Season 4 - Planning For The Extra Step

So after an impressive third season where we were able to compete on all fronts, the next step we want is winning multiple trophies and maintaining what we had last season. This year we want to be competing in all competitions again but have more to show for it at the end of the season instead of just the Europa Conference League. Obviously a bit more difficult this year as we have Champions League which makes that a huge step up in difficulty, but if we can keep the team together, add a few extra options and avoid injuries there's no reason we can't be competitive across all competitions again and hopefully win a few finals and even potentially the league this time.

Transfer Window

Transfers Out

We will start with the transfers of people who have left the club permanently and our reasoning behind why we let them go, then we will go into the new signings and the loan moves for people.

Cedwyn Vaulks - £210,000 - Ipswich Town - A decent young winger who due to who we have ahead of him was never going to make it into the first team, he was in his last year of his contract so we cashed in a little before it was too late.

Alfie Harrison - £235,000 - Watford - Again another youth player that wasn't going to make it, he had been out on a few loans the last couple of seasons but was struggling to progress and was falling down the pecking order.

Finlay Cross-Adair - £350,000 - Wigan Athletic - My first failed signing really, we brought him in with a good potential to try push on and then he started going out on loan to try get game time to make good on that potential, however he really wasn't improving and now at 21 was just out of the thinking. We got some money back on him but overall a loss as well.

Mo Waddani - £725,000 - West Ham - Another youngster who just wasn't progressing to the level we needed him to and unfortunately never looked like he would make it to the standards that we needed him to be. He has gone to another Premier League team however so who knows, maybe we'll see him pop up again in the future.

Xavi Espart - £1,000,000 - Ipswich Town - We signed him for £475,000 to cover for a year whilst we let people get some experience away from the club and despite not making too many appearances for us, was able to gain us a profit and finds a move to a decent team in the Championship.

Matheos Ferreira - £1,100,000 - Burnley - Another youngster for us who wasn't making the grade that we needed for competing at the top, but also our first youngster that came through the youth system that has been sold for over £1,000,000 so hopefully a positive sign to come of our youth products having value now.

Jordan Hackett - £4,400,000 - Luton Town - He played a backup role for us in the first season and spent last year out on loan, but just wasn't coming good on his potential and as a result had been overtaken by other players in his position. We have gained good value for him really at the age of 22 and we hope he can push on to have a decent career.

Theo Le Bris - £5,000,000 - Luton Town - Another one for us who we signed in the first year, played a bit part role and then ended up going out on loan to try get himself game time. Again he didn't really develop as we had hoped for him and just wasn't good enough for the team anymore, however we do make £1,000,000 profit on him so it's not been a complete failure on the signing front.

Adrian Gill - £6,000,000 - Luton Town - Much like Xavi Espart, Gill was brought in for a season to keep us covered in a position where we had a lot of exciting talent coming through, with us now in a position to advance those players we've been able to move him on. Again he came in on a free transfer so this is pure profit for us after a helpful backup season to us.

Trevan Sanusi - £10,250,000 - Brentford - Another youngster that we've been trying to get in and around our team as had decent potential but was struggling to make progress on his current ability, he's had a couple of loans now where he's done well but hasn't developed enough to be in and around the team just yet. With him going up in age it made sense to sell him on, and for him he's ended up at a Premier League team where if he can get the game time, he should be able to come good.

Harvey Barnes - £65,000,000 - Aston Villa - In the end this came down to the price, Barnes was our second choice left winger and to get £65,000,000 for a backup option was too good to turn down. Fortunately we also have a couple of younger wingers that aren't too far off his quality level already so with more game time should be able to progress quicker and better so actually ends up being a bit of a win win situation. Just got to hope he doesn't come back to haunt us whenever we play Villa now.

Transfers In

Brian Peralta Bauer - £0 - Rosario Central - Bauer comes in as our new third choice left back behind Hall and Lewis-Skelly, at just 18 he fits that perfectly. He is also already considered better than Hackett so it's actually a step up in quality for us as well with a much higher ceiling to reach. He is spending the first half of the season still in Argentina completing this domestic season, and will be joining us fully in January.

Igor Oyono - £3,000,000 - Villarreal - Another young striker comes in to offer backup and will be mainly playing in our under 21's for this season as well as some cup games. He is another one that comes in at a decent level already whilst having much more room to grow into, and at just 18 years old has plenty of time to reach that. He has the ability to become better than Isak who is our best striker so seemed silly to leave such a cheap option alone.

