Newcastle United have to find ways around it by smart recruitment – BBC Sport main man’s verdict | OneFootball

Phil McNulty is the chief football writer at BBC Sport and ahead of each season, he gives his considered opinion on the 20 clubs contesting the upcoming campaign.

In early August 2024, he predicted that this would be the final top ten, in order, at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season (in brackets where they did actually finish in the table):

Man City (3rd), Arsenal (2nd), Liverpool (1st), Villa (6th), Man U(15th), Tottenham (17th), Chelsea (4th), West Ham (14th), Newcastle United (5th), Palace (12th)

When the 2024/25 season finally did end, the BBC Sport main man had this to say; ‘A brilliant season from manager Eddie Howe and his team. The Toon Army celebrated their first domestic trophy for 70 years – and first silverware for 55 years – with the deserved Carabao Cup win against Liverpool at Wembley and now they are back in the Champions League.’

Amusing as well of course when you especially look back on his predictions for Spurs and Manchester United ahead of the 2024/25 season.

As we are in between seasons, the BBC Sport main man answering various questions posed by fans of various clubs in a Q and A session on Tuesday.

Amongst the questions, Phil McNulty asked this one, then his reply underneath:

Phil McNulty’s reply:

‘Hi, Matt. I think there is a feeling of injustice among some clubs – I would suggest Aston Villa and Newcastle United are prime examples – who feel they are being prevented from punching their true financial weight in the markets because of this.

And there are others lower down who feel it is weighted to suit the more powerful clubs.

It is, however, the modern way now and they [likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa] have to find ways around it by smart recruitment and producing their own players.’

As the BBC main man very correctly says, it is ‘the modern way now’ and Newcastle United (and others) just have to get on with it!

The reality is though, that the odds are stacked in countless ways against those now trying to close the gap on clubs that have already built far bigger revenue streams, which means they are allowed under PSR to pay out far more on transfer fees and wages than the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

It is ironic that the two English clubs at the ridiculous FIFA Club World Cup, are Chelsea and Man City. The two clubs benefited by far the most in terms of Premier League clubs whose owners spent as much as they wanted to, in order to compete with the established elite, only for then the rules to have changed and prevent Villa and Newcastle United to do the same.

If one of these two English clubs win this farcical competition in America this summer, they could pick up almost £100m. This just widens the gap even further.

However, that is just one of the ways where lack of fairness exists.

Next season, Newcastle United could do far better in the Champions League than both Manchester City and Chelsea, yet still get less money from the Champions League pot of riches. A significant proportion of what you earn in the 2025/26 Champions League competition, will depend on how you have performed in European competitions in past years (the last five seasons I believe). The more successful you have been in past seasons then the higher your coefficient, the higher your coefficient then the more money your club gets paid out from that particular part of the 2025/26 Champions League pot of riches.

Reality is that when you are talking about PSR, Champions League, Club World Cup, or whatever. Everything is geared towards the Premier League clubs who are the richest and most powerful, staying there, indeed the direction of travel is towards helping to grow the wealth and power gap instead of narrowing it.