Newcastle need to show ‘imagination’ in transfer window – Crooks

Garth Crooks believes Newcastle United’s only hope of survival this season is to show “imagination” in the January transfer window.

The Magpies are 19th in the Premier League table, level on points with Norwich City in 20th-place.

On Sunday, Eddie Howe’s side were comfortably beaten 4-0 by Leicester City, conceding three in a second-half barrage at the King Power.

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Newcastle had won their first match of the season the matchday prior, defeating Burnley 1-0, who are also in the bottom three.

Things were looking up after the win against the Clarets, but the loss at Leicester has put the Geordies back to square one. They face Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United next.

And Crooks has said that Newcastle will have to splash the cash when the winter window opens if they are to avoid the dreaded drop back down to the Championship.

“Newcastle may have new owners with money but they had better spend some of it quickly, otherwise they could find themselves in the Championship, where their spending power will be severely restricted,” he wrote on his BBC column.

“The Magpies were outclassed in every department [against Leicester] and manager Eddie Howe has problems. His games over the Christmas period could leave him isolated and marooned at the foot of the table.

“Some imagination in the January transfer window might be their only way out.”

Elsewhere, a “couple” of players and staff at Aston Villa have tested positive for Covid-19 but Steven Gerrard is insistent that they are ready to face Norwich.

Gerrard has confirmed that “a couple of staff members and a couple of players” have tested positive for the virus.

“I haven’t changed any protocols, I have just listened to the guidance and tried to stick to all the guidelines,” he said.

“We re-tested this morning and we have got a couple of staff and a couple of players missing for the foreseeable future but the vast majority have come through the test this morning and we look forward to competing against Norwich tomorrow.”

Gerrard did not want to name those players who tested positive, and continued: “I will stick to the medical confidentiality.”