Newcastle United squad – Fit for purpose? | OneFootball

A lot has been said about this Newcastle United squad.

Much of that talk to do with what happened in the summer.

The players that came in and those who moved out.

As well as of course, those players who DIDN’T come in, or indeed, move out to help finance and make way for them.

So where has all of that left this Newcastle United squad?

With the Premier League transfer window having slammed shut nine days ago.

So, is this Newcastle United squad fit for purpose?

I have gone through all of the players who are now at the club after four matches, ahead of Wolves away next Sunday.

From the Newcastle United squad, I have given my first choice NUFC team, then my choice of bench, then the other players we have, who in my opinion wouldn’t make the matchday 20 man squad if/when everybody is fit.

Pope, Livramento, Schar, Botman, Hall, Bruno, Tonali, Joelinton, Gordon, Barnes, Isak

My choice of NUFC bench:

Dubravka, Trippier, Kelly, Burn, Longstaff, Almiron, Jacob Murphy, Willock, Wilson

The players not making my first choice 20 man matchday squad:

Ruddy, Gillespie, Vlachodimos, Krafth, Lascelles, Targett, Lewis Miley, Osula, Alex Murphy, Alfie Harrison, Trevan Sanusi

Some very difficult decisions to make.

I would have no big worries if pretty much any of those on the bench played instead of my first choice eleven. Obviously some of my selected subs especially strong candidates when competing for a place in the first eleven, the likes of Kelly, Trippier, Burn and Willock in particular, whilst Wilson is as good as any other PL club’s back up striker.

I feel guilty leaving some of these totally out of the first choice 20 players in my matchday squad, the likes of Lewis Miley, Lascelles, Krafth and Targett especially. Whilst I have liked the little I have seen of Will Osula and I think he will have his moments this season, as well as progressing long-term.

I totally understand the frustrations of not adding at least one other quality first choice player this summer, Marc Guehi I think showed on Saturday for England just why Eddie Howe was all-in on him. So maybe January…

However, those summer 2024 transfer window frustrations shouldn’t be allowed to overwhelm us as fans.

Even without signing Guehi or whoever, this Newcastle United squad is excellent.

It is basically the Newcastle United squad that finished fourth two seasons ago, with the likes of Tonali, Kelly, Hall, Osula, Livramento, Gordon (barely contributed to 2022/23), Barnes and Lewis Miley added to it.

In the main, it is the Newcastle United squad that we held such great hopes for last season and which I am convinced for sure, would have delivered top four and Champions League football once again, as a minimum. If not for the worst ever season in Newcastle United history when it came so many injuries to so many key players, plus Tonali’s suspension on top of that.

Despite all that was thrown at them, Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United squad finished only eight points off top four in the 2023/24 season. Nobody can tell me that even with still half the players missing last season than proved to be the case, Newcastle