Newcastle United had a fairytale 2022/23 campaign but this has now skewed hopes and expectations for the upcoming 2023/24 season. How will the manager and the players deal with the new pressures?
How the team did last season
After Eddie Howe guided the Magpies to a mid-table finish during the 2021/22 season, many expected Newcastle to consolidate their position in the Premier League table before making a push for Europe in a year or two.
Few had them down as finishing in the Champions League places but that is exactly what happened. Yes, the Toon Army spent a bit of money to bring in the likes of Alexander Isak but Howe did a magnificent job with a number of players he inherited to guide his side to a fourth-place finish.
For a bit of context here, Newcastle conceded the joint fewest goals (33) along with Manchester City. They also lost the joint fewest number of matches (5), sharing this record with the eventual champions.
Howe’s side suffered just one defeat in their opening 23 matches in the Premier League and, at one stage, went on a 17-game unbeaten run to really announce themselves as genuine contenders for a place in the top four. They also went all the way to the Carabao Cup final.
A resilient defence and a well-structured shape were the foundations for their success, they did have a lot of fun in the final third on occasion. They romped to big wins over Brighton (4-1) and Spurs (6-1), beat Manchester United 2-0 and played out a 3-3 draw with Manchester City.
Newcastle had three players hit double figures with Callum Wilson (18), Miguel Almirón (11) and Isak (10), all getting in on the act. The latter impressed in his debut campaign in England despite injury.
However, none of these three weren’t the highest-rated Newcastle player per the FotMob ratings. That honour belonged to Kieran Trippier (7.74). The England right-back was a creative menace for the Magpies, finishing with seven assists. He also racked up 24 big chances created, 110 chances created, and created chances worth 11.8 Expected Assists.
What has happened during the summer?
Considering there is Champions League football on offer and Newcastle United have the funds to attract a lot of players, they haven’t done much business this summer.
Howe missed out on rumoured top targets James Maddison and Dominik Szoboszlai. The former went to Spurs while the latter made the move to Liverpool.
Newcastle did manage to pry Sandro Tonali away from AC Milan though in a deal believed to be worth in the region of £55million. Bringing the talented 23-year-old to St James’ Park is considered quite the coup.
They have also added Harvey Barnes to their ranks. The former Leicester City winger, who scored 13 times last season, is a shrewd addition to the squad and will bolster their attacking ranks ahead of their Champions League campaign. The 25-year-old joined for a reported £38million and will likely fill the void left by Allan Saint-Maximim.
The flamboyant Frenchman has moved to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Ahli after four years with the club. He lacked output and managed just 12 goals for the Magpies in the league. As exciting as he was, the addition of Barnes gives Newcastle more of a goal threat.
What they should be aiming for next season?
Matching what they achieved last season will be difficult. Howe’s side are going to have to contend with European football and the extra demands this places on players. Teams also know what to expect from this Newcastle side now. There wasn’t exactly an element of surprise there but the opposition will adapt to combat Howe and his team now, and this might take some time to get used to.
The Magpies haven’t exactly bolstered their squad much ahead of the new campaign either. So a combination of things could see them struggle to hit the heights of last season.
Prediction
9th.
(Images from IMAGO)
Think you know better than our Premier League expert? Then play the FotMob Predictor Game and decide where your team will finish this season! Find the game in the More tab of the FotMob app, which you can download, for free, right here.