Tomorrow is the first day of the new Premier League season and Newcastle United will be hoping to replicate last season’s success by finishing in the Champions League qualifications spots again.
There’s potentially five Champions League places up for grabs this season depending on how well English teams fare in European competition this season, but the BBC have gone with predicting the traditional top four for now.
The BBC asked all of their football pundits to predict their Premier League top four and one man who backed Newcastle to be amongst those heading for the Champions League was former Magpie Chris Waddle.
Waddle backs Newcastle for third place in the Premier League
Waddle expects Newcastle to finish third this season but he does express a concern when explaining his decision, one that could prevent Eddie Howe‘s men from reaching the heights he expects.
“Eddie Howe has done a great job because, when you look at their team on paper compared to the other sides up there, you wouldn’t say Newcastle are a top-four team,” said Waddle. “I’m expecting more of the same this year, though, which is why I am backing them to make it again. They were terrific at home, they were solid defensively and there was a real buzz about the way they played.
“The only problem I see with them is still who is going to get them goals, because they don’t score enough. Callum Wilson is a poacher but he has fitness issues, and Alexander Isak seems to prefer to come and join in the build-up.”
Newcastle can definitely improve on last season’s goal tally
I can sort of see where Waddle is coming from, 68 goals last season wasn’t a bad effort but well shy of Manchester City‘s 94 or Arsenal‘s 88, but if you factor in Isak’s long-term injury and that strange post-World Cup dip in form from Wilson, we didn’t do too bad.
Now we have brought in Harvey Barnes who isn’t afraid to help himself to a goal or two, I think we’ll be fine. That’s not to say another striker wouldn’t go amiss, but as long as Wilson and Isak stay fit goals won’t be too much of a problem this season.
If anything it’s still the defence that needs additions to ensure we can replicate last season’s success. We seem to be going into the first game of the season without Fabian Schar which means Jamaal Lascelles could be our starting centre-back for the first game of the season which, no disrespect to our captain, isn’t a great start.
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