Newcastle United

Matthew Raisbeck
BBC Radio Newcastle reporter

Image source, Getty Images

As we reflect on an incredible season - the most successful in living memory - it is worth ing how difficult things were before a ball had even been kicked.

There was a real sense of unease around the club last July. PSR issues forced the sales of two talented young players, there were rumours about Eddie Howe and the England job, and popular co-owner and director Amanda Staveley left the club.

Further changes behind the scenes saw a new sporting director arrive, but no significant gs were made despite a very public pursuit of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi. Then, they went through a third transfer window in January without strengthening the squad.

Belief in Howe and the team has always been there but after a tough summer, er expectations were modest. To have achieved so much this season is truly remarkable and is testament to what a brilliant manager he is.

They are lucky to have him.

The football began with good results but unconvincing performances and after losing to Brentford in December, they were 12th in the table. Howe apologised to fans for their performance that day and views it as their lowest moment of the season.

They produced incredible turnaround with a club-record-equalling nine-match winning run in all competitions, including both legs of the League Cup semi-final.

No-one can say they had it easy on the way to Wembley - Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Brentford and Arsenal were among their opponents before a terrific performance in the final against Premier League champions Liverpool on a day when every Geordie's dreams came true. That weekend, and the trophy parade that followed, will be cherished forever.

While winning a trophy gave fans the best day of their football-ing lives, qualifying for the Champions League was crucial for the short-term and long-term future of the club.

There was no drop-off after Wembley. In fact, they just kept getting better until injuries hit and they slipped from third to fifth in the final week of the campaign.

Crucially, they are in a stronger financial position than 12 months ago, and the offer of Champions League football can give them an edge in the transfer market this time.

Eddie Howe wants the club to act quickly, saying "speed" is key because "good players don't hang around for long."

If they can do that, and give Howe the backing he deserves, it could be an exciting summer.

Listen to full commentary on every Newcastle United game, and have your say on the Magpies on Total Sport North East every weeknight from 18:00, on BBC Radio Newcastle.

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We asked for your views on fan writer Charlotte Robson's end-of-season scorecard (27 May, 15:58 BST).

Here are some of your comments:

Jack: Tino Livramento is my unsung hero. Dan Burn, Jacob Murphy, Alex Isak and Sandro Tonali have all been class, but I don't see Tino getting the credit he deserves. He has proven his versatility and talent, which will be so important for the future of our club. His relationship with Lewis Hall is really special - two full-backs that will win big not only at Newcastle but also for England.

John: I think at best it's a 7/10 season. Too inconsistent - should have sewn up Champions League qualification much earlier. Dropped too many points against lower teams. My player of the season is Dan Burn.

Philip: A very good season considering we were 12th in December. Eddie has proved once again what a superb coach he is by fixing problems as they come along. Never panics.

Paul: Season rating is 10/10! Winning a first domestic cup in 70 years and with a threadbare squad due to injuries, FFP restraints and manager absence to boot still qualifying for the Champions League is an achievement that is hard to top.

Philip: What a season! Trophy in the bag and Champions League football again! I feel we definitely need to improve in the goalkeeping position and if Caoimhin Kelleher is available we should do all we can to sign him.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Crystal Palace wing-back Daniel Munoz ranked second in distance covered (242 miles) last season and he also made the most sprints in the Premier League with 907.

Bryan Mbeumo and Milos Kerkez also rank highly, just behind Fulham's American speedster Antonee Robinson.

Newcastle's Anthony Gordon completes the top five.

While Gordon ranked fifth for sprints overall across the season, he sprinted more often than any other player, averaging 29 sprints per 90 minutes.

What's in a name? Well if the name's Anthony (or Antonee) then it is sprinting, with Gordon, Elanga and Robinson all in the top five.

Munoz is here again, coming in at fourth, behind Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson.

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The BBC's Ask Me Anything team have done all of the research ahead of the announcement detailing next season's Premier League matches.

The fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 and the release will include the weekly schedule of all 380 matches.

The season will begin with a single fixture played on Friday, 15 August 2025 and conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all matches will be played at 16:00 BST. There will be 33 weekend rounds of fixtures, plus five midweek rounds.

The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters.

Read the full article here

Newcastle are ready to make their first moves in a crucial summer, with bids for Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, 24, and Brentford's 25-year-old Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

They are also one of the clubs working on a deal for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, 22. (ipaper - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

We asked you to select your Newcastle player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.

And with the poll now closed, we can reveal the winner is... Sandro Tonali!

Here's what Charlotte Robson from the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external said about him:

Midfield maestro from Milano.

This season has seen us unlock this player who somehow seems to get better and better each game.

He has slotted into this holding midfielder/attacking hybrid role with ease, pushing play up the pitch and being instrumental in crucial wins.

See the final poll breakdown

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe is ing the likes of Alan Shearer, Sir Bobby Robson and Jackie Milburn in being granted freedom of the city status after leading the Magpies to their first domestic trophy for 70 years.

Howe steered his team to a historic Carabao Cup triumph in March and this honour means Howe will have his name inscribed in the wall of the Banqueting Hall at the Civic Centre, alongside the names of other recipients.

"Eddie Howe will forever be a hero to Newcastle United ers for his achievements during his time at the club so far," council leader Karen Kilgour said.

"I'm thrilled [of the council] recognised the significance of his contribution to our city by approving to bestow upon him the Honorary Freedom of Newcastle.

"For a city that lives and breathes sport with a football club around which so many lives revolve, the wait to see black and white shirts lift a trophy at the home of football had long felt it would go on forever.

"More than being the man who brought silverware back to Tyneside, Eddie is a fantastic ambassador for our city.

"He is ionate yet calm, inspiring and polite, and handles himself with grace in the face of both success and defeat."

Read more about Howe receiving the highest civic honour the city can grant

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes covered the most ground this season, running 261 miles (St James' Park to Wembley is 271 miles).

He retains the award after racking up 263 miles in the competition last season.

Josko Gvardiol, Daniel Munoz, Bryan Mbeumo and Milos Kerkez complete the top five for most distance covered across the Premier League season.

Taking time on the pitch into (out of players that played over half the available minutes), Guimaraes was pipped by Newcastle team-mate in the list by team-mate Sandro Tonali who covered more ground per 90 minutes than the Brazilian…although Bruno still ran 7.2 miles per 90 minutes!

Tottenham's Dejan Kulusevski ran harder than any other player this season, covering 7.7 miles per 90 minutes on average.

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek ran an average of 7.5 miles per 90 minutes, while Manchester City's Bernardo Silva (7.3) and Brighton's Yasin Ayari complete the top five.

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BBC Radio Newcastle's Matthew Raisbeck has reflected on a "difficult start" for outgoing sporting director Paul Mitchell at the club, but believes his departure should not have a "disruptive effect" on the Magpies summer transfer plans.

Mitchell is to leave the club by mutual consent at the end of June, less than 12 months after his appointment.

"There was a lot of interest last summer when Newcastle tried and were unable to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in the dynamic between Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell and how they could work together," said Raisbeck.

"Howe has been very measured when asked about it but Mitchell in September last year gave an interview where he described the club's transfer policy prior to his arrival as 'not fit for purpose'.

"That was quite strong language and, when asked about it, Howe defended the transfer record and approach.

"There had been a difficult start and rough introduction between them and for Mitchell at Newcastle on the back of last summer's late sales to avoid PSR penalties, but there has been an ability to work together over the past few months.

"The relationship with Darren Eales [Newcastle's chief executive] was key in Mitchell coming and the fact Eales has to depart for health reasons has to be noted in this decision."

The Magpies only confirmed Champions League qualification on the final day and have not made a major g for three transfer windows.

However, Raisbeck believes recruitment plans are in place regardless of Mitchell's future.