Patrick Amadi - £18,500,000 - Sevilla - Our search for our number one is still ongoing as we're really struggling to find that goalkeeper who will get to world class levels. So we've taken a more long term approach, and we've signed Amadi who has the potential to get there and according to scouts, has the ability to be better than Donnarumma. We may have to wait a little bit for him to get there, but at least having him on the books now makes him cheaper than spending over £100,000,000 on a keeper in future.

Matis Stefanczyk - £19,000,000 - Club Brugge - One of the positions our youth teams have been missing is a right winger, so we've brought in 18 year old Stefanczyk to be amongst those youth teams. He has the potential to be a 5 star winger and we're looking to develop him over the next few years to really push on that position as we now have a few within our squad that can be brilliant, but they needed the pressure to get their development going.

Max Dowman - £19,000,000 - Arsenal - Another high level potential youngster coming through for the advanced playmaker role, we bring in 16 year old Dowman from Arsenal to really create interest in that position in the same way we have with our central midfield role. Wirtz suddenly has a lot of pressure coming from behind him within the club now with Nypan and Dowman both going to be gunning to take his spot over the next couple of years.

Regis Planche - £22,000,000 - Nice - We needed a step up in terms of young centre backs as options coming through and we've taken on board Planche from Nice in France. Again has the quality to be as good as if not better than Diomande our current best defender, but starts at a pretty decent level already at just 18. Hopefully he's another one we can push on and in a few years we will see him pushing for a starting role in the main 11.

Jan Badia - £26,000,000 - Espanyol - Finally our most expensive signing of the window is a new young right back, he will be joining us in January due to having to turn 18 before he can move, but once he comes in he will be in our youth team this season at right back as it is another position we've struggled to get anyone come through our own ranks. The idea with this signing and the others is that we now have people within our club developing to be better or as good as what we have already in the starting 11, and we can start spending our money on the right young players instead of having to fork out lots to another club to get a new player because we've lost a star.

Loans

The difference this year is bar one loan move, they are all to develop the players with game time and at the right level for them. A few from last year have gone back out on loan to a higher level plus a few new people have gone on loan to get the game time and progress.

The one loan that was because we couldn't get anyone to buy them when trying to sell was:

Ismael Doukoure - Hearts - Scottish Premiership (has an optional purchase of £3,600,000)

Everyone else out on loan are:

Ajay Hotchkiss - Barrow - League Two

Davis Connell - Cambridge United - League Two

John Healy - Dorking Wanderers - Vanarama National League

Kolbeinn Pordarson - Northampton Town - League Two

Vakhtang Salia - Cardiff City - Championship

Max Moerstedt - SC Freiburg - Bundesliga

Jude Cogdan - Preston North End - Championship

Tyler Jones - Barrow - League Two

Kyle Fitzgerald - MK Dons - League One

Manu Bueno - Cremonese - Serie A (optional purchase of £19,000,000)

Sam Bexton - Luton Town - Championship

Pedro Lima - Wrexham - Championship

Hopefully next year some of those at Championship or the top divisions abroad can come back and make a claim towards the first team whilst the others take the opportunity with game time and progress ready to move up a division or two next year.

The Squad

Goalkeeper

Vicario - 29 years old - current 3 star - potential 3 star

Caprile - 25 years old - current 2 and a half star - potential 2 and a half star

Amadi - 17 years old - current 1 and a half star - potential 4 and a half star (joins in January)

Mycael - 22 years old - current 2 star - potential 2 and a half star

Pordarson - 17 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 and a half star (on loan)

Griffith - 16 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 star

Right Back

Frimpong - 25 years old - current 4 star - potential 4 star

Livramento - 23 years old - current 3 star - potential 3 and a half star

Lima - 20 years old - current 1 and a half star - potential 4 star (on loan)

Badia - 17 years old - current 2 star - potential 5 star (joins in January)

Right Centre Back

Diomande - 22 years old - current 4 star - potential 4 and a half star

Sildillia - 24 years old - current 3 star - potential 3 star

Monamay - 20 years old - current 2 and a half star - potential 4 star

Healy - 17 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 and a half star (on loan)

Gipson - 16 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 star

Barusso - 17 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 star

Left Centre Back

Guehi - 26 years old - current 4 star - potential 4 star

Harwood-Bellis - 24 years old - current 3 star - potential 3 star

Kjelsen - 20 years old - current 2 star - potential 4 star

Planche - 18 years old - current 1 and half star - potential 4 and half star

Hotchkiss - 18 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 and half star (on loan)

Doukoure - 23 years old - current 1 and half star - potential 2 and half star (on loan)

