Newcastle United

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The first part of our Q&A with BBC Sport's Newcastle United reporter Ciaran Kelly focuses on Anthony Elanga and William Osula.

Lisa asked: What is the plan with Anthony Elanga? We don't seem to be using him much, given he cost £55m.

Ciaran answered: Game time was one thing Elanga was as good as guaranteed when he signed for the club, especially given the number of competitions Newcastle are in.

But as you alluded to, the winger has only started one of the past six matches in all competitions.

As much as that has been down to the form of Jacob Murphy, his team-mate also understands the role, having been at the club since Eddie Howe took charge four years ago.

By contrast, Elanga has needed to adapt to a new way of working and a different style of play compared with what he was used to at Nottingham Forest.

The coaching staff have been using this period, where he has not been a regular starter, to drill into such detail at the training ground.

But there is no exact science as to when it will click.

Some players grasp life under Howe quicker than others - just look at Malick Thiaw, who arrived a few weeks after Elanga and from another league - while others need an extended bedding-in period.

It brings back one or two memories of another winger, Anthony Gordon, who also had prior experience of playing in the Premier League but required time to find his feet following his move from Everton in 2023.

Newcastle stumped up an even bigger fee for Elanga, but those behind the scenes still firmly believe he will be a "big player" for the club in time.

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Gerald asked: Why is William Osula not getting more game time?

Ciaran answered: He has been nursing an ankle issue for a little while now and a recent scan advised him to ease off rather than continuing to train and play.

As a result, Osula looks set to have a brief spell on the sidelines but Howe and his coaching team have been heartened by his development in recent months.

Osula impressed for Denmark in the Under-21 Euros last summer - and has since earned a call-up to the senior squad - while his one-to-one work with assistant Graeme Jones, a former striker himself, is bearing fruit.

The 22-year-old has shown an ability to affect games this season, whether in the Premier League, Champions League or Carabao Cup.

Although Yoane Wissa is closing in on a return to action, Osula will certainly be needed if the forward represents DR Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations next month.

Also, you wonder whether Howe will consider fielding both Nick Woltemade and Wissa in the same side together, either in a 4-2-3-1 or, alternatively, by utilising the latter out wide, which would still give Osula an opening as an impact player.

However, having come close to joining Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, you wonder whether Osula will ultimately have to leave the club to get the starts he needs in order to truly realise his potential.

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Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has addressed their stuttering start to the Premier League campaign.

Sitting 14th in the table with just three wins and five defeats, early optimism has given way to concerns about form, consistency and momentum. With expectations heightened by last year's top-five finish and the demands of competing on multiple fronts, the pressure to steady the ship is growing.

Speaking at the Newcastle United Foundation dinner, Howe was open about the need for improvement, while also highlighting the Magpies are in good shape in both the Champions League and the Carabao Cup.

"Our Premier League form has not been good, and our away form has not been good," Howe said on BBC Radio Newcastle. "[But] our home form's been strong, been good in the Champions League and we're still in the Carabao Cup, so it's a mixture of things.

"It's been difficult to pinpoint one thing but certainly, we know we have to improve the general performances.

"We're looking for more consistency - we're looking for more goals. We're looking for a big response in this moment and we're going to need them because we have got game after game. Our schedule for the next two months is relentless, so we can't allow any sort of negative trend to continue. It's a really important few weeks for us."

Newcastle's right-back Kieran Trippier also echoed the sense of responsibility inside the dressing room, stressing that the players understand the expectations that come with the club's rapid rise and the congested fixture list.

"We understand the supporters' frustration at the moment, but that comes with how quickly we transitioned as a team, as a club, as a fanbase. Of course, it's demanding with Champions League, Premier League and Carabao Cup, and there's no excuse from us players, we know we need to perform better, especially away from home, and that will come.

"All us players can promise is that the results will turn especially away from home, and as always, we will give 110%."

Listen on BBC Sounds

Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

Which player is flying?: Malick Thiaw. Signed this summer after Fabian Schar suffered a concussion playing against Barcelona early in the season and seamlessly fitted into our defence. He has shown himself to be an incredibly skillful and smart defender.

Which player is floundering?: Anthony Gordon has not found his form yet. I'm not happy saying he is 'floundering' as he has been instrumental in our Champions League games, but in the league he has yet to find his mojo.

Tactically I think we... do not have an identity this season. Our full-backs have been blighted by injury, which has meant relying on players that we probably hoped to see less of. I expected us to be a more attacking team this season and we have not been able to realise that vision. Increasingly, it has looked chaotic on the pitch.

