A mad 84 days at Newcastle United - Likes and dislikes from chaotic summer
Just 84 days after the final day defeat to Everton, and Newcastle United’s Premier League season begins in earnest at Villa Park on Saturday. The 12:30 kick-off is not ideal, and with all the noise around United, it has the potential to be a tricky start.
Those 84 days have felt like a decade with the I**k situation hanging over the club and it has been a somewhat bruising summer. However, not all the punches have landed cleanly, and as the dawn of the new season peaks over the horizon, there are reasons to be positive as United embark on a huge season.
So, with that in mind, here is the likes & dislikes season preview/summer review:
Liked: Whisper it quietly, are we actually having a decent transfer window?
Whisper it, will it into existence, perhaps? But are Newcastle secretly the dark horse for having one of the better summer transfer windows (obvious issue aside)? United may have missed out on some of their ‘top’ targets, but with the arrivals of Aaron Ramsdale, Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga, and Jacob Ramsey confirmed —alongside a rumoured close deal for Yoanne Wissa—the club has quietly and effectively raised the floor of their squad.
Last season, if one of the ‘blue-chip’ players as Bobby would’ve called them, were injured or suspended, then the replacements available (Kelly, Longstaff) were levels below them. Now, with the new arrivals, the squad has quality across the board with teammates closer together ability-wise.
Renewed competition should, in theory, push some of our blue-chip players into better performances as there will be pressure to perform with adequate replacements just behind them. Eddie Howe will improve the new signings too as they are majority early twenties in age.
Competition for places should see a strong spirit forged within the squad —renewed after a summer of distractions—and from what we have seen of them so far (whether that be friendlies, interviews or clips playing for their old sides), the new arrivals look to be better players than the lads they have replaced.
Disliked: The Isak Saga
Not since Winston Churchill and his infamous political flip-flopping has there been a bigger turncoat. Churchill might have been talking about I**k when he said: “Anyone can rat, but it takes a certain ingenuity to re-rat.” Granted, I**k hasn’t ‘re-ratted’ yet, but there has been no quicker fall from grace than the Swedes.
Cabaye, Kane, Tevez, Suarez have all behaved this way and they’ve all ended up back playing for the teams they’ve claimed they’re never playing for again. The clubs’ owners are rich enough to absorb the loss (keep an eye on those share deals), and the club must remain strong and set a precedent. I saw an excellent idea online: the club should fine I**k two weeks’ wages every month he refuses to play and donate them to charity; at least then something good will come out of this saga.
For many, I**k has no way back, but it’s clear that Howe doesn’t see it that way and the door is very much still open. Liverpool fans’ online cohort have been an utter disgrace and have managed to supplant Arsenal fans as the most cringeworthy set of terminally online football fans, and client journalists have been spectacularly revealed; you can really tell Twitter/X pays by the views these days with ten tweets a day saying the exact same thing…
The club has set a £150m line in the sand and whilst I**k is entitled to withdraw his labour, as any worker has the right to do, football is a different beast and once the fines start flying and the transfer window is closed we could see the apology tour to end all apology tours.
Liked: Seung-soo Park surprise and Ramsey’s link-up with AG10
The undoubted bright spark of the actual pre-season minutes on the pitch was Seung-soo Park. A complete unknown, he has shown glimpses that he could be a rough diamond plucked from a relatively obscure league. He’s quick, his agility and balance give him poise and obvious dribbling ability, which he hasn’t been afraid to use, and the lad clearly backs himself.
Park appears to have surprised Howe too, as he wasn’t involved with the U21s against Gateshead midweek, which may hint that he will be involved with the first team. Depending on the scoreline, I’d like to see him get minutes against Villa just to see what he’s like against Premier League-level defenders, but there’s no denying that the South Korean has stood out during pre-season.
I’m delighted too that Newcastle have acted and brought in a central midfielder in Jacob Ramsey; as going into the season, when we play three central midfielders with only four in the squad, would’ve amounted to season suicide. Ramsey, who is only 24 years old, has attributes our other midfield options just don’t possess (he plays between the lines, receives the ball high up the pitch, and can make powerful runs from deep), and he will bring a different dimension to our team.
It seems we’ve finally taken advantage of another side struggling against PSR just as we were 12 months ago. Lastly, he was playing and scoring for Villa just five days ago against Roma, so I’m not too sure they really wanted to lose him. Good.
