Jurgen Klopp’s recent prodding at Jurgen Klopp is the surprising part. Newcastle United as one of three clubs “who can do what they want financially” is less about what he said than when he said it. The richest teams are those with the most money. It is difficult to understand the concept, but it is a common trait of the best teams. After a decade of restricted spending and stunted ambitions, the economy has finally recovered., this is the territory clearly marked out at St James’ Park.
“There is no ceiling for Newcastle. Congratulations, but some other clubs have ceilings,” said Klopp and, in a few years, the LiverpoolManager may be right. Our goal is to be regulars here in Europe, to compete and win things with the financial clout of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, their 80 per cent owners, behind themNewcastle has both the resources and will to make it happen.
Fair game and fair enough are in that spirit. Newcastle supporters might as well accept it, as do fans of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, the other members of Klopp’s high-rolling axis of affluence, have done. The accusation that success can be bought is well-known. It’s also implied that it overrides skill and nuance. Most of the times, money wins.
It is hard to argue with the assertion that Newcastle have spent 12 months on new players after their takeover. The £90-odd million they committed in January was more than any other club in the world. Threatened with relegation, they stayed up and then went for it again in the summer, smashing their transfer record with the £60million purchase of Alexander Isak, which takes their total outlay to a mind-bending £200million ($232m).
Klopp stated that Newcastle was one of three clubs capable of doing what they want. (Photo by Getty Images).
Here they are, fourth place, fresh from facing Tottenham HotspurOn their own turf and winning, setting a mark and gatecrashing a Champions LeagueThey are a force of nature, pushing upwards without any ceiling and doing whatever they want, more or less. They may not be as far ahead as they would like, but Newcastle is still in their sights. Premier LeagueIn their diamond-encrusted bulldozer.
Except that watching the Spurs match on a pub telly with a mate, who isn’t massively into football, and trying (and failing) to explain how seeing Newcastle participate in an engaging, front-foot contest between two decent sides is still so completely alien, reinforced the thought that Klopp could hardly have been more wrong. From this point, cash will always be associated with Newcastle’s story, but it is a long way from being the only story.
Every situation has its context. Newcastle signed only players named “Neil” in the two transfer windows that preceded the takeover. Joe Willock. Since 2017, their core team was unchanged, and the players who were promoted in 2017 had lost their value. They had very little to sell so selling to buy was not an option. It was required because it came after underinvestment. Partially it was a correction. Partially, it was the only option.
The truly remarkable part about that 2-1 victory over Tottenham and a performance Eddie Howe rated as “probably the best” of his spell at the club was not just how different Newcastle have become in terms of quality and outlook, it was how much they remain the same. Six members of the starting team — more than half of it, in other words — pre-date the head coach’s arrival and pre-date the flood of money.
“Playing like (Miguel) Almiron”, that well-lubricated jibe from Jack GrealishThis means that you can score more goals than before. Gabriel Jesus Mohamed SalahThis season. Fabian Schar, who cost £3million, is crucial to the Premier League’s tightest defence. Joelinton surely represents the greatest about-turn in form and fortune in Newcastle’s history. Sean LongstaffRafa Benitez’s dynamic midfielder, Willock is back. Willock is a box-tobox energy.
(Photo: James Gill/Getty Images).
The exception is Callum WilsonWhile he is fit, who has been vital (and good) when he was, there have been moments when the other players have looked lost or been discarded. Newcastle’s success and the prominence of these players are testaments to Howe and his coaching staff as well as their resilience. This achievement is comparable to their sprint to safety last spring. Exceptional.
It is worth investing a little more money. Dan BurnTottenham – played left-back If memory serves, there wasn’t frenzied competition from other clubs when Newcastle brought him home in January from Brighton & Hove Albion, where he wasn’t guaranteed a game. Nick PopeBrilliant in goal joined them from relegated Burnley in the summer, for an initial payment of just £3million. Couldn’t anybody have afforded that?
Kieran Trippier has been a transformative signing, an England international last seen winning La Liga with Atletico Madrid, but Newcastle didn’t get him by blowing their rivals out of the water or shattering their wage bill. They did their homework. heard he might be receptive to coming back to the Premier League and quietly made their move when others didn’t. If the team was relegated, there was no clause that would allow him to walk away.
The same is true for Bruno GuimaraesTheir Brazilian playmaker, who along with Sven BotmanNewcastle wants to be a team that is talented, has the best years ahead of it, and can reach their full potential. Although this vision of the future is very exciting, it does not imply that the club simply gave them a corporate credit card. These were smart signings who were bought at fair prices and are now increasing in value.
Chris WoodThe opposite is true. Would any other club have triggered his £25million release clause at Burnley? It is not easy, but it was born out of pragmatism. With Wilson injured, Newcastle required a ready-made centre-forward and although he is nobody’s idea of the future, the New Zealand international played his part in survival. Isak’s fee is even heftier, but he came at another moment of doubt for Wilson. Newcastle changed his targets and acted.
Some pointed comments were made when Aston VillaSteven Gerrard was appointed in the same day as Howe in Newcastle. Although comparisons can be misleading, the differences between clubs is fascinating. There has not been a big name like Gerrard. Philippe Coutinho at St James’, where character was the first building block Howe put in place. Gerrard is now gone. Unai Emery, who declined the Newcastle job, has taken its place.
Because Newcastle’s hit rate is too high, despite their thorough background checks, the law of averages says that they will eventually sign a dud. They will need to take some risks with players. Their salaries will rise and they will be able to move away from their mentors as they improve. Howe must then protect the ethos that brought them here, although they have been cautious, careful and intelligent.
Klopp is well within his rights to give Howe a nibble, even if he doesn’t name him. Newcastle, however, are just starting from scratch in many aspects. The training ground for them is being modernised — and not before time, given the “embarrassing” facility the new owners inherited.
What about the commercial and marketing side of football? August was the first month that Darren Eales began his job as chief executive.It was staffed with four people. 250 people work for the largest clubs. Newcastle might be the next big club, but for now it is miles away.
There may not be “a ceiling” in terms of their ambition, but they are absolutely hampered by their infrastructure, staffing levels and by financial fair play and even if you accept what he was getting at, Klopp might have acknowledged the superb job Howe has done and is doing.
Newcastle’s 12th league game last season was Howe’s first at the club. With a 3-3 draw Brentford — in which Schar, Willock, Joelinton and Wilson all started — saw them drop to bottom of the table. After 12 games this time… well, just look at them.
Howe said he felt obliged “to stand up for my football club”, which is absolutely fair enough, because nobody else will. It’s already a theme on the pitch. Newcastle are now drawing with Manchester City after years of sitting and absorbing punches. Manchester UnitedThis season, they lost to Liverpool in the final seconds and now have a win at Spurs. They have a backbone.
However, the true pleasure in watching Newcastle is not what Klopp meant. In his telling, doing “what they want” sounds like the blunderbuss of a blank cheque, obliterating everything, when on Tyneside what they have sought is the minutiae of improvement on the training pitch and building on what they had. Joelinton tackles and Almiron smiles are clear signs that they do what they want.
Yes, they are more rich. But so much better.
(Top photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
