With the signing of Trippier but the loss to Cambridge United, it is clear that Newcastle are both on the right track, but a hell of a long way from the place we all know they are headed.
In recent weeks, we have seen Newcastle linked with Digne, Tarkowski, Ekitike, Wood, Coutinho, Ramsey, Bale, Isco, Rivaldo, Bobby and Jack Charlton, Shearer, Keegan and Messi. But which signings are both feasible, but also would be sensible at this time.
At this point in time, the most important thing for Newcastle is to do is finish above the three teams they are adrift with currently, Norwich, Watford and Burnley.
As things stand, Norwich sit bottom having played 19 and gained 10 points, Newcastle 19th, played 19 and 11 points, Burnley 18th, played 17 and 11 points and Watford just outside the relegation zone on 13 points having played 18 games. You would like to think Leeds, Everton and Southampton are clear with an 8 point gap for the former 2 and 10 for the latter. Although, in football, stranger things have happened.
With Burnley having two games in hand over Newcastle, it is out of Eddie Howe’s team’s hands to a certain degree. But…is it?
Currently, the January transfer window is open and as previously stated, Newcastle are linked with a lot of players. Whilst my default position on transfers is to suggest buying young and moulding players to be the ultimate approach to squad and club building, it is clear that Newcastle do not have the time for this. Therefore, I would opt not to sign the likes of Ekitike at this point. Newcastle need to view this transfer window as a standalone, get the job done window. In the summer there is time for a long term, strategy based, recruitment process. Right now, Newcastle need experience and know how to get through this season and remain a Premier League side.
The next group of players Newcastle are linked with are the players who at one point would have been the players sought after world wide. Decisions will need to be made by the Newcastle recruitment team, which of these players can deliver the aforementioned experience and know how, and which of these players are washed up, past it and looking for a last pay day. The other red herring to avoid would be the mercenaries. We all remember in the early days of Manchester City as the Abu Dhabi group came in, Robinho’s arrival. It is important to remember that in the earlier days of Qatar’s stewardship Paris Saint-Germain there were as many flops as there were success stories. Consider Zenit Saint-Petersburg, FC Anzhi Makhachkala, Chelsea, FC Shakhtar Donetsk and basically every club in China, and I’m sure Newcastle have enough evidence to guide themselves through the turbulent, rocky, waters, in which Agents are in their natural territory and your years in business will leave you scuba diving without flippers surrounded by the sharks.
However, Manchester City did stumble onto a strategy that worked and continued to do so throughout their path to Premier League dominance.
At the end of the 2008/09 Robinho and Jo season, Manchester City sat in 10th. Among the clubs above them in 4th, 5th and 6th sat Arsenal, Everton and Aston Villa. Whilst there were 7th, 8th and 9th between them, City were only 3 points behind Fulham in 7th. However, the gap between 7th and 6th was a sizeable 9 points, making it 12 points for Manchester City to gain, in order to take the next step in their progression.
Queue the 2009 summer transfer window. In comes Emmanuel Adebayor, who with 10 league goals, was Arsenal’s second highest scorer (the first being Robin Van Persie with 11 goals). With Adebayor, came Kolo Toure, an experienced Premier League winning Centre-back who played 29 of Arsenal’s league games the previous season. Joining them, Gareth Barry, the Aston Villa captain and Joleon Lescott, off the back of a good two seasons with Everton, in which he had also played regularly for England.
This strategy, not only strengthened Manchester City, but directly weakened the teams who were in the next places they wanted to head. The 2009/10 season saw City finish above both Villa and Everton, with Liverpool, not Arsenal falling below them, Manchester City finishing 5th.
They continued this strategy season upon season. In 10/11, City strengthened
significantly. In came future club legends such as David Silva and Yaya Toure (joining his brother), along with Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli and Aleksander Kolorov. But they were all joined by James Milner of Aston Villa.
2011/12 saw Sergio Aguero joined by Arsenal’s Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy. 2012/13, Jack Rodwell and in 2015/16 Raheem Sterling angered Liverpool fans by joining City having narrowly missing out in a title race with them just one season prior.
Nowadays, City have no need to cripple the teams around them, mostly because it is tough to do so when you consistently sit top of the pile. Although, they still indulge Pep Guardiola in the next big thing to give him projects. But they tend to go for a specific Pep Guardiola style player.
But for Newcastle, the chances of getting the Pep of the time and giving him the right toys to play with are a long way off. When they will be competing for the next Mbappe, Haaland or Bellingham. But if we come back to right now and the 2022 January transfer window. They could learn a lot from the Manchester City of a decade ago. Steer clear of a Robinho. Get yourself a Gareth Barry. Look at Burnley, Leeds, Everton and Southampton. Tomorrow look at Wolves, West Ham and Tottenham. The road is long.
Andrew Hopper-Davies Football blog 