Sports
Eddie Howe’s pre-season: Opposition, Venues and more.
Pre-season is vital when it comes to preparing for a new season for all football clubs around the world. It is a time where you can test different tactics, experiment with young and new players and overall get a sense of where your squad is at before the start of the new season.
For Newcastle, they have plenty of games to test the waters and give new signings like Nick Pope and Sven Botman time to get up to scratch before the start of the new Premier League season.
First, they play Gateshead in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Newcastle United Training Centre on Saturday, 9th July. Gateshead are managed by former Magpies defender Mike Williamson and their side have just been promoted to the National League after winning the National League North.
Eddie Howe’s side will then travel to Austria for a week-long training camp where they will play two games.
The first opposition is TSV 1860 Munich who currently play in the third tier of German football, 3. Liga. The match will take place on Friday, 15th July and will be played at the SaalfeldenArena Burgerau, kick-off is set for 6 pm local time. The former champions of Germany have had success in the past when they finished as runners-up in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in the 1964/65 season. The Toon met with this side in the UEFA Intertoto Cup back in 2001, Newcastle won 6-3 on aggregate across the two legs. One of Munich’s best players, Marcel Bar, scored 21 goals in 37 appearances last season.
Then, Newcastle play Mainz on Monday, 18th July in what will be their third pre-season fixture. The match will be played at the 4,500-capacity Kufstein Arena and will kick-off at 5 pm local time. Mainz, currently managed by Bo Svensson, finished 8th in the Bundesliga last season. The last time the two sides met was in a pre-season game back in the summer of 2017, Mainz came out on top winning 2-1. Some of their best players include Jonathan Burkardt who managed to bag himself 11 goals and 3 assists last season as well as Moussa Niakhate who scored 8 goals and assisted 5 times.
The Toon then have eight days to prepare for their next pre-season fixture as they travel to Portugal to play Benfica at the Estadio da Luiz for the Eusebio Cup. The match will take place on Tuesday, 26th July and will kick-off at 8 pm local time. Benfica finished third in the Portugal Liga Nos last season. It’s been 9 years since the sides last met in the Europa League quarter-finals when Papiss Cisse’s goal in the second leg wasn’t enough and the Magpies exited the competition losing 4-2 on aggregate. Benfica were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Liverpool last season and some of their best players include Rafa Silva who came out with 23 goal contributions last season and Alex Grimaldo who scored 5 and assisted 5 from left-back last season.
To finish pre-season the Toon then face a double-header at St James’ Park. The first game played on Friday, 29th July will be against Atalanta. It is expected that Howe will split his first-team squad across the two fixtures and play two completely different teams. Atalanta finished 8th in Serie A last season and exited the Europa League quarter-finals following a 3-1 aggregate defeat to RB Leipzig. Mario Pasalic is one of their best players and had a very successful 2021/22 season which saw him earn 20 goal contributions from centre midfield in the league. The match will kick-off at 7:45 pm in St James’ Park
Newcastle will then face Spanish side Athletic Bilbao, just a week before the first game of the Premier League season against Nottingham Forest to finish their pre-season. Bilbao finished 8th in La Liga last season and were close to cup success, following a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final. Inaki Williams who hasn’t missed a single game for the Spanish side in over six years is a threat up-front and captain Iker Muniain will also be a danger for the Toon following last season where he managed 10 assists and 4 goals.
Ticket information for these games are to be confirmed soon.
So what do you think of the pre-season fixtures and how many wins will Eddie Howe’s side manage in what promises to be an exciting season ahead.
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The Club expressed gratitude to Tony and his assistant Mark Venus for their positive contributions over the past two seasons, stating that they will always be welcome back at the Stadium of Light and wishing them success in their future endeavors.
Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman praised Tony’s impact, acknowledging his high regard among players, staff, and supporters. Speakman highlighted Mowbray’s role in guiding the team to the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs and his significant contribution to team development. He emphasized that while a difficult decision, it aligns with the club’s ambition and strategy.
Emphasizing the commitment to their long-term strategy for sustainability and success, Chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus thanked Tony for his hard work and affirmed the club’s focus on implementing a high-performance culture and a strong playing identity.
The club reiterated the importance of fan support in their progress and invited supporters to the Stadium of Light during the festive period and into 2024.
During the interim period, Mike Dodds, supported by the existing coaching team, will oversee the first-team’s training and match preparations until the appointment of a new Head Coach is finalized.
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See our Interview with Newcastle United Youtuber Adam Pearson after he wound the Sunderland fans up following the news of the derby…
Click the image below to watch the video…
See the full video below…
See our thoughts on the draw….
