Season So Far: Positive Signs You Might Have Missed 📈

PLUS: Isak's price revealed as two clubs express interest (don’t worry, it’s a big number) 💰

November 27, 2024

👋 Thoughts on the season so far? With 12 games behind us, the lads have given us the full spectrum, from top-tier performances, to frustrating draws and concerningly bad losses.

But despite sitting in 10th, there’s plenty to feel optimistic about and the potential to climb the table and push for European football remains firmly within reach.

In this weeks NUFC Pitch Notes 👇

  • 📊 Key stats that tell the story of our season so far - it's better than it seems!

  • 🔮 The good news and the bad news as we look ahead to Palace away.

  • 💰 Isak's asking price revealed as 2 big clubs express their interest (don’t worry it’s a big number).

🗓️ ON THIS DAY

On this day in 2020, we beat Crystal Palace away at Selhurst Park behind closed doors. The 2-0 win was sealed with late goals from Callum Wilson and Joelinton in the 88th & 90th minutes.

This was the last time we came away from Selhurst Park with a win, so lets hope for more of the same on Saturday - maybe even a first goal of the season for Wilson!

📣 THE MAIN STORY

Season So Far: A Solid Foundation with Plenty to Build On 📈

After 12 Premier League games, Newcastle sit in 10th place with 18 points - still just one point behind the top six.

While the performances have been a mixed bag, we have seen a lot worse than five wins, four losses and a few frustrating draws not so so many years ago.

Defensive Strength 🛡️

With the joint 3rd lowest goals conceded, it's clear that the defence has been solid despite the absences of both Botman and Trippier.

A major factor in this success is the stand-out performances from Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, players having consistently impressed at both ends of the pitch.

Hall, in particular, has been my player of the season so far, making history by becoming the youngest Toon player in 120 years to represent England.

Attack & Goal Threat ⚽

Isak and Barnes have been the primary attacking threats, leading the team as joint top scorers despite Barnes making just five starts.

Isak might have started slow but he has sharpened up it recent games, only losing his 4 game streak on Monday night against West Ham.

However, with only 13 goals scored so far (joint 4th lowest in the league), Newcastle's attacking play has been a bit inconsistent.

In midfield, Sandro Tonali's return has been a bright spot, though Eddie Howe is still working out how to best fit both Tonali and Bruno Guimarães into the starting lineup.

Performances So Far 📊

Despite these challenges, the Magpies have shown their potential, especially with stand-out performances against some top teams, including Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City.

While the West Ham loss may have ended the winning streak, it wasn't for a lack of trying - the lads created chances, but with a handful of individual mistakes, it just wasn't their night.

Looking Forward 🔮

Another big positive is that we're still alive in the League Cup, where we'll be facing Brentford at home in the quarter-finals.

And with Botman set to return in the New Year, the team should be even stronger in the second half of the season.

Despite an mixed run of form so far, many of the teams around us have shown much the same inconsistency and the Champions League spots are just four points away - with that in mind, anything is still possible!

🤔 WHO AM I?

“I had a short but memorable spell at Newcastle United in 2016, scoring 4 goals in only 13 total appearances. After the clubs 2016 relegation, I moved to Crystal Palace, where I became known for my explosive pace and long range efforts.”

Read to the end to find the answer.

📊 THE STAT SHEET

The Stats of Our Season So Far 🔢

  • 📊 Newcastle sit in 10th place after 12 games, with 5 wins and 4 losses.

  • ⚖️ We have a goal difference of zero with 13 goals scored and 13 conceded.

  • 🛡️ Our defence has been strong with the 3rd lowest goals conceded in the league.

  • ⚽ Barnes & Isak find themselves tied as top scorers at 4 goal each.

  • 🎯 We've been struggling to find the net with the 4th lowest goal tally in the league.

⏩ THE WEEK AHEAD

Next Up: Crystal Palace (A) ⚽

After our Monday evening slip up against West Ham, we'll be looking to return to winning ways at Crystal Palace this Saturday.

We might not have the best record at Selhurst Park, with only 1 win in our last 9 visits, but Palace are in a very different place this season.

Sitting in 19th place, Palace have just 1 win and 8 points from 12 games so far this season - of course anything can happen, but this time the odds are in our favour.

Time for Reflection for the Lasses 👑

After a 6-1 demolition defeat by Liverpool at the weekend, the lasses will have some time to figure out what went wrong.

With no games coming up this weekend , they’ll end the month in 7th place of the women’s 2nd tier.

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

  • 📝 Transfer Talks in Saudi: Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell met with Newcastle’s chiefs during a Saudi visit to discuss potential transfers. While funds are available for January, player sales may be required. Discussions are planned in the next couple of weeks to firm up recruitment plans.

  • 💰 £115m Price Tag for Isak: Newcastle have reportedly set a £115 million asking price for Alexander Isak, amid interest from Chelsea and Arsenal. This is not to say that the club would be eager to let him go, in fact this price tag suggests quite the opposite!

  • ⚽ Women's FA Cup Draw: Newcastle United Women will play either Hull City or Middlesbrough in the 3rd round of the Women's FA Cup. The match will take place at home on December 8 - the fixture will be confirmed after a postponed 2nd round.

👋 Thanks for reading, thats all for this week - you can catch up on anything you might have missed over on our website. 

P.S. The answer to “who am I” is the impressive but not so loyal, Andros Townsend.