The way Newcastle United vs. West Ham United was pitched this weekend was interesting, if not hilarious.
I know the Hammers have had some difficulties this season, but come on!!!
Saturday was billed as the plucky paupers of West Ham United taking on the no-holds-barred spending Saudi Arabia Newcastle United.
Mike Ashley took his money and ran mid-season in October 2021, when Newcastle United were on their knees and facing certain relegation. With Callum Wilson suffering a serious injury just five days before the January 2022 transfer window opened, they even had to bite the bullet and pay the £25m release clause to secure Chris Wood and ensure they had a Premier League striker to play the rest of the season, after Ashley and Bruce had left them without a single other PL level option up front if / when the injury-plagued Wilson suffered another setback.
Anyway, let’s get back to Saturday.
I create it. Newcastle United was missing £163 million. Isak (£63 million), Bruno (£41.65 million), Targett (£13 million), and Gordon (£45 million) are all out of the running.
Begin the game. Gordon had barely had any group training with the first team after their recovery period following Tuesday’s cup run.
I only counted £71m in post-takeover signings, with Pope (£10m), Trippier (£12m), Botman (£35m), and Burn (£13m) on the pitch at kick-off.
West Ham had new (this season) signings Paqueta and Aguerd starring, as well as (according to David Moyes) soon to be Premier League record buy/sale Declan Rice.
I believe that almost everything said by the media, pundits, and rival fans is based on what Newcastle United MIGHT do in the future under this ownership, rather than the reality that has occurred thus far. The reality is that Chelsea and Manchester United (along with West Ham) have spent far more this season, despite coming from far stronger foundations.
The identity of Newcastle’s front six on Saturday didn’t exactly support the narrative of NUFC owners and head coach suddenly buying success and having assumed automatic expectation of guaranteed success, rather than Eddie Howe being the main factor in Newcastle’s improvement. All six midfielders and forwards (Wilson, ASM, Almiron, Longstaff, Joelinton, and Willock) have been at the club for much longer than Eddie Howe AND were all available to Steve Bruce and Fabian Schar, giving the club seven starters against West Ham who are not Saudi signings.
Newcastle United have been fantastic this season, and you know what’s even better?
The best is yet to come under Eddie Howe; once he gets the likes of Bruno, Isak, and Gordon on the pitch, as well as summer 2023 signings, the money spent will really start to add weight to the project that is already well underway at St James’ Park.
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