Before this incredible campaign began its relentless path, who would have risked betting hard-earned bucks on Newcastle United smashing the barricades of Champions League football and Chelsea becoming lost in lower midtable embarrassment?
Yet here we are about to confine 2022-23 to history with these two historic clubs locked in final day combat occupying exactly such contrasting positions. Oh the joy for Geordies whose model has been perfection and the humiliation for Chelsea who have played like the Pensioners of their nickname despite a new owner splashing obscene amounts of cash apparently without thought or direction.
How to do it ably displayed by one club, how not to do it by another.
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Of course while United have achieved the impossible rising from a relegation-haunted club to a place amongst Europe's elite in one gigantic leap it can still be argued the hardest part is yet to come. What, you say? Well yes, next they must pull off the best juggling act seen on any stage which is staying competitive in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. Targeting one can greatly impact on another which means a club's ranking in the PL can dip significantly.
Eddie Howe, a big thinker and plotter, realises that only too well and consequently has asked his board for "two elevens of equal strength".
Spot on but theory and practice are two very different things. Can it be done in one transfer window? The only English club to manage such strength in depth over a much longer period in my opinion has been Manchester City who are habitual winners of the PL title but have not as yet claimed the Champions League though I expect them to by the time this season is completely finished.
There are many examples of teams failing in the league and falling off a lofty perch because they have chased Europe, the most recent being West Ham who have reached the Europa Conference League final but at the expense of a campaign spent fighting off relegation.
Newcastle have raised the bar sky high but Howe is well aware that just 14 players have started more than five PL games this season. With no diversions apart from a League Cup run Howe has been able to field a settled side playing in the main just once every seven days rather than having to rotate. Next season that will be denied him with a relentless run of three matches a week.
As an example of what is currently the state of play at Newcastle let me give you two sample sides: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Guimaraes, Longstaff, Willock; Almiron, Wilson, Joelinton.
A totally different XI: Dubravka; Manquillo, Lascelles, Dummett, Targett; Anderson, Gordon, Ritchie; Murphy, Isak, Saint-Maximin. Are they "two elevens of equal strength" which is what the manager wants and ideally requires? Of course not. Far from it.
However that problem is for the summer. Right now the board, Howe, his coaches, players, and fans ought to be allowed to savour what we have. It has been a short time in coming for them, an awful long time for us. Of course Sunday's result matters little in terms of achieving targets. Champions League entry is already guaranteed.
That being the case Nick Pope has undergone an operation on his hand early and will miss Stamford Bridge. So may others with United having a lengthy list of walking wounded. Team selection will be an indicator to the eventual outcome. Nevertheless United will not accept automatic final-day failure. That sort of timidness is not what got NUFC where they currently are. It is not in the DNA of Eddie Howe or his players. One last push is what is desired even if it is not necessary.
Then it is goodbye to 2022-23, goodbye to Frank Lampard, hello to the Champions League and the PL return of Mauricio Pochettino, hello to a summer of transfer activity for Newcastle and to unbridled hope. We can relish the thought of what might be during the sunshine months!
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