Pep Guardiola has delivered a message to Newcastle United after their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup yesterday.
Newcastle had expected little from the game up against last season’s treble winners so the scoreline was no surprise, though fan were frustrated at the lack of attacking threat they had showed on the night.
Speaking after the game, Guardiola was confident that Newcastle would learn from their first season back in the Champions League for two decades and that they’re taking steps to being a top club.
Guardiola says Newcastle will learn from this season
Newcastle came into the season on a massive high having finished in fourth place in the Premier League just a few months ago and they were looking forward to some big European nights ahead.
But reality would soon hit as injuries started to pile up and Newcastle really struggled to cope with the number of fixtures they had eventually culminating in an exit from Europe and the Carabao Cup in December.
Guardiola, who has always spoken very highly of Newcastle, thinks this will be a really good lesson for the Geordies and is backing them to learn from it and come back even stronger next year.
There’s a good chance Newcastle won’t even have Europe to deal with next year given their position in the league, but it could be a bit of a blessing in disguise to give them a clear run to challenge for top four once again.
On Newcastle, Guardiola said: “Newcastle took a big step and reached another level. But this is the first time they’ve played in four competitions. That means playing every three days, especially at the beginning. When it’s the first time, it’s not easy for any club.
“I’m sure they’ll take lessons because the potential is there. Last season was unbelievable, but they played one game a week. This season they’ve played a lot, and it’s completely different. When you have experience, you can handle the training and the minutes. I’m pretty sure they will learn the lessons and take decisions to try and still be there.”
Things can only get better for Newcastle
This is probably the lowest point for Newcastle since the takeover was completed in 2021 and it’s fair to say that their fans have been pretty spoiled up until this moment in time.
Of course, you’re always going to get those who are very reactionary, but the reality is that Newcastle have a lot of quality in that squad when all fit and available and they are only going to add to that in the summer.
They may lose a couple, the likes of Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson have been linked with moves away, but the owners’ long-term project is to improve year on year and Newcastle fans can take comfort in the fact they now have a football club who are always going to try and compete.
Leave a Reply