"What is also important to say is that at this point in Newcastle's summer, with Howe reiterating the need to move quickly in the market, this shouldn't have too much of a disruptive effect," he said.

"They have been building towards the summer for a while. They have a recruitment team at the club including Steve Nickson who is very well respected and regarded and Andy Howe - Eddie's nephew - who is assistant head of recruitment and held roles at Bournemouth previously.

"Transfer targets and a plan are in place."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.

The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.

Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.

Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).

Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.

Everton have ed Leeds United in the race to sign 33-year-old Newcastle United and England striker Callum Wilson, who is out of contract next month. (The Sun, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Season rating: This season has to be a 9/10. Winning a domestic trophy after 70 years and qualifying once again for the Champions League has surely made this one of the best seasons in living memory.

Happy with your manager? I'm really happy with Eddie Howe and how he has managed this season. December was worrying after a poor performance against Brentford at their place but, Howe being Howe, it was meticulously analysed. He changed our system, unlocked Sandro Tonali, and fixed it. He was in hospital this season with pneumonia, and got back to the touchline as soon as he could (possibly too soon?!) to guide the team and finish the season strong. He's already a club legend.

Unsung hero: I will also take this opportunity to sing Jacob Murphy's praises. Murphy is a frustrating player to watch at times but you cannot deny his stats this season. Ignoring the final game of the season (for many reasons - not just him), his contribution has been amazing. Eight goals in the league and 12 assists. We would not have got Champions League football without him - and he clearly is loved by the rest of the squad.

Player you would most like to sign: We need to strengthen significantly this summer. We have been linked with Bryan Mbeumo for a while now, which would be a great g. He's dynamic, can play on the right wing or through the middle, particularly important if we are losing Callum Wilson this summer. We need exciting forward options for the Champions League, and with 20 league goals and seven assists this season, Mbeumo fits that profile perfectly. He's also only 25. Ideal.

Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Happiness. It was not easy, or pretty, but we did what we needed to do. And Manchester United helped us out for once too, which was nice. I'm so excited for next season. Champions League football at St James Park once again. Buzzing.

Do you agree with Charlotte's answers? Pick one or two categories and send your answer

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

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Here's my quick assessment of Newcastle's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.

Pre-season prediction: 9th

Ended the season: 5th

A brilliant season from manager Eddie Howe and his team. The Toon Army celebrated their first domestic trophy for 70 years - and first silverware for 55 years - with the deserved Carabao Cup win against Liverpool at Wembley, and now they are back in the Champions League.

St James' Park was in a cold sweat on the final day as Newcastle lost to Everton, but the party started after Manchester United's controversial win over Aston Villa.

This will surely mean key duo Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes have no need to eye pastures new and will form the bedrock for further progress next season.

What I said in August: "Top 10 but still some uncertainty at Newcastle United."

Read my assessments of the other 19 teams here

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Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell says "the club is in great hands" as he prepares to leave by mutual consent after less than a year at St James' Park.

Mitchell, who ed the Magpies to replace Dan Ashworth in July 2024, will depart at the end of next month.

He had reunited with Newcastle CEO Darren Eales, who recruited him at Tottenham in 2014, but Eales will soon step down for health reasons.

"I'm leaving at a time that is right for me and the club, particularly with Darren Eales - someone who I have worked so closely with in my career - moving on soon," said Mitchell.

"I'd like to thank everyone at Newcastle United for their over the last year, including Eddie Howe, Becky Langley, the players, staff, owners and fans. It has been an honour to be part of the club and to work with some incredible people.

"The club is in great hands on and off the pitch, and is in a fantastic position to continue building."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye believes his old club can keep hold of their best players and challenge for further trophies next year after qualifying for the Champions League.

Newcastle claimed a fifth-placed finish on the final day of the season despite losing 1-0 at home to Everton.

This has boosted Eddie Howe's hopes of keeping the squad together and challenging for more trophies after claiming the Carabao Cup in March.

