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Garth Crooks – Howe and Newcastle owners outstanding as repair Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce shambles

2 years ago
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Garth Crooks can’t believe the transformation at Newcastle United.

Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce leaving the club a complete shambles, no wins in the opening couple of months of the season and favourites to be one of the three clubs to be relegated.

Garth Crooks thinks the new Newcastle United owners and Eddie Howe, have done an outstanding job as they have started the job of repairing the damage at St James Park caused by lack of investment, disastrous appointments and 14+ years of neglect thanks to Mike Ashley and stooges such as Steve Bruce.

Garth Crooks declaring, ‘It’s not that long ago Newcastle were in the bottom three and fighting for their lives. I don’t know who is advising the new owners but they have got all the major decisions absolutely spot on since their arrival at St James’ Park.’

Difficult to believe that it is now only five months to the day since Mike Ashley handed the St James Park keys over to the consortium taking over Newcastle United.

The new owners inherited many massive problems and by far one of the biggest, was a lower league level Head Coach in charge of team affairs.

The new Newcastle United owners were then pressurised by all and sundry into giving Steve Bruce and emotional 1,000 match as a manager, which brought yet another predictable defeat accompanied by embarrassing comments from Bruce at his press conferences. Thankfully, the new NUFC owners stood up to the ridiculous outside pressure / criticism from media / pundits and then belatedly sacked Steve Bruce.

Garth Crooks now commenting on the job Bruce’s replacement has done so far at Newcastle United…’As for Eddie Howe, he must be a candidate for manager of the season.’

Who would disagree after the astonishing job he has done, Eddie Howe and his team having won five of the last six Premier League matches, moving from deep in relegation trouble to fourteenth and seven points clear of the bottom three, only three goals conceded in the last ten hours of PL football for NUFC, not a single league defeat since 19 December 2021.

A significant feature of Eddie Howe’s time so far, has been the incredible turn around in the form of so many Newcastle players, indeed many of them who Steve Bruce wouldn’t even give a game to.

Garth Crooks has picked his best 11 performers from the weekend’s action and included in his top 11 is one player from the game at St James Park.

Crooks declaring: ‘It’s the second consecutive time that Schar has made my team of the week and if he keeps on playing like this he might make my team of the season.’

The Swiss international was once again outstanding for Newcastle, his partnership with Dan Burn has been a key factor in recent weeks / wins, plus Fabian Schar produced the winning goal against Brighton, having produced a superb assist for Joe Willock at Brentford the previous weekend.

Summing up the job the new owners, head coach, players AND fans have done at Newcastle United, Garth Crooks points out, ‘No team is on a longer unbeaten run in the Premier League than Newcastle, who are without defeat in their past eight games in the competition.’

As things currently stand, Liverpool the only other Premier League club with no defeats in their last eight PL matches.

Newcastle United now face four away games in a row and the challenge goes on to keep the recovery going, Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce having passed on such a shambles with fans appreciating just how good a job has been done within the club these past five months, long may it continue.

Garth Crooks explains why he picked Fabian Schar in his Premier League team of the week for a second week in a row and then the full eleven are listed below, plus his comments on Eddie Howe and the Newcastle United owners:

Fabian Schar:

“Last week Fabian Schar was making goals, this week he’s scoring them.

“It was great movement and a brilliant header and the Magpies are flying.

“It’s the second consecutive time that Schar has made my team of the week and if he keeps on playing like this he might make my team of the season.

“It’s not that long ago Newcastle were in the bottom three and fighting for their lives.

“I don’t know who is advising the new owners but they have got all the major decisions absolutely spot on since their arrival at St James’ Park.

“As for Eddie Howe, he must be a candidate for manager of the season.

“Did you know?

“No team is on a longer unbeaten run in the Premier League than Newcastle, who are without defeat in their past eight games in the competition.”

Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City)

Fabian Schar (Newcastle United)

Thiago Silva (Chelsea)

Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)

Reece James (Chelsea)

Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa)

Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)

Ivan Toney (Brentford)

Kai Havertz (Chelsea)

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 2 Brighton 1 – Saturday 5 March 3pm

Goals:

Brighton:

Dunk 55

Newcastle:

Fraser 12, Schar 14

Possession was Brighton 68% Newcastle 32%

Total shots were Brighton 15 Newcastle 10

Shots on target were Brighton 4 Newcastle 4

Corners were Brighton 7 Newcastle 4

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Crowd: 52,214

Newcastle United:

Dubravka, Krafth, Schar, Burn, Targett, Willock (Longstaff 90+4), Shelvey, Joelinton, Fraser (Guimaraes 79), Murphy (Saint-Maximin 64), Wood

Unused Subs:

Darlow, Dummett, Manquillo, Gayle, Lascelles, Almiron

(3 Positives and 3 Negatives from Newcastle 2 Brighton 1 – Read HERE)

(Match Report – Newcastle United or Brighton? ‘Now all I would swap is the weather’ – Read HERE)

(Graham Potter admits painful truth after Newcastle United make it 5 wins in 6 matches – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 2 Brighton 1 – Match ratings and comments on all the NUFC players – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 2 Brighton 1 – Instant NUFC fan / writer reaction to Saturday’s massive victory – Read HERE)

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