Left Back

Hall - 21 years old - current 3 and a half star - potential 5 star

Lewis-Skelly - 19 years old - current 2 and a half star - potential 4 and a half star

Bauer - 18 years old - current 2 star - potential 5 star (on loan)

Mott - 16 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 and a half star

Defensive Midfielder

Tonali - 26 years old - current 4 star - potential 4 star

Klemens - 21 years old - current 3 star - potential 4 star

Faticanti - 22 years old - current 2 star - potential 3 star

Connell - 18 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 and a half star (on loan)

Opeyemi - 16 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 star

Centre Midfielder

Bruno - 28 years old - current 4 star - potential 4 star

Miley - 20 years old - current 3 star - potential 5 star

Finneran - 18 years old - current 2 star - potential 5 star

McFadyen - 16 years old - current 1 star - potential 5 star

Advanced Playmaker

Wirtz - 23 years old - current 5 star - potential 5 star

Nypan - 19 years old - current 3 star - potential 5 star

Dowman - 16 years old - current 1 and a half star - potential 5 star

Bueno - 22 years old - current 2 star - potential 2 and a half star (on loan)

Cogdan - 18 years old - current 1 and a half star - potential 3 and a half star (on loan)

Alimi - 17 years old - current 1 star - potential 4 star

Tyminski - 16 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 star

Right Winger

Pino - 23 years old - current 4 and a half star - potential 4 and a half star

Kuol - 21 years old - current 3 star - potential 3 star

Lorran - 20 years old - current 2 and a half star - potential 4 and a half star

Stefanczyk - 18 years old - current 2 star - potential 5 star

Fitzgerald - 19 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 and a half star (on loan)

Left Winger

Gordon - 25 years old - current 4 and a half star - potential 4 and a half star

Moore - 19 years old - current 2 star - potential 5 star

Muzambo - 21 years old - current 2 star - potential 4 star

Sibbles - 16 years old - current 1 star - potential 3 star

Striker

Isak - 26 years old - current 3 and a half star - potential 3 and a half star

Sesko - 23 years old - current 3 star - potential 3 star

Salia - 19 years old - current 1 and a half star - potential 4 and a half star (on loan)

Moerstedt - 20 years old - current 2 and a half star - potential 4 star (on loan)

Oyono - 18 years old - current 1 and a half star - potential 4 and a half star

Hunter - 16 years old - current 1 and a half star - potential 5 star

Bexton - 18 years old - current 1 and a half star - potential 3 and a half star (on loan)

So as you can see, we have a lot of depth across the board now in all ages with plenty of opportunity there for people who want it enough. If these youngsters develop as they can and we're trying to with them we could end up with a squad full of some of the world best players. Take the strikers for example, Sesko is apparently the worst one out of them for how far they can develop... he scored 43 goals last season for us. That shows the level of talent we have coming through.

Matches

Preseason

We had another successful preseason campaign winning all of our games again and scoring lots of goals across them all. The biggest concern from it all to happen is Bruno will miss the first half of the season from an injury whilst at the World Cup with Brazil but I have more than enough confidence in Miley and Finneran to rotate through that period which should help them develop even more. There's even a concern Miley could overtake Bruno as the number one choice there by the end of the year.

Newcastle 5 - 0 Aston Villa

First up was Aston Villa and the return of Harvey Barnes to St James' Park. Fortunately we continued our preseason goal scoring form and tore them to shreds on the opening weekend. We took the lead in the first minute when Klemens won the ball back on the edge of the box and got it to Gordon, who was able to cut past his defender and find the near post. The second came when Wirtz made his way into the box before being tackled, the loose ball came to the edge of the box out wide where Frimpong recovered it, took a shot which took a big deflection off their defender and went in for an own goal. Half time whistle went and we were looking very comfortable, only for the second half to get even better. Frimpong came down the right wing again and played a low cross in which Isak was able to get on the end off and tap in for a third. Muzambo then came in off the left wing before threading it through for Isak again, who's shot hit the inside of the post and went in for his second of the game. Then in the final moments of the game Hall whipped in a corner to the near post and Diomande won the header and scored out fifth. Excellent start to the new season.

