After yet another season of unrest behind the scenes, Rafael Benitez left his post as manager at the end of the 2018/19 campaign with the club’s future up in the air.
Owner Mike Ashley is reportedly trying to sell the club – much to the delight of the majority of the Toon Army – however a deal is yet to have been determined.
Steve Bruce has been given the almost impossible task of trying to steady the ship at Newcastle. Can he bring a sense of solidity back to the club?
Last season
Last season was Newcastle United’s second campaign back in the Premier League following their promotion in 2017.
They got off to a dismal start and after failing to find a win in their opening ten matches, the club found themselves in the relegation zone.
Newcastle’s form picked up as the season progressed and they finished the campaign strongly. Five wins from their last ten matches saw the club finish up in 13th place.
Under new boss Steve Bruce, the club will be hoping that they can start the new season as they finished the last but without Benitez and the ongoing ownership saga, it’s set to be another turbulent year at St James’ Park.
Next season
It’s difficult to see how Newcastle are going to progress without Benitez. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss has bags of pedigree but owner Ashley ultimately took him for granted.
Benitez has picked up a number of titles and trophies while managing some of the top clubs in the world. Steve Bruce may be experienced however he doesn’t have any notable achievements as a manager.
Newcastle will be hoping that new signing Joelinton can provide immediate goals following his transfer from Hoffenheim. The Brazilian has joined for a club-record fee and is likely to be Bruce’s first-choice striker.
Only the three relegated teams and Brighton scored fewer than Newcastle’s 45 Premier League goals last season and the team will need to find the back of the net more frequently if they are to make an impression this time around.
Benitez was often accused of negative tactics last season. Rather than trying to win matches, the team was generally set up to avoid defeat and pick up draws when possible.
This saw the team concede less goals than fifth place Arsenal and sixth place Manchester United last season, so we could see Newcastle letting in a lot more goals under Bruce.
Players in
Players out
Predicted league finish
The predicted league finish for Newcastle United is 17th. With the persistent unrest rumbling on behind the scenes, Newcastle will do well to avoid relegation.