Watching their former manager Chris Hughton celebrate securing promotion on Monday night with his current club Brighton can’t have been the easiest thing in the world to watch for Newcastle United fans.
Hughton and his men sealed their Premier League status for next season with a 2-1 victory over struggling Wigan thanks to goals from top scorer Glenn Murray and Solly March. One more victory and the Seagulls will be crowned Champions.
It was under two weeks ago that Newcastle sat pretty at the top of the Sky Bet Championship, a point clear of their closest rivals. However, two defeats and a draw in the last three games – combined with Brighton’s unbelievable April in which they have won five games in 17 days – saw them slip into second place and in turn see Brighton promoted.
Their most recent defeat, a 3-1 reversal at the hands of Ipswich, also gave their closest chasers Huddersfield hope and David Wagner’s side are now breathing down the necks of the Magpies.
Promotion is still very much Newcastle’s to lose however, and six more points will ensure they will once again grace the top flight of English football having been relegated only a season ago.
Preston, Cardiff and Barnsley stand between Rafa Benetiz, his men and the Premier League. Given that those three are placed 10th, 13th and 14th in the table, it shouldn’t be a feat too tall to conquer.
If the Premier League is to be the destination of choice next season, there are a number of things that needed to be sorted if they to avoid the same fate as they suffered last season…
Top Priority: Establish a defence
Goals have been free-flowing for Newcastle this season. Rafael Benitez’s side are the joint second top scorers in the Championship alongside Norwich, both of whom have netted 76 times in 43 games. Only Fulham have scored more with 78 to their name thus far. They have also conceded the second least amount of goals in the league (39), with only Brighton (36) having conceded less.
Given that, it may seem questionable to suggest that Newcastle need to sort out their defence. However, the Premier League is a different beast to the Championship, especially when it comes to top class forwards.
Many of the defenders at the club were with them when they were relegated last season. Jamaal Lascelles, Chancel Mbemba and Paul Dummet were all regular starters in the side of 15/16, and if they continue to start as they are currently next season, they will once again find themselves picked apart by the likes of Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero – given they remain in the Premier League of course.
The key factor for survival in the Premier League is a solid defence, and Newcastle currently do not possess one to that of the quality required for the top flight.
Middle Priority: New contract for Rafa
Benitez has recently taken criticism for his inability to ‘walk’ the Championship given the resources at his disposal and of course his calibre as a manager.
It would have been very easier for the former Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool and Inter Milan boss to leave Newcastle upon their relegation and leave them to pick up the mess that was the end of the 2016 season themselves. Instead he rose to the challenge, swallowed his pride and decided to stick it out.
Attracting top class players to a Championship club, regardless of it’s rich history, is always going to be difficult. Benitez signed the players he needed to in order to get Newcastle out of that league and that looks like a goal achieved. The likes of Dwight Gayle and DeAndre Yedlin have been pivotal members of the squad this season. Even if the club may have paid over the odds for such players, they have done the job.
If promoted, attracting players will be easier and Benitez will have more resources to play with. Rafa is a fantastic manager and is the right man to take the club in the right direction.
Low Priority: Sign an established striker
One of the Magpies’ biggest struggles during their relegation season was their inability to find the back of the net. Alexandar Mitrovic failed to impress while the likes of Yohan Gouffran and Ayoze Perez were also unable to provide a sufficient amount of goals to keep the club up.
Both Dwight Gayle and Matt Richie have been excellent additions this season, and should remain part of the club going into next season. But do either of them have the goals in their locker to ensure Newcastle’s Premier League status next season?
Finding a striker who will score them a guaranteed 15 to 20 goals will be a huge boost to Newcastle’s survival hopes. The Magpies have already been linked with a number of strikers, including Andre Gray of Burnley, who has had an excellent first season in the Premier League.
There are other options out there, though, and a player like Jermain Defoe should also be considered. With Sunderland set for relegation, a switch just up the road could be the perfect move for the England international and indeed for the Magpies. Guaranteed goals.