The likes of Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento have all attracted interest from other clubs. However, Cabaye believes Newcastle has the capacity to keep hold of their strongest assets.

He said: "Of course it's important to keep these players.

"When you do a great season, it's normal that your players are linked with other football clubs.

"But today Newcastle is one of the biggest clubs of the country. So I think they have got the capacity to keep them.

"Trust me, to play for Newcastle is something special - and keeping those players is going to be key for next season."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Newcastle player John Anderson believes keeping Callum Wilson at the club is worthwhile if the deal is right.

Wilson is out of contract this summer, and it is not believed he has been offered an extension on his current deal.

The 33-year-old striker made 18 Premier League appearances this season - the majority from the bench - but failed to a goal.

Anderson said: "There's stories flying around about a 'pay as you play' deal. I don't think that's a bad shout on the club's part.

"When you look at Wilson's history, the club have to protect themselves.

"He's been great when he plays, the majority of time when he plays he scores. The problem was he was never fit for long enough."

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle defender Dan Burn says he is excited about the Tyne-Wear derby next season and is hoping to face the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Champions League after the Magpies secured fifth spot in the Premier League.

Asked who his dream opponents would be this time around, Burn said: "I want to play against the best teams, so I'd love to play against Real Madrid, Barcelona. That's why you want to play Champions League football - it'll be exciting.

"It'll be good to even see Sunderland getting back to the Premier League. It's such a weird thing because I'm really excited about it.

"I shouldn't be, but those were the games when I was a kid. The derby days were the first fixtures I'd look for when they came out, so I wouldn't say that I'm happy for them coming up but I am happy that we get the derbies back."

Sunderland will play in the top flight for the first time since the 2016-17 season after coming from behind to beat Sheffield United 2-1 in the Championship play-off final.

While Burn is excited to have those derbies back, he believes Newcastle can push on further next season.

He said: "I don't think we're far away from sort of challenging at the top. The gaffer has mentioned that we've not strengthened in the last few seasons, so it will probably be a big summer to add players and keep it fresh.

"It's probably just going to be that change of mentality where we really get that belief that we should be up there.

"It would be great to have a good Champions League run and I'm sure that he would love to win another cup. I feel like now that we've won that first cup, it's broken the seal a bit and now we feel like we can really do that again."

Newcastle United are holding talks with England Under-21 forward Liam Delap as they look to convince the Ipswich Town player to them instead of Everton, Manchester United or Chelsea. (TeamTalk, external)

The Magpies also have a serious interest in Brighton's Brazil forward Joao Pedro, 23. (i Paper - subscription needed, external)

Newcastle have decided against taking up the option to extend striker Callum Wilson's contract but have entered negotiations about a new incentive-based deal. (Athletic - subscription needed, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Matthew Raisbeck
BBC Radio Newcastle reporter

Image source, Getty Images

A Wembley win and a top-five finish means this has been a truly special season - arguably the best they have ever had.

And, despite a stressful second half against Everton on Sunday, it is a campaign that did have its happy ending.

Losing at home after a disappointing performance but getting a favour from Manchester United - a club most Newcastle fans have zero affection for - was certainly a curious way to confirm their Champions League place.

Ironically, it was Man Utd who took the final European spot from the Magpies Europe 12 months ago when they won the FA Cup.

Relying on a result from elsewhere was reminiscent of the final day in 2017 when Newcastle beat Barnsley at St James' Park. Within seconds of Dwight Gayle making it three-nil, we received news of an Aston Villa equaliser against Brighton - a goal that handed the Magpies the Championship title.

That day, it was Jack Grealish for Aston Villa. This time, former Sunderland player Amad Diallo got the crucial opener for Man Utd against Villa on the weekend Newcastle's north-east rivals secured promotion back to the Premier League.

So next season will have Champions League football and there will be two derbies to either enjoy or endure - depending on your point of view!

Have your say on the Magpies on Total Sport North East every weeknight from 18:00, on BBC Radio Newcastle.

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