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?
Part one covers the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons
Part two covers the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons
Part three covers the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 seasons
Part four covers the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons
Part five covers the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons
This five-part series will cover Newcastle United’s journey from the 2012-13 season up until the past 2022-23 campaign.
The 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons were marked by the over-glaring stain of Mike Ashley’s controversy with the Magpies. Throughout these two seasons, the supporters, haters and football fans alike believed that he should sell the team and give new light to the club.
Despite facing numerous challenges, both on the pitch and off, the Magpies displayed resilience as they looked to stay afloat in the Premier League. Two seasons prior they had been fighting to regain a spot in the league before finding promotion, and now the goal was to rebound.
2018-2019 Season:
The 2018-19 season marked Newcastle’s second consecutive season back in the Premier League following their 1st-place promotion in 2017.
With the team managed by Rafa Benítez, the Magpies faced a daunting, uphill battle at regaining leverage within the league. Thet set out a goal of securing European play status, but the fiercely competitive nature of the league allowed little room for error.
Newcastle endured a challenging start, struggling to find consistency and points in the early fixtures as they proceeded to waiver heavily.
However, the team’s fortunes began to change in the second half of the season.
Inspired by the tactical astuteness of Benítez, the Magpies showcased a glimpse of what they could offer as they started to win important contests against some of the top teams in the league.
The Magpies were able to secure key victories over Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham, highlighting the team’s fighting spirit and ability to upset high-level sides.
Though, in the end, Newcastle finished the campaign in 13th place, three spots back from their previous season, accumulating 45 points from 38 matches. They knocked in just 42 goals but locked down defensively giving up just 48.
The 48 goals given up was better then six teams that finished ahead of them.
Some key additions to the team were Martin Dúbravka, who joined Newcastle on a permanent deal from Sparta Prague on February 1, 2018, after initially joining on loan in January 2018. Another was the current starting center-back, Fabian Schar. The Swiss defender signed for the Magpies from Deportivo La Coruña on July 26, 2018.
It was one of the most fierce seasons for the Premier League in recent history, as each and every team battled week in and week out for points. The season gave the Magpies something to build upon, and they looked to build on it in the following year.
2019-2020 Season:
The 2019-2020 season brought fresh challenges and uncertainties for the Magpies as rumors of new ownership began to swing through the air of St. James Park.
Amidst ongoing ownership issues and the potential takeover, the Magpies attempted to keep their focus on becoming one of the top teams in the Premier League.
Under the guidance of newfound Manager Steve Bruce, who took over from previous Manager Rafa Benítez, Newcastle came out of the gates displaying a solid defensive structure. That structure looked to build off their 48-allowed goal stat line in the previous season.
The team built on their play from the previous season and aimed to consolidate their position in the top flight, but ultimately ended up finishing the season in 13th place once again, securing 44 points from 38 matches.
Throughout the season, Newcastle United produced some memorable performances, both at home and away.
Notably, victories against Manchester United and Chelsea showcased the team’s ability to compete with the league’s traditional and historical powerhouses.
While they fell one point short of their previous campaign, the team’s solid mid-table finish demonstrated their consistency and lack of fall-off, even with plenty of distractions.
The following two seasons would be pivotal in setting the Magpies up for further growth.
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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 three parts of the series, as NewcastleToons goes in-depth on how the Magpies found their current success.