The 8 most important Newcastle United players for this new 2024/25 season | OneFootball

The 2024/25 Premier League season is fast approaching for every Newcastle United fan.

Only five days now until United host Southampton and it all kicks off again.

An ideal time to get a snapshot of views from Newcastle United fans on how they think things are going.

So we sent out various sets of questions to a number of regular/irregular contributors to The Mag.

Next up we have ‘Matt Busby said to Joe Harvey’:

Three words to describe how you currently feel as a Newcastle fan?

Frustrated – because of PSR

Excited – because we are progressing irrespective of rules that are set up to protect the status quo

Optimistic – the new season is upon us and I think it’s going to be special

Three words to describe Newcastle United now?

In the frame

A must win game and the whole current squad available (not injured or suspended), which 11 would you select?

Pope Livramento / Schar / Botman / Trippier Hall / Guimaraes Barnes / Gordon / Joelinton Isak

What do you see as the minimum to achieve this coming season?

League Cup and top five.

Predict the top five in the Premier League (in order) and which three clubs will be relegated.

The 115 Arsenal Newcastle United Man United Liverpool

Leicester Southampton Ipswich

Name a Newcastle player who you think could be a massive surprise success this season, doing far better than most fans expect.

Lewis Hall. Not playing early in his time here left most fans bemused but recent interviews would suggest there was a good reason for that. Lewis has massive potential, he’s had a very good pre-season and I expect him to kick on.

Who will be the eight most important Newcastle United players for this 2024/25 season (in order)?

1. Pope – he was a huge miss last season and we simply cannot afford for him to not be playing 2. Guimaraes – our talisman; he plays well and we’ve got more than a chance 3. Gordon – player of the season last year, Anthony needs to shrug off the disappointment of being overlooked by the Gormless one and sustain last year’s performances 4. Tonali – not in my starting line up as I’ve gambled on Trippier continuing at left back and Hall being in midfield, but had I gone Hall at left back and reverted to a 4-3-3, the Italian would be in my starting line up. He owes NUFC big time and I expect him to deliver at some point 5. Schar – this season could be Fabian’s last campaign as a regular but for now, he will be the glue that holds the centre of our defence together. 6. Isak – we need Alex to stay fit and get another 20 plus premier league goals 7. Joelinton – a beast, NUFC’s colossus 8. Barnes – after being unlucky last season, Harvey needs to fulfil the potential he showed at Leicester and if he can post numbers on par with those he got when that lot were relegated, he’ll have done very well

Hand on heart, where do you think Newcastle will finish in the 2024/25 Premier League?

Third.

What would be your ideal future stadium if these two were the options – St James’ Park increased to 60,000, or brand new 80,000 stadium just a few hundred yards up the road where Leazes Park and/or Castle Leazes is?

If by ‘increased to 60,000’ you simply mean adding another tier to the Gallowgate, thereby replicating Level 7 and leaving the East Stand as is, then moving a very short distance to an 80,000 purpose built stadium is a no brainer. If St James could be expanded to somewhere north of 70,000 I’d stay put.

Were you ever seriously worried that Newcastle might lose one of their key players (Isak, Bruno, Gordon etc) this summer?

Yes. The way that Eales and Capper seemingly dilly-dallied, it looked very much like one of them was being made the sacrificial lamb on the PSR altar.

Which Newcastle United player sale would have hurt the most if they’d gone this summer?

Bruno Guimaraes. Next question please.

Next three seasons, would you rather finish top four all three seasons BUT win nothing, or finish mid-table all three seasons AND win the League Cup in one of the three?

My heart says silverware, my head says top four. Why not aspire to both?

Compared to how you felt just after last season ended, are you more or less optimistic now about the season ahead, taking into account all the pre-season matches have now been played and the transfers in and out so far?

About the same. Injuries cannot be as bad surely. We haven’t lost Guimaraes, Isak or Gordon. Then again, we haven’t made any really big signings either, although Tonali’s return should feel like one.

How worried are you about PSR/FFP affecting Newcastle United over the course of the next decade?

Very worried. We saw what played out at the end of June and that will happen another couple of times in the cycle, before our commercial revenues reach the point where we no longer have to wheel and deal like a used car salesman. Imagine if we hadn’t had UCL qualification in 2023/24?

Newcastle start the season with Southampton (Home), Bournemouth (Away), Spurs (Home), Wolves (Away) and Fulham (Away), what do you predict will happen in these opening five Premier League matches?

No reason why we can’t be on 13 or 15 points after five games.

Manchester City are set to have the case heard on their longstanding 115 alleged breaches, what punishment do you predict they will get, if any?

I think they’ll be relegated. And they’ll deserve it. They have flagrantly flouted the rules and deserve to be punished big time. I see this whole situation as a ‘Win/Win’ for NUFC. If Man City are punished, without them cheating their way to success, we will have a great shout for major honours. If Man City aren’t punished, NUFC can surely replicate their rather dodgy commercial model?

When did you begin actively supporting Newcastle United/realise you were an NUFC fan? How would you describe the differences between now and then? Do you think it is better supporting Newcastle United now (and being a football fan in general), or was it better back when it all started for you?

It was 1976. The appearance at Wembley in an intriguing cup competition that unlike the FA Cup, was played at the end of the winter, wasn’t live on TV and kicked off alongside a full schedule of Saturday 3pm league fixtures had me hooked (as did the Brazil away kit we donned at White Hart Lane in the semi final).

Before I was ten years old, NUFC had won a European trophy, got to two domestic cup finals and qualified for the UEFA Cup. And they’d won the FA Cup three times, less then twenty years before my arrival on the planet. So, whatever the naysayers might tell you, to me, we seemed a big club during my formative years.

By the time I was a regular attendee of home and away matches, we were pushing for promotion during the first coming of King Kev, the casual scene was also getting off the ground and the music was fabulous, so all in all, that was a brilliant time for me personally.

I now attend St James’ Park with my eighteen year old son and despite the passion, excitement and jeopardy that existed in the 80s, I much prefer it these days, believe it or not.

Which player from your early days supporting Newcastle United would you most like to see in the NUFC 2024/25 team?

Blimey. That is a difficult one because we had King Kev, Pedro and the Waddler in our promotion season in 83/84.