Eddie Howe’s Schar-thing is firing Newcastle United’s unexpected Champions League push

Dark arts has become something of an unnecessary tag imposed on Newcastle United when it comes to assessing the Magpies impressive performances so far this season.

Just 12 months ago, Eddie Howe and his players were in the final stages of a record-breaking run of form that took them from relegation certainties to the safety of mid-table within the space of four months. Naturally, many will point to the significant investment during the January transfer window that saw Bruno Guimaraes, Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier and Matt Targett boosting Howe’s ranks and adding a fresh feel to a squad that felt tired and anxious.

Momentum was taken into the summer as England’s Nick Pope, highly-rated Dutch defender Sven Botman and talented Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak joined the Magpies at a total cost of around £100m. Despite the significant outlay, which has without question aided Howe’s chances of meeting the ambitions of the club’s owners, the true progress has been achieved in the improvement of several players the former Bournemouth manager inherited from his predecessor at St James Park.

The likes of Miguel Almiron, Sean Longstaff, Joelinton and Fabian Schar were all peripheral figures under Steve Bruce and there were serious questions placed on the long-term future of all three players during the closing stages of their former manager’s tenure. Yet the arrival of Howe in November not only heralded a rejuvenation in their fortunes, it signalled the start of an unforeseen improvement in all three players, who can now be viewed as key figures within the Magpies squad.

Almiron’s goalscoring exploits have played a significant role in United’s surprising push for a Champions League spot and Longstaff’s ability to dovetail with the influential Guimaraes has allowed Howe to assume control in midfield and dictate possession where control was lacking throughout the reign of his predecessor.

But it is perhaps the improvement in Schar that has outshone his fellow team-mates with the Switzerland international forming a key part of Howe’s plans and a defence that is now comfortably the most stingy in the Premier League. The former Deportivo La Coruña centre-back has formed a formidable partnership with summer signing Botman that has seen the Magpies concede just 21 goals in 29 Premier League games, with Manchester City’s 27 goals conceded the next best in the top tier.

Schar’s influence on the Magpies side goes far beyond his defensive ability, with the 31-year-old’s comfort on the ball and ability to switch play allowing Howe to impose his preferred method of play on his side. Schar and Botman are both capable of starting possession from inside their own third, meaning opposition sides are drawn out and leave space for United’s more attacking-minded players to wreak havoc.

Such is Schar’s influence, he has featured in all but five of his side’s 37 games in all competitions so far this season and is likely to remain part of Howe’s squad, even though there is speculation the Magpies are looking to bring in a younger option on the right-hand side of their centre-back partnership during the summer months.

The close-season will bring a pivotal moment of Schar’s time on Tyneside as he enters the final 12 months of his current contract. In normal circumstances, that would increase the possibility of a departure as clubs look for a cut-price deal and there are clubs in the Premier League and around Europe that are keen to make a move for the defender.

However, Schar’s reliability and consistency mean he has played himself into a situation where he seems likely to be handed a chance to extend his time as a Magpie by at least another year and continue providing an invaluable option for his manager as he looks to build on the undoubted progress made over the last 12 months.