Disliked: The club being devoid of an executive structure
I have a feeling that these issues will be sorted just after the transfer window closes…however, the lack of bodies in place at executive level at United is an utter shambles and has clearly been detrimental to our progress off the pitch this summer.
The commercial team appears to be the only ones still in situ, and they have signed a couple of notable sponsorship deals, with Guinness being the latest. But more needs to be done to address the issues that have plagued the structure at the club. Roles need to be clearly defined, and the board needs to be empowered to make quick, strategic decisions without seemingly needing Riyadh’s input at every moment.
All the journo talk is that David Hopkinson will eventually be the new CEO, and Ross Wilson will eventually be the new Sporting Director. It’s vital that these next appointments come in, stay for the long term, and grow the club off the pitch, as it’s starting to become an anchor around the neck of the club on the pitch. We simply cannot be back in this position in twelve months’ time, and Lord help us if we are…
Liked: Anthony Gordon’s pre-season, his sharpness, and the huge season he has ahead
Whilst he’s been a little up and down during pre-season, look for Anthony Gordon to have a really productive year. Another player who is just 24 years old, he is the sort of character who can thrive in the face of adversity, especially when his status has been elevated by the goings-on around him.
His pre-season has almost been the complete opposite of last time around, and he certainly hasn’t been shunned by a clueless national team manager sitting him on a bench seemingly out of spite. We’ve all seen firsthand what Gordon can do when he’s on it. A sharp, fit, and firing Gordon has the potential to go beyond his output from two seasons ago.
Gordon and Ramsey were also part of the England U21 squad who won the European Championship. They play on the same side, so there’s the potential for an exciting link-up in that area of the pitch. Gordon is one of a handful of players we have heard from this summer, and he has spoken well and with empathy, showing a real maturity. He has all the scope to continue to develop and grow as he is still years away from his peak.
Disliked: Rejections
Ambition must be applauded, and United have certainly tried to be ambitious with the signings they’ve made this summer. Sesko, Mbeumo, Ekitike are all excellent players, but each has a hint of doubt over whether they can step up to the Premier League. Sesko and Ekitike are coming in from overseas, so you just never know, and can Mbeumo score at the same level without taking penalties? Delap and Trafford, in my opinion, were poorly advised, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be back on the market next summer.
If those players had signed for United, we would be confident they could step up as we have a manager with a proven track record of improving players, but in a summer where the ‘Big Six’ have doubled down and hoovered up players from across the league, we’ve had to pivot to other targets, and as discussed above, I think it’s turning into a decent summer as all the players we’ve signed were/are long-term targets.
Ultimately, the ‘Big Six’ wouldn’t throw a crutch to a crab in a hurricane, so we’ve had to adjust, and I just hope if/when the roles are ever reversed, we pay them back in kind.
Liked: Rewriting the narrative - United are not a one-man team
The ceiling of United’s squad is extremely high, and the starting eleven amongst the top five/top six in the division. Tonali, Bruno, Iké, Livramento, and Hall are players with levels of development ahead of them. Botman was on that list too before his injury blighted two seasons, but I’m sure if he can remain injury-free this season and play 25-30 games, he will be back on it sharpish.
Those players are, of course, at various stages in their development, but they should all be getting better/heading into their prime. United have drastically reduced the age profile across the squad (except for the centre-backs, although Thiaw is another who is just 24), and there will naturally have to be some patience with younger players who are still developing.
Losing a player of Isak’s ability is obviously detrimental, but I would push back on the narrative that he is/was the best player in the squad. His attitude and commitment were obviously conditional, and he clearly hasn’t bought into the culture as much as we thought, because if he had, he wouldn’t be acting as he is now. Tonali and Bruno are better, more committed players than I**k, and they’re still very much key players; and Sandro (another who is just 25!) will be available for the whole Champions League campaign this time around, and I’m excited by what he will bring to us in Europe as the last time he had a full season in the competition he dragged a fairly average Milan side to the semi-finals.
And it’s Champions League where I’m backing United to have a very good season. The competition is set up for good teams with big squads to thrive, and we are a good team and our squad is building depth, and some of our players will benefit from changes in play style and refereeing Europe’s premier competition brings.
2025/26 will bring ups and downs, just like the summer has, but all possibilities are open to us. Let’s not forget that United are not, and never were, a one-man team; we have an elite manager and some wonderful players. Nerves would be settled with a positive result against Villa, but the season will not be settled after one game. And the first home game of the season looks a tasty one, and the atmosphere should be electric.
Keep the faith. HWTL
