Astonishing double turnaround at youth level for Newcastle United | OneFootball

As we all know, the situation throughout the club was desperate when Mike Ashley finally walked away in October 2021.

Every area of the club, on and off the pitch, needing care and resources to breathe new life into Newcastle United.

With the younger age groups arguably the toughest to turn around, certainly in terms of how long it takes to build an Academy capable of producing first team level players on a regular basis.

This is how the Newcastle United under 18s did last season (2022/23) in the final league table:

Coming back to the here and now, on Saturday the Newcastle United under 18s were playing their third last league game of the season.

Trailing 1-0 to Leeds as it approached the final whistle, the young NUFC stars showed great character and refusing to be beaten, when Alfie Harrison conjured up an equaliser in the three minute of added time. Only for then Alex O’Donovan to within a minute conjure up a Newcastle United winner! What a turnaround…

Three days later and the second last league match for the Newcastle United under 18s, playing Middlesbrough at their first team’s Riverside Stadium.

United going two down within 15 minutes and looking to be set for a lengthy ordeal.

However, Alfie Harrison once again struck, the January signing from Manchester City scoring a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Then after the break, Newcastle United under 18s completing a second remarkable turnaround in a few days, as Brayson, Taylor and Neave scored to give United an eventually comfortable 4-2 away win.

With one game to go, away at Everton this is how the current 2023/24 league table now looks for the Newcastle United under 18s:

Things don’t radically transform overnight but clear signs of improvement as you can see, last season second bottom and struggling as is usually the case.

Newcastle United u18s now though looking guaranteed to finish top seven and if beating Everton, NUFC will finish fifth, as Liverpool and Derby play each other in their final game.

As I said, lower down the age scale at the club, things will take take time, BUT clear signs of progress already after Mike Ashley’s departure.

Desperately needed investment at all levels of Newcastle United, as well as the care and attention they had also been deprived of to a large extent. With a skeleton staff left running the entire club under the former owner.