Newcastle United squad realistically good enough to be considered top four material? | OneFootball

A hammering at Manchester City has left us as Newcastle United fans, to be frustrated, disappointed, unhappy with the manner of the defeat.

A missed opportunity perhaps to take advantage of a Manchester City team that isn’t at the level maybe of their teams of previous years gone by.

Some fans levelling blame at Newcastle United players and/or Eddie Howe, questioning his team selection or tactics.

People have also pointed at a lack of transfer spending, voiced opinions on who’d they like to see come, who they want to see leave.

It’s natural off the back of a bad performance, Newcastle United fans are going to be unhappy and try and pinpoint where it went wrong.

What’s the big problem?

Collectively, it’s a bit of everything.

Is the Newcastle United squad realistically good enough to be considered top four material, in the same breath as Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, one or two others? No, not in my honest opinion.

I wrote an article questioning the logic of certain other Newcastle United fans, who have expectations to be finishing within the top four, whilst at the same time running down and bemoaning the lack of quality throughout the squad.

Fans who are saying certain Newcastle United players aren’t good enough for where we are aiming to be etc.

I don’t think people are wrong when they say Newcastle United need to strengthen the squad, we do, there isn’t a doubt in my mind on that.

However, I also don’t agree with the expectations that some have demanded in the transfer market in the summer for next season.

United needing to sign a striker, a right winger, a right centre-back, a new goalkeeper, are all popular opinions amongst many supporters. I’m not saying they’re wrong on that, it’s correct in my opinion, but the reality is….who do you expect to sign within the restrictions placed on the club in the transfer market?

It is the same thing when you have Newcastle United fans demand players such as Longstaff, Willock, Wilson, Trippier etc get replaced.

Let’s just imagine for a second that all of those players are moved on, plus another few who are considered fringe players. Where’s the money coming from to strengthen the squad significantly, to improve on top of what we currently have?

I hear every week that we are maybe three or four ready made quality players short, plus also needing stronger depth.

It’s probably true, but what do you expect the club to do, when they’re only allowed to spend a small fraction of the money they could potentially spend with no rules in place?

We are in an age where decent players are regularly being transferred for over £50m, whilst we saw Declan Rice go to Arsenal for over £100m, a good player in my opinion but not an elite one.

Our own fans value Alexander Isak at over 150m, Anthony Gordon around £100m, Bruno and Tonali something similar etc.

Its all well and good, wanting and thinking out loud which players you’d like to see join our best players at St James’ Park.

However, unless there’s a pot of say £300m+ to spend in the summer, to get the top quality winger, striker, centre-back, goalkeeper, plus squad midfielders to replace Willock and Longstaff, then I don’t know what people can honestly expect?