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Warm Christmas Meal Appeal North East – Help a Local Person in Need – NEoffers.co.uk
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Footage tonight has emerged of PSG fans corning Newcastle United fans in a pub and attacking them in a scary video. This follows news that police had informed Newcastle fans that attacks were possible which lead to at least one pub having to close at 10pm due to this.
We don’t have any details on what happened after the video and this is a breaking news story, follow us on social media to stay fully up to date.
You can see the video here:
YouTube – North East Updates (follow channel for more – won’t open video unless you have an account and over 18) – https://youtube.com/shorts/Uo_2G1WEuWg
X (formally Twitter) https://x.com/SupportersNufc/status/1729269902056493085?s=20
Newcastle United fans attacked in Paris by PSG fans – Watch video
Newcastle fans who would you like to see be brought in or who is most realistic – follow for all Newcastle United news – Newcastle Supporters Worldwide
There will be videos added tomorrow both before and after the PGS game on the North East Updates Youtube channel – follow the channel to stay fully up to date and see below for previous NUFC vs PSG videos…
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PSG Fans arrive at Newcastle Upon Tyne and are met by Newcastle United fans ahead of their Champions League tie (which ended in a 4-1 Newcastle United win). Newcastle Centre was on shut down with streets closed and everyone watching.
The footage is not live and IN FULL on our Youtube Channel you can see the footage below – let us know on the comments on the video what your thoughts are on it….
We rather foolishly spoke to both NUFC and PSG fans after the game – we had to stop filming the interviewing of the PSG fans due to safety concerns see both videos below…
Follow our YouTube for some big local videos and to support us!
You can now download our FREE new app to stay fully up to date with all North East related news – https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates
We are supporting the Warm Christmas meal appeal – you can donate a warm Christmas meal to someone in need in Newcastle and the North East below..
Warm Christmas Meal Appeal North East – Help a Local Person in Need – NEoffers.co.uk
Newcastle United has received a green light to pursue players from the Saudi Pro League after a proposed Premier League vote to restrict loan moves between clubs with shared owners fell short of the required support. This decision opens up possibilities for Newcastle to strengthen their squad in January, targeting talents from clubs linked with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Despite initial discussions to potentially bar such transfers, the recent vote outcome has cleared the way for Newcastle to explore signings.
See our video and reaction below and follow our YouTube for more local videos..
A recent meeting among the Premier League’s 20 clubs concluded without the necessary majority support to impose a ban on loan transfers between co-owned clubs. While 13 teams voted in favor of the prohibition, the requirement of 14 votes for approval was not met, granting Newcastle the liberty to pursue players from the Saudi Pro League.
This development particularly benefits Newcastle’s pursuit of Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves, whom they’ve eyed as a potential replacement for Sandro Tonali. Neves, despite significant interest from the Premier League, is expected to remain with Al Hilal during the upcoming January transfer window. The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that despite ongoing speculation, Neves is content and settled at Al Hilal, playing a pivotal role within the team. His projected stay until the season’s end indicates his commitment to Al Hilal’s cause, especially crucial following Neymar’s injury.
Although ties between Newcastle and Al Hilal, sharing the same majority shareholder in Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), sparked concerns about potential rule changes, as of now, no alterations have been enforced. Speculation regarding a Premier League vote to block such moves in the winter market hasn’t materialized into action. Consequently, Neves looks set to continue his journey with Al Hilal, with no reported negotiations or approaches from interested parties.
Al Hilal’s impressive position atop the Saudi Pro League standings, coupled with their progress in tournaments like the AFC Champions League and the King’s Cup, further solidifies Neves’ integral role within the team. Their dominance, evident in their substantial lead over second-place Al Nassr, underscores their strength even with the latter boasting talents like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ultimately, Newcastle’s access to the Saudi Pro League remains unimpeded, potentially paving the way for significant acquisitions in the upcoming transfer window.
Al-Hilal
- Ruben Neves
- Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
- Aleksandr Mitrovic
Al-Nassr
- Seko Fofana
- Marcelo Brozovic
- Aymeric Laporte
Al-Ittihad
- N’Golo Kante
- Fabinho
- Jota
Al-Ahly
- Franck Kessie
- Gabri Veiga
- Riyad Mahrez
Newcastle fans who would you like to see be brought in or who is most realistic – follow for all Newcastle United news – Newcastle Supporters Worldwide
Follow our YouTube for some big local videos and to support us!
You can now download our FREE new app to stay fully up to date with all North East related news – https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates
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