Former Newcastle United striker Andy Cole has praised the new arrivals on Tyneside for propelling the club up the Premier League. Around £220million has been spent since Mike Ashley packed his bags at St James’ Park.
The Saudi-backed regime were expected to spend lavishly and, to an extent, foolishly in the transfer market. However, meticulous preparation has allowed the Magpies to maximise their potential in a short space of time.
The feeling is Newcastle are barely out of second gear when it comes to splashing the cash - yet already sit fourth in the Premier League. An argument could be made that every signing - including Chris Wood - has made a difference to Eddie Howe’s team.
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One man who knows all about a black-and-white revolution is ex-striker Cole. Signed by Sir John Hall in 1993, the 51-year-old was a goal machine under Kevin Keegan and helped the Magpies reach the Premier League.
In a turnaround similar to the present day, a staggering 34 goals the following campaign climbed Newcastle up to third in their debut season. Cole has been stunned by the recruitment strategy at St James’ Park and how his former club is operating post-takeover.
“(They have been) very good. Fair play to the players, management staff and the recruitment staff," he told Betway. "Considering where they were this time last year, it’s a great turnaround. They’ve brought in four or five quality players and it’s changed everything.
“You probably wouldn’t even say that the new signings are big names, but they’ve been absolutely frightening. Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes… they’ve all been brilliant.
“But the players who were already there are totally different, too. Joelinton is like a new player. It just shows you that when you work on a certain way of playing and everybody buys into it, you can succeed.”
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