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6 months ago
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Paul Merson has been discussing Newcastle United and the current situation at St James’ Park.
The former Arsenal player speaking, with now approaching the thirty eighth and final NUFC Premier League match of the season.
Paul Merson discussing the possibilities ahead of Newcastle United playing Brentford.
Newcastle fans looking forward to the final home game of the 2023/24 season, knowing a win would guarantee top seven. Whilst if Newcastle win and Chelsea lose at home to Bournemouth, it will be top six.
Paul Merson talking to Sportskeeda ahead of Newcastle v Brentford:
“Newcastle need to win this; if Chelsea lose, they have a chance of making it into next season’s Europa League due to their superior goal difference.
“They’ve had a decent season and were bang unlucky in the UEFA Champions League.
“You could also argue they were a bit naive against Paris Saint-Germain, but its all a part of the learning curve.
They need to look to keep their players as teams are going to be sniffing around for Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes.
“They (Newcastle United) are a massive team but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of their stars moved on to win trophies.
“If Arsenal sign a striker like Isak, I think they go to another level.
“Score prediction: Brentford 1 Newcastle 2”
Paul Merson also predicts a 3-1 home win for Chelsea over Bournemouth, which would mean Eddie Howe’s team finishing seventh in the Premier League, based on Merson’s predictions.
All eyes of course on the summer
No doubt plenty of Newcastle United fans will be rising to the bait, when Paul Merson declares: ‘They (Newcastle United) need to look to keep their players as teams are going to be sniffing around for Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes. They are a massive team but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of their stars moved on to win trophies. If Arsenal sign a striker like Isak, I think they go to another level.’
It is a simple fact though that when you have high quality players, other clubs will want them.
I would far rather that Eddie Howe has bought brilliantly, with other clubs after the likes of Bruno, Gordon and Isak.
Than say Erik ten Hag at Man U, where no other clubs are fighting to try and sign the likes of Antony, Mount and Hojlund.
Paul Merson talks of players moving on to ‘win trophies’ and to nobody’s surprise, name checks his old club Arsenal.
Well Man City are going to win the league and so this will be four seasons under Mikel Arteta with no trophies, so who is to say you will do so for sure at another club, unless potentially you signed for Man City. In their case, you just hope that after delaying it for so many years, Man City are now going to get massive punishment on these 115 charges they face.
With Arsenal, until last season, the six before that they hadn’t finished top four, so who is to even say they will stay up there…?
Newcastle United don’t have to sell anybody they don’t want to, at least not once Bruno’s £100m release clause becomes closed after 30 June 2024.
Only by keeping their very best players are Eddie Howe and Newcastle United going to be successful, which they will very much know.
Bruno has been at St James’ Park two and a half years, Isak less than two years and Gordon under 18 months.
I am very confident all of this trio and the other key NUFC players, will all be wanting to stay for at the very least this coming 2024/25 season. Newcastle United have a team and squad full of potential and those current players know fine well that this season has been wrecked by an unprecedented injury situation, NUFC suffering easily the worst of all 20 Premier League clubs this season, as shown by a special report on BBC Sport yesterday (see HERE).
With even ‘only’ half a dozen on players injured on a regular basis, rather than double figures as so often has been the case, who knows what Newcastle United could have achieved this season?

 
