Several pundits are tapping Newcastle United to be relegation favorites this season, but they got it all wrong.
Every major media outlet and popular Premier League blogs are publishing their predictions for the upcoming season, which begins on Friday. It is always fun and exciting reading through the various opinions and analyzing a wide range of arguments explaining why a team will finish in a certain position in the standings. However, what I am reading about Newcastle United seems lazy and the arguments are too weak and lack proper analysis.
Losing Rafa Benitez was difficult news to swallow, but his departure honestly hurt the fans more than it did the players. The team was quick to accept the arrival of Steve Bruce and they seem more confident and optimistic heading into this season. This confidence was also reflected in the Magpies’ good form in preseason as they went on to win three of their five friendlies, which includes a 2-1 victory over Europa League competitors St. Etienne.
Newcastle United also stunned both the Toon Army and neutral fans with their transfer activity this summer. The squad lost their top two scorers in Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon over the summer, but they brought in quality replacements like Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin. Both players have generated optimism among fans and it took them little time to showcase their skills and potential on the field.
These two players joining forces with Miguel Almiron, who is now expected to play as a striker rather than a winger, is bad news for the rest of the league. This attacking trio will cause many problems for opposing back-lines with their pace, technical skills and ability score in a variety of ways. Now some of you might be thinking, “that’s nice and all, but Steve Bruce is their manager.” My answer to such comments is so what? It is true that Bruce has a poor track record in the Top Flight, but you have to remember that most of the teams he managed in the top tier of English football were teams that he got promoted from the Championship and operated with a minimal budget in the Premier League. So, yes, any manager would have struggled in that scenario.
This team, however, is the best roster that Bruce has ever coached and his implementation of a 3-5-2 formation shows that he will look to play attacking football with the talent he has on hand. Most pundits have Newcastle United finishing either 18th or 19th this season, but I honestly do not think the Magpies will even be in a relegation battle. Bold hot take on my end, I know. Stay tuned later in the week when the editorial staff here at Newcastle Toons share their predictions for the new Premier League campaign.