Three bold predictions for Newcastle United in 2021/22

Newcastle United enter 2021/22 on the back of yet another frustrating summer.

But just how much can Steve Bruce’s side achieve this season?

The big kick-off against West Ham is just two days away and it is time to make some bold predictions for the year ahead.

The point here is to be ambitious and not conservative. There’s been enough negativity around. Of course much of it is justified but if you aren’t allowed hope at the start of a campaign, when will you have it?

So let’s get to it. Here is a quite overly-positive look ahead to Newcastle United’s upcoming campaign…

Callum Wilson to score 20 goals or more

Wilson made no bones about telling Alan Shearer in an interview with the Athletic about his goal target for the season: “I just want to get to 20 goals this season. I’m not shying away from that.

“I’ve played in League One, the Championship, and the Premier League and this is the only league where I haven’t hit 20 goals yet. That’s grinding away at me inside. It’s no secret, I want to hit 20 goals this season.”

If Wilson thinks he can fire in 20 goals this season, that’s good enough for us.

A deep cup run

One of the most frustrating things about the club in recent years has been shunning the cup competitions in order to focus on Premier League survival.

But surely a good cup run has to happen one year?

Bruce said in June 2019: “I hope I can get this football club over the line in terms of winning a trophy.

“I’m not that naive to think we can win the Premier League, but we’ve got to be having a go with one of the trophies.”

It’s time for Bruce to back that up, because last season’s 1-0 EFL Cup quarter-final loss at Brentford was one of the lowest moments of 2020/21.

Portugal U20 v England U20 - International Friendly — Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images

Willock will make his full England debut

If Willock picks up where he left off last season, it will catch the eye of Gareth Southgate.

England don’t have a whole host of central midfielders at the moment, and certainly not many who can go box to box and score goals.

A 21-year-old being one of the key players for a huge Premier League club isn’t easy to ignore.

He’ll have moved to Newcastle with one eye on getting the regular football required to make it to the 2022 World Cup and Willock could well make his international debut before the end of the season.

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Three bold predictions for Newcastle United in 2021/22

Callum Wilson to score 20 goals or more

A deep cup run

Willock will make his full England debut