Newcastle United's struggles in 2023 so far and their top-four prospects have came under the spotlight on Soccer Saturday. Eddie Howe's side have sealed just one top-flight victory since the festive period, and also suffered heartbreak in the Carabao Cup final last month.
Newcastle sat third in the table at Christmas, but have since been leapfrogged by Liverpool and Tottenham in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League. Brighton have also emerged as potential contenders for a top-four spot, with Roberto de Zerbi's side one of the form sides in the Premier League.
The Magpies return to action following three straight defeats with a home encounter against Wolves on Sunday. Here is what host Jeff Stelling and pundits Kris Boyd, Michael Dawson, and Clinton Morrison had to say about Newcastle United's European prospects and their January transfer business.
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MD: We've seen Almiron, Joelinton, Callum Wilson not scoring the goals they did earlier in the season. One in 14 for Callum Wilson, and that's been the struggle.
I think Newcastle and Eddie Howe deserve credit for the season they're having, and getting to a cup final I always said was a distraction for a team which hasn't been to a final before. They are where they are.
They're still in with a shout of top four, but I don't see that happening for them. I think it's one step too far this season, I don't think will have been the aim at the start with the new ownership. Since the turn of the year, they've struggled for results.
JS: You're talking about Champions League, but the concern now is not just they may not get Champions League, they may not get Europe at all. How would that be perceived?
KB: The positivity off the back of getting to the cup final, I think we were all not really expecting Newcastle, the acceleration of their improvement has been unbelievable. But you're now looking at it from the point of view of Eddie Howe coming in and done fantastic, but you're now going to be judged on your signings.
They spent a lot of money on Anthony Gordon, there'll be more recruits coming in the summer. You get the feeling it's going to be a big six or seven months for Newcastle and Eddie Howe in terms of how they finish the season, how the summer goes in terms of recruitment, and then the start of next season.
The acceleration of how well the club has done, they're going to be under massive pressure. The Newcastle fans have waited a long, long time for success, and that wait goes on after the disappointment of the League Cup.
You get the feeling now they're going to have to finish the season strong because of the standards they have set themselves. Isak came in at the start of the season and it's not really happened for him, Botman I think was a really good signing.
He has been excellent, but you look at it now and there's been a drop-off in Callum Wilson. Players are going to have to step up and start producing again.
JS: Clinton, I'm not sure of the FFP implications but they only really signed Anthony Gordon in January. With the position they were in, was that a mistake?
CM: It's a difficult one because everyone thought with the new owners when they came in, are they going to spend big money? I think he was happy with his squad, he probably wanted more.
He said he was a bit disappointed, he wanted to bring in another striker because Callum Wilson picks up injuries and Isak was injured at the time. You were looking at it, and they were in for the likes of Maddison and Gallagher at the time.
I think Maddison was the one. If they got him over the line, that would have been a good signing and taken Newcastle to another level where they want to go. But they didn't do that.
They have to finish the season well. Before the season, most Newcastle fans would have said they wouldn't have been challenging for that top four, but because they've been in and around it for most of the season, you don't want to drop off.
They have from now until the end of the season to get as many points as possible. They can still do it as well Jeff.
JS: There's no question that they can, and one win might kickstart their season. But if you look at current form, Wolves have taken 13 points from their last eight games and Newcastle have taken eight points.