I want my manager to give me... more of what he has given us in the past few seasons, which is to say a delicious run of games where we win and play brilliantly, because I know he has it in him to get that out of our players. It just has not clicked yet for us.

Some of our fans seem obsessed with... Sunderland away in December.

But they should be thinking about... Everton and the games before. We need to fix our form and start winning more broadly.

My expectations for the season were... to really kick on in the league table and cement ourselves as a consistent top-six contender. I am now hopeful we can progress in the cup competitions. I am not sure top six is within reach, though.

Score for the season so far: 6.5/10. We need to find that league form but we are still in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup and doing well in the Champions League.

One sentence on how you're feeling right now: Cautiously positive about the rest of the season because Eddie Howe often answers difficult questions put to him and we have got players coming back from injury. I hope we can really turn it around and start picking up more points.

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

Over the past week, we have been asking you to send in the best Premier League XI your club could have put together.

We know football existed before 1992 but as a Leeds United fan asked our experts on the club to name theirs - using the Ask Me Anything form on the Whites - we stuck with their parameters.

Here's BBC Sport's Newcastle fan writer Charlotte's effort.

And you can ask us about the Magpies using the Ask Me Anything form at the top of this page or here

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

Nottingham Forest will not consider selling England midfielder Elliot Anderson in the forthcoming transfer window and value the 23-year-old in excess of £100m amid strong interest from Manchester United and his former club Newcastle. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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We have, roughly, run the numbers and here is the XI your submissions have produced.

You could have seen Alan Shearer coming a mile off, but Lewis Hall sneaking in at left-back? It was all very tight but the 21-year-old just gets the nod ahead of team-mate Tino Livramento.

Current midfield stalwarts Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes are joined by 1990s legend Robert Lee in the centre of the park.

Ahead of them, both Peter Beardsley and David Ginola get the opportunity to supply Newcastle's record goalscorer.

Only question now would be which of Kevin Keegan, Sir Bobby Robson or Eddie Howe would get the chance to manage this group?

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

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The statistics might say playing at home is an advantage - but what happens when it is not?

So far this season, 53% of Premier League matches have been won by the home team - the highest ever rate in a single campaign.

On the flip side, just 26% have been won by the away team - the lowest rate since 2010-11.

However, this has not been the case for all teams.

For some, being on the road has been more favourable. Tottenham are perhaps the most contrasting example having the joint-most points away from home with 13, but the second-worst in front of their own fans with just five points.

In the second part of her chat with BBC Sport, performance psychologist Marie Cartwright explained: "With crowds when playing away from home, there is a reduced scrutiny as a whole for away teams in that those crowds expect the home team to be the ones in charge. The players feel less judged. The pressure is on the other side.

"Another reason could come down to something in psychology I like to call simplification of the task. The team has a better collective identity when they are away.

"The human brain still goes back to the cavemen days. We have to, as a collective, fight for something. We have to protect our name. It goes back to that hunter-gatherer-against-danger mentality.

"When players are in front of a home crowd, there can be a bit of playing up to the individuality.

"I really do believe that collective identity has a strong enough influence because it amplifies the purpose and the belonging - let's belong together, let's be stronger together."

The focus might be on the players' performances being impacted by being home or away, but what about the managers?

Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest make up three of the bottom four for their home records so far this term, and all have changed their manager in recent weeks.

"100% managers and coaches can be affected, and sometimes even more so because there is so much riding on that one person," Cartwright said.

"The decision-making is the main thing. The crowd is chanting - 'take this player off, do this' - and it can lead to rushed decisions, particularly when the noise becomes relentless.

"Then there is the emotional regulation and touchline behaviour. A manager is pacing up and down, mirroring the stress state, and players see that. It can lead to mimicking and players feeling that stress too."

The impact on teams psychologically playing home or away is apparent, so how can they make the most from these different conditions?

"Our brains are wired to think negatively - it's a protection mechanism," Cartwright said.

"So when it comes to performing home and away, those players and managers who deal with it best are those who know how to use the noise and scrutiny and move on quickly from it - an ability to have a reset routine and regulate their emotions in these pressurised situations."

Read more from Marie in part one of her chat around the impact of playing at home here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

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"Home advantage gives you an advantage."

It is a quote - among many - attributed to the famous former England manager Sir Bobby Robson - a simple, yet fair reflection of a historical format of football.

