Q&A: A look at Newcastle’s transformation on and off the pitch
The Magpies rekindled memories of Kevin Keegan’s ‘Entertainers’ against Manchester City.
Newcastle’s emergence from the doldrums of the Mike Ashley era reached a watershed moment when they took on Manchester City at their own game on Sunday.
The hope which accompanied Amanda Staveley’s takeover in October last year has grown steadily since but reached new heights after a thrilling 3-3 Premier League draw which rekindled memories of Kevin Keegan’s ‘Entertainers’.
Eddie Howe’s side remain very much a work in progress, but that there is progress at all is music to the ears of the Toon Army.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the transformation on Tyneside.
What has changed off the pitch?
What difference has Howe made?
The 44-year-old’s impact has been enormous. He inherited an unbalanced squad hurtling towards the Sky Bet Championship when he took over in November last year – they had collected just five points from their first 11 league games and did not secure a first win until the 15th time of asking. Helped in no small part by a £94million January spending spree, he forged an organisation and collective sense of purpose which dragged the club not only to safety, but to within two pints of a top-10 finish. Under Howe, the Magpies have lost only 10 and won 14 of the 31 games they have played in all competitions, but perhaps more importantly, they have adopted a progressive, front-foot approach in an effort to impose their strengths on opponents, rather than the relative passivity which had hampered them in the past.
How big a part have the new signings played?
What about the men Howe inherited?
Arguably the biggest change Howe and his coaching staff have fostered is the improvement in some of the players already at the club. Fabian Schar, Jonjo Shelvey – currently working his way back from hamstring surgery – Ryan Fraser and Miguel Almiron have all prospered under the new regime, while fleet-footed Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin produced his best performance yet in a black and white shirt against City. However, £40m record signing Joelinton has been transformed from a misfiring striker into a combative midfielder to such spectacular effect that he has established himself as a cult hero.
What has been the response from the club’s fans?
Battered into submission by the lack of ambition under Ashley’s administration, it would not have taken much to ignite a fanbase starved of tangible success since 1969. Amid discomfort over the focus on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, hope has been restored and the supporters have responded accordingly.
