Newcastle United, Leeds United and a stunning three years – Quite unbelievable | OneFootball

This is a tale of Leeds United, Newcastle United and something that happened three years to the day.

Eddie Howe had taken over in November 2021, after the belated sacking of Steve Bruce.

The new Newcastle United Head Coach had to get the squad properly fit as a first challenge, then he managed to get the team playing to a better level.

However, having inherited a desperate relegation threatened situation, Eddie Howe still found wins elusive.

His first seven Premier League games in charge had brought Newcastle only one win and NUFC were stuck deep in the relegation zone.

Everything that could go wrong, appeared to be going wrong.

On 27 December 2021, Allan Saint-Maximin gave Newcastle a 7th minute lead against Man U at St James’ Park, Eddie Howe’s team much the better side and should have had the game won, then a 71st minute equaliser gifted to Cavani. To make matters worse, a freak injury saw Callum Wilson ruled out for what looked set to be the rest of the season.

Next Premier League match was home to Watford on 15 January 2022, this time ASM giving Newcastle a 49th minute lead but a pattern emerging, as the visitors this time gifted an 88th minute equaliser.

So 20 Premier League matches into the season and only one victory, the outlook bleak!

Then exactly three years ago today, Elland Road, Leeds United v Newcastle United.

A gutsy battling performance and then on 75 minutes this happened…

An absolute gift from the Leeds keeper exactly three years ago and the rest, as they say, is history.

Everything flowed from there, the team that had won only one of 21 PL games suddenly won six and drew one of the next seven (including that win at Leeds).

In total, Eddie Howe led his Newcastle team to 12 wins and only five defeats in the final 18 Premier League matches, the second half (final 19 PL games) seeing Newcastle with the third best form in the top tier.

I want to dig deeper though. Have a look at the matchday squad exactly three years back.

Newcastle team v Leeds – 22 January 2022:

Dubravka, Trippier, Lascelles (Clark 69), Schar, Dummett (Manquillo 63), Shelvey, Willock, Fraser, Joelinton (Sean Longstaff 42), Saint-Maximin, Wood

Unused Subs:

Darlow, Lewis, Hendrick, Murphy, Almiron, Gayle

Six of the starting eleven in that Leeds match are still at Newcastle.

Ten of the twenty man matchday squad at Elland Road, are still on Newcastle United’s books.

Of the other ten, six (Hendrick, Gayle, Manquillo, Clark, Dummett, Fraser) left without NUFC receiving a transfer fee, Darlow went for a nominal fee (to Leeds!), with only ASM, Shelvey and Wood bringing in any kind of relatively decent transfer fee.

That is the position Newcastle United were in, the players who needed to be swiftly/gradually moved out, couldn’t generate cash, unlike the case in most situations where a new manager and owners come in. Mike Ashley had ran the club and squad into the ground. Wood was of course bought by Howe and the new owners, so of the players on duty three years ago and were inherited from Ashley, only Shelvey and ASM generated transfer fees and even then less than £30m between them.

No wonder Newcastle United have found life so tough with PSR, if you don’t have squad players you can sell for decent amounts,, it makes life so tough. The inherited players who could have generated in any way decent transfer fees, were essential to avoiding relegation and then trying to become in any way competitive.

Which brings me then forward three years and Newcastle’s very latest match.

Newcastle team v Bournemouth – 18 January 2025:

Dubravka, Livramento, Botman (Schar 46), Burn, Hall (Trippier 66), Tonali, Joelinton, Bruno (Osula 90+1), Murphy (Willock 66), Isak, Gordon

Unused subs:

Vlachodimos, Almiron, Kelly, Longstaff, Lewis Miley

Of the players who got on the pitch last Saturday, six of them were on Newcastle’s books at the time of that 1-0 win at Leeds three years ago. Nine of Saturday’s 20 man matchday squad were at Newcastle United back when we played that game at Elland Road.

It is comical how outsiders will constantly claim that Eddie Howe and these Newcastle United owners have simply bought the improvement on the pitch. The reality is that due to Mike Ashley and PSR, Eddie Howe has only been able to bring in relatively few new players, considering how massive a challenge he faced, the NUFC team boss having to rely so much on so many players he inherited.

Players who three years ago who were in a squad that looked set for sure to be relegated.

Eddie Howe has got such an incredible amount out of those players he inherited, getting them all playing at far higher levels, then doing the same with so many of his signings – most of them young – also helping them to get better and better.

Given more time and some further transfer market backing, which should be on tap again come this summer, then Eddie Howe can take Newcastle United to even higher levels. These past three years are proof of that.