Newcastle United could benefit from an injection of positivity after the November international break, having fallen to 14th place in the Premier League after 11 matches.
Gone is the easy flow of last season, and Eddie Howe has the task of rekindling the spark at the heart of his Tyneside team.
While Yoane Wissa’s imminent return from injury will add that extra dimension to the attack, Howe will be concerned that this current international break could inflict injury on one of his players in the same way as when Wissa suffered a knee injury in September, before he had even kicked a ball for the Toon.
Not such bad news yet, although seeing England beat Serbia in their penultimate World Cup qualifier was a grim reminder that the PIF must do everything they can to bring Elliot Anderson back to St. James’ Park. How about this for an injection of positivity?
The latest on Newcastle’s interest in Elliot Anderson
Anderson, 23, left Newcastle for Nottingham Forest in 2024, arriving at the City Ground after a fee in the region of £35m was agreed.
How the PIF must regret this PSR-influenced decision, with Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel recently hailing Anderson as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” ahead of his latest performance alongside Declan Rice, impressing as England secured a professional 2-0 victory.
So combative, cultured and poised in the middle of the park, the Tyneside-born talent never managed to spread his wings for his boyhood club, but he has made impressive progress since leaving and forged his own path.
Howe, needless to say, would love nothing more than to bring Anderson home, having expressed last month how the sale “didn’t sit well with me” and hinted at his desire to move forward down the line.
But it won’t be easy; far from it. Anderson’s overall qualities in the engine room have been echoed by some of the Premier League’s best, with Arsenal and Manchester United among those looking to complete a deal for the £100 million-rated midfielder.
“I don’t know [if he will come back] but certainly from my point of view, I would like him to do it. He [his sale] It didn’t suit me then, doesn’t suit me now that we as a football club were forced to make a decision we didn’t want to make.
“And a player who had given everything to come through the ranks here and try to play at Newcastle, it ended with financial restrictions…”
Whether Newcastle manage to bring him back is anyone’s guess, but they must not let the same thing happen again, especially when a new Geordie talent is looking to break into the first team.
The Newcastle talent that could be bigger than Anderson
Newcastle will be looking at ways to bring Anderson back to St. James’ Park, but unfortunately there is no certainty that they will win the race for his signature.
That’s why they need to prove they’ve learned from their mistake and ensure Sean Neave has a clear path from the academy to the first team.
The 18-year-old has been prolific from the start of this season, and his mature and confident displays are starting to see a noise level rise around him, with Howe sure to consider giving him a professional breakthrough before long, if the right opportunity presents itself.
Although Neave is yet to play for the senior team, he has been involved in Newcastle’s pre-season preparations this summer and is clearly seen as having the potential to force his way into the fray.
Additionally, he received an award at Sport Newcastle’s annual ceremony this week for ’embodiing the spirit of Newcastle’, with Dan Burn taking the cake for the men’s team.
Although a big step from the world of developmental football to the major stage, Neave is nothing short of clinical, with an ease and precision in the final third that should lend itself to success in the Premier League for seniors, although with physicality and maturity other elements that need to be integrated into the youngster’s game.
But considering he’s only just entering adulthood, United fans have every reason to be excited about this one. Magpie Media has already described him as “Geordie’s best striker in a long, long time”, after all.
If Neave reaches even the edge of what his potential suggests, there’s every chance that Newcastle could have an even bigger talent than Anderson on their hands, and one that must not be allowed to leave for pastures new before being offered a chance at the big time.
Newcastle have already paid for this mistake, and they could pay even more if they manage to re-sign Anderson. It would be an exciting move for the club, but one that would come with what could have been an avoidable financial cost.
Lighting surely won’t strike twice. Neave’s efforts for the development teams underline his quality and the importance of facilitating him into first-team action under Howe’s wing.
|
Sean Neave – Career Stats So Far |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club/level |
Applications |
Goals (passes) |
|
Newcastle U18 |
37 |
21 (7) |
|
Newcastle U21 |
21 |
9 (4) |
|
Newcastle YL |
9 |
2 (1) |
|
Newcastle |
– |
– |
|
Dates via Transfermarkt |
||
With a brace against Burnley last week, Neave is finding his feet for the U21s, and it’s surely only a matter of time before he’s unleashed in the Premier League, looking for just that extra steel in his physique to prove he’s just as talented as Anderson, maybe even more so.
