NEWCASTLE UNITED head into the international break after a hectic opening two months of the season that have contained plenty of highs and lows.
How are the Magpies looking – and what might be around the corner when club football resumes later this month?
HOW HAS THE SEASON GONE SO FAR?
It might have got off to a relatively shaky start, but Eddie Howe and the rest of the Newcastle hierarchy will surely be satisfied with where they find themselves heading into the second international break of the season.
Ahead of the first one, in early September, they had suffered three successive league defeats that had left them languishing in 14th position in the table.
Since then, their league performances have seen them claim a record-breaking 8-0 away win at Sheffield United, a comfortable 2-0 home win over Burnley and a creditable 2-2 draw at West Ham. As a result, they now sit in eighth, just four points adrift of the top four.
Along with their improving league form, they can also be hugely content with their performances in the cup competitions. Their first two games in the Champions League could not have gone much better, with a gritty goalless draw in the San Siro being followed by the unforgettable 4-1 home win over Paris St Germain. They also knocked Premier League champions Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup to set up a fourth-round trip to Old Trafford at the start of next month.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIG POSITIVES?
Prior to the start of the season, the biggest question mark hanging over Newcastle was whether they could handle the demands of combining Champions League football with the relentless nature of the Premier League programme.
There have been challenges over the last month, but the Magpies have proved that, physically and mentally, they can deal with three games in a week in a variety of competitions. They have also shown that there is nothing to fear from a Champions League pool that was immediately branded the ‘group of death’ when it was drawn in August. Paris St Germain and AC Milan are two of the best teams in Europe, but Newcastle have been more than a match for them.
Defensively, Howe’s side have rediscovered the resilience and organisation that served them so well last season, recording five clean sheets in a row last month. At the other end, the eight-goal blitz at Bramall Lane proved their attack is as potent as ever, particularly if teams afford them time and space on the counter-attack.
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Alexander Isak looks razor-sharp in attack, Sean Longstaff has emerged as a key player in midfield and Kieran Trippier is back to being an assists-king from right-back. Crucially, top players are hitting top form.
ANY CAUSES FOR CONCERN?
Injuries. The international break has come at a good time for the Magpies, who have seen their injury issues begin to pile up in the last few weeks.
Losing Harvey Barnes for three months was a big blow, especially with Joe Willock still a number of weeks away from a return. While the problems that have sidelined Sven Botman, Joelinton and Callum Wilson in recent weeks are not especially serious, the fact they are muscular issues which could potentially return is a worry. Similarly, while Alexander Isak’s setback at West Ham is understood to be relatively minor, the fact he has been forced to withdraw from the Sweden squad is a concern. Howe will have to manage his squad carefully through the remainder of a busy autumn.
Pinning down Sandro Tonali’s best role will also be a priority. Newcastle’s record signing has done some really good things since moving from AC Milan – his performance in the opening-day win over Aston Villa could hardly have been any better – but there are times when he struggles with the pace of the Premier League, and he doesn’t necessarily fit neatly into a midfield three that also contains Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes. Fine-tuning the blend of Newcastle’s midfield unit remains an ongoing process.
WHAT CHALLENGES ARE COMING UP?
Newcastle’s first two league games after the international break look reasonably inviting, with a home game against Crystal Palace preceding a trip to Wolves. Things start getting more difficult after that though, with three of the club’s following four matches pitting them against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. They also face trips to Tottenham and Liverpool before the end of the year.
The cup competitions will remain a key focus, with the forthcoming back-to-back matches against Borussia Dortmund likely to play a major role in determining whether or not the Magpies make it through to the knockout rounds.
The home game against Dortmund on October 25 offers a great opportunity to follow-up the PSG win with another landmark victory, while the trip to Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park on November 7 promises to be a standout moment for the fans.
Throw in the Carabao Cup trip to Manchester United on November 1, and the four weeks after the break promise to be every bit as manic as the last month.
Keeping senior players fit will be key, although the likes of Elliot Anderson, Jacob Murphy and even Matt Targett and Paul Dummett could become important figures if injuries bite, or if Howe decides more rotation is required to keep his squad as fresh as possible.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN JANUARY?
Having spent around £120m this summer on Tonali, Barnes and Tino Livramento, and committed another £35m to the potential purchase of Lewis Hall at the end of his loan deal, it will be interesting to see how much scope Newcastle have for further investment in January.
Howe has previously suggested that he is reluctant to do too much business in the January window, but that might change if the Magpies’ injury issues continue to mount between now and the end of the year.
The absence of a natural defensive midfielder is one of the few glaring gaps in the current squad, so with that in mind, it is interesting that Newcastle have been linked with a possible move for Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips in the last few days. The Magpies’ recruitment team inquired about Phillips’ situation in the summer, only to be told that the England international did not want to leave the Etihad. It would be no surprise if they opted to make a more formal move in January if, as looks likely, Phillips decides to move on to kickstart his career.
Another centre-forward could become a priority if either Wilson or Isak were to suffer a more serious injury problem, while the summer signings of Livramento and Hall highlight Newcastle’s willingness to take a long-term view of their transfer dealings if inviting opportunities present themselves.
The Premier League’s Financial Fair Play regulations continue to present a problem that requires careful management, but Newcastle will no doubt be keen to strengthen in January if at all possible.
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