Football Season Guide

The Magpies struggled to cope with the demands of competing on multiple fronts, with a lack of squad depth proving costly last season. They reached the Champions League last 16 before being thrashed by Barcelona, while nine defeats in 12 league games between January and April sent their campaign into a tailspin. What has followed this summer is a major rebuild. Off went key midfielders Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães, as well as fellow starters Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier, marking the end of an era. Newcastle are looking to rejuvenate their squad, with none of their signings being older than 24. Meanwhile, following Newcastle’s lowest finish under his management (13th), Eddie Howe got partway through pre-season before deciding to depart at the end of July. He has been replaced by Matthias Jaissle, who will aim to introduce a high-tempo style of play that can reignite excitement among the supporters. Injuries may have prevented Newcastle’s defence from finding consistency last season, but Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman, Dan Burn and Fabian Schar give Jaissle a formidable quartet to work with. Meanwhile, with Newcastle in the midst of a major squad overhaul, the new coach has limited time to build cohesion, making the lack of consistency a potential weakness that opponents could exploit early in the season.