Hello! Welcome back to the #TuesdayClub and the banks of the river Tyne. We are ten seasons into our Saudi adventure with Newcastle. The team has managed to chew through £522 million in transfer fees and have qualified for the Champions League in the past three seasons (2019-2021).
In the last episode, Slaven Bilic has left for Tottenham, so the board turn to an old friend for guidance. Welcome, Rafa!
2021/22 season
I perhaps shouldn’t have made a big fanfare of Rafa’s arrival because he’s shown the door before Christmas… to be replaced by former Hoffenheim boss, and ex-Premier League player, Markus Babbel.
The reason for the sacking becomes clearer as Newcastle struggle to a fifth placed finish. Ex-boss Slaven Bilic wins the league as the first time of asking with Spurs. Ole falls from first to sixth, but still Ed Woodward is reluctant to make a change. Ole survives another season.
It’s a quiet year in the transfer market, as an aging Jimmy Milner makes an emotional return to the North East.
Babbel does manage to ensure European football at St. James’ for the 2022/23 season, as does Ole (just)!
Finally, the Champions League campaign ends with a poor return against Inter, CSKA and APOEL.
2022/23 Season
Marcus Babbel strengthened for his Euro Cup qualifying campaign by signing two young regens and an aging midfielder. For regen striker Liam Brady – sharing his name with an Irish legend does not phase him, with 23 goals in 28 England u21 appearances. For Newcastle fans, investment in their own youth has yet to come to fruition, and the fans are excited about Brady’s prospects.
The Premier League would see silverware for Arsenal, by this time managed by Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel would do the dirty a few weeks after lifting the trophy and resigning for the Man City job. For Babbel, a ninth placed finish is would see him through to another season. Staveley is showing some resolve! Brady would score 28 goals in 55 games.
In the Euro Cup, Babbel would guide Newcastle to the Semi Final, losing to Ole’s Man Utd. Perhaps it was the cup run that saved him… Man Utd would be beaten by a West Ham side in the final managed by Keith Hill.
Elsewhere, West Ham’s European triumph means they oust Wolves from European Competition.
2023/24 Season
Arsenal – now managed by Diego Simeone – would defend their Premier League crown. For Babbel, a slow start meant the chopping block, to be replaced by a club legend Alan Shearer! |Big Al would bring success and Champions League qualification – even if on goal difference. For young Liam Brady, he would improve to 30 goals in 42 games.
£44 million worth of signings helped, with more regens filling the squad.
Shearer would bring the FA Cup back to the Tyne, this time in 90 minutes – rather than on penalties!
It’s Champions League football again for the Toon Army.
2024/25 Season
Big Al gets ready for his first Champions League campaign by spending a hefty £57 million. Brazilian Oscar a rare original player as regens start to filter through more and more.
Thomas Tuchel guides Man City to another title – his second in three seasons. For Shearer, a disappointing sixth, though only three points off fourth place. Magpies fans will be pleased to see Sunderland’s one-season return to the league resulting in relegation.
Shearer would guide his side through the Champions League groups, and then first knockout round…
Only to be humiliated by Real Madrid in the Quarters.
In the end-of-season review, Newcastle would qualify for the Europa League and Liam Brady would win footballer of the year, and top scorer after bagging 30 goals in 34 league games.
2025/26 Season
The Saudi money continues to flow, despite limited success. Shearer parts with another £36 million.
On the domestic front, another mid-table finish would see Newcastle fans frustrated. Tuchel guided City to another title and Ole just pips Sinisa Mihajlovic’s Chelsea team to fourth. It’s amazing that Ed has kept faith in Ole this long!
And in Europe, Brescia would dump Shearer’s Newcastle side out in the First Round of the Europa League. It’s a wonder Big Al kept his job!
It would be a trophy less season and no Europe for Shearer’s men in 2027.
2026/27 Season
2027 would mark 100 years since the last Newcastle United league title. With no Europe to focus on, Newcastle and another £35 million invested in the playing squad, Alan Shearer was unable to guide the Magpies to that elusive win on the centenary anniversary. Instead, a third-placed finish and their highest finish in six seasons. Ole would wheel his bus to the title, breaking Man City’s grip on it. He’d also claim the FA Cup for a domestic double.
Man City would concentrate efforts on the Champions League and the gamble would pay off for Tuchel, as the trophy guaranteed him a place in the competition for the next campaign. New Toon hero, Liam Brady, would also win more individual accolades and an England senior call.