Tottenham 2 - 1 Newcastle

The unthinkable has finally happened, our 100% win record against Spurs has finally fallen at the 7th attempt. To make matters worse we're not even sure how we ended up losing this game other than poor finishing has cost us massively. We almost took the lead early again when Wirtz played Pino through but his effort hit the wrong side of the post and went out. They however took the lead when they played a freekick low into the box before cutting it across the six yard box for Morita to tap in. They then almost added a second when Son played it through for Gyokores and he was able to beat Vicario, only for the offside flag to rule it out. They did manage to get their second before the half time whistle though when Porro had some space on the right and his cross found Gyokores who was able to head in to double their lead. Despite being 2-0 down we had still created more chances in the first half but were unable to take any of them. The second half continued in the same way so on the hour mark we swapped the front three bringing on Lorran, Muzambo and Sesko. Wirtz then hit the post from a free kick, before Lorran sent in a cross for Sesko who met it with his head but it went wide. We finally got one back when they tried to play it out from the back, got it all wrong and gave it to Sesko inside their box and he quickly dispatched it past their keeper with 5 minutes left to play. We then created another final chance where Sesko got away the effort but it was cleared off the line and somehow we come out of this with a loss.

Newcastle 5 - 1 Chelsea

We obviously wanted a reaction from the Spurs loss and we duly got one. It was one of those games where the first half was close but then we took complete control and were ruthless in front of goal to seal the win. We took the lead when Hall played it up the line for Gordon who knocked it infield to Miley, he took a touch to go past his defender and then found the far corner with a smart finish. They got an equaliser when Diomande tried to make the tackle on Nkunku but the ball carried on through past the pair of them, Palmer was able to get on the end of it and lobbed it over Vicario for 1-1 at half time. We took the lead in the second half when Isak came on and intercepted the ball as they tried to play out from the back, he gave it to Gordon who turned his defender inside and out before beating the keeper. Isak then played another good role in the third when he was able to release Livramento down the left wing who's cross took a deflection and beat the keeper. Miley then tried to curl it from distance into the top corner but it came back off the post, but only as far as Lorran who brought it down and smashed it in for his first goal for the club. Finally we got the fifth when Gordon made a run with the ball from the half way line and no one confronted him, he made it all the way into the box before slotting it under the keeper for a great goal to round it all off.

Man City 2 - 0 Newcastle

We then had to visit the champions and a team we knew we were trying to topple this year but unfortunately we came out second best in a very close game. We almost took the lead in the first minute again when Miley played it through for Pino, but again he hit the post and it stays level. Pino then had to come off injured in the 35th minute and that looked like it was going to be it for the first half. However just as the whistle was about to blow, they hit us on the counter attack and sent in a cross which Haaland was able to header in and give them the lead. The second half was also very quiet and it took until the 92nd minute when they took a corner and Haaland was able to win it in the air again to head home his second. Two goals conceded late in each half was the difference and although we matched them and actually had the better chances, their deadly striker proved to be the difference again.

Newcastle 5 - 0 Walsall (Carabao Cup Third Round)

We are using the same approach for the domestic cups as we did last year where we use as much of a rotated team as possible, unfortunately injuries are blocking us a little at the start of this campaign in defence. However the team on show showed they were more than good enough, and it's the two young wingers who have really shown their talent in this one. We took the lead when Lorran broke into the box and went round his defender who hacked him down and awarding us a penalty, Guehi stepped up as the experienced player and found the bottom corner for the lead. Lorran then played it forward for Dowman who poked it through for Muzambo who's shout found the bottom corner, only for the offside flag to deny him. We did get our second before half time though when Lorran whipped in a corner and Sildillia was able to meet it to make sure both our centre backs had now scored today. The third came from a corner again where Sildillia was able to bring the ball down in the box, he laid it back for Muzambo who scored from the edge of the box to get his first goal for the club. Livramento then had the ball out wide on the left and he played it into Muzambo inside the box who turned and found the far corner to add his second. Finally Lima came down the right wing and played a low ball in towards the near post where Lorran was able to tap it in to make it 5-0 and comfortably through to the next round.

Competitions

Premier League

So after a 50/50 start to the season we find ourselves bang central in 10th place, however with a healthy looking goal difference. Man City have once again started undefeated and have been joined by Man U as the only other team to win all 4 of their opening games. Forest, West Ham and Burnley are all having good starts this year whilst Leicester, Norwich and Southampton are filling the bottom three currently.

Carabao Cup

So far the Carabao Cup hasn't thrown up any surprises in the third round, with Wolves being the highest team to go out but that was against another Premier League team in Brentford. There are still potential upsets in there for Southampton, Man City, Tottenham, Villa and Arsenal as they're all due to play but will be surprised if anything happens.

Next Time

Next time we will be going through September and October, and hopefully building a bit of momentum for the season after a tough set of fixtures to start us off. We've also got the start of our Champions League campaign so will be interesting to see how we get on in the step up of competition. So what do you think of our summer? Happy with where the team is at or do you have any concerns about any positions?