Newcastle United young stars thrashed 8-0 by Everton but things are getting better – Honest!


 
 
 
 
 
 

As we all know, the situation throughout Newcastle United was desperate when Mike Ashley finally walked away in October 2021.

Every area of the club, on and off the pitch, needing care and resources to breathe new life into Newcastle United.

With the younger age groups arguably the toughest to turn around.

Certainly in terms of how long it takes to build an Academy capable of producing first team level players on a regular basis.

This is how the Newcastle United under 18s did last season (2022/23) in the final league table:

Coming back to the here and now, on Saturday the Newcastle United under 18s were playing their final league game of the season.

United going 1-0 behind after 7 minutes.

2-0 after 37 minutes.

3-0 after 40 minutes.

4-0 after 50 minutes.

5-0 after 62 minutes.

6-0 after 66 minutes.

7-0 after 85 minutes.

8-0 after 88 minutes.

Final Under 18s scoreline:

Everton 8 Newcastle United 0

Newcastle United:

Harrison, Durrant, Bloomer, Watts, H Powell, Taylor (Hernes 46), Brayson (Wooster 83), Palmer, Donaldson (Johnson 80), Emerson (O’Donovan 84), Neave

So this is the final 2023/24 league table for the Newcastle United under 18s:

Difficult as it may be to believe after an 8-0 thrashing and finishing eighth of thirteen, Newcastle United Under 18s finishing on 32 points from 24 games is actually their BEST return, since the competition format was changed a decade ago, in 2014.

Things don’t radically transform overnight at academy level after a decade and a half of going backwards under Mike Ashley, who refused to allow the essential resources to allow the younger age levels to prosper BUT clear signs of improvement as you can see, last season second bottom and struggling as is usually the case.

This season eighth of thirteen but as explained above, this season has been the best in many years AND as you can see from the table above, a draw yesterday would have seen Newcastle finish sixth above Liverpool, whilst a win would have taken NUFC into a final position of fifth.

In this age group you are always more likely to see occasion freak and/or extreme results and Newcastle actually finished three places and seven points above Everton, whilst on the very first day of the league season, NUFC beat Everton 4-2 at home and were actually winning 4-0 until added time.

Lower down the age scale at the club, things will take take time, BUT clear signs of progress already after Mike Ashley’s departure.

Desperately needed investment at all levels of Newcastle United, as well as the care and attention they had also been deprived of to a large extent. With a skeleton staff left running the entire club under the former owner.

Onwards and upwards at all levels of the club.