Newcastle United: No room for excuses this preseason

Newcastle United need to focus on preparing for next season, not their preseason timeline.

Newcastle United have a lot of work to do if they want to achieve better results and claim more points than last season. The Magpies comfortably finished last term in 13th place with 44 points, but they could have done much better.

Newcastle United surprised a few top sides during the 2019-20 campaign, but they dropped several points against teams in the bottom six. Had Steve Bruce’s men shown more urgency in those clashes there is no doubt that they would have been in the top ten.

All that is in the past, though, and Newcastle United are turning their attention to the new campaign. The Magpies will be in action today against League Two outfit Crewe Alexandra as they kick off their first of four preseason friendlies.

So far, Newcastle United have only brought in Mark Gillespie, Jeff Hendrick, and re-signed Matty Longstaff. According to Bruce, a few more signings will be completed, but there is no indication as to who will be walking through the doors of St. James’ Park.

That being said, with only one new face in an outfield position, no excuses should be heard from the Magpies training camp. The players know each other well, have good chemistry, and they understand their roles in the squad.

For that reason, I, and I am assuming many of you as well, do not want to hear the following excuse from Bruce or the players: there was not enough time to prepare for the new season.

That is true, but the global pandemic had the same impact on every club, and some clubs have it even worse due to European competitions overlapping into their preseason.

Secondly, as mentioned above, the squad has essentially remained unchanged. This preseason will not be one for adaptability like last summer. Instead, this preseason will be centered on mastering the tactics before the middle of September rolls around.