For as long as teams have played in leagues, games taking place home and away has been the norm, with the idea that playing at home will be to the benefit of that team.

But what is the impact of playing at your own ground in front of your own fans?

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, performance psychologist Marie Cartwright explained: "Home impact can be viewed in two ways. Sometimes it does have a positive impact, and what happens is there is an elevated motivation.

"What that means is the crowd energy increases adrenaline and that creates a momentum in effort and intensity in the players. It is also a familiar environment for the players, so that means it reduces the cognitive load. They don't have to think as much about anything else other than their play because they know the pitch, they know the routines, they feel settled.

"However, there are a couple of potential negative impacts as well, with the potential intensification in pressure in the home fans, most times, expecting dominance from the home team. That can lead to mistakes from players feeling bigger to them.

"There can then be what we call a threat state. The players might perceive consequences as high, so they feel they might be facing more criticism when they are at home."

While those who watch football know there are more factors than just where the match is being to take into consideration, the statistics do suggest the influence is there.

Since the Premier League started, the home win percentage has outweighed the away win percentage in all bar one season - the Covid-hit 2020-21 campaign in which fans were largely not allowed admission saw a 38% home win rate compared to 40% away win rate.

So how a team handles this additional crowd pressure seems to be a key factor.

"In psychology, there is something called the challenge and threat theory," Cartwright said.

"In reality what that means is a 'challenge state' can push the player into thinking, 'I've got this, I've got the resources to cope with this'. That leads to better decision making and quicker reactions.

"The threat state, on the other hand, players might think the consequences outweigh their ability to cope. In any match context, that can mean they have a narrow sense of focus, the focus is not quite the same, so the play becomes slower because of overthinking."

"It can also be called 'red brain or blue brain' - with red brain being the one with fear-based dialogue and internal negative self-talk, while blue brain is the cool, calm and collected one that can handle its emotions.

"What sits in the middle of these is distraction. How a player responds to distraction and filters out the noise, like the crowd, can impact which of these mindsets they move into and ultimately how the team performs."

Read more from Marie in part two of her chat about why teams some teams play better away from home and how it impacts managers - that will be on this page early next week.

We wanted your suggestions for Newcastle's all-time best Premier League XI.

Here are some of your picks:

Egg: 4-4-2. Given, Trippier, Botman, Woodgate, Bernard, Ginola, Tonali, Lee, Solano, Shearer, Beardsley. Attacking full-backs, solid and intelligent centre-backs, skilful, solid and box-to-box midfielders and dangerous forwards. A team full of goals and threats from all over the pitch.

George: 4-3-3. Given, Trippier, Howey, Schar, Enrique, Tonali, Lee, Speed, Ginola, Shearer, Solano. That defence and midfield would be one of the best in the league. Obviously a great attack led by our best ever player, Shearer.

Benjamin: 3-4-3. Given. Woodgate, Coloccini, Botman, Solano, Beardsley, Guimaraes, Ginola, Shearer, Cole, Isak. Typical entertainers Newcastle - you score 10, we'll score 11. Midfield full of assists and creativity. Strikers full of goals.

Mark: 4-2-4. Given, Trippier Woodgate, Botman, Beresford, Tonali, Batty, Beardsley, Shearer, Cole, Ginola. Balanced? Legs in midfield to cover. Not sure the defence is aggressive enough so I wonder about Albert for fun?

George Mills
BBC Sport senior journalist

In a recent addition of the Football Extra newsletter, Roger asked BBC Sport: Players are frequently injured on international duty - such as Chris Wood for New Zealand last season, which may have ultimately cost Nottingham Forest a Champions League place. Are clubs compensated by the country or does insurance cover compensation?'

Since 2012, Fifa's Club Protection Programme has covered the salary of players injured on international duty - although there are some conditions.

Firstly, the player must be out of action for a period of at least 28 consecutive days and the injury must have been sustained during an "accident", which is defined in very boring and legally-specific detail in Fifa's guidelines, though it covers most of the examples you could think of.

The scheme pays the salary of an injured player up to the maximum amount of €7.5m (£6.6m) until they are declared fit to return for their clubs.

Transfermarkt lists Chris Wood as missing 18 days - three games - with the hip injury you mention from last March, suffered on international duty with New Zealand. As he returned inside 28 days, Forest would not have been eligible to claim compensation.

