When Newcastle were sliding towards relegation in 2016, Mike Ashley threw cash at the club to try and fix things. It didn’t work.
Jonjo Shelvey, Andros Townsend, Henri Saivet and Seydou Doumbia arrived for around £30 million, but they were powerless to resist the drop. The damage had already been done, with Steve McClaren unable to get a tune out of a talented squad. Two of his midfielders would go on to play in the 2019 Champions League final…
When Steve Bruce was appointed, many fans saw comparisons between him and the wolly with the brolly. English manager with a poor track record handed a few expensive players that were handpicked by the scouting team rather than the man in the dugout.
McClaren got Mitrovic, Bruce got Joelinton. McClaren got Thauvin, Bruce got Saint-Maximin. It was easy to jump to conclusions.
But after a sluggish start, Bruce has started to turn things around. He hasn’t lost a home game since the opening day defeat to Arsenal, and he’s recorded back-to-back wins against West Ham and Bournemouth.
After 12 games, Newcastle are 13th with 15 points, seven clear of the relegation zone. In comparison, McClaren’s side were 17th at this stage in 2015, with 10 points.
But what has this got to do with January? Well if Newcastle can carry on their improved form between now and the New Year then there’ll be no reason to panic in the winter window.
The January transfer window is notorious for panic buys, with clubs panicked into purchasing an overpriced player who ultimately won’t do the business.
But if Newcastle are in a better league position, they can afford not to panic. If a good deal becomes available, they can pounce. We need to make sure we’re in a position where we’re not relying on new players coming in to save our skin.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
