Can Newcastle Avoid A Second Season Syndrome?

The club as a whole was shocked with the performance levels and ultimate fourth-placed finish, but have Eddie Howe's men peaked too early in their plan for football dominance in the future?

Relegation Certainties To Champions League Qualifiers

It is not long ago that Newcastle was bouncing around from the Premier League to the Championship under the ownership of Mike Ashley. In fact, The Magpies were staring relegation in the face once again in the 2021/22 season, that is until the Ashley reign came to an end and a new era began on Tyneside.

Taken over by the Saudi PIF, it is a sign of the better times under the new owners that Newcastle now finds themselves at +1600 in the

for the upcoming season. This is largely down to the appointment of Eddie Howe, who has turned the fortunes of the club around swiftly.

Having qualified for the Champions League last season, Newcastle is very popular in

for a top-four finish once again this season at +160, but is all of this success and popularity in the betting markets coming a little bit soon in the new era at St James' Park?

A Tough Season Ahead

Newcastle and their cash-rich owners have been busy adding to their squad over the summer as they face fighting on four fronts this season, but it still promises to be a tough test of squad depth and quality of players for Eddie Howe and co.

The new owners promised a bright future for the Newcastle fans after taking control of the club and

, but not in their wildest dreams would they have thought that success would have come about so soon.

Howe reignited the fire in a lethargic dressing room on arrival, breathing new life into unfancied players already at the club and making some astute signings in the transfer market. A first Champions League qualification since 2002/03 has followed but the squad still looks a little short on numbers, particularly of the class needed to face the top teams in Europe.

The dreaded

rules have scuppered any chances of a big spending spree, and that might just work out as a positive in the long run, with Howe keen to add the right character of player to his squad rather than big named primadonnas.

Second-season syndrome is a worry for fans that have been through the mire consistently in the past, but the good times are back on Tyneside as it stands, and the raucous toon army is now dreaming of away days at some of the biggest clubs that European football has to offer. 

It is a far cry from the days of playing the likes of Burton and Rotherham in the Championship, something that fans will hope will never be seen again. For now, the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and AC Milan are a far better view on the horizon.