'Newcastle have to get this summer right'
- Published
Newcastle have to get this summer right following a turbulent window a year ago.
The club missed out on a host of first-choice targets; the majority of signings arrived too late; there was no chief executive or sporting director in place; and they ultimately buckled and sold Alexander Isak on deadline day after previously holding firm for so long.
Clubs such as Brentford and Bournemouth have rebuilt smartly after selling key players, but Newcastle have not seen enough of a return from a £100m-plus net recruitment drive that Howe was heavily involved in last summer.
Only defender Malick Thiaw has been an unqualified success.
Because of the relentless schedule between September and March, such signings have mainly relied on analysis sessions rather than physical work to adapt to the intensity, detail and structure of life under Howe.
Jacob Ramsey only had a brief window into Howe's sessions before the fixtures piled up and the midfielder was understood to have found the level of high-intensity running within the drills a jolt at first after being used to a more relaxed way of training, even under the demanding Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
It was a snapshot of the adjustment period so many new signings go through before they find their feet at Newcastle.
Eddie Howe hopes last summer's arrivals will be better for the experience as Newcastle look to reverse a trend moving forward.
Although the head coach has outperformed teams with bigger wage bills in years gone by, his side ended up floundering in the bottom half this time around.
Unlike bitter rivals Sunderland, who beat Newcastle home and away, Howe's men failed to qualify for Europe in a season where eight qualification spots were up for grabs.
Such a boom-bust cycle is unsustainable, but Howe previously thrived when he had had the luxury of extended clear periods to prepare for Premier League games throughout the season.
He has to again.
"Every experience makes you stronger and makes you appreciate the good times," the head coach added. "We will all try and come back a better team."
