The madness continues for Newcastle United.
After two weeks without NUFC matches, it is now seven in three weeks.
This planning just feels worse, the stop-start nature of modern club football.
I think the fact that Newcastle United are in the Champions League only makes this even more striking.
There were also seven matches in a three-week period between the September and October international breaks. Those seven games produced four wins (Wolves, Bradford, Union SG, Forest), one draw (Bournemouth) and two defeats (Barcelona, Arsenal).
It may sound a bit dramatic this early in the season, but to some extent the next three weeks could seriously make or break Newcastle’s season.
Thinking positive outcomes
In the last eight of the Carabao Cup, ensuring the Champions League play-off for at least the last 16, and a place in the top six of the Premier League.
Don’t think so positive results
Out of the Carabao Cup, minimal chance of even a Champions League place in the last 16 play-offs, at the back of the bottom six of the Premier League.
Three months into the season, after the November internationals, these are the kind of extremes that are more than possible.
Starting with the knockout competitions, the huge advantage in this three-week period is that United are home for the entire trio.
In the last three Spurs visits to St James’ Park, Newcastle have won all three and scored twelve goals. In the last six home and away games under Eddie Howe against Tottenham, NUFC have won five.
In the Champions League, Newcastle United will play Athletic Bilbao and Benfica, who have lost all four of their CL matches between them this season.
It is not a matter of believing that any of these three home games will be easy, BUT every reason to have faith that Eddie Howe and his players can win them all.
The four Premier League games in this three-week period are interesting.
They have to compete against four clubs who have been in the middle of the Premier League in recent times.
For me, games against these types of teams (Fulham, Brentford, Brighton and West Ham) are more often than not the type of results that can largely define your season.
When Newcastle United finished fourth in the 2022/23 season and qualified for the Champions League, the eight games (home and away) against those four clubs yielded 20 points out of a possible 24, with six wins and two draws. In the remaining 30 PL matches that season, Newcastle took 51 points out of a possible 90.
In contrast, Newcastle United finished fifth last season despite their results against mid-table teams like this. Against Fulham, West Ham, Brentford and Brighton, Newcastle took just seven points from a possible 24 through two wins, a draw and five defeats.
I feel like these kinds of games, in what seems like a very tough Premier League this season, are the kind of games where Newcastle need to pick up a lot of points, especially if we hope to see NUFC playing Champions League football in 2026/2027.
In this three-week period, only one (Fulham) is at home and the other three (Brighton, West Ham, Brentford) are away, which makes it extra difficult. I’m not sure what anyone else thinks, but eight points out of twelve would be a smart win in my opinion.
As I said before, the seven games between the last two international breaks brought four wins, a draw and two defeats.
If Newcastle United achieved the same run of results in the next seven games over a three-week period, who would you pick the four wins and a draw against (and the two defeats…)?
The next seven Newcastle United matches coming up…
Saturday October 18 – Brighton v Newcastle (3 p.m.)
Tuesday October 21: Newcastle United vs Benfica (8 p.m.)
Saturday October 25 – Newcastle at Fulham (3 p.m.)
Wednesday October 29 – Newcastle v Spurs (8pm)
Sunday November 2 – West Ham v Newcastle (2 p.m.)
Wednesday November 5: Newcastle United vs Athletic Club (8pm)
Sunday November 9 – Brentford v Newcastle (2 p.m.)
#madness #continues #weeks #break #Newcastle #United