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 Simon Ritter:
Three words to describe how you currently feel as a Newcastle United fan?
Regretful, anxious, excited.
I regret Eddie Howe decided the St James’ Park hot seat was no longer for him. He achieved more than I believed was possible with the players he inherited and recruited. If any successor gives me a higher high than King Eddie, I’ll be deliriously happy.
Anxious because the lack of momentum off the pitch (no new training ground, no stadium progress, dire lack of communication) might be interpreted as lethargy or apathy.
Excited to see what the young recruits, including the new management, bring to the party.
Three words to describe this summer 2026 NUFC transfer window so far?
Interesting, very interesting, with apologies to Barry Davies.
The problem of competing directly with rivals whose available budget is two or three times what we can spend has become all too apparent. So far, we have bought five young players with zero Premier League experience and lost three mainstays in Gordon, Tonali and Guimaraes. If the intention is to boost the value of the new recruits, then sell them, so be it. Assuming Hornicek is the new No1, how can Jaouen become worth more than the reported £18.5m he cost us?
Sandro Tonali leaving, your thoughts?
Answering a question with a question, did Sandro Tonali ever want to join Newcastle United?
We got one good season out of him. The first was a write-off, the third was disappointing. Spurs have signed a top, top midfielder, one of the best I have seen play for us since the mid-70s. Unfortunately, we didn’t see him play to his maximum often enough. His heart remains in Italy. My veteran Tottenham-supporting friend has already been reminded of the caveat emptor principle.
Do you think Newcastle United would have had more or less chance of having a successful 2026/27 season if Eddie Howe had stayed?
That’s impossible to answer because a known quantity cannot be compared with an unknown alternative. I wanted Howe to stay . . . but not if he wanted to leave. The reasons for his exit will probably never be known, though I suspect exhaustion, frustration and the growing influence of the sporting director were important factors.
Hand on heart, what position do you currently believe Newcastle United are most likely to finish in the 2026/27 Premier League season?
Top six. Last year’s recruits will be better. There are faults in every Premier League team and I am optimistic this summer’s makeover will produce an improvement in results.
If Eddie Howe had stayed would your 2026/27 prediction have been different (up or down…)?
I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous answers.
Do you see a potential lack of leadership on the pitch next season if Bruno Guimaraes follows Kieran Trippier out of the club?
One of my criticisms last season was a lack of leadership. The nadir was the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, when nobody in black-and-white, on the pitch or off it, seemed switched on. The fans were, mind. That was a game we could have won and certainly should not have lost. So no, the loss of Trippier and Guimaraes is not something I see as a big issue.
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 and what would you predict will be the reality?
Based on our typical slow starts in recent seasons, anything more than nine would we good. The fixtures are not horrendous and I would be happy with three wins, two draws and one loss.
What do you see as the biggest priorities in the remainder of the transfer market this summer?
A centre-half with pace, to complement Thiaw. Botman will, I fear, never reproduce the form of 2022-23. Burn can excel in the middle, as he did last season, but the Big Man from Blyth will have to retire sooner or later. Schar’s injury at Ashton Gate is a heavy blow. Livramento’s failure to stay fit concerns me. Consistent goalscorers are rare beasts, though between them Osula, Wissa, Woltemade and Barnes should be able to do the business.
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; Livramento, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Bamba, Steur, Ramsey; Elanga, Osula, Barnes. The subs will be busy, especially Wissa, Woltemade, Joelinton, Murphy x 2 and Lewis Miley
What would represent success now in the 2026/27 season for Newcastle United?
Qualifying for a Uefa competition and reaching a cup final.
Predict the top six in the Premier League (in order) and which three clubs will be relegated in 2026/27.
Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Aston Villa. Relegated: Coventry, Hull, Tottenham.
Which eight current Newcastle United players (in order) are going to be most important for the 2026/27 season?
Hornicek, Hall, Livramento, Barnes, Elanga, Osula, Ramsey, Thiaw.
NUFC CEO David Hopkinson said the intention is that by 2030 the club will be competing to win all competitions. What do you make of what he said?
Weasel words. Under the PIF, with Howe in charge, we competed to win all competitions. That wasn’t the case under Ashley but we hardly need reminding. Hopkinson doesn’t say a lot and what he does say seems to do more harm than good.
How important (or not) is a huge new stadium for Newcastle United?
A huge new stadium is more important than anything else. The suggestion that we intend to adopt the Borussia Dortmund approach to player trading might prove true. But no player, no manager, no sporting director comes close to the importance of realising the untapped potential among our supporters. Did the League Cup celebrations tell the PIF nothing? What we must do for long-term, sustainable success is double the revenue. That means an 80,000-capacity stadium. When our fans visited Dortmund in 23/24, we saw what was possible. Make it happen!
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?
I would have bitten their hand off. Two Champions League campaigns, two League Cup finals, one unforgettable day. Hope restored, a club reborn.
What thoughts do you have on the 2026 World Cup finals overall?
The best team won. England beat teams ranked lower but again failed against a team ranked higher. Some good initiatives by the referees, some bad. The tournament was more entertaining than I had expected. Despite all the appalling attempts by appalling people to ruin the beautiful game, it survived and sometimes flourished.
Bruno Guimaraes wanting to leave Newcastle United after four and a half years, has that changed your opinion of him as a person?
Bruno G is an elite professional sportsman. He wants the best chance available to win trophies and boost his bank balance. That is presumably why he left Brazil, why he left Lyon, why he left Newcastle. If he is judged by his words and his deeds, they don’t quite tally. Is that an indication of a hypocritical person? Don’t ask me to cast the first stone.
Claimed back in October 2021 that Newcastle United was simply a ‘Sportswashing’ project for Saudi Arabia, has that proved to be the reality?
I don’t recognise the word “sportswashing”. The Saudis wanted to boost their profile and diversify their assets. That’s why they bought Newcastle United. They will host the World Cup in 2034, with or without the help of Infantino. We are a small cog in their machine. Or, as Dylan put it, just a pawn in their game.
Who would you have liked to see replace Eddie Howe, Matthias Jaissle or somebody else?
I didn’t want a replacement.
When I learnt (not from the club) that it would be Jaissle, I was concerned he had no top-league experience. As with every new coach/manager who takes the hot seat, I hope he succeeds. In my book, that means matching or improving on Howe’s record. Two league titles in Austria, an Austrian FA Cup and two league titles with Al-Ahli show he is a winner. That’s all I know.