Why Newcastle United should not panic as slow start to season threatens Champions League hopes
Newcastle United are currently sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League table after securing six points from their opening six games.
It has been a challenging start to the Premier League season for Newcastle United after Eddie Howe’s men claimed just a solitary win in their opening six games of the campaign.
The Magpies kicked off their season by collecting just two points from their opening three games as goalless draws in away games at Aston Villa and Leeds United sandwiched a dramatic 3-2 home defeat against reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.
A first win finally arrived in the fourth game of the season as club record signing Nick Woltemade introduced himself to the St James Park faithful in fine fashion as he got the only goal in a narrow victory against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, a third goalless draw of the season at Bournemouth and Sunday’s disappointing home loss against Arsenal have left Newcastle five points adrift of the top four and they will hope to start closing that gap when they host Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.
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There have been some suggestions the slow start to the campaign has hampered Newcastle’s bid to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season - but how does the Magpies current points tally of six after six games compare to the same stage of the last four seasons when they went on to qualify for the UEFA’s elite club competition?
How have Newcastle United fared after six games in the four seasons they have qualified for the Champions League?
1996/97: 12 points
New world record signing Alan Shearer made his debut in a 2-0 opening day defeat at Everton before netting his first goal in a 2-0 home win against Wimbledon days later. By the time the opening six games of the season were over, Kevin Keegan’s Magpies had fallen to another defeat against Sheffield Wednesday but also claimed further wins against Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland.
2001/02: 11 points
This was the season when Sir Bobby Robson’s Magpies surpassed expectations to land a top four spot as the summer signing of Laurent Robert and Craig Bellamy added pace and forward thrust to the United side. Newcastle lost just one of their opening six games as they fell to a 3-0 loss at West Ham United - but did secure wins against Middlesbrough, Leicester City and Manchester United, as well as battling to draws against Chelsea and Sunderland.
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2002/03: 7 points
The season started on a real high as Lomana Lua Lua scored twice and Alan Shearer and Nobby Solano grabbed a point apiece in a 4-0 win against West Ham United. However, the Magpies would claim just one point from their next four league games as they were beaten by Chelsea, Leeds United and Manchester City and earned a draw at Liverpool. A poor run was ended when Craig Bellamy and Alan Shearer scored first-half goals in a 2-0 Tyne-Wear derby win against Sunderland.
2022/23: 7 points
Newcastle were not expected to be Champions League challengers in their first full season under Eddie Howe - but they defied the odds to secure a top four spot. Their season got underway with a four-game unbeaten run as a home win against Nottingham Forest was followed by draws with Brighton, Manchester City and Wolves. A last-gasp defeat at Liverpool brought a first loss of the campaign and a fifth game without a win followed with a disappointing goalless home draw with Crystal Palace.
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