Opinion

I was interested to read this from a Newcastle United star.

It was in an article on The Mag, this Wednesday morning.

Newcastle United star Anthony Elanga has been talking to the media in Sweden about joining United, this start to the season and what is set to potentially unfold.

Amongst the Elanga quotes was this; “We will have 60 games this year and the coach is smart and knows what he’s doing. The way we play takes a lot of strain on the body…it requires intensity. He (Eddie Howe) tries to keep everyone fresh and ready.”

That got me thinking.

Whether he really had thought about it, or whether it was just a figure plucked out of the air on the spur of the moment, I wondered exactly what 60 matches this season for Newcastle United would actually mean…

The last four Newcastle United seasons – Number of matches played in total, then broken down into the various competitions:

40 in 2021/22 (38 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)

46 in 2022/23 (38 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 7 League Cup)

51 in 2023/24 (38 Premier League, 4 FA Cup, 3 League...