00:00 Despite all the injuries and issues this season, Newcastle are still competing on all fronts.
00:07 So I asked Chris how he rated the campaign.
00:10 I'd probably mark it about an 8 out of 10.
00:13 I think that there have been some challenges and obviously there was a bit of a difficult start,
00:17 but they recovered very well and until maybe a fortnight ago I think you'd have marked them even higher.
00:22 But injuries and the squad being stretched following Sandro Tonali's suspension, which has made things even worse,
00:31 has meant that things have caught up on Newcastle a little bit.
00:34 And suddenly, I mean they are in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals,
00:37 despite having largely put out a second-string side in that competition,
00:41 so they still have the opportunity to go for silverware.
00:45 They are still in the Champions League, albeit their position is now very, very difficult
00:49 and they're probably going to have to claim at least four points, if not six.
00:52 And they are still only two wins outside of the top four in the Premier League.
00:57 So taking all things into consideration, given how difficult it's been in terms of the challenges Newcastle have faced,
01:04 the quality of opposition they face in every single competition they've been in,
01:08 and also the learning curve that they are on, both Eddie Howe and most of the players,
01:13 in terms of juggling all these matches, I think that it's been a pretty good start.
01:18 Some have criticised Newcastle this season, so I wanted to know whether this is justified.
01:24 It was always going to be a difficult season, and Eddie Howe himself has repeatedly said that publicly,
01:29 but I still think that people are allowed to critique what Newcastle have shown and tried to display so far this season.
01:37 The players and the coaching staff have very high standards for themselves,
01:40 and Eddie Howe came out after the Bournemouth game and said that basically no facet of their performance at Bournemouth
01:45 reflected what he has come to expect from his Newcastle United side.
01:49 So he is, to a degree, being self-critical, while also acknowledging the mitigating factor.
01:54 So I certainly don't think that people should condemn what Newcastle have done so far this season.
01:59 They are challenging on so many fronts. They have a very, very stretched squad.
02:04 Given the injury list, I asked Chris whether Newcastle would be active in the January transfer window.
02:10 I do expect Newcastle to be active in January. They are still internally deciding exactly what they are going to do.
02:17 That's partly because they are looking to see what the injury situation is.
02:21 The obvious area where they need to strengthen, given the fact that Sandro Tonali can't play again this season, is midfield.
02:27 That was their priority going into summer. Ideally, they wanted two midfielders.
02:30 They signed one, and he is now suspended for the remainder of the season.
02:33 But they also have injuries and are stretched elsewhere.
02:36 They may consider trying to get a forward in. There is obviously centre-back as another position they like as well.
02:41 They are going to have constraints when it comes to FFP.
02:44 Whether they progress out of the Champions League group stage may determine exactly what they can do in January,
02:50 in terms of potential permanent signings. But I do think, at the very least, they will be active.
02:56 Newcastle United return to action at home to Chelsea on the 25th of the month, hoping to return to winning ways.
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