Here are your Newcastle United evening headlines for Wednesday, March 22.
Importance of Champions League laid bare for Newcastle after Klopp makes crucial transfer point
Rewind to the start of the season and those in the north east with a black and white persuasion were openly talking about a top 10 finish and a cup run marking a successful first full season for Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United.
Fast forward to present day and there will now be a tinge of disappointment should the Magpies fail to qualify for the Champions League from their current position. Of course, the vast majority of the St James' Park faithful will still be delighted with a fifth, sixth or seventh-placed finish as long as it means the passports can be dusted off for a European tour next term.
READ MORE: Keylor Navas penalty twist revealed as he fails to get in yet another Newcastle player's head
Though while qualifying for one of the two lesser European competitions would rightly be celebrated at this stage in Newcastle's journey, missing out on the top four would slow the club's growth somewhat. Not least because of the finances involved when you reach the Champions League.
Sven Botman response impresses Newcastle United boss in telling moment after City Ground incident
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is confident that Sven Botman will quickly shrug off his mistake against Nottingham Forest and be stronger for the experience.
The Dutchman recovered during the game and helped Newcastle to come back from 1-0 down at the City Ground to win the game. Botman is now on international duty with Holland as his country face France on Friday night in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
When asked about Botman's mood, Howe said: "He's been incredibly consistent for us this season, he's been a rock at the heart of our defence.
Newcastle owners have found a bargain as the Glazers' Manchester United takeover demand proves
Newcastle United have a 'bigger growth potential' than the established order - even if it will take time for the Magpies to reach the 'absolute revenue' of those clubs.
That is according to Daniel Haddad, who is the head of commercial strategy at Octagon, who advise brands such as Mastercard, Budweiser, Standard Chartered and Expedia on their sports marketing asset investments. Haddad's words are timely given that the Glazers are demanding a world-record fee for Manchester United, in the region of £6bn, that would far eclipse the £3.8bn that the Denver Broncos American football team commanded last year.
In contrast, Newcastle's owners bought the club for £305m, which was little more than double the Magpies' turnover (£179.8m) in 2021-22, according to the Deloitte Money League. While Manchester United generate much higher revenues, the Red Devils could end up being sold for up to 10 times the £583.2m the club made in the same period.
UEFA asked 'million-dollar question' about rules stopping Newcastle using full spending power
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has described the prospect of clubs such as Newcastle United being able to close the gap on the elite while maintaining financial sustainability in the game as the 'million-dollar question'.
Newcastle are bound by the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, which allow total losses of £105m over a three-year period, and Eddie Howe's side will also have to contend with UEFA's financial sustainability regulations if they qualify for Europe. These rules will eventually cap what clubs can spend on wages, transfer fees and agents' fees to 70% of revenues from 2025/26.
Newcastle's owners may have spent more than a quarter of a billion pounds on transfer fees to date, but the Magpies have not been able to maximise their spending power because of these restrictions. In fact, Howe warned last month that Financial Fair Play will continue to limit what Newcastle can do 'unless we can dramatically change our revenue streams' despite the club having such wealthy owners.
Alan Shearer ranks old foe Roy Keane as a pundit despite ongoing 'beef' amid 'box office' claim
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer admits his former adversary Roy Keane is 'box office' as a pundit. The pair famously clashed on the pitch, with the Magpies' No 9 goading in a confrontation which led to the Manchester United captain being shown a red card at St James' Park in September 2001.
Shearer later described how Keane was 'waiting' to settle the score after the full-time whistle of Newcastle's 4-3 win, but the second round of the row did not develop beyond a few 'choice words' being exchanged. More than two decades on, the personal rivalry remains between the pair, with Keane admitting last year that their 'beef' made working together impossible.
Shearer was handed the dubious task of ranking many of his colleagues along with Micah Richards on the latest series of the BBC's Match of the Day Top 10 series. The duo were asked to assess their favourites in a list which included the likes of Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville from Sky Sports, alongside former pundits such as Alan Hansen and the late Jimmy Hill.
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