What could the new year hold in store for Newcastle United?
This is, after all, a year where the highs of an FA Cup win at arch rivals Sunderland and impressive Premier League wins against Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa. It has been 12 months where qualification for Europe was secured was a final day win at Brentford – only to be snatched away by Manchester United’s surprise FA Cup Final win against Manchester City just under a week later.
No matter what happens (or happened if you’re reading this after the game) at Old Trafford on Monday night, there is some momentum within the Magpies ranks after they claimed maximum points from recent league games against Aston Villa, Ipswich Town and Leicester City, as well as securing a place in the Carabao Cup semi-final with a dominant home win against Brentford.
But what about what lies ahead for the Magpies and their supporters throughout the new year? 3AddedMinutes takes a look at five things Newcastle fans will be hoping for as they look for a more positive 12 months after the contrasting fortunes their club suffered in the year we are set to leave behind.
1. Clarity over the future of St. James’ Park
Leave or remain? We’ve been here before as a country and we all know how that is going. Now, this is a more local issue when it comes to the Magpies looking to expand their famous old home or make a ‘once in a lifetime’ move to a swish new stadium. St. James’ Park’s city centre location and the history attached to it means leaving for a new home would prove a difficult experience for generations of supporters.
Its location is a massive selling point – but it is also a bind as surrounding buildings and the presence of a Metro station mean expansion could well be limited. That said, finding a location for a new home that will fit all set criteria could be equally as difficult. It is expected the findings of an investigation into the situation could well arrive in March – and the final decision is sure to divide United supporters, no matter where their stance on the future of their beloved home lies.
2. To retain the services of their key players
Seeing big name players linked with moves away from St. James’ Park is no new thing for Newcastle supporters. The 13-year reign of their former owner was littered with cases of players leaving the club in search of more ambitious or lucrative projects elsewhere.
However, it is the club’s battle with profit and sustainability regulations that is fuelling talk of possible departures for some key men within Eddie Howe’s squad. There is ambition and we know where is the financial capability to retain the likes of Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon – and although more effective player trading is required at some point, it feels like losing any of that trio would provide more of a blow than a boost at this point in time.
3. Show a ruthless side with possible departures
Now, this is an immediate return to the improvement in player trading. Holding on to their key players is paramount – but so too is allowing several long-serving members of Howe’s squad to depart in a bid to bring in funds that can free up space from a profit and sustainability point of view.
The likes of Miguel Almiron, Isaac Hayden, Martin Dubravka and Jamaal Lascelles were all key figures during Rafa Benitez’s time in charge at Newcastle but are heading towards what is surely the final months of their time on Tyneside. The likes of Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson are also venturing towards a point when major decisions over their future are increasingly imminent. There is a need to cast aside sentimentalism and embrace ruthlessness in a bid to help Howe lift Newcastle to the next level.
4. Ambitious moves in the transfer market
Ambitious does not necessarily mean a lucrative spend. Of course, club record signings such as the deal that secured Alexander Isak have proven to be a great success for the Magpies since the PIF-led takeover was completed in October 2021. But there have also been some shrewd additions made during that time as Howe’s squad has been boosted with a number of signings that have helped United grow.
Landing England goalkeeper Nick Pope in a £10m deal was an impressive piece of business and the £13m addition of Dan Burn has provided Newcastle with a trustworthy defender and a leader in their dressing room. Although neither of those additions would be branded as ambitious, they do show that you can function effectively in the transfer market without spending ridiculous amounts of money. As for what could come in, the priorities must surely lie with a centre-back, right-sided winger and a striker to provide competition for the ever-impressive Isak.
5. Silverware
Obviously this could have been written at any point since 1969…unless you count the Intertoto Cup as a major trophy, which I’m sure you do! To some, the Carabao Cup would be a consolation prize, to Newcastle and their supporters it would mean the world. Landing the FA Cup, the last domestic silverware claimed by Newcastle in 1955, would surely bring a week-long party around Tyneside.
Their lack of silverware has always been a stick to beat Newcastle with. Ending their long wait for a trophy would provide THE moment of 2025 for Magpies supporters, no matter what else comes to pass during the next 12 months.
