Gary Neville urges caution on Newcastle's Champions League ambitions

‘There is no way they finish in the Champions League places next season’: Gary Neville urges caution on Newcastle’s European ambition and tells the club to ‘do it in stages’

  • Newcastle’s form in 2022 would be enough to mount a top-four challenge
  • The club are set to invest heavily in the playing squad in the transfer window
  • Gary Neville says the should aim lower than the Champions League to start with
  • Jamie Carragher believes European football should be Newcastle’s next target 

Gary Neville has warned Newcastle will have to ‘do it in stages’ before they can achieve their ultimate ambition of qualifying for the Champions League.

Newcastle, who were among those tipped for relegation at the start of the season, have the fifth-highest Premier League points tally in 2022 following a resurgence in form under manager Eddie Howe.

With their league place safe, talk has turned to how far Howe can take his Newcastle side following the £305million takeover from the Saudi Public Investment Fund in October.

Gary Neville discussed Newcastle’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season on Monday Night Football

Eddie Howe has overseen a remarkable change in fortunes since taking over in November

Newcastle spent £94million in January and are again expected to invest heavily in the squad during the summer transfer window.

But Neville, speaking on Monday Night Football, has urged caution and believes it will take time before they can get close to joining Europe’s elite.

‘Newcastle have got massive ambition but they are going to have to do it in stages,’ Neville said.

‘There is no way they get in [the Champions League] next season. They need to establish themselves in that zone just below the top four, with the likes of Wolves and West Ham. Then they can make that step.’

Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said European football should be the target for the Magpies in the campaigns ahead.

Newcastle have the fifth-highest points tally in the Premier League in the calendar year

The Magpies spent £94million in January, including around £40million on Bruno Guimaraes

‘It has got to be European football for Newcastle,’ Carragher said. ‘The players they brought in in January were good Premier League players – with that bit of stardust with Bruno Guimaraes – but there is no reason why can’t they become, for example, like Wolves, where they are always challenging for Europe. 

‘I expect Newcastle to improve next season and Howe deserves a lot of credit.’

Newcastle’s last Champions League appearance came in the 2002-03 season, while their most recent European campaign was in the 2012-13 Europa League, where they went on to reach the quarter-finals before losing to Benfica.

Howe inherited a team in November that was stuck in the bottom three but lifted them as high as ninth last month. They are currently 14th in the league following three wins in their last five matches.




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