry is no exception. The acquisition of Newcastle club by a consortium led by the Saudi Public Investment Fund in 2021 was the turning point that marked the beginning of the formation of significant boosts for the football club. Along with the change in ownership, Newcastle United gained substantial financial resources at its disposal, which allowed the club to invest significant amounts of funds not only in attracting new talented football players but also in developing and upgrading the club’s infrastructure. Thus, the new management contributed to the signing of impressive contracts with international players and significantly improved the operational structure and managerial hierarchy of the club.
To assess the effectiveness of the above mentioned factors and reasons, it is enough to mention the recent 2023-2024 season, when Newcastle United achieved impressive victories, including in the Champions League. In order not to underestimate the significance of the contribution to the overall victory, it is worth mentioning such distinguished players in this match as Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff, and Fabian Schar. The stunning 4:1 result against Paris Saint-Germain is the best proof of the successful transformations in the team, both on a personal and operational level. The current success of Newcastle United is a collective result of correct managerial decisions, timely leadership changes, huge financial investments, as well as the attraction of new highly skilled players to the team. These factors combined have led Newcastle United to well-deserved success and recognition.
