Even with foresight questions were asked over the nature of Newcastle’s summer transfer business. It is starting to feel now like they have invested in crypto currency – it could pay tomorrow, but for today there is a hole in both the accounts and Eddie Howe’s strongest XI.
By way of illustration, Howe shared a stage with Kevin Keegan last week. The former manager repeated the mantra by which he always worked – ‘buy better’. He referenced Andy Cole and David Ginola, players he believed were an upgrade on those who had done very well for him.
Newcastle, going into this season, did not buy better. At £52million from AC Milan, Sandro Tonali was supposed to be. But even before his 10-month ban for illegal betting, the Italy international had been displaced by Sean Longstaff, the midfielder he was meant to replace. The narrative had shifted to him needing time to adapt, which is fair.
But ahead of a campaign that would include Champions League football for the first time in 20 years, Newcastle needed players for this season, not next.
Newcastle’s questionable summer transfer business has left Eddie Howe short of options
Sandro Tonali had been displaced by Sean Longstaff before his ban for illegal betting
That is why the wisdom of committing in excess of £60m on young defenders Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall was queried when the window closed. That is not to doubt the quality of the player – they could be England’s starting full-backs when Euro 2028 comes around. That, though, does not, and has not, helped Howe this season. On Saturday, with his team stretched because of injuries during a 2-2 draw at Wolves, they were unused substitutes.
Livramento is a right back of enormous potential, but Newcastle’s best player is Kieran Trippier, a right back. Succession plans and rainy-day thinking are all well and good – but right now matches and injuries are falling from the sky and Newcastle are getting soaked. Sven Botman is the latest casualty ahead of Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie at Manchester United. The defender has a knee issue and there is no return date.
Then there is £38m Harvey Barnes, sidelined with a foot injury until Christmas. That can happen, of course. Barnes is a very good player and the absence is unfortunate, that could not have been forecast. But to revisit Keegan, is he better than Anthony Gordon? On the evidence of the early months of the season – and…