Eddie Howe silences doubters as £75m Newcastle United summer signings stun Spurs

Newcastle United spent £120m on new strikers this summer. None of them started at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

That was a bold call by Eddie Howe who headed into that match with pressure on his shoulders to deliver a result after a defeat at the weekend and a winless Premier League run that stretched back to their chaotic 4-3 win over Leeds United at the beginning of January.

It was a selection decision that baffled many, but as the two teams headed down the tunnel for half-time, it was one that had already proven to be the correct one. By the time the Newcastle United players went over to the corner to celebrate a 2-1 victory, Howe had once again proved the doubters wrong - as he has done so often during his time at St James’ Park.

Much of the negativity surrounding Howe and the club of late centred around their current form and how their business during the summer transfer window hadn’t helped to fix any of the failings that had developed in this team over the last few seasons. Those questions are still very relevant and have not been silenced after one victory, but they are being asked at a much lower volume in the wake of their win against Spurs.

Summer signing duo inspire Newcastle United win

Ask any Newcastle United fan, and they’d tell you that the biggest success story of the summer was their capture of Malick Thiaw. The former AC Milan man has been brilliant this season and continued that form with a goal on Tuesday night.

That was Thiaw’s fourth Premier League goal of the season and put him joint-top of goalscoring defenders in the league. Not bad for a man who didn’t score his first goal until late-November.

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Elsewhere, though, there haven’t been as many success stories. Take Jacob Ramsey as an example.

He was a player that the club had tracked for over a year before eventually signing him in August. Until very recently, though, you would have been hard pressed to find any Magpies fan who could definitely tell you what kind of player they had on their hands and what his biggest strengths were.

Ramsey, though, has persevered and it’s hard to argue against the fact that he has been one of the club’s most consistent performers in recent weeks. A very good performance in PSG laid the foundations, whilst Tuesday night was the game he exploded, much like his release of emotion as he swept home the winner.

Ramsey was brave on the ball, dovetailed with those in front of him very well and, crucially, was involved in a number of goalscoring chances and could easily have left with a hat-trick had it not been for a few well-timed Spurs defensive blocks. A £40m fee was a big outlay, but a few more displays like Tuesday night and that money will begin to be paid back with interest.

Aston Villa on Saturday, and Qarabag a few days later, oh and Manchester City after that, will all likely be sterner tests than the one they faced on Tuesday night, but if they can escape from that run of games with some positivity surrounding them, then Newcastle United will be well placed to really attack the rest of the season.

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