£65m answer, stubborn Eddie Howe and summer influence - Why Newcastle have started winning again

Are Newcastle United *back*? It's too soon to say... But after a stuttering start to the season, the Magpies have roared back to form with a solid set of results against above-average opposition in recent weeks.

Pressure was beginning to build on Eddie Howe - from the outside, rather than inside the St James' Park boardrooms - but three successive victories has lifted a metaphorical weight from the shoulders of the boss - and his players.

Here, Chronicle Live looks at where things have gone right for Newcastle after an upturn in both performances and results.

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Newcastle have finally found their balance

Sometimes this Newcastle side just need one supercharged, morale-boosting win to kickstart a positive run of form. The Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea, under the St James' Park floodlights, presented the perfect opportunity to do just that. It was one of those evenings where the Magpies, roared on by a raucous support, never really looked like losing.

Howe shuffled the pack from the 2-1 defeat against Chelsea just days earlier. Thankfully, Enzo Maresca did too, making 11 changes thanks to his inflated squad, dropping main man Cole Palmer just hours after he'd ran riot against Newcastle's shaky defence on home soil.

Howe's changes saw Emil Krafth in at right-back, Sandro Tonali playing the most central of the midfield three for a change, while Joe Willock earned a recall, with Joelinton playing further ahead of him on the wing. That latter duo can take more responsibility than most for helping spark such a positive set of performances, with the £65m pair dovetailing perfectly in recent weeks.

Joelinton may have started at left-wing in the cup win but he spent an equal amount of time on the opposite flank, before filling in at right wing-back to finish the game marking Mykhailo Mudryk as Chelsea sought a way back into the tie. Fast forward a few days and the Brazilian was earning praise from co-star Lewis Hall for his help in keeping Arsenal's Bukayo Saka quiet on the opposite flank.

Eight days later and Joelinton was earning top marks in the post-match player ratings after excelling, and scoring, from right-wing. A plethora of positions in an 11-day period; no wonder Howe has spent the last two weeks waxing lyrical about the most versatile player in his squad - one he believes is 'gold dust'.

Newcastle seem to have finally found their balance after early season struggles in the middle of the park. Fulham's central options made light work of the Magpies' midfield men at Craven Cottage, while the jury remains out on the Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Tonali trifecta - the one fans have clamoured for since the summer of 2023.

At present, the Italian is facing a spell on the sidelines from the outset, while attention is focused on ensuring Willock stays fit after a positive run of form.

Don't forget about Sean Longstaff's importance either. The academy graduate was named as a starter in the wins over Southampton, Tottenham, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest - and cup wins over AFC Wimbledon and Chelsea - as well as the draw with Bournemouth. He was an unused sub in the defeat to Fulham, while he featured from the bench in losses to Brighton and Chelsea...

After a season of injuries, they are keeping big players fit

After an underwhelming transfer window, was Newcastle's best signing of the summer actually an off-field addition? After the well-documented injury issues that plagued the 2023/24 campaign, the Magpies' hierarchy felt it necessary to bring in a director of performance to help minimise the amount of traffic in and around the physio rooms at Benton.

James Bunce is subsequently playing a big part in this aspect of player management, helping guide Howe and his backroom staff on keeping their best players readily available. He arrived on Tyneside in the summer with a big reputation - but also under a bit of a cloud due to perceived tension between Howe and new sporting director Paul Mitchell.

Bunce and Mitchell worked closely at French side Monaco as the former helped revolutionise a fragile squad, laden with injuries, and turn the team into smarter operators when it comes to dealing with both niggles and serious problems. Bunce spends day-to-day on the training ground, working with Howe. Come a matchday, he flanks Mitchell in the directors' boxes of Premier League clubs, casting an eye over the first-team performance.

Bunce was in attendance on both occasions as Howe was booed, not once but twice, by Newcastle fans as Tonali trudged off the pitch in defeats to Brighton and Chelsea in the 65th and 68th minute respectively. There was a similar feeling of discontent - on social media rather than the away end - as Willock made his way towards the bench in Sunday's win over Nottingham Forest.

However, there is method in the madness as Howe tries to keep his best players from becoming fatigued by managing their minutes. The Newcastle boss is stubborn - and if he doesn't feel a squad member is at 100 per cent - even if fans do - he will protect them with progressive minutes as they step up their comeback. There is now data-driven backing for this, given the struggles of last season.

Tonali and Willock are proof of this change in approach. The latter has been one of the standout stars of their consecutive wins but has played 63, 65 and 69 minutes in games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest of late, after his own injury struggles.

Lewis Miley is back to fitness, and in the England under-21 setup, but has only been used once by Howe in recent weeks, earning a single minute in the senior side since his return from a metatarsal problem. Behind the scenes, Sven Botman is being teased back into training following an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, while Callum Wilson's return has been delayed, delayed and delayed again as to not aggravate his issues further.

Key players have stepped up

Every team needs their leaders to be fit and firing and Newcastle's senior stars have kicked on in recent weeks. Joelinton and Joe Willock's impact has been mentioned but one man who deserves significant credit for the upturn in form is Newcastle hitman Alexander Isak.

The Swede had initially endured a below-par start to the campaign by his lofty standards, firing three goals in two games for his country but only one in seven for Newcastle before the defeat at Stamford Bridge. Since then, we have seen the confident Isak of old, with four goals in as many outings in all competitions.

The former Real Sociedad star has been helped by Willock's reintroduction to Howe's side, with the pair enjoying a close relationship both on and off the pitch. Isak's goals have been key to Newcastle's recent success given no senior backup appears able to replace him through the middle at present.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Newcastle's defence is beginning to look like the well-oiled machine of the 2022/23 campaign. Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall are growing with each game and their recent England call-ups will further aid their development. The left-back, in particular, is beginning to look like a bit of a steal at only £28m.

Hall has had to be patient for minutes, with Howe criticised for using the youngster sparingly last term, but that tactic appears to be paying off less than 18 months after his initial arrival. Another example of Howe's stubbornness paying off.

For all the talk of a summer signing at centre-back, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn have both risen to the task this season. Not only in the three recent wins but for the majority of the campaign as a whole.

Newcastle's back five were unlucky to concede at Forest, from a set piece, last time out - while title-challenging Arsenal failed to test Nick Pope even once during their recent loss in the north east.

If Newcastle can make that the norm, they'll be in top four contention once again.