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By CRAIG HOPE, CHIEF FOOTBALL REPORTER Published: 04: 00 AEDT, 4 March 2026 | Updated: 05: 02 AEDT, 4 March 2026 1 View comments You live or die by recruitment, says Eddie Howe, and at present Newcastle United are bleeding. The arrival on Tyneside of Manchester United, powered by a carousel of flourishing summer signings - some of whom Newcastle courted - captures the divergence between the clubs this season. While Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have injected pace, purpose and productivity into Manchester United’s attack, Newcastle’s forward buys are in midfield, on the bench or out of form. Their front three on Wednesday will likely feature last year's cast of Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes. Nick Woltemade, the £69million club-record striker, is being reinvented as a No 8 and is struggling with illness. Yoane Wissa is short of rhythm after injury. Anthony Elanga has scored once from 37 matches. Howe would have liked Sesko and Mbeumo but even with Champions League football to offer, Newcastle found that Manchester United retain a stronger pull, not to mention deeper reserves when it comes to payroll. ‘Recruitment is everything, ’ said Howe, when reminded of his ‘live or die’ comment from last year. ‘Was that my quote, “you live or die by recruitment”? It’s very good! I believe in that. If you get that wrong, I believe it’s very difficult to have the success that you want. ’ While Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha (right) have revitalised Man United’s attack, Newcastle’s forward buys are in midfield, on the bench or out of form  Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade were signed for a combined £124m but Anthony Gordon has been starting up front instead in recent weeks Howe, though, did mount a robust defence of Newcastle’s transfers in his four-and-a-half years at the club, and with some justification given the signings of Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Alexander Isak, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall and others. ‘If you take a long-term view of our recruitment, certainly since I’ve been here, I think it’s been excellent, ’ he said. ‘When you look back, percentage wise, I’m not sure there is club who has had the success rate we’ve had. ‘Of course there are question marks and people will have different opinions. But a case in point will be Jacob Ramsey - just give players a bit of time to prove their worth and settle into what we ask them to do. There is a lot to take in. ’ There would be more mitigation in that regard had Newcastle not paid a premium for Premier League-ready players - £55m apiece for Elanga and Wissa and £40m on Ramsey. Only in the past few weeks has the latter resembled the midfielder imagined. There is reason for Newcastle’s difficult window and context is important - they did not have a sporting director or chief executive and the owners should have sold Isak early, not late. There was rejection, confusion and panic and Howe and the transfer team felt the absence of a conventional structure. There was also a month as good as lost in June when outgoing sporting director Paul Mitchell ridiculously stayed in post.   But the point stands - Manchester United are third and Newcastle 13th, 15 points back, because of the impact, or otherwise, of their summer business. ‘I think Manchester United recruited really well, ’ said Howe. ‘They are outstanding players. They were players we were aware of in the summer, of course, so well done to them. 'For us, I’m really happy with the players we’ve got. They are all on different journeys to reach their best level and I believe they’ll get there. I’m really happy with the squad but we’ve got work to do to be at our best level. ’ Manchester United are third and Newcastle 13th, 15 points back, because of the impact, or otherwise, of their summer business Your browser does not support iframes. For all the focus on the return of the attacking players, Newcastle are hurting just as much at the other end. For two years they have tried and failed to sign goalkeeper James Trafford from Burnley. With personal terms all but agreed, he moved instead to Manchester City. Newcastle decided to stick with Nick Pope and brought in Aaron Ramsdale on loan from Southampton. Despite Pope making some high-profile errors, Ramsdale has not done enough to emerge as No 1. The debate around the keepers has been unsettling all season. Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, Senne Lammens is a picture of calm reassurance and looks like the value signing of the summer at £18. 1m from Royal Antwerp. Given Newcastle would be third in the table if matches were decided on expected goals (x G) alone, it is fair to say that just one of a more potent striker or more reliable goalkeeper would have improved their league position significantly. They have not played badly. Rather, they have been let down by scoring goals and keeping them out. The timing of Wissa's knee injury on international duty with DR Congo in September was cruel - he had not even trained with Newcastle - but what could be crueller still is its lingering damage, be that physical or mental. The 29-year-old does not look at all sure of his body and has started only four times in the league since returning in early December.   ‘He has just come back from another injury and we are hoping his best moments are ahead of him, ’ said Howe. ‘He has shown a great attitude to his training and is really motivated to repay the club and the supporters for everything they have given him.   'That’s the situation, it hasn't been an ideal introduction for him coming here. It's been a tough period for him. ’ Newcastle were beaten to James Trafford by Man City, while on the other side of Manchester, Senne Lammens (centre) is making his £18. 1m fee look a bargain Your browser does not support iframes. Woltemade’s form has tailed off since Wissa’s return - one goal in 19 games since Christmas - and in that time Sesko, Mbeumo and Cunha have 13 between them.   When the two Uniteds met on Boxing Day, Manchester were three points ahead. In the 11 matches since, that advantage has been stretched to a likely irreversible 15. You live or die by recruitment, and what really separates these teams heading into spring are the decisions of last summer.

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