That’s a concern for Newcastle United that stretches beyond this transfer window | OneFootball

Humiliated, mugged off, pants pulled down — I’ve heard a number of descriptions for Newcastle United in this transfer window.

Barring some miracles in the time remaining, it has been a bit of a shambles.

Before I go on, a few caveats – some mitigating factors:

Newcastle United have had to navigate this window without a Director of Sport or CEO, which means someone — likely Eddie Howe himself — has had to juggle multiple roles as best he can.

The media narrative is, at best, mostly speculation and rumour; at worst, a targeted attempt to distract and disrupt. Either way, we have to take what we read with more than a pinch of salt.

That being said, if the media reports are even broadly accurate, the list of players who’ve turned Newcastle United down in favour of rivals is long — and now Sesko set to be added to it.

This is bad for several reasons, I’ve ranked them here from least to most concerning:

Other fans are laughing at us. And nobody likes to be laughed at.

We’re not landing our first-choice targets.

We’re not landing anyone — because of the time wasted on failed pursuits.

Our reputation has taken a hit.

Our morale — among fans, and probably players too — has taken a bigger one.

You’ll notice the last two points aren’t about how many players we’ll have when the season starts. And that’s kind of my point.

What worries me more than who lines up against Villa a week on Saturday, is the impact these transfer failures are having on our club. Repeatedly failing to attract top players is creating a reputation that’s snowballing with every article.

Worst-case scenario?

That snowball keeps rolling. Players — especially foreign ones — who might have once heard stories of Newcastle’s rise and ambition, may see us now in a new way. Like the house on Rightmove that keeps getting reduced. You don’t know the full story but you can’t help wondering what’s wrong with it? No smoke without fire, right?

That’s a concern that stretches beyond this transfer window.

I have seen some Newcastle United fans describe the club as currently being like a ship without a captain. It’s one thing when we feel that way — quite another if the rest of the football world does.

What worries me even more is the morale hit.

I think more than any club in the league, we thrive on vibes (as the kids say). That mix of hope, relief, excitement, and underdog defiance has been with us — growing with us — since the takeover. We’ve been beating the odds, improving every season.

Despite the shackles placed on us, every year has brought more potential than the last. And we’ve faced it all with a defiant “screw everyone who says otherwise” attitude. Despite some stumbles, the belief has grown until this window came along.

It’s now conceivable Newcastle United will start the new season with fewer top players than we had last season.

Less depth to handle injuries. Less firepower for another Champions League run. And that’s before we even get into the Alexander Isak debacle which feels like a blow if he goes and a blow if he stays.

If the Newcastle fans — and the squad — don’t head into the season believing we can top last year’s heights, that’ll impact performances far more than Sesko choosing the old United or the new united (us or money)

So what do we do?

First, the club needs to rewrite the narrative while there’s still time.

Eddie started well with his comment about Alexander Isak and whether he is allowed to train with the group or not — well played. But we need more. We need a win.

Overpay if we must. Take Marc Guehi from under Liverpool’s nose, even if it costs £45m. Not because they’re worth that — but because repairing our reputation might be.

Second, we as fans need to recognise the mess and commit to moving on when the season starts.

I’d like to believe most of us can let go of disappointment quickly enough to lift the players from day one. Less booing Alexander Isak (if he’s still here) and more “We are the Geordies” ringing out in the stands.

Finally, in the long term, maybe it’s time we stop trying to compete with the spoiled rich kids in the transfer market – at least for the time being.