Newcastle United will enter the new Premier League season in an almost unrecognizable state after a summer that stripped Matthias Jaissle of the three most important and best players from last year’s squad.
Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon have all departed, and Eddie Howe is also gone. Following those massive changes, Newcastle responded by signing mostly young players who cannot reasonably be expected to immediately replace the experience and production that left the club.
None of
that, apparently, has convinced Newcastle’s ownership to significantly lower its expectations from last year’s hopes for European football.
According to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is once again budgeting for Newcastle to finish inside the Premier League’s top eight, despite the club coming only 12th last season.
“PIF will expect far more from the team than some will believe possible given the amount of change there has been over the last three months,” Edwards reported. “The club are once again budgeting for a top-eight finish this season after last term’s disappointing 12th place.“
While an eighth-place finish in the Premier League doesn’t qualify directly for the UEFA Conference League, the club finishing in such a position would qualify if domestic cup winners (FA Cup and EFL Cup) finish higher up in the league table (one through seven), meaning their European qualification spots pass down the table.
On paper, that looks like an extraordinarily ambitious target given the circumstances Jaissle has inherited and the status of the club. Newcastle has sold its three biggest stars, appointed its new manager only weeks before the season and remains desperately short of depth and veteran, established replacements in several areas with the transfer deadline right around the corner.
Perhaps more concerning is the fact that such expectations will inevitably place immediate pressure on Jaissle, although Edwards reports there is some recognition within Newcastle that the German has accepted an extremely difficult rebuilding job, and that missing European qualification during his first campaign would not be viewed as a disaster.
Multiple outlets, including Sky Sports and The Guardian, have placed Newcastle in the 13th-to-17th clip in their Premier League projections for the upcoming season, with a realistic possibility the Magpies find themselves in a relegation battle this year.
What would you consider a realistic finish for this Newcastle squad: top eight, top half, or simply avoiding relegation by the tiniest of margins? Let us know your expectations below!
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