Will Newcastle pay for their exotic preseason plans?

Fans of Newcastle United had the opportunity to engage directly with Magpie beat reporter Chris Waugh in a Q&A published over The Athletic on April 16 in which he provided some insights and analysis on various aspects of the club, including player performances, transfers, and other issues affecting the organization’s operations.

Waugh reflects on the broader sentiment among players and managers regarding the future preseason getting plotted by the Magpies, emphasizing the unsustainability of the sport’s increasing speed and physicality in the face of an expanding match calendar.

Concerns have risen within football regarding the sustainability of the current intensity of training and playing schedules. Despite these concerns, the financial boost this type of preseason could yield may prevent significant changes benefiting the board more than the actual well-being of the players.

Newcastle are reportedly planning a post-season tour to Australia, a decision Waugh criticizes as “ludicrous” from a footballing and fitness perspective.

Obviously, Newcastle is trying to become a natural competitor in European competitions whether that’s the Conference, Europa, or Champions League. That, however, comes with the “negative” of having to play many more games than teams that fail to reach such heights.

According to Waugh, Newcastle will need a deeper and stronger squad in order to compete at the highest level going forward, including both bringing reinforcements this summer and keeping the current players in the quad as healthy as possible—which means, avoiding nonsensical preseason taxes on the physical front.

Eddie Howe and his coaching staff are reportedly considering adjustments to their preseason plans but they would need the approval from the PIF and other board members in order to do that.