Four reasons why Newcastle United will earn promotion this season

Four reasons why Newcastle United will earn promotion this season

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The Championship season kicks off later tonight and ahead of title favourites Newcastle United’s opener at Fulham, Outside90’s Anthony Margaretic looks at four reasons why the Magpies will make an instant return to the Premier League

Rafa Benitez

While the rest of the footballing world reacted with shock after Benitez decided to stay with the relegated club, Newcastle fans were elated to know that a man who has won the Champions League will be leading them out of this darkest of spells. The Spaniard may have been unable to prevent the drop, but there was an obvious improvement in the squad over the final 10 games, which included spirited draws against Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as a bizarre 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on the final day. Benitez got something out of the squad in 10 weeks, so fans have every right to be excited about what the ex-Real Madrid boss can accomplish this season.

More incomings than outgoings

At the time of writing, Newcastle have signed eight new first team players, adding much needed depth to a squad that had limited backup across the park, especially in the defensive department. Two new centre-back arrivals, Grant Hanley and Ciaran Clark, are expected to be behind Jamaal Lascelles and Chancel Mbemba in the pecking order, but they are handy players to have in reserve should the need arise. Other new arrivals include Matt Ritchie, Mohamed Diame, Isaac Hayden, Dwight Gayle, Matz Sels and Dwight Gayle. These have been offset by the loss of key players Andros Townsend and Georginio Wijnaldum, although the added depth to the squad is not a bad tradeoff. Meanwhile, the inevitable departure of Moussa Sissoko will not upset many fans who felt the Frenchman was anonymous last season.

Championship experience

Having players with experience in this division is imperative. Mo Diame and Isaac Hayden both played a key role in helping Hull City back to the Premier League last term. Extra promotion experience was also bought to the team in the form of Matt Ritchie, who played a pivotal role as Bournemouth won the title in 2015. Grant Hanley is also no stranger to the second tier, having captained Blackburn Rovers for the past few years. Other players who have played in the Championship include captain Lascelles, Karl Darlow and Gayle. The Championship can be a cutthroat environment at the best of times, which is why it is a good sign that Benitez has purchased players who know what it takes to thrive at this level.

This is a different club to the one that got relegated

For the past few years the running of Newcastle United had been nothing short of a shambles, but since relegation was confirmed, all the decisions made off the pitch have been what fans have been crying out for. The decision to give Benitez control over all football matters has been nothing but beneficial and is a stark contrast to the old fragmented regime, where head coaches Alan Pardew, John Carver and Steve McClaren were nothing more than ‘yes men’ for the board. The clear improvement in the way the Toon is run has got disgruntled fans back on side, with the mood being that of anything but a club that just went down. This should see St James Park bouncing this campaign, and that will be a frightening prospect for any visiting team, as the Magpie army look to guide their team back to where they belong.

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