Our 2022/23 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team profiles are rattling along at terrifying leg speeds and we’ve now reached Newcastle United.
The Eddie Howe era is all we’re focusing on here as we look at the data from when the current Newcastle boss was appointed, ahead of Gameweek 12 in 2021/22.
From our selection of the best players for the upcoming season to a predicted line-up for Gameweek 1, we’ll dissect the Magpies in detail.
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You can check out our Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Bournemouth analysis in our Promoted series.
Data in this article comes from our Premium Members Area, which you can access with a discounted subscription for as little as £2.49 a month today.
LAST SEASON: ATTACK
GAMEWEEK 12 ONWARDS
| Total | Rank v other Premier League clubs | |
| Goals scored | 32 | 13th |
| Shots | 331 | 10th |
| Shots in the box | 200 | 13th |
| Shots on target | 115 | 10th |
| Big chances | 37 | 16th |
| Expected goals (xG) | 33.66 | 15th |
While the above numbers don’t leap off the page, it’s worth noting that the Steve Bruce era finished with Newcastle ranked 18th for shots in the box and 19th for shots on target, xG and big chances.
Howe oversaw a modest upturn in attacking output, without it being a spectacular U-turn.
It’s fair to say that the defensive acquisitions in the winter transfer window had more of a transformative effect than the players further forward, with Chris Wood (£6.0m) a willing target-man but ultimately scoring just two goals after his arrival.
Bruno Guimaraes (£6.0m), ironically not brought in for his goalscoring, was much more of a success, finding the net on five occasions in the run-in. No-one scored as many league goals under Howe as the Brazilian, despite his mid-season arrival, which says a great deal and likely why a winger and a striker remain priority targets.
LAST SEASON: DEFENCE
GAMEWEEK 12 ONWARDS
| Total | Rank v other Premier League clubs | |
| Goals conceded | 38 | 11th= |
| Clean sheets | 8 | 6th= |
| Shots conceded | 353 | 9th |
| Shots in the box conceded | 237 | 9th= |
| Shots on target conceded | 109 | 8th |
| Big chances conceded | 60 | 14th |
| Expected goals conceded (xGC) | 40.66 | 10th |
An abject Newcastle were in the bottom two for clean sheets, goals conceded, big chances conceded and clean sheets until Howe was appointed.
The defensive improvements were slow and steady, as the struggling Magpies kept just one clean sheet in Howe’s first nine matches in charge.
Some astute January transfer window captures helped turn the ship around, with three-quarters of the backline – Dan Burn (£4.5m), Matt Targett (£5.0m) and Kieran Trippier (£5.0m) – overhauled.
To say it was only Saudi money responsible for the subsequent purple patch is unfair, however, as Howe revitalised the flagging careers of Fabian Schar (£4.5m), Emil Krafth (£4.5m) and laughing-stock-turned-valued-midfield-shield Joelinton (£6.0m).
From Gameweek 24 onwards (after the transfer window had closed), Newcastle were the Premier League’s sixth-best team in the division for minutes per xGC and goals per game conceded. Only three goals were conceded in their final seven matches at St. James’ Park, too.
That should provide encouragement for the new season, then, particularly as the backline has been further strengthened with the capture of Sven Botman (£4.5m) and Nick Pope (£5.0m).
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