Newcastle United

“I think everyone in our squad is in contention to play,” said United's head coach, who brought Sean Longstaff, Miguel Almiron and Javier Manquillo off the ...

"There are some very tired bodies in the changing room, a bit of cramp in the squad with a couple of players as well. Goalscorer Guimaraes was forced off with cramp, and Howe – who was without Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin because of injury and illness respectively – is assessing his squad in London ahead of Sunday’s game against Chelsea. Eddie Howe’s ready to change a winning Newcastle United team at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle United are heading for mid-table safety but, for all the money spent on players, the game-changing arrival has been the manager.

Ashley could have (but never would have) spent the money that has been spent, and any other new owner could have done the same. But for all the talk of Saudi money and of expensive new players, the key to the turnaround at St James’ Park has been the manager. The owners of Newcastle United may be best advised to keep their mouths shut rather than opening them in the way in which Staveley did, should they wish to avoid further scrutiny of where their loyalties rest at a time when the world is being pushed to choose a side over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Matt Targett and Dan Burn, players brought in during the January transfer window, have both impressed – it now seems almost certain that Targett will be making his signing permanent during the summer, and there’s been little in his performances thus far to suggest that this wouldn’t be a good idea – but this improvement has extended into some of the players who were malfunctioning earlier this season. The arrival of Dan Ashworth from Brighton to finally fill the Director of Football role should lead to greater coherence in their summer transfer dealings, but there will continue to be opportunists seeking to prise the blank cheque book open, and reports from all over the place that ‘bigger names’ could be drafted in to replace the parts that already seem to be functioning pretty well. There are, of course, asterisks and qualifiers and they certainly aren’t everybody’s ‘second favourite team’ anymore, but what has been notable about Newcastle’s improvement over the last couple of months is that it hasn’t come about solely because of Saudi oil money.

Eddie Howe has acknowledged his staff, players and the Newcastle United supporters after winning the Premier League's Barclays Manager of the Month award ...

"I'm receiving it, really, on behalf of everyone connected with the club - the staff, the players, the owners. "I'm just the guy who stands on the touchline but there's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to produce consistent results so I have to say a big thank you to everyone connected with the club, including the supporters. "It feels really nice and I'm very thankful to receive the award," he told nufc.co.uk. "But I'm receiving it, really, on behalf of everyone connected with the club - the staff, the players, the owners.