Newcastle United superstars Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak can achieve their lofty ambitions on Tyneside - and they have a manager in Eddie Howe who is doing a 'fantastic' job.
That's the verdict of former Liverpool and England star John Barnes, who feels the Magpies need to stick to their plan and be patient for success to arrive. This has been something of a reality-biting season for the Magpies, who have seen financial fair play regulatations curb their squad building, while injuries and a tough schedule has meant no repeat of last term's top-four success.
There is speculation over the future of some of their key players, with CEO Darren Eales admitting that there is a possibility of the club having to sell in order to reinvest in the summer transfer window. The likes of Isak and Guimaraes have been linked with big-money exits, and while Barnes acknowledges that every club now faces those sort of dilemmas, he doesn't necessarily think the players themselves need to move on to find success.
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The winger, who scored seven goals in 40 appearances for Newcastle between 1997 and 1999, insists they are very much heading in the right direction and that Howe should be allowed to get on with the job in hand, citing last weekend's 4-0 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur as evidence that this squad has got what it takes.
"Newcastle are a good side with a good manager," Barnes told Genting Casino. "They have some good players. The results aren’t as important as the process. The process takes time to build and that’s where you get your consistency from.
"The issue that Newcastle have is, since the Saudi’s went in there, there has been a lot of discussion about the manager's future and the club appointing a big-name manager. From week-to-week, I feel so sorry for Eddie Howe because it’s like people are waiting for a big manager to come in when Eddie has been doing a fantastic job.
"Newcastle are moving in the right direction. They are growing as a team, they’ve got good players – we saw that against Tottenham – so let that development happen slowly.
"A lot of Newcastle fans want European qualification, but my thoughts on that were if that happens, it happens. Newcastle need to focus on getting that consistency into their performances. Believe in the manager. Believe in the players. Try and keep hold of the players. There is talk about Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak moving on. I don’t see why they would want to – a club like Newcastle can fulfil their ambitions.
"Football has a habit of living week-to-week. Because Newcastle beat Tottenham, now we’re asking if they can qualify for Europe. If they lose next week, we’re going say: 'Eddie Howe isn’t the right man, let’s get someone else in,' that’s the thought process. They need time to grow, which is what they’re doing. Eddie Howe is doing a great job and they’re a very, very good team."
While Howe and supporters want to keep their top names on Tyneside, there is still a chance one could depart should the deal prove right for the club. Barnes feels Bruno would be the bigger miss at this stage - although is still backing United to cope.
"I think Guimaraes would be the bigger loss to Newcastle," he added. "He’s had another great season and has done very well in his last few games, popping up with a few goals. I think from a consistency point of view, Bruno Guimaraes would be a bigger loss than Isak, but of course, I think they are at a stage in their development as a club where they could replace him.
"He didn’t come to the club as a superstar and there are lots of good players out there that would be attracted to playing for Newcastle. He is a very important player for the team, but I think they could find a replacement for him.
"I actually think that Newcastle are now in a place where they could cope with the loss of any of their players and adequately replace them. I don’t believe that they would be signing replacements that would push them to win the league or finish second, but the fans need to trust the process and be patient. Players come and players go, it doesn’t matter which club you are."
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