Jamie Redknapp with cunning Newcastle United plan – Only one problem | OneFootball

Jamie Redknapp has been talking about Newcastle United.

The former Liverpool and Spurs player talking after Eddie Howe’s team have lost their most recent two matches, at Everton and Tottenham.

Jamie Redknapp giving the benefit of his expertise to Newcastle United and Eddie Howe…

Jamie Redknapp talking to Sky Sports, following Newcastle United making it two Premier League defeats in a row with the defeat at Spurs:

“He [Eddie Howe] needs extra players [in the January transfer window].

“They are not used to it.

“They have not had Champions League football in so long.

“They look tired and they look fatigued.

“It is harder than last season, there are more runners.

“Everyone has improved at the top end and dealing with Champions League makes it even more difficult.”

Jamie Redknapp with a cunning Newcastle United plan, that has only one ‘small’ problem, well more than one but this ‘small’ one will do for starters.

It is all very well saying Newcastle United should bring in more new players in January BUT what are you going to do with the existing ones?

Extra games are producing extra demands, after all, Newcastle United are the only club still (in theory!) able to win all of the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

However, it is playing a lot of extra games AND having half the squad missing that has been the problem recently.

Worth pointing out as well that Newcastle United had lost only one match in twelve, which had included Champions League matches against AC Milan, PSG and Borussia Dortmund, as well as other games against Man City, Man U and Arsenal. Before then the squad crisis became a… whatever is the next level after crisis.

On Thursday and Sunday, Eddie Howe had at least 12 players unavailable as starters in both matches, however…

The excellent Premier League injuries site has these estimated return dates for Newcastle United players after my comments on these first two:

Now – Sean Longstaff wasn’t under consideration to start on Sunday but able to make the bench and looked decent as a sub in second-half, now back and available as a potential starter now.

19 December 2023 – Harvey Barnes

23 December 2023 – Joe Willock

23 December 2023 – Sven Botman

26 December 2023 – Elliot Anderson

13 January 2024 – Dan Burn

30 January 2024 – Jacob Murphy

April 2024 – Nick Pope

End of August 2024 – Sandro Tonali

No return date – Matt Targett

No return date – Javier Manquillo

These are of course only estimates but they are educated estimates from (Newcastle United fan and) injury specialist Ben Dinnery and his team over at Premier League injuries.

Not taking anything for granted but by the times the January transfer window opens, Eddie Howe could have all of Wilson, Longstaff, Barnes, Botman, Willock and Anderson available.

With then Burn and Murphy by the end of the January window also back, making it potentially eight bonus players returned for Eddie Howe to consider, compared to the starting eleven situation he found himself in against Everton and Spurs.

All managers would say they want new players if offered them BUT for Newcastle United the big problem has been so many players already at the club unavailable, rather than missing players who are yet to sign for the club!

I have no doubt there will be some incoming action in January but if Newcastle United have fair luck with up to eight players expected back by the end of January, most of them by the end of December, then a very different situation.