What a Newcastle source really believes has ruined their season

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Things have not gone quite as planned for Newcastle United this season.

After qualifying for the Champions League and reaching the Carabao Cup final last season, Newcastle are now struggling to match such exploits.

Indeed, the FA Cup is their one chance of a trophy this season, while making a late run to try and qualify for European football next season is looking unlikely.

There’s just so much that has gone wrong this season. Eddie Howe has been working with a crazy injury crisis, as well as having to navigate some freakishly difficult cup draws in a truly grueling campaign.

Then there’s Sandro Tonali.

Sandro Tonali: Newcastle latest news

According to The Daily Mail, a source behind the scenes at the club believes the Italian’s ban from football for betting breaches “killed” Newcastle’s season.

Not having such a big player available since late-October has been a major blow of course, with Tonali also set to miss the start of next season too.

Sandro Tonali: Newcastle future

There were certainly reasons to be excited about Tonali following his arrival, including enjoying a remarkable debut against Aston Villa.

Still, it wasn’t all good. There were questions as to whether or not he and Bruno Guimaraes could operate in the same midfield successfully, after all.

So, Tonali needs to hit the ground running upon his return. He is yet to totally convince and, with Guimaraes reportedly likely to leave this summer, Newcastle will need a new lynchpin.

If Howe can coax the best out of the Italy international, his nightmarish first season at the club will be long forgotten.

Should Tonali continue to struggle, however, and serious questions must be asked of the decision to sign him in the first place.

The pressure is on Tonali and the recruitment staff to prove this can work.