Newcastle United were the surprise package last season, finishing fifth. Following it up might be just as tough…
Last season’s unpredictable Premier League season threw up more than it’s fair share of shock results, and the result nobody would have expected was Newcastle finishing in fifth place.
Alan Pardew built a team on solid foundations, who began the season rarely conceding, and were not afraid to mix it with the top sides.
The price of success is a Europa League spot, which is a positive, but can be a negative if not managed or planned for correctly.
Let’s start with the positives. Newcastle have an array of top talent, much of who they signed for bargain prices. With the vultures hanging over them, Europa League football is a carrot which can tempt them to stay.
Tim Krul, Cheik Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse, Hatem Ben Arfa, all five are players craved by the four clubs who finished above Newcastle in the league, but Mike Ashley proved by holding out for £35 million for Andy Carroll that he drives a hard bargain.
Any suitors know they will have to pay possibly over the odds, and this, coupled with the player’s ambition being momentarily satisfied by Europa League football, will help keep them.
All five will feel the prize is one they earned, and it is worth sticking around for. How Demba Ba fits into this analogy is a different matter, his contract allows him to leave on the cheap and he may decide not to stick around.
If he doesn’t Newcastle should not find replacing him to be an impossible task. Finishing in the Europa League makes Newcastle a more attractive place for potential signings.
The club have been linked with players from Lille (Mathieu Debuchy), Ajax (Vernon Anita), and Twente (Luuk de Jong), and that list will only grow as the summer continues. The top players want to play in Europe, whether it be Champions League or Europa League, and their finish will help the club build for the long-term.
What the club need to do, is having got there, not puncture the good progress by failing to take the competition seriously. Aston Villa are a side who put a great deal into finishing in a Europa League spot a few years ago, only for Martin O’Neill to send out a mixture of youngsters and second string players which saw the club crash out in the first round two campaigns in succession.
This is where the negatives come in, if Newcastle have a bad Europa League experience, their top players may decide the club is not the place to be to fulfill their ambitions.A solid campaign, lasting into the New Year’s knockout stages, should satisfy most of their top stars.
The Europa League can be a draining competition, and if Newcastle get a tough draw to several sides in Eastern Europe, the Thursday night games and long flights will take a lot out of the players.
The club need to strengthen in depth in key positions, as the club face playing twice a week through from August to early December. Rotation and resting key personnel will be important.
Newcastle have a tough opening Premier League game against fellow Europa competitors Tottenham and will want to get off to a win. The extra European games can be a distraction in the league and balancing the two is often tough.
Tony Pulis and Stoke found it difficult at times last season, and at 1-0 down in the first leg to Valencia, and struggling in the league, he almost had to sacrifice the Europa by sending a second string to Spain ensuring their first choice XI was fresh to win a crucial three points in the league to prevent them falling into the relegation scrap.
Newcastle set themselves such high standards last season, and even the slightest drop off in form will be noticeable. Even an 8th place finish, while still decent, would feel like a significant backwards step, providing the club do not go and win the Europa League.
It is why Alan Pardew is right to try and play down expectations. Yesterday he told the Newcastle Chronicle, “This year will be a different year, different players will come in and out of form.” – He is not wrong, and he realises the importance of adding to his squad.
If they do that, and leave themselves in a position to mount a serious challenge at home and abroad without sacrificing either, then next season should be a positive one for Newcastle – but there is a thin line between success and failure, and their moves in the transfer market over the window might just define which side they fall on.
Which positions do Newcastle need to strengthen to be successful at home and abroad?
image: © mickyb59
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