At the outset, please accept our sympathies for the tragic passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Newcastle United under the new management have astounded everyone in the Premier League after going from winning just one game in their first 20, earning only 12 points during that period, and parting ways with manager Steve Bruce to finishing 11th in the season with 13 wins, just 7 points outside of Europe, and recording just one loss in the new season (22/23) thus far. What was their secret?
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Today, we'll examine how Newcastle United have developed into a group that cannot be underestimated under the leadership of current Manager Eddie Howe.
Intro
1. Newcastle United (NUFC) started the 21/22 season horribly, with 0 wins in 11 games, securing 5 points and placed 19th in the League. Due to their poor start, NUFC parted ways with the then manager Steve Bruce and introduced their current manager Eddie Howe in Nov 2021.
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2. Eddie Howe took over Newcastle on 8th Nov 2021 after he had parted ways with Bournemouth back in Aug 2020. For more information on Eddie Howe, please click the link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Howe.
3. Under new management, Newcastle United recorded 13 Wins, 5 draws, and 9 losses, giving them a win percentage of 48%, which is excellent compared to their awful start. They finished the season with 49 points and secured the 11th spot in the Premier League.
4. The Magpies have started the 22/23 season on a fairly good note, securing 7 points from a possible 18, which includes a 3-3 draw against Man City as well as the last-minute 2-1 loss to Liverpool.
With that as a brief introduction, let’s look at the cause of such a big turnaround and how one man (Eddie Howe) brought a remarkable change into the NUFC squad.
NUFC(Under Steve Bruce)
1. The first few games of the 21/22 season saw Newcastle play a 4-2-3-1 formation. When in attack the players in attack would be rotating their positions with one another while in defence, they had 2 pivots under Hendrick and Shelvey who support both attack and defence in such a way that give the club cumulatively 6 players in their defensive half (excluding the goalkeeper).
2. They allowed the opposition to go up into their half, which created room for Newcastle attackers to counter, which unfortunately didn't seem to work. This created a significant issue as there was no pressing involved which allowed the opposition to get around Newcastle's defence and make opportunities nearly at will. This was a poor defensive strategy because the Magpies conceded far more goals than they had scored. Hence the bad start.
3. Newcastle also set a record for goals conceded in a calendar year (2021), demonstrating their weak defence. There had to be a change.
Later that year, Eddie Howe took Steve Bruce's place and redesigned the strategy to gain better outcomes.
The era of Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe started out using a 4-2-3-1 configuration, but eventually changed it to a 4-3-3 with Shelvey serving as the pivot and while Longstaff and Joelinton joined the attack. For Newcastle supporters, the hiring of Eddie Howe was a godsend as the team went from breaking the league record for the most goals conceded in a calendar year to having the fifth-best defence in the league.
With more than half a season left, Newcastle jumped from the 19th spot to 11th. Learn how by reading on.
Changes-
1. The Pressing Game. One of the most significant things Howe had altered in Newcastle was its tactical mindset. Prior to Howe, Newcastle would allow the opponent to run at them and concede an excessive number of goals. Under Howe, Newcastle United repeatedly pressed the opposition, producing great defensive numbers. The main reason for this success is that they didn't allow the opposing team's players any time with the ball, pressuring and irking them until they made a mistake. It was far from what was planned but seemed to reduce the number of goals conceded. Howe's first few matches for Newcastle were a little different from those played under Bruce. Howe, in contrast to Steve Bruce, realized he needed reinforcements, and the new owners (PIF, Saudi Arabia) supported him.
2. Winter Transfer Window.
Pic Source - https://www.news18.com/
The top spenders of the winter transfer window were Newcastle, who spent roughly £85 million ($115 million) on three defenders—Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, and Matt Targett—to strengthen a weak defence, Burnley forward Chris Wood, and Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. These players were able to significantly enhance Eddie Howes' team, which was crucial for the team to be successful in 2022. By introducing the wingbacks to their new side, Trippier and Targett utilised their experience to widen the attack and fortify their defence.
3. Keeping the ball. Change in tactics, fresh reinforcements and a new manager, Newcastle not only improved their numbers defensively but started playing the ball more fluently, creating chances and winning matches. Their average possession stats improved from 37% in 2021 to 43% in 2022 showing that the players are more influential on the ball and the confidence was growing within the team.
A lot of time was spent on set pieces as well which allowed them to score major chunk(40%) of their goals. With the likes of Trippier and Targett on set-pieces the ball would swerve into the opposition penalty area and land on the heads of centre-backs Dan Burn and Fabian Schar who could direct the ball into the back of the net.
4. Teamwork.
Pic Source - https://www.telecomasia.net/
Fans wouldn't anticipate a shift in gameplay almost quickly with new players on the team, but that wasn't the case with Newcastle. The team had a win percentage of 63% in the second half of the previous season, winning 12 games out of 19 (losing 5). The passion and cooperation that Eddie Howe instilled in his players are the main factors behind this extraordinary change.
Increased responsibilities, tactically sound players, and a positive culture inside the club all contributed to the improvement. The players' willingness to invest their time in the training pitch and motivation for the same objective were evident on the field. Players and staff members had minimal to no internal conflict, which helped them maintain a cheerful atmosphere at the club.
The Way Ahead
Alexander Isak. Source - https://metro.co.uk/
Newcastle have enjoyed a better start to the season than the previous one, but they are now in 11th place with just one win in six games. The club's success has enabled Eddie Howe to replace Martin Dubravka as his permanent goalkeeper in the summer transfer window with Nick Pope (ex-Burnley). To increase the depth of the roster, young players like Alexander Isak and Sven Botman also joined Howe's team. By the end of the season, the team would like to place themselves in the top six, and there are indications that they can do so if they avoid any serious injuries or bans.
Conclusion
With their style of play, Newcastle has won over their supporters and established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, especially at St. James Park, where they press the opposition and obstruct clear lines of sight between their defence. Even though the Magpies had a 3-1 lead at one point in the game, the club displayed its strength against Man City this season by holding the champions to a 3-3 draw.
The current squad still has a lot of room for improvement, although recent events have generally worked in the club's favour. If luck continues to be on their side, they'll develop into a title-winning group. Football fans all across the world will continue to hope that Howe can deliver them more success and potential silverware because he has been a significant contributor to their victory.
That’s all from Footballistiqs. Until next time. Ciao!!
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