Baffling transfer decisions, Harvey Barnes solution and lessons Newcastle could learn from Villa

Here we go on a recovery mission. Chelsea home and away. Tricky. A club that treats money like confetti throwing it around with wild abandon against another significantly more cautious with the initials PSR tattooed on its conscience.

Newcastle have lost considerable ground in their endeavours to be European challengers having harvested only two points from the last 12 which has seen them sink to ninth in the rankings below Nottingham Forest whose height of ambition was thought to be steering clear of a relegation skirmish.

The possibility of further Premier League failure and Carabao Cup elimination is a double whammy that no Geordie wishes to contemplate. Two defeats in the space of three days to the same opposition would be like switching off the light. Indeed to lose either would be none too clever given the frailty of United's league position and constant failure to achieve silverware. However it is not too late to rectify the PL situation given the season is in its infancy and Sunday would be a good time to start.

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United have gone backwards since their Champions League qualification season a couple of campaigns ago mainly as a consequence of poor transfer windows. If they were rightly lauded for their early exploits in the transfer market - Trippier, Bruno, Botman, and Isak right up to Gordon - then they have to accept criticism for what they have since done and more significantly not done.

For example they bought Harvey Barnes at a considerable outlay when they already had Gordon for his position yet ignored a crisis at outside-right and committed up to £15m for a 21-year-old untried centre-forward while relying exclusively on the non existent Callum Wilson as back up to Isak.

Those baffling decisions were made against a background of damning facts: Wilson managed just nine PL starts last season and last played three league matches in a row way back in late January and early February 2023. What does that tell you? That Eddie Howe has been too loyal to him? And Jacob Murphy?

For what it is worth I was talking with a former top class United player in the last few days who is baffled by the new fangled obsession in modern-day football that wingers should be played on their 'wrong' side ie right footers on the left so that they can cut in and try to finish. He believes that Barnes, essentially right-footed, could play outside right allowing Anthony Gordon to operate left and Harvey to go wide and whip in crosses with his right foot.

While United have been ultra cautious and possibly ill advised on their targets in the marketplace Chelsea have admittedly from a significantly different backdrop of circumstances hoovered up an incredible mass of new signings. Who is wrong? Have Chelsea been cleverly astute by blatantly exploiting loopholes in PL rules or reckless? Have United in contrast lost their bottle and judgement? Regardless the Magpies have to stagger on with what they have and make the best of things at least until January.

Meanwhile what is particularly galling to Geordies is that Aston Villa under a manager who turned down Newcastle have not only caught up but overtaken us. Why is their continued progress not ours, I am asked, because financial restrictions when coming from nowhere to somewhere is the same for both clubs. Fair point in a tough but realistic world.

Who has been the more astute? Villa are again fourth five points ahead of United who are ninth and have won all three of their Champions League matches including beating Harry Kane's Bayern Munich, their PSG spectacular. How? Well they have certainly been cleverer when it comes to utilising sales to enhance their buying ability. Despite qualifying for Europe's biggest competition they bravely sold two of their best players in the summer for just under £100m, Douglas Luiz (£42.5m) and Moussa Diaby (£50.6m) to give them wiggle room and proceeded to buy a bundle of players including Amadou Onana at £51m and Ian Maatsen for £37.5m. Two steps back, four forward.

Ordinarily United could take encouragement from the fact that Chelsea have had to fly to Athens to play Panathinaikos in Thursday's Europa Conference League before returning to base for a Sunday showdown but such is the deep array of talent assembled in this particular corner of the capital that spreading the load is much easier for them.

Chelsea are officially the youngest side in the PL often averaging a starting 11 of just over 23 years of age - talk about young Pensioners! Alan Hansen used to say you win nowt with bairns. Well we must hope they cannot win this particular match never mind a silver trophy.

A couple of points out of a dozen is bad enough but how many are to come against Chelsea away and Arsenal at home? We have no wish to contemplate the possible reality. One way or another disaster has to be headed off. Recent failures have put United under pressure and they need to rise to the occasion. It's as simple or tough as that.