Part 1: How did Newcastle United end up finding their current success?
By Cade Cracas
For years, the Toon Army and countless fans that made their way to St. James Park suffered through immense inconsistencies in the club.
However, out of the blue, Newcastle United has risen to the surface as one of the top teams in the world. Following the Magpies’ fourth-place finish in the Premier League, the team has clinched an appearance in the Champions League for the 2023-24 season. So, what was the journey like to make it to this point?
This five-part series will cover Newcastle United’s journey from the 2012-13 season up until the past 2022-23 campaign.
2012-2013 Season:
Buoyed by their previous success, Newcastle commenced the 2012-2013 season with optimism and ambition. The 2011-2012 season showcased that the Magpies could still be one of the top teams in the Premier League as they finished in fifth place.
The start of the season proved to be a challenging one for the Magpies as they struggled in the beginning as they looked to find another top-six finish. Unfortunately, a top finish like that would not be the case.
They ended up struggling through the opening half, sitting roughly middle of the table. By the time December and January rolled around the team was sitting in 15th place with just 20 points.
In the second half of the season, little changed to make the club succeed as they would go on to finish in 16th place with a measly 41 points.
However, in European league play, the team competed in the group stages against Maritimo, Club Brugge, and Bordeaux. Despite a few bumps along the way, they managed to progress to the knockout rounds.
The highlight of the tournament was Papiss Cissé‘s sensational goal against Anji Makhachkala in the Round of 16 which became a historical moment for the Magpies. They would, unfortunately, be knocked out in the next round by Benefica, ending their hopes of finding European hardware.
However, their European commitments seemly took a massive toll on their play in the Premier League.
The following 2013-2014 season was marked as an important one for Newcastle, as all eyes were on them to turn things around and bounce back.
2013-2014 Season:
Looking to bounce back from their lackluster previous campaign, Newcastle United looked to recapture their form in the 2013-2014 season. However, the season turned out to be even more turbulent and disappointing than the 2012-2013 season.
One major blow to the team early on was the departure of midfielder Yohan Cabaye to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in January. Cabaye’s departure left a significant void in the squad, further hurting the progress of the team.
Unfortunately, Newcastle could not find a replacement for the stellar midfielder which would go on to disrupt the team’s balance and creativity in the midfield. However, that loss should not have disrupted the team as much as it did.
The Magpies’ struggles continued in the league, and despite sporadic moments, they found themselves in a relegation battle towards the middle half of the season.
Eventually, they were able to find form with a run of three wins in four games in the spring, but this was then followed by seven losses through the last eight games of the season. Fortunately, the rest of the Premier League struggled too and the Magpies ended their season with a 15-4-19 record, good for 10th in the league.
The entirety of the 2013-14 season can be best described as inconsistency, managerial unrest and a lack of squad chemistry.
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So, to put it simply, 10 years ago, Newcastle United had a long way to go until they would be considered as a respected Premier League squad.
Make sure to stay tuned for the remaining four parts of the series, as NewcastleToons goes in-depth on how the Magpies found their current success.