Newcastle United fans preparing for the 2026/27 Premier League season.
Less than three weeks to go now until Liverpool travel to St James’ Park.
An ‘interesting’ summer so far…
So many talking points.
An ideal time to get a snapshot of views from Newcastle United fans on their thoughts.
So we sent out questions to a number of regular/irregular contributors to The Mag, varying to a degree the questions that different fans received to answer.
Next up answering some questions is Neill Richardson:
Three words to describe how you currently feel as a Newcastle United fan?
Hopeful, uncertain, sentimental.
Three words to describe this summer 2026 NUFC transfer window so far?
Profitable, transformative, turbulent.
Do you think Newcastle United would have had more or less chance of having a successful 2026/27 season if Eddie Howe had stayed?
No. I think last season made it clear that the aggressive high-press system Howe introduced so well was becoming far less effective. It felt diluted—used only in patches before we’d sit back or attempt possession play whenever we went ahead, which more often than not led to conceding, frailty, and mistakes. This shift was understandable given the demands of the Champions League, domestic cups, and the Premier League, as the squad would have been exhausted playing an all-out press every week.
However, we were punished time and time again for adopting this approach and inviting teams onto us. We were more dangerous to the opposition without the ball, and more dangerous to ourselves with it—a pretty disastrous combination.
Eddie consistently made ineffective substitutions, or brought players on so late in the day that they barely had time to influence the game. They felt like token appearance-bonus subs that left the team looking increasingly disjointed as matches wore on. These weren’t isolated incidents; they were consistent from November/December right through the season, showing a real lack of ideas that I feel would have carried straight into this year.
On the positive side, fewer fixtures this season and our young new signings might have helped re-adopt that aggressive press, but what happens if we qualify for Europe again on an unsustainable playing style? We really need fresh ideas.
Hand on heart, what position do you currently believe Newcastle United are most likely to finish in the 2026/27 Premier League season?
Current squad – 12th
A few more in the door – 9th
If Eddie Howe had stayed would your 2026/27 prediction have been different (up or down…)?
13th
With Bruno set to leave, who do you think would be best choice of NUFC captain?
Burn is the logical choice for squad captain. Malick Thiaw is the only one consistent enough at the moment to lead the team out on the pitch, which speaks volumes about the disruption over the last year.
The opening six league games are Liverpool home, Spurs away, Bournemouth home, Leeds away, Hull home and Coventry away. How many points would Newcastle need to take for you to be happy?
9 points.
With so much change, how do you currently feel when it comes to balancing fears of the end of a relatively successful era and hopes of the dawning of the chance of a new successful different era? (So if you have 100% fears and 0% hopes that would be 100/0, if feeling 60% fear and 40% hope then 60/40)
50/50
Anthony Gordon leaving, your thoughts?
Absolutely fine with it. He was like an owl—his head turned at any whiff of a move away. I think his penalty record and Champions League goals inflated his market value considerably. Good deal, good profit made, and if the club held onto him against his will he easily could have lost motivation and disrupted the dressing room further.
By say Christmas and with all players fit, what do you predict will be the Newcastle United first choice eleven for the 2026/27 season and please put ‘new signing’ in any position where you think that will turn out to be the case.
Hornicek, Hall, Botman, Thiaw, Tino, Bamba, Ramsey, Miley, Bazou, Woltemade, Elanga.
What do you now see as the minimum Newcastle United need to achieve this coming season?
With all the uncertainty and disruption, I just want them to surprise us! Show up, put a proper shift in, and not sit around licking our wounds.
Predict the top six in the Premier League (in order) and which three clubs will be relegated in 2026/27.
Top six (no particular order): Villa, Man Utd, Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea. Relegated: Coventry, Leeds, Hull.
Which eight current Newcastle United players (in order) are going to be most important for the 2026/27 season?
Bazou, Thiaw, Bamba, Hall, Burn, Hornicek, Woltemade, Osula.
Some time ago Yasir Al-Rumayyan said the intention was to make Newcastle United number one in the world, how far along the road to that do you think we are?
If anything, since the Carabao Cup we’ve regressed and lost significant momentum. I also think it was an unattainable goal to begin with that highlights the naivety of the club hierarchy.
“Don’t let your gob make promises your backside can’t keep!” as my Nanna used to say.
How would you rate your optimism for next season at Newcastle United from 0-100?
With all the departures, we’re close to having nothing left to lose. When expectations drop off massively due to disruption, it clears room for freedom and optimism. 65.
When the takeover happened on 7 October 2021, if somebody at that point had told you then what would happen by August 2026, would you have taken it?
Yes. No question. I haven’t forgotten the Mike Ashley years and I think a few other fans need to remind themselves of that era too.
What thoughts do you have on the 2026 World Cup finals overall?
Bloated American garbage. The countdowns, ref-cams, half-time shows, inflated fixture list, and relentless media pushing how “electric” it was despite clearly not looking like it.
England at the Azteca was well worth an all-nighter, though.
Bruno Guimaraes wanting to leave Newcastle United after four and a half years, has that changed your opinion of him as a person?
No. He’s been nothing short of committed to the club and gave us some brilliant years—he deserves a shot at titles. Again, a solid profit was made, it’s good business, and the club is naturally going to shed its skin if we want to rebuild and keep moving forward.
Do you think the Newcastle United owners have a strong long-term plan for the club, or are they making it up as they go along?
I hope recent years have made it clear that this requires far more strategic thought. The board reshuffle looks like a move away from family-style rabble-rousing and riding a wave of emotion towards a steadier corporate structure. Real plans take time to implement, and we moved very quickly—victims of our own rapid success. Qualifying for the Champions League so early was a prime example of that, even if we relished the ride at the time.
Personally, I prefer the family-style feel, but the club needs to grow up and get serious if it wants to structure commercially and navigate PSR constraints.
What do you think of the choice of Matthias Jaissle as the new NUFC boss?
Never heard of him until a week ago. But brushing up on reports and watching clips online, he brings fresh ideas, assertiveness, and the power of the unknown—which can often work wonders in the Premier League.