There are a couple of clubs who will currently be beneficiaries of this scheme though, including Newcastle United, whose £55m summer signing Yoane Wissa is yet to make an appearance since suffering a knee injury while playing for DR Congo.

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It may be the international break, but there is still plenty to discuss at St James' Park with Newcastle's recent run of form putting some pressure on Eddie Howe.

So, do you have any questions about the Magpies boss' future? The tactics or formation? The January transfer window?

Our Newcastle United reporter Ciaran Kelly is here to help and will be answering a selection of your questions next week.

Get yours over to us using this form

Newcastle United are keen on AZ Alkmaar's 19-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit, who is also being monitored by Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. (Mail - subscription required), external

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We wanted your suggestions for Newcastle's all-time best Premier League XI.

And you delivered!

Here's a first bunch:

Jay: 4-4-2. Given, Woodgate, Schar, Beresford, Trippier, Tonali, Speed, Ginola, Solano, Shearer, Cole. Has to be a mix of the entertainers and the team that won a cup. Up front, easy, defence more difficult!

Neil: 4-3-3. Given, Trippier, Woodgate, Howey, Enrique, Lee, Tonali, Speed, Solano, Shearer, Cole. Given for his consistency. Our defending was not great during Keegan's era, so Woodgate would support Howey. Trips for his leadership and Enrique for his pace. In midfield I revert to Lee and Speed and include Tonali from the present day. Up front, Shearer supported by two high-class wingers.

Matt: 4-3-3. Given, Barton, Woodgate, Botman, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Lee, Dyer, Shearer, Robert. A modern formation with a blend of past and present in personnel. A few on the bench - Isak, Burn, Ferdinand, Trippier, Pope, Cabaye, Bellamy.

GW: 4-4-2: Given, Trippier, Howey, Woodgate, Livramento, Beardsley, Lee, Tonali, Ginola, Shearer, Ferdinand. Two unplayable centre-forwards with pace and power supplied by Ginola and Beardsley. Then, Lee and Tonali in the engine room. Two modern attacking full-backs and two solid centre halves that read the game well, in front of a top-class keeper.

Keith: 4-3-3. Given, Trippier, Schar, Albert, Burn, Guimaraes, Tiote, Speed, Ben Arfa, Shearer, Robert. Would consider Coloccini, Beardsley, Lee or Cabaye as well. These are the players that have brought me the most joy.

Linz: 4-4-2. Pope, Livramento, Burn, Albert, Bernard, Gillespie, Tonali, Lee, Ginola, Shearer, Ba. The most entertaining Newcastle teams have been all-out attack. This team would probably ship a fair few goals - but we'd always score one more than the opposition. I wish I could have included Nobby Solano!

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On Wednesday, Uefa announced five Euro 2028 games will be held at James' Park, including four in the group stages and one in the last 16.

The matches will be played from Monday, 12 June to Sunday, 25 June.

Leader of Newcastle City Council Councillor Karen Kilgour said: "We're a football-mad city, and as Newcastle United has shown, the atmosphere at St James' Park makes it one of the most exciting grounds to play at in the country.

"Visiting fans love coming here, and we can't wait to welcome supporters from across Europe to our wonderful city."

Mayor Kim McGuinness added: "We're going to make sure we offer a true North East welcome so visiting fans can use the region as their base for the tournament.

"I want Euro 2028 to inspire boys and girls all over the North East to get into football with all the joy that brings. We're going to make this the UK's first region of sport, and that's about bringing world-class events to the North East, and the spark that can fire with our children.

"Maybe the Lucy Bronze or Dan Burns of the future will start their journey watching a game at St James's Park in 2028 and pulling on their boots for a kickaround."

Listen to more on BBC Radio Newcastle

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Five Premier League stadiums will host fixtures during Euro 2028.

Uefa have selected nine venues across the four host nations - England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland - to stage the 24-team tournament.

Manchester City's Etihad Stadium will host England's opening group game should Thomas Tuchel's side qualify for the competition directly.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Villa Park, Hill Dickinson Stadium and St James' Park are the other Premier League grounds that will be used across the 51 matches overall.

The last-16 games will take place at each host stadium except Wembley, with England set to play at Newcastle United's St James' Park if they win their group, or Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium if they finish second.

It's international break so let's have a bit of fun to pass the time.

Now we know football existed before 1992 but for the purposes of this little exercise, keep it Premier League please.

So tell us, who would be in your dream Newcastle United Premier League XI?

The debate starts here.

