Newcastle’s first public friendly of the summer ended in a comfortable win at Hull City, but it raised questions over how prepared Eddie Howe’s squad is to challenge for European qualification in the Premier League next season.
A week on from a 3-1 triumph over third-division German side SpVgg Unterhaching behind closed doors, Newcastle ran out 2-0 winners at the MKM Stadium thanks to first-half goals from Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy.
Howe named five natural full-backs in his starting line-up, highlighting how his Newcastle squad is hamstrung by injuries and in need of reinforcements before the 2024-25 season gets underway next month.
Chris Waugh breaks down the main talking points from Hull.
How many full-backs is too many?
The running joke among Newcastle fans during Alan Pardew’s tenure was that he had a squad full of left-backs.
Although this is only Newcastle’s first (public) pre-season friendly — and there were 17 absentees due to injury, fitness management and summer international involvement — the presence of five players in the XI who have spent the majority of their time under Howe at full-back was not especially encouraging.
Dan Burn is a natural centre-half, despite being used consistently at left-back, but Emil Krafth is a right-back and, while the Swede has deputised well when used inside, that merely underlines Newcastle’s pressing need for defensive reinforcements. Lloyd Kelly is not yet deemed fit enough to play as Newcastle look to manage the former Bournemouth defender carefully given his injury record.
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Lewis Hall, meanwhile, played as a midfielder in Chelsea’s youth system, but Newcastle are attempting to convert him into a left-back. However, the 19-year-old started as a No 6 and looked tidy on the ball before moving into defence midway through the first half.
Curiously, Jamal Lewis, who spent last season on loan at Watford and whose most recent competitive appearance for Newcastle came in May 2023, started at left-back. The 26-year-old is available for a transfer this summer but, given the paucity of options available to Howe, he has featured regularly in pre-season.
Come the first game of the season, only Burn and Tino Livramento — the fifth full-back in Saturday’s starting XI — are likely to start in the positions they began this match, which says as much about early pre-season friendlies as it does about Newcastle’s lack of depth in certain areas.
Tino Livramento in action against Hull (Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Isak remains razor-sharp as ever
Newcastle may have considered unpalatable sales of first-team players in their desperate bid to satisfy the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) last month, but Howe rightly would not even countenance the prospect of losing Isak.
The 24-year-old scored 21 league goals last season and, with Sweden absent from Euro 2024, he is set to benefit from a full pre-season programme. Isak looked sharp against Hull, pressing with intensity, and took his goal in typically nonchalant fashion, flicking a Jacob Murphy cross beyond Ivor Pandur.
But, if Isak was clinical, Murphy was Newcastle’s most dangerous attacker, regularly whipping delicious low crosses from the right, which have almost become his trademark. Newcastle’s second goal actually came directly from one, with Harvey Barnes failing to connect and Pandur then allowing it to pass beyond him and into the far corner.
Jacob Murphy was all smiles after finding the back of the net (Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Howe gave his first-team regulars an hour before making a host of changes, with the majority of players coming on promoted from the under-21s.
Trevan Sanusi, the 17-year-old winger, Alfie Harrison, the 18-year-old attacking midfielder, and Anthony Munda, the 17-year-old midfielder, were given opportunities.
Meanwhile, Jamie Miley, the 20-year-old brother of Lewis, started in midfield. Sean Longstaff (minor injury), Sandro Tonali (suspension), Bruno Guimaraes (extended break) and Lewis Miley (knee injury) were unavailable, so Howe was light of options in midfield.
There’s work to do in the transfer market
Four signings were made by July 1, yet two of those were backup goalkeepers and another was the permanent acquisition of Hall.
Kelly is the only summer addition who is likely to feature regularly in 2024-25 and he is not yet deemed fit enough to play. Hall and Odysseas Vlachodimos, who came on as a 75th-minute substitute, were the only signings handed game time at the MKM Stadium, which spotlights the need for Newcastle to ramp up their summer activity now that their new-look structure is in place following a summer of upheaval.
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Newcastle’s most pressing requirements are at centre-half and right-wing.
Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles will not return until the winter and Howe is keen to bring in defensive reinforcements. AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw has long been tracked but, despite noise in Italy, a firm bid has yet to be lodged as Newcastle continue to assess their options.
After missing out on Michael Olise, the majority of Newcastle’s summer budget is expected to be spent on a right-sided forward. Chelsea’s Noni Madueke and Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga are among those discussed, but no incomings are close.
With Callum Wilson struggling with a back problem, acquiring another striker may become necessary given the England international’s poor fitness record.
Paul Mitchell, Newcastle’s new sporting director, is keen to move further senior players out to reduce the wage bill, but Howe clearly needs a fresh injection of quality into his starting XI before the Premier League season kicks off on August 17.
Howe watches his side ease past Hull (Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)
What next for Newcastle?
Wednesday, July 31: Urawa Red Diamonds (Saitama, Japan), 11.30am BST, 6.30am ET
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(Top photo: Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
