The big Newcastle United problem concerning Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes that actually doesn’t exist | OneFootball

Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes were the two big Newcastle United signings of the summer 2023 transfer window.

The duo brought in for the best part of £100m, to help United hopefully progress again, to step up another level.

Between the two of them, they made a combined 12 Premier League starts in the 2023/24 season, Sandro Tonali with five and Harvey Barnes managing seven.

The reasons for this were very different.

Harvey Barnes a freak injury and Sandro Tonali a… freak worldwide betting ban. Or rather, a worldwide ban due to betting on football matches.

For both of them, 2024/25 a chance for a proper start with Newcastle United.

Yet, both of them have been named on the bench more than the starting eleven, in the Premier League.

Harvey Barnes five starts and six times named on the bench, Sandro Tonali has four starts and five times on the PL bench.

For a lot of Newcastle United fans (and journalists) this has become a big NUFC problem, especially/ironically in these last two excellent Premier League matches that United have won, against Arsenal and Forest.

The reasoning goes that having spent so much money (in relative terms compared to the usual suspects) on Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes, then it is a major problem if spaces can’t be found in the starting eleven for them.

For me, I think they have got this totally the wrong way around.

It is a massive positive, in my opinion, for Newcastle United that Sandro Tonali  and Harvey Barnes have come off the bench these last two Premier League games/wins.

Down at Forest, with the score 2-1 we saw Eddie Howe bring Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes on and they took the game away from the home side. Both of them playing well and ensuring United controlled the final stages, plus of course, a brilliant move that saw the pair combine, sweeping play from the NUFC penalty area up the other end and Barnes making it 3-1.

The Premier League game before that, leading 1-0 against Arsenal and his team playing really well but maybe needing a boost and fresh legs, on came Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes to help see that great win out.

Go further back and in the excellent cup win over Chelsea, it was the likes of Bruno, Burn and Livramento who came off the bench and helped see that victory over the line.

This is what Newcastle United have been massively missing, having similar quality players to come off the bench is such an important (vital?) part of the game these days.

How often do you see the usual suspects bring on substitutes who end up making key contributions to help win matches?

Yes, time after time.

The days of having a first eleven are long gone.

Now it is so important to have a larger group of quality players who can both come off the bench and/or rotate for others.

I’m not saying that this is how I see his role going forward, but I find it mindblowing that in particular, some Newcastle fans are getting anxious about the fact that Harvey Barnes has been so effective from the bench. Surely that is one of the biggest positives you can possibly have in the modern game, a Premier League player who so often can come onto the pitch and score game-changing goals!

The fact that this then doesn’t automatically make him a guaranteed starter in the next match, doesn’t bother me one little bit. I just think, what an extra weapon for Eddie Howe to have in his armoury, especially if needing a goal threat from fresh legs coming onto the pitch in a tight match.

As I say, I don’t see it as a Newcastle United first eleven anymore, I see it at the very least as 16 or 17 players, with five outfield players as well as reserve keeper who can hopefully come onto the pitch and the quality not massively drop.