Send your suggestions

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On Tuesday, Newcastle U21s were knocked out of the EFL Trophy with a 3-1 defeat at League Two side Harrogate Town.

The result left the Magpies in third in their group after picking up two points from their three games.

Sin bins? Bonus points? Two goals if you score from distance?

Imagine a world in which you could reinvent football.

It's a dream, of course. Just a bit of fun. But stick with us.

What if you had the power to change any of the game's laws and potentially bring to an end countless hours of discussion about handball, offside, video assistant referees, or anything else you want to?

Some of BBC Sport's familiar football faces have offered their own potential rule changes.

Watch them above or read more here

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We asked you to tell us how you're feeling about Newcastle United's current Premier League form.

Eddie Howe's side have picked up just three wins in their opening 11 league games and are yet to pick up three points away from home in the competition this season.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Steve: It's typical everyone saying Eddie Howe has run his course. The people stirring are the folk who want to see us fail. Eddie improves almost every player he touches, other clubs have to spend a lot more for worse results. The only thing missing is a goalscorer. Nick Woltemade is fantastic and will be a great addition, but he isn't the fox in the box or a focal point for attack. Give us that and we would see a far different table. With the talent and support we have, I'm not worried. Things will come good.

John: It is all down to the bad decision of letting Alexander Isak leave. That's not because he was irreplaceable - he was not - but because the club caved in to blackmail, which has left a bad taste in the rest of the squad. It was a really bad decision by the powers that be.

Douglas: Our away form is a problem yes, but something that will be overcome. We've just got to keep the faith and make no knee-jerk reactions.

Richard: 'Intensity is our identity' is Howe's slogan and it's pretty fair to say we aren't living up to it. My concern is that our plan of being more intense than our opposition has an innate flaw, it's always going to be unsustainable by definition. The atmosphere created at St James' galvanises and inspires the players, in contrast to away fixtures where this support is absent. It leaves the players unable to find the necessary intensity to win.

Paul: I'm a huge fan of Howe but his lack of ability (or stubbornness) to change tactics, formations and key players is his downfall. Pope, Burn and Bruno need to be rotated out - it's simple to see.

Michael: It's the same plan A all the time with the same old Eddie favourites. Why not give Alex Murphy a go at left-back instead of Dan Burn? It's not much wonder youngsters get downhearted if they don't get a look in. Lewis Miley only got in two years ago due to injuries. Elliott Anderson didn't want to move but wouldn't be where he is with Nottingham Forest and England if he was still here.

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Former Newcastle United player John Anderson says online talk about the future of Eddie Howe is premature.

Newcastle currently sit 14th in the table having won just three of their 11 Premier League games.

Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle about social media chat around Howe's position and him potentially leaving given the form, Anderson said: "You can't be saying things like that, not at this stage.

"We're 10 games in, two points off a relegation spot but six off Champions League. That's how tight it is.

"For people to be calling for Eddie Howe's head, I don't see that. But things do have to change."

Listen to Anderson here

The Observer's Rory Smith and former Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam discuss whether Newcastle's recent dip in form is because they have gone "soft" in recent games on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

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All right, it is getting hard to be positive now.

No league wins away from home this season and only three victories in the competition so far. What is going on?

It seems to be a mix of things. We played Brentford on Sunday and, despite having some options for rotation, we stuck to broadly the same formation we usually see.

Plan A it is. I don't know as much about football as Eddie Howe, so I have to trust that this is for a good reason, but it is getting harder and harder.

My main concerns from this weekend are the lack of rotation coupled with the serious feeling of deja vu. Brentford was not a carbon copy of West Ham the week before, but it was close. It felt like we had no ideas and no ability to change the game.

I am loath to call out Dan Burn (he is from Newcastle and he is lovely!) but he simply should not be starting at left-back if Lewis Hall is available, even if only for part of the match. Burn consistently gets targeted in this position and struggles, particularly away from home. Sunday's match saw him make so many rash decisions that he was sent off. Only then did we see Hall.

It is not Burn's fault. He is, and has been, a brilliant centre-back and is being played out of position. It is so frustrating to be crying out for us to try something different to see if it makes a difference only to see us try the same thing again and again. It isn't working.

Our league form is a serious concern. I just hope this international break brings proper reflection, as Howe acknowledged we needed, and we start again in two weeks with renewed desire to win.

Where are you at with Newcastle form? Do you remain confident in the tactics? Or are there deeper problems?

Let us know here

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external