2027/28 Season
Staveley’s Public Investment Fund would invest another £32 million for the upcoming Champions League campaign. It seems like a regular amount invested. The tried-and-tested tactic of poaching young Man Utd regens continuing.
The Magpies – lead by the prolific Brady – would qualify for the Champions League again, this time by ousting West Brom into fourth. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would lift the Premier League title once again. I don’t know what these Utd fans are moaning about? Patience!
In Europe, Shearer’s men would qualify as winners of Champions League Group A, at the expense of Dortmund, and a good defensive showing.
Its a familiar tale for fans of the Toon, as good group-game form cannot translate into the knockout phase. A 4-0 home loss to Sporting was nearly overcome in Lisbon. Holder Man City also dumped in the first knockout phase by Inter.
For Inter, they would go onto win in an all-Milan final in front of 80,000 Italians at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Liam Brady would claim the Premier League top scorer honour once again, and Newcastle be forced to battle in a play-off for their Champions League place.
2028/29 Season
It was a familiar feeling for Neewcastle fans in 2028 transfer window. £30 spent on players (check) and a Man Utd regen joining the ranks (check)!
The Public Investment Fund would though recoup more than £20m in one of those Regens – England international center back Daniel Coxon heading to rejoin Marcus Babbel now at Spurs.
Babbel’s Spurs, with Coxon in tow, would break the Manchester stranglehold on the Premier League trophy. What is it with ex-Magpies managers and silverware?! For Shearer, its a disappointing sixth, though looks like Sunderland’s yo-yo relationship with the Premier League continues..
The quest for the Champions League did not pass the qualifiers for Big Al. It meant the team would join the Europa League ranks and put some pressure on Shearer.
A dream run to the final would follow; 7-0 winners a Partizan; 1-0 winners over Metalist; Away goals QF win over West Ham after 3-3 aggerate draw; a convincing 4-1 semi final win over Sevilla would see a final played against CSKA Moscow in Amsterdam.
Dutch defensive midfield regen and former Ajax youth player Stijn Vennboer would help inspire the Magpies to a comeback at his ancestral home. Kiwi wingrer Gareth Otira would scorfe the winner to ensure Alan Shearer lifted a European Trophy for the first time! Captain Liam Brady would claim MoM for his part in the final.
It would ensure European football for the 2029/30 season and more individual accolades for Liam Brady.
2029/30 Season
This would be Liam Brady’s year.. though perhaps not Newcastle’s.
Another sixth placed finish for Shearer meant no hope of Champions League Football – though it did go down to the wire!
Shearer’s men, led on the field by Brady would beat Valencia to win the European Super Cup. This result made all the sweeter by the fact it was held in Valencia.
Hopes of another European adventure were dashed by Fenerbahce in the Semi Finals of the Europa league a 1-1 draw in Turkey could not be built upon, and a disappointing 2-0 loss would result in Shearer handing in his resignation . Real Madrid would go on to win it.
For Brady, a good showing in the 2030 World Cup for England (getting the siver boot) and in Europe would mean he would be voted European Footballer of the year for 2030.
Notice one player dominating for eleven seasons…
2030/31 Season
The twentieth and final season of this mini-series. Can Newcastle and the Public Investment Fund finally win the Premier League?
The board turn to Jim Bentley to lead the club after Shearer’s exit. Bentley started the game as player-manager of Morcambe. Looking through Bentley’s in-game record, it seems he won promotion to League One with Morcambe in 2014; won League One with Blackburn in 2022; won promotion to Premier League with Swansea in 2025; won the Championship with Leeds in 2028 and guided Leeds to 8th in the Premier League. It’s steady progress as a manager, but title-winning? Good luck Magpies fans!
Alas, Newcastle finish in seventh some way off the Champions League pace. Liam Brady would, however score his 200th league goal for Newcastle ensure hero status on the Tyne. A statue was commissioned to stand proud alongside Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer.
Remarkably, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still in charge of Man Utd twenty season later and delivered another title! He’s fast catching up Sir Alex, with seven league titles, one FA cup, two Carling Cups and four Champions League victories.
In Europe, Bentley’s Magpies could only reach the second knockout round of the Europa League losing to Arsenal.
Charlton Athletic would lift the FA Cup in 2031, meaning this twenty-season saga ends as it began. Newcastle mid-table and out of European competition.
I hope you enjoyed the ride, Newcastle fans. Until next time!
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