Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have reflected on a 'brilliant start' to the new era at Newcastle United and the next challenge after qualifying for the Champions League. The Magpies needed a point on Monday night to confirm a top-four spot, and achieved that with a goalless draw with Leicester City.
The achievement confirms a remarkable turnaround on Tyneside under Eddie Howe, with United transformed from relegation favourites into a Champions League side in little over a year. The last objective now for Newcastle to cap off a sensational season is a final-day visit to Chelsea and the prospect of sealing a third-placed finish ahead of Manchester United.
Speaking ahead of the 0-0 draw with the Foxes, Carragher and Neville discussed how a return to the Champions League after two decades will impact the Magpies. Here is a full transcript of the Monday Night Football segment with presenter David Jones where the Sky Sports pundits talked through what comes next for Newcastle.
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GN: The challenge for Newcastle...what a brilliant season, Eddie Howe has done a great job. But to really succeed over a period of time, you do need sustained success in the Champions League.
You do need to make sure you get there year after year. People talk about Champions League revenues, for one season it gives you a boost, but you don't bring the sponsors in and the commercial revenues that really lift you into that high-revenue club you need to be to compete on a regular basis until the sponsors are confident you're going to get there every year.
From that point of view, it's a brilliant start for the new ownership and Eddie Howe. But they're going to need to think now about how they do that next season and play as well as they can in the Premier League whilst also competing in the Champions League.
The biggest challenge is still to come, but well done to them for what they've done this year.
JC: I actually think they're three years ahead of where I certainly thought they'd be. I think if it was in another three years' time, they'd probably have built that squad up, maybe a Europa League challenge and got greater numbers and maybe felt as though they're ready for Champions League. They deserve to be in the top four, I do say that.
DJ: Could it accelerate the program because maybe they can take a higher band of players than they thought was even possible?
JC: Of course. If they get Champions League football, they will have more revenue and be an enticing prospect for any player going there. But I'm a little bit with Gary where I'm not saying it's come too early, it's exactly what you want.
But if Newcastle make the Champions League or some sort of European football which they've got, I think it will affect them next season. I don't think I'd be backing Newcastle to be in the top four next season on the back of playing Champions League football, European football and league games.
They've had no midweek games, that's been a huge bonus for them in terms of getting where they are. They're so energetic, so fast out of the blocks in games, that won't be there week in, week out next season because of European football.
So in some ways, yes they've got there early, can they embrace it? I don't think it'll be a case of getting in and staying in right now, I think that's maybe two or three years down the line.
GN: If you think about the established elite who have been in the Champions League for the last 20 years, that's Arsenal, Manchester United...Arsenal haven't been in for a few years, but they've got the revenues built. The two clubs who have broken into that are obviously City and Chelsea who have qualified regularly for it.
They've had to spend well over a billion pounds to get there, and Newcastle aren't able to do that in this moment in time because of sustainability rules. So it is a challenge for them because they've got in there so early without driving the revenues up to be able to maintain it.
DJ: Newcastle could potentially end up with six more points this season than Arsenal managed last season. Look at that jump Arsenal have made in one season, could it happen for Newcastle? Could they be title challengers next season?
GN: I'd sit here now and say no, they can't be title challengers because of the squad they've got and what they'd have to do to make themselves title challengers. But we've seen some incredible stories, we've seen what Mikel Arteta has done.
We both [pointing at Carragher] said at the end of last season we thought Arsenal would struggle to qualify for the top four. We've been proven wrong, Arsenal have been exceptional this season up until the last seven or eight games.
They've got to that second spot that none of us thought they'd ever get to. Well done to them for that, it can happen but I think you're talking about a different level of squad and team to really be able to challenge City for the title.
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