With the transfer window being the biggest talk of men’s football at the moment, it is essential to get a clear look at some of the teams spending big money in this window. Aside from the top teams in Europe, Eddie Howe is preparing for his first full season with Newcastle United, backed by Saudi Arabian owners to completely revamp their squad and turn a mid-table team into a European contender.
This piece will be a data analysis using data and other statistics to dive into the Eddie Howe project, revisiting his success at the end of the 2021/22 season. It will then be an analysis, looking ahead to next season with potential and completed signings aiming to improve this previously broken club.
Instant Eddie Howe effect
The Magpies appointed Eddie Howe on 8th November 2021 after just eleven matches had been played in the Premier League. When the Englishman replaced Steve Bruce, Newcastle sat 19th in the table with only five points and no wins. It was clear it was going to be a big challenge for anybody to turn this club around, but backed by the current owners, Eddie Howe looked to invest quickly and rebuild his squad.
In his first transfer window, Howe strengthened the core of the team and initially looked for some experienced Premier League players from mid-table teams. With the introductions of Dan Burn, Bruno Guimarães, Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Matt Targett, Newcastle were able to turn around their season and looked to be a completely new team. Howe finished the season with the Magpies in 11th place on 49 points, completely clear of safety. The effect the ex-Bournemouth manager had on the team was incredible, with the points per game of 1.63 from the 11th game week, putting Newcastle in sixth place if this was during the whole season.
Eddie Howe has already shown by his previous 17 matches that he has the capability to make Newcastle a European team and that he can effectively use transfer windows to improve his squad. Even though he has already made a few great transfers, it doesn’t mean that he has completed his rebuild. There are still areas that can, and must, be improved to ensure he continues his points per game from last year.
Areas for improvement
It is clear when looking at Newcastle United’s squad that they do not have the depth of the other teams fighting for European football. This is crucial in a season that has the World Cup right in the middle and especially as Newcastle have already seen injuries to Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier last season.
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