Jamie Carragher has declared that Newcastle United's project under Eddie Howe is 'finished', and the club's stark reset this summer has been a necessary procedure. The Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit believes the only way for the Magpies to compete in the current climate is to embrace player trading.
Summer reset and player departures
Newcastle have lost Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Kieran Trippier this summer, with Alexander Isak also sold to Liverpool within the last 12 months. In response, they have signed five players, with goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek being the oldest recruit at 24. Fellow goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, winger Bazoumana Toure, and midfielders Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba have also arrived, all aged 20 or under.
This change in transfer approach has raised eyebrows, but club insiders feel 'energised' about the new season and a fresh start under new head coach Matthias Jaissle. Newcastle CEO David Hopkinson dubbed the summer reset as the launchpad for 'Newcastle 2.0'.
Carragher's comparison to Liverpool
Carragher agrees that a reset was needed, comparing the situation to his Liverpool side under Rafa Benitez. Speaking on the Football Ramble podcast, he said: "The project is finished. Not totally finished but I have seen this with my own club at Liverpool and probably going back to Arsene Wenger's time at Arsenal."
He added: "People have said Eddie Howe has left because people are leaving but these players were always getting sold this summer. The project with Eddie Howe was finished as in it ran its course and they couldn't do any more. The most it could do was win a domestic cup and qualify for the Champions League and they have done that."
Player trading as a necessity
Carragher explained that Newcastle's best players are better than what the club can currently offer, leading to their departures. "So if Newcastle don't get in the Champions League, they have Champions League players and those players are going to leave," he said. "Newcastle finished 12th and those players are going to leave because they should be playing for teams playing in the Champions League and challenging for the league."
He praised Newcastle for getting top dollar for their players, saying: "I have got no problem with them leaving and I think Newcastle have actually done well getting top dollar for the players and have to start again." Carragher also highlighted the need to find players that top clubs overlook, as Howe did with Guimaraes, Gordon, and Isak, and improve them.
