Newcastle United's 'silly' transfer strategy exposed after £68m double deal & Chelsea spending

Newcastle are now four Premier League games without a win following the 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at St James’ Park on Saturday. The Magpies sit ninth in the table after eight games and have progressed to the last-16 of the Carabao Cup where they will host Chelsea next week.

Newcastle also face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next up in the Premier League as Eddie Howe’s side head into a crucial point in the season. While Newcastle’s performances have generally improved in recent weeks, the results have not as the side head to Chelsea having gone seven hours without scoring a goal from open play.

Newcastle journalists, Liam Kennedy, Dominic Scurr and Jordan Cronin debated the club’s start to the season via Geordie Journos on Shots TV.

Watch on Shots! Geordie Journos debate - Is Eddie Howe under pressure at Newcastle?

And Kennedy feels there is a ‘weariness’ surrounding the club at the moment that has stemmed from a lack of major activity, both in terms of incomings and outgoings, in recent transfer windows.

“I think there is a weariness but that only comes and this is why I point the finger very firmly at Eddie Howe, is that only comes from a manager not really freshening things up and people might then turn to say but he hasn't been backed, he wasn't backed in the summer transfer window,” he said. “It's not necessarily true.

“He would have been backed more had he allowed certain players to leave. And he would have been backed more had the club sold better. It is essentially Eddie Howe who has had final say on whether players get sold or not.

“And he's chosen to hang on to players who have now lost value. So they're going to be harder to shift on. I'm not going to name names, you all know who they are.

“Now with hindsight, it's an easy thing to say, ‘you should have sold X when somebody came in, you should have sold Y’.

“But that's not really on us to say, we're not in the business, we're not looking at the balance sheets, we're not looking to see what can come next window, four windows in front, we're not looking at these trajectories. These people are, and Eddie Howe in particular has taken the decision that ‘no, I'm going to actually just retain a core of what I've got and just add bits and bobs’. I don't think it needs that.

“If it's not to be a change of manager, which I'm not suggesting it should - which is the biggest sweep you could make really - it has to be a change of almost, you get rid of three and you sign six.

“I’m not saying in January but it needs a summer like that because it hasn't had it for the last couple.”

Kennedy then looked to Chelsea and their success in the transfer market in both selling and buying players in recent seasons. The Blues have spent more than any other club since Newcastle were taken over but also generated significant revenue through player sales.

“[Newcastle] need to bring in final third quality because all of the problems you've got at the moment - Newcastle United differ from the teams at the top,” he added. “Chelsea, their next opponent for example. Cole Palmer, integral to everything that Chelsea do, gets an injury when Christopher Nkunku comes in.

“You know they've got layers and look they've spent lots but they're only allowed to spend lots because they sell lots. That's what Newcastle United don't do.

“Yes, they haven't got the assets of Chelsea, I'm not comparing those two direct models. However, they've got to sell better.

“When players are at the peak of their power, they've got to let them go. You can't hang on to players and expect that they're going to get better or keep the squad dynamic the same. And it's a trend.

“So look, let’s name players. You might get Miguel Almiron, you might get Kieran Trippier, you might get Callum Wilson. I like all three players in their individual merits.

“You might look at other players in the squad, but because you don't let players like that go, Elliot Anderson has to go, and then Yankuba Minteh has to go, and players that you probably wouldn't want to let go because you're hanging on to the ones that aren't getting any better.

“They've already peaked and they're not going to get better. So it's a silly strategy, but we've seen it. There's a real intent to hang on to people to the nth degree.

“He's going to hang on to them anyway for the dynamic, the thought process behind the squad, squad building etc.

“But you're not really building the squad, you're just hanging on to exactly what you've got, and while you hang on to everybody you've got, other teams get better. And that's what we're seeing this season.”

Following the double header against Chelsea, Newcastle host Arsenal at St James’ Park before a trip to Nottingham Forest, a side who have enjoyed a strong start to the season after facing PSR difficulties last season.

You can watch full episodes of Geordie Journos every Monday at 10:30pm on Freeview channel 262 & Freely channel 565, or on ShotsTV.com by clicking here.