Sandro Tonali absence from Newcastle United starting eleven explained | OneFootball

Sandro Tonali was the major Newcastle United signing of summer 2023.

Eddie Howe preparing for a full-on season that would include a Champions League campaign.

AC Milan fans and indeed football fans across Italy, shocked that one of their very best young players was leaving Serie A.

Sandro Tonali a massive coup for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United, the reported £55m transfer fee looking pretty reasonable for such an exciting young signing, compared to players joining other clubs.

Having only recently turned 23, Sandro Tonali had already helped AC Milan win their first Serie A title in more than a decade. Then the following 2022/23 season he started every Champions League match as they just missed out on getting to the final, cruelly losing to city rivals Inter in the semi-finals.

When Sandro Tonali scored only six minutes into his Newcastle United debut, it was a dream start, a standing ovation from NUFC fans when the Italy international was finally subbed off in added time, having played a key role in United smashing Aston Villa 5-1.

What could possibly go wrong?

As we all know now, underlying serious issues were set to come to the surface and that ended up in a ten months worldwide suspension from playing football, due to having gambled on matches whilst playing football in Italy.

Fast forward to 28 August 2024, the suspension having finally ended and this day coinciding with the away match at Forest in the cup.

Sandro Tonali was easily Newcastle’s best player in that first half (due to Willock getting injured on 10 minutes and eventually subbed off on 15 minutes), the Italian almost repeating his very early goal on his debut a year earlier, as his first appearance back saw him one on one with the Forest keeper in the second minute but that effort saved and United not going 2-0 up.

High anticipation then for the following Sunday when Tottenham visited St James’ Park, after the 62 minutes we had seen at the City Ground before Sandro Tonali was taken off looking proper knackered after his first match in ten months.

However, Tonali was only a sub against Spurs, coming on in the 68th minute with the score at 1-1 and helping Newcastle to win a tough match 2-1.

Sandro Tonali then off with Italy and thrown in the deep end there, despite so long missing.

A Nations League match in Paris saw a superb performance from Sandro Tonali and a sublime assist for one of the goals that helped Italy win 3-1 against France.

Tonali played the full match and then did the same when impressing against Israel, this time a 2-1 away win.

Back to Newcastle United and… on the bench again.

With United 1-0 down at half-time, Tonali replaced Longstaff for the second half and helping Newcastle turn it around for a 2-1 victory.

All eyes on Fulham and surely a first Sandro Tonali Premier League start in over 11 months…

Instead, not brought on until the 74th minute with Newcastle 2-1 down, the midfielder replacing Joelinton. The game ending 3-1 to the home side.

After such a long absence and so much anticipation, why only 83 minutes from the bench in three Premier League matches?

I think it is a quite obvious explanation as to why.

Never in a million years is it because Eddie Howe doesn’t think Sandro Tonali is one of his best 11 players and no way does the Head Coach not intend to have him as a first team regular this season and beyond.

Instead, I think it is quite obvious that Eddie Howe is simply just looking after him.

I believe that both mentally and physically he hasn’t wanted to put too much weight on his shoulders, especially with what has been the case the past year in the young player’s life.

Eddie Howe will always do this, he does what he thinks is the right thing to do, not what the mob are screaming for.

We have seen it so often and never more so than with Bruno Guimaraes.

With Newcastle United looking all but certain for relegation, Eddie Howe bought the Brazil international in January 2022 and yet he didn’t start a game at St James’ Park until April 2022! He gave him a series of sub appearances as he settled in and adjusted, only making his first NUFC start due to the number of other payers unavailable, scoring that outrageous backheel volley to help United win at Southampton in March 2022, six weeks after signing for a total fee (including add-ons) of over £41m.

How brave was that, imagine the abuse that Eddie Howe would have gotten from a certain section of Newcastle United fans if that had backfired, if results had continued and United relegated, with the £41m+ star Brazil international signing having sat on the bench for so long?

Which brings us back to Sandro Tonali.

We have already seen the ridiculous way some Newcastle United fans have gone on this season so far.

So quickly turning on so many of the players and the head coach who have given us so much – Eddie Howe, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Nick Pope, Joelinton, Alexander Isak, Fabian Schar, take your pick…

I can absolutely see for sure that if Sandro Tonali had been played from the start in these last three Newcastle United matches and it had all gone wrong, we would have seen these particular Newcastle United fans, targeting the returning Tonali with a load of nonsense. The same kind of nonsense that has been aimed at Howe, Pope, Bruno, whoever.

Eddie Howe took the pressure off and instead, Sandro Tonali coming off the bench without that starting pressure, which then helped lead to him assisting in United winning against both Spurs and Wolves, having been subbed on when Newcastle were drawing and then losing in these two matches.

Unfortunately, Sandro Tonali couldn’t repeat the trick at Craven Cottage.

I think for sure that the selection of the £55m signing on a regular basis in the Premier League, is imminent.

If Eddie Howe thinks Man City isn’t ideal, for what would be obvious reasons considering how tough that same will be whoever plays, then I think Everton away for sure the following weekend, will see Sandro Tonali starting for sure at Goodison.

I think he will be all the better for it as well in the long-term, the way Eddie Howe has looked after Sandro Tonali.

He will be a key player this season and I think all rational Newcastle United fans will be looking back at the end of the season, acknowledging that Eddie Howe played a blinder with his slowly softly approach in reintroducing Tonali to Premier League football.