Newcastle United are better than seven EPL rivals

With this current roster, Newcastle United are better than seven teams in the Premier League.

On paper, Newcastle United are better than seven other teams in the Premier League. Yes, that is a bold claim on my end but I stand by it. In fact, once Allan Saint-Maximin joins the Toon from OGC Nice, Newcastle United have a decent shot at fighting for a spot in the top ten.

It is important to accept the fact that having a better roster does not always translate to better results. Two other factors that play key roles in determining how successful a team will be is their strength of schedule and style of play. We have already analyzed the Magpies’ schedule when it was announced in mid-June, so this article will solely focus on the quality of the roster.

PRESTON, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Jonjo Shelvey of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring the opening goal from a free kick during a pre-season friendly match between Preston North End and Newcastle United at Deepdale on July 27, 2019 in Preston, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /

Fans are split over their feelings about Steve Bruce, but they should be excited for this team. With players like Martin Dubravka, Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey, Sean Longstaff, Matt Ritchie, Miguel Almiron and Joelinton, the Magpies have a solid core that can surprise many folks this season. That being said, who are the seven teams Newcastle United can surpass in the table and why do I think those clubs are weaker?

Newcastle are better than…

Sheffield United

As happy as I am about the Blades’ promotion to the Premier League, I think everyone knows they are relegation favorites. The players they have lack top tier quality and the players they’ve signed this summer are far from impressive. Their best signing this summer is 36-year-old Phil Jagielka from Everton.

Norwich City

I admire the confidence this side has after winning the Championship, but they, too, are relegation favorites. They’ve signed 11 players on the cheap this summer, but their most notable signing is a Swiss international striker who only scored 13 goals in Germany between 2014 and 2019. Yikes.

Brighton

Brighton were very fortunate that teams like Huddersfield, Fulham and Cardiff City were so bad because they deserved to go down last term. They signed a decent player in Leandro Trossard from Belgium, but this teams needs a lot more help. Look for 35-year-old Glenn Murray to lead this team in scoring again.

Burnley

My hat goes off to Sean Dyche for keeping this team in the Top Flight. Burnley struggle to score goals and they are heavily dependent on aggressive defending to keep games close. They got a decent player in Jay Rodriguez this summer, but their overall quality should see them finish between 15th and 17th this season.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa will be the most successful newly-promoted side this season, but I still expect them to finish in the bottom half of the table. They have a stud in Jack Grealish and they landed a quality signing in Wesley Moraes, but their other 11 signings primarily consist of Championship players. They’ve made 12 signings this summer, but the majority lack the quality to provide proper and much-needed internal competition.

Southampton

I think Southampton will be better than they were last season. They made some decent signings this summer, however, they are all attacking players. The Saints conceded the sixth most goals last season (65) and a weak back-line leads to several dropped points. For this reason, I think the Toon will finish above Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this season.

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Crystal Palace

Michy Batshuayi has returned to Chelsea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a Red Devil, Wilfred Zaha wants out and the only signing the club has made is Jordan Ayew from Swansea City. If Zaha leaves, the Eagles will finish 17th. They are lucky Brighton are so bad or else I would tap them to go down in 18th place.

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