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Paul Merson verdict on Eddie Howe and Newcastle United

1 year ago
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Paul Merson has been talking ahead of Newcastle United’s ninth Premier League match of the season.

Having just ‘utterly dismantled Fulham’ and moved up to seventh in the table, the former Arsenal player thinks Eddie Howe and his players will build on that with another win on Saturday against Brentford, to then threaten the top six.

Looking a little further down the line, Paul Merson predicts Newcastle ‘could be a force to be reckoned with’ at the business end of this season, if keeping keys players fit and adding more smart signings in the January 2023 transfer window.

There are actually only nine Premier League matches to go until Newcastle reach that next transfer window, seven before the World Cup break and then two in late December, before we move into 2023. So in total, only 17 rounds of Premier League matches will have been played in 2022.

If Newcastle can be in this kind of league position (seventh) or higher when we get to January, I think without doubt that the NUFC owners will be keen to try and then push on with another ambitious signing or two.

As for the Newcastle United Head Coach, Paul Merson declares ‘If they get a top ten finish and an impressive cup run, it’ll be a fantastic full season as manager for Howe, who hasn’t done much wrong since joining the club under the new owners.’

Hmmm, ‘hasn’t done much wrong’ does not come close to doing Eddie Howe justice.

His 35 NUFC Premier League matches have brought 15 wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats. That averages around 1.57 points per match and over the course of a full 38 match season, equates to around 60 points.

However, if you take only the NUFC PL matches in 2022, it is a case of fourteen wins, seven draws and six defeats. That averages around 1.81 points per match and over the course of a full 38 game season, equates to around 69 points.

Basically, the Eddie Howe story at Newcastle United so far, based on all of his Premier League matches, is a record that would see NUFC competing for the top six. Whilst if you restrict it to the 27 Newcastle PL matches played since the turn of the year, it is challenging top four form.

Paul Merson predicts a 2-1 win against Brentford on Saturday and I think that if Newcastle can do that and then avoid defeat at Old Trafford in the next game, it will give a great platform to then attack the remaining handful of Premier League matches before getting to the enforced Qatar World Cup break.

With European demands (six group games in total to be played before mid-November) on the usual suspects and then them having a disproportionate number of players heading off to the World Cup as well, it surely opens the door to certain other clubs (Brighton, Newcastle??) to potentially upset the status quo this season.

Paul Merson speaking to Sportskeeda:

“Brentford are on a run of two games without a goal, while Newcastle United completely and utterly dismantled Fulham last weekend.

“After Fulham went down to ten men, the Magpies made their man advantage count, fair play to them. They moved the ball around well and scored good goals, so Eddie Howe would’ve been really pleased as we often see teams who fail to capitalize on a sending off.

“The Arsenal result has knocked Brentford sideways, so I don’t see them getting a positive result here.

“I fancy Newcastle to build on their good start to the season with a 2-1 win at home.

“If they get a top ten finish and an impressive cup run, it’ll be a fantastic full season as manager for Howe, who hasn’t done much wrong since joining the club under the new owners.

“Newcastle have a lot of work to do, but if they keep their players fit and revitalize their squad with a couple of fresh faces in January, they could be a force to be reckoned with.

“Prediction: Newcastle United 2-1 Brentford.”

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