There was a certain irony about Newcastle rolling over Leicester to soar into the rarefied air of the Premier League’s top two on Boxing Day.
Since the Foxes’ 5,000-1 title win in 2016, no other rank outsider has come close to breaking into a top four dominated by the Premier League’s traditional heavyweights. No-one believes Newcastle (80-1 for the title at the start of this year) can do it either but after 16 games, Eddie Howe’s team are only two points behind Leicester’s tally at the same point six years ago.
Title contenders? It is no more than a puncher’s chance against the division’s established heavyweights but the way they are playing, Newcastle cannot be entirely discounted. They have played more games than those around them and will need to sustain their stunning form and make the most of the fact that they are the only realistic contender not to have their sights clouded by not having to contend with European football when the fixtures start to pile up in the spring.
You suspect that we will have a better idea on 3 January, when they head to league leaders Arsenal in a game of huge significance. But they will travel with no fear.
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A year ago they were bottom of the division which necessitated a major spend in January but not one of the 10 signings made under the new ownership has been a failure. Bruno Guimaraes, their talisman and playmaker, is the best midfielder Newcastle have had since Rob Lee while classy defender Sven Botman has been faultless since a summer switch from Lille.
Much of the improvement, though, has come from players who were written off under a previous regime.
Joelinton has been turned from a striker unable to lead the line into a competitive, ball-winning midfielder capable of chipping in with crucial goals while Miguel Almiron is in the running for player of the year after the steepest of improvements this season. Sean Longstaff was out of favour and heading for the Championship 12 months ago, now he is a crucial cog in a midfield that presses as well as any in the Premier League.
There is no hidden secret to these breakthroughs. Simply, Howe and his coaching staff have put in the hard yards with players, setting out painstaking individual improvement plans months ago, working on making them feel more valued as part of the squad and improving confidence. Almiron, for example, has been worked rigorously on his finishing – right down to focusing on how he struck the ball and which areas of the goal he should be aiming for from different angles.
As a whole the group is incredibly well-drilled, training is innovative and intense and one dressing room insider speaks of the importance of “knowing my role so well”. He added that in spite of the expensive additions, no-one had been written off by Howe and even those who have been sold by the manager speak well of how it was handled.
There is also a huge amount of trust in the group, who have been encouraged to stand in front of each other every month to fill in the details of their life story. The idea behind this – which started with Howe himself recounting details of growing up in a single parent family as one of five children – is that it builds camaraderie and increases respect within the group. Last year Howe stood up and told the group about the inspirational role his mother Anne had played in his career and his players – who draw lots to decide whose turn it is – have followed suit since, telling of their own struggles before becoming Premier League players.
All of this team building stuff dovetails with a tactical approach which has overwhelmed lesser opponents. They have become a pressing, high-tempo team capable of swarming opponents but they are not averse to mixing it up and Howe has ensured they have several ways to win. Last week they ground out a win against an obdurate Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup before sweeping aside Leicester.
Everyone on Tyneside wonders whether the owners will see this as an opportunity to fast-track progress by speeding up a move for one of their summer targets. The pre-season target was top 10 and cup runs but now the golden ticket of the Champions League is within reach, it would seem counter-productive not to add to the squad in a position of strength. Agents who were resistant before are now taking their calls. Meetings between Newcastle’s hierarchy and PIF out in Saudi Arabia earlier this month have left those within the club encouraged.
One non-negotiable is that incoming players must follow the mould set by Botman and Guimaeres. Cristiano Ronaldo, despite some wild links, will not be joining Newcastle for one final pay day. “We want players to come on the journey with us,” a source previously told i.
Financial Fair Play remains a concern; sponsorship deals will start to be announced in the summer but some they are locked into in the long-term. Castore have another season left on their deal after this one, for example, but Newcastle will surely look for a lucrative kitwear deal when that expires.
Off-the-field the pace of progress is breathtaking. On it, no-one is seeking to put a limit of their ambition this year either.
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