Toon Army: European contenders or big pretenders?

There was a time, not too long ago, when St James’ Park was considered one of the most daunting places to visit across the Premier League. Away trips used to strike fear into the opposition, similar to that of Anfield and Highbury, and not just because fans would be standing in shorts mid-winter.

Toon’s form speaks for itself

If we bypass the rogue 16/17 Championship season and the two poor seasons in the Prem that preceded it, Newcastle has managed to regain ground on the league leaders once more, cementing their place as a steady mid-table team. For a neutral, it’s great to see another old veteran back in the mix; however, I don’t expect it will be too long before the Toon Army is contesting with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, and Man City again.

Although securing a convincing 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the opening game of the season, I appreciate that the footie odds surrounding Newcastle’s European dream are unlikely to have altered; however, if you really dive deep into that performance - and consider that the Toon have 12 points from their last 6 matches in the Prem - then you can’t help but speculate.

The Saudi-led takeover

Of course, things first started to look up for United back in October, when the Saudi-led takeover was finalized, bringing fresh money into the club and the prompt arrival of Eddie Howe.

Howe’s impact on the club was evident. From November onwards, Newcastle managed to win a convincing 13 out of 27 games, only losing 9 along the way, despite only netting 44 times across the whole campaign. Contrary to most UK bookmakers’ preseason predictions, the Toon finished in a respectable 11th place with morale high across the camp, following 6 wins in the 8 closing matches - only losing to Liverpool and Man City. What did become apparent during this time was that the defence needed bolstering if they were ever going to push for a European spot.

Summer signings and preseason

With fresh money now in the club, the fans were looking for fresh blood to accompany the likes of Saint-Maxim, Joelinton, Trippier, and Schar. Howe clearly took the stats onboard and wasted no time in signing Sven Bottman (CB) from Lille, Nick Pope (GK) from Burnley, and turning Matt Targett (LB) into a permanent fixture after a solid season at St James’ Park on loan.

Although only preseason, defensive masterclasses against Atalanta, Bilbao, and 1860 Munich should be enough to highlight the Toon’s intent this year. A hard-fought loss at Benfica (3-2) shows that they still have that grit and fight in them, too.

Now, I'm not telling you how to bet on football; however, I am suggesting that you pay close attention to Saturday’s match against Brighton before disregarding Newcastle as a legitimate contender for a European spot. The Seagulls will be welcoming Newcastle to The Amex Stadium after a huge win against Man United, presenting Newcastle with their first real test of the 22/23 season.

Could a win here set the tone for the rest of the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.