IT has been a busy start to the season on Tyneside, with Newcastle United experiencing plenty of highs and lows. On the pitch, the Magpies have taken seven points from their opening three league matches and reached the third round of the Carabao Cup. Off it, though, a number of tensions bubbled to the surface after a disappointing transfer window.
Scott Wilson and Dominic Shaw answer the key questions relating to Newcastle ahead of a return to action this weekend following the international break.
HOW DAMAGING WAS THE SUMMER WINDOW?
SW: It certainly didn’t go to plan. For the second window in a row, Newcastle failed to sign a player who immediately strengthens their strongest XI and that has to be a concern. The unsuccessful pursuit of Marc Guehi was embarrassing, and means the Magpies will remain short of centre-half options until Sven Botman returns in December. The PSR fire-sale at the end of June was even more damaging – it might be early days for Yankuba Minteh at Brighton, but the winger already looks like the kind of player Newcastle should be developing within their own ranks rather than desperately flogging to the highest bidder.
DS: Time will tell. There's no getting away from the fact that the current squad looks short of quality and quantity in certain areas. Results so far have been positive but that hasn't necessarily been the case with performances. What's the aim this season? Champions League feels like a huge ask now but European football is a must – Newcastle will be trying to achieve that with a squad that still feels like it has some major gaps.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF PAUL MITCHELL’S COMMENTS LAST WEEK?
SW: I was one of the journalists at the interview at St James’ Park, and I don’t think Mitchell meant to be as confrontational as has been suggested in some quarters. I definitely don’t think he wanted to place further strain on his relationship with Eddie Howe – the pair might be at loggerheads over certain issues, but they need each other to succeed. My biggest takeaway was that Mitchell felt things had been going wrong with recruitment for a while – this summer’s PSR problems suggest his misgivings are justified – but while he has pledged to oversee improvements, he needs to live up to his words.
DS: Communication was needed after the disappointing end to the summer transfer window, but some of the comments from Mitchell left more questions than answers. It's obviously not ideal for a sporting director coming in midway through a window and Mitchell clearly wanted to make clear that he felt he had a lot of tidying up to do when he took office as Dan Ashworth’s replacement. Come the reopening of the window in January, the pressure will be on.
IS EDDIE HOWE’S FUTURE NOW A MAJOR ISSUE?
SW: I think a lot will depend on the FA and England. Howe won’t be walking away from his current job, and despite all the noise around Mitchell’s arrival and a shift in the boardroom dynamic following the departure of Amanda Staveley, Newcastle aren’t going to be sacking their head coach anytime soon. What would happen if the FA formally offered Howe the England job though? Mitchell’s comments suggest Newcastle wouldn’t necessarily stand in Howe’s way if he wanted to take charge of his country, and you wonder if recent events might make Howe seriously consider an England offer.
DS: Perhaps not as things stand, but it's become increasingly clear that there are major obstacles that must be overcome in the weeks and months ahead. The priority between now and January must surely be to ensure everyone is on the same wavelength ahead of the winter window because it hasn’t really felt like that has been the case for much of the summer.
HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE START TO THE SEASON ON THE PITCH?
SW: Results have certainly been better than performances. The Southampton game changed complexion entirely when Fabian Schar was sent off, while Newcastle rode their luck successfully against Spurs. The biggest worry would be the Bournemouth away game because, for much of the 1-1 draw, Newcastle’s performance was reminiscent of so many of their no-shows on the road last season. Improving the away form has to be a key priority. Scraping through on penalties in the Carabao Cup was a major bonus – a decent run in that competition could be a key part of the season.
DS: In terms of results, seven points out of nine in the Premier League and a second-round victory over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup is hard to fault. But have those results papered over cracks? It feels like it, and several key players are still getting up to speed. The picture should be clearer by the time the next international break arrives a month or so down the line.
WHO COULD BE A KEY PLAYER IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS?
SW: Sandro Tonali. It might be a bit of a cliché, but getting the Italian back into the starting line-up really is like making a new signing. Crucially, Tonali looks motivated and energised after his lengthy lay-off, with his successful international break with Italy hopefully having added even more fuel to the fire. Howe will have to shuffle his midfield around to provide Tonali with a regular starting spot, but that surely has to be happen sooner rather than later, probably starting at Wolves this weekend.
DS: Yeah, I completely agree. Even at this early stage of his comeback, Tonali looks like developing into his Newcastle’s main man. His Forest return in the Carabao Cup was excellent, reminding everybody of why Newcastle were willing to pay such a big fee for him in the first place, and he'll report back to Tyneside this week desperate to kick on after playing every minute for Italy during the international break.
WHERE SHOULD NEWCASTLE’S AMBITIONS BE SET THIS SEASON?
SW: Getting back into Europe. The top four probably feels like a bit of a stretch, with Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool already feeling like they’ve got three of the Champions League spots wrapped up. A place in either the Europa League or Conference League would be a decent return though, and enable Newcastle to prove they’re keeping up with the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa. Then, as ever, there’s the cups. Surely, at some stage, Newcastle will be able to win one?
DS: Howe will have to work wonders to get Newcastle back into the Champions League, although he's done it before, of course. Given the lack of summer signings, and the subsequent lack of depth in key areas of the squad, keeping key men fit will go a long way to deciding how this season plays out. Newcastle suffered major damage from a succession of injuries last season – they can't afford to miss out on European football again.
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