Newcastle United are out of Europe, but that’s not exactly a bad thing

As bad as the 7–3 scoreline was, as woeful as their second-half capitulation at Camp Nou was, Newcastle United’s exit from the UEFA Champions League is far from the hammer blow that fans and pundits are making it out to be.

For a vast majority of the season, the Magpies have displayed some of their better performances in competitions not named the Premier League. They made an almighty fist of their Carabao Cup title defence, where they made the semi-finals before being pipped by Manchester City. They suffered a similar fate in the fifth round of the FA Cup at the hands of the same opposition, and up until that collective meltdown at Camp Nou, which started in the added time of the first half, Newcastle were matching Barcelona stride for stride in a game that was as fast as it was furious.

Now that they are out of all these competitions, Eddie Howe and Newcastle United have one thing that they have been missing for a large chunk of this season: clarity.

Clarity about the fact that this business-end run of Premier League fixtures, comprising eight fixtures, is an opportunity to get as many points as possible to climb as high as possible in the table so that St James’ Park hosts European football again next season, whether it is the Europa League or the Conference League.

For all their excellent performances in different competitions, the Premier League has seen Newcastle fluctuate from wildly inconsistent to terribly mediocre. While Eddie Howe deserves every bit of appreciation and needs to be given his flowers for giving these competitions the respect they deserve, the fact that it has cost them performances in the league cannot be understated.

Playing 50 games, which is the most played by any European side so far this season, is obviously something that did not do them any favours. Now, however, they have a clear aim for the rest of the season, with no distractions.

Playing one game a week means that players get more rest, and Howe gets more time to spend with them on the training ground, which is a good thing as they will be able to execute the Englishman’s all-action style of play with much more energy and vigour.

As hurtful as the scoreline at Camp Nou and the manner of their exit from the Champions League was, there are quite a few positives that Howe can take from this European campaign. Anthony Gordon might not be the answer as a No. 9 against teams who prefer to play in a low block, but it’s not for a want of trying. The performances of Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga should also serve as welcome boosts, especially in the case of the Swede, who might have finally announced himself in a Newcastle shirt following his brace against Barça.

Newcastle are currently ninth in the Premier League table. For all intents and purposes, a third Champions League campaign in four seasons looks like a pipe dream given how far they are from the top four. But with only three points separating them from Brentford, and a further three from Chelsea, catching them both does not look as far-fetched as it may seem at first glance.

Beating a high-flying Manchester United and a Champions League-chasing Chelsea in back-to-back fixtures means that the Magpies have something resembling momentum in the league, which has been fleeting at best for them this season. Beat Sunderland on Sunday, which will be another difficult game (Newcastle have failed to beat Sunderland in their last eight Premier League encounters), and it’ll be three straight wins in a row, which could see them occupy a European spot before the league disperses for the final international break of the season.

The rumblings around Newcastle hint at the season being over, and that there’s nothing to play for now. The reality is far from it. Newcastle’s season is far from over. And while it is uncertain as to when the bright lights of the Champions League will light up St James’ Park again, what is certain is the clarity of their objective: finish in a European spot come the end of Matchweek 38.

Bring on the Tyne–Wear derby!