Newcastle United signings – Hopes and fears | OneFootball

I’m writing this after a disappointing week, in a very mixed season for Newcastle United.

A draw against a Brighton team who have been out of form since February and a loss to a second-rate Man Utd team, appears to have ended our hopes of automatic qualification for European football.

It may still happen if other results go our way.

Looking back, it has been a rollercoaster season, where almost everything that could go wrong, did.

Tonali’s ban, a hideous injury count, the cup draws, shocking VAR decisions in big matches and our ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, were all in sharp contrast to last season. If we still finish in a European place after all that, it will be a minor miracle.

However, when the dust settles and we look ahead to the summer transfer window and Newcastle United signings for next season, one message, first voiced by Alan Hansen in the mid 90s, should be clear: you can’t win anything with kids.

Newcastle United have been trying, unsuccessfully, to prove that theory wrong for about a decade, but haven’t yet. And I hope we’ll ensure our summer signings give us more balance between those who have seen it, done it, won it… and those with great potential.

Although the Champions League quarter-finals were like a ‘Who’s Who’ of European football, every team included a mix of young talent and old heads who have won trophies. That experience brings belief, resilience, the winner’s mentality, even when you’re not at your best.

That was needed, and missing, at Old Trafford on Wednesday and in numerous other matches this season, where our team on paper was better than the opposition, but failed to get the result.

The difference Kieran Trippier made when coming into the team proved exactly that. We made better decisions, managed the game, looked mentally stronger last season.

When you look past Tripps, only Botman and Tonali can boast winners medals in major European leagues – and the fact that all three were missing for much of this season, deprived us of any proven winners. Most of our lads are internationals but few have even been to the latter stages of an international competition.

Over the next few weeks, there will be all the usual speculation over summer Newcastle United signings. Most so far speculated have included prospects with great potential – Kelly, Tosin, Elise, Gibbs-White… but none of those are proven winners. They’re all big fish in small ponds, with no record of playing in Europe or delivering on the biggest stages when it matters.

With that in mind, I would love to see us targeting two or three players in the 26-3o year old bracket, who have seen it, done it, won it – to add more winner’s mentality to our group. Chiesa, Rabiot, Raphinha, Valverde, Rudiger, Marata, de Paul and Inter’s Martinez all fit that profile. And should be on our big money targets list.

With that in mind, my simple message to Eddie Howe and Amanda Staveley would be: we need experience, as well as talent; winners, as well as prospects.

Let’s find those players who have won trophies and still have three to five good years of play left in them.

They are the difference between Newcastle United being a top six and/or semi-finals team and one that can finish top four again and land our first trophy in 50+ years.