Sport
Sven Botman’s impact at Newcastle
When Newcastle United’s ownership group started putting transfer plans in place after their takeover of the club, there weren’t many names more prominent in meetings than that of Sven Botman.
The 22-year-old Dutch defender was a key target from the very first day of the January transfer window of 2021. Newcastle found themselves in serious relegation trouble with just one win in the first half of last season; an ageing, slow defensive line was a huge factor in their dreadful form, so it stood to reason for Amanda Staveley, her consortium, and manager Eddie Howe, to build from the back.
With Lille, Botman’s club, French title holders at the time, still going strong in the Champions League, Newcastle found it hard to prise him to St James’ Park in the winter. Other defenders were signed, notably Dan Burn, another left-footed centre back, but nobody of Botman’s stature and potential. He was clearly their main target in that position, rated so highly they decided to hold fire until the end of the season.
Football moves quickly at the best of times, so that was always likely to be a risk. But with January all about major season-saving surgery, there was a genuine chance that Botman wouldn’t be on the radar months later, because he wouldn’t entertain a move to the Championship.
Newcastle pulled clear of relegation with ease in the end, beginning a run of Champions League-worthy form that is still continuing today. Nevertheless, Botman wasn’t waiting for them in the summer. Newcastle had been led to believe he wanted to join them earlier, but matters were complicated by interest from newly-crowned Italian champions AC Milan. A club of such stature, history and offering Champions League football is going to turn any head, regardless of how impressive and exciting the project at St James’ Park. And so it proved, almost.
There were moments when it appeared Botman would be heading for Italy, but they couldn’t match Newcastle’s financial muscle. That made his choice much easier, and he headed to Tyneside in a £32m deal.
Twelve months on from the first signs of Newcastle’s interest, Botman has proven them right emphatically. He looks like he has played in the heart of the defence for years; such is his impact, he has helped turn one of the leakiest back lines in the Premier League to the strongest outright, with 11 goals conceded in 18 games and a current stretch of six successive clean sheets.
For Howe, a coach whose appointment at Newcastle last season was met with snorts of derision precisely because of his reputation for being unable to set up organised defences, there have been many satisfying moments proving people wrong. Not that he’s kept count.
Signing Burn, Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope, not to mention reinvigorating Fabian Schär have been crucial to the strong foundations which have provided to base for Newcastle’s Champions League charge. But Botman was the man they wanted to lead it, and he has done so with class and quality.
Considering Newcastle lacked pace at the back before he arrived, it may come as a surprise to learn that Botman is not the quickest. Neither Schär nor Burn, who has spent recent weeks playing at left back, possess the speed that makes the high line Howe employs the most obvious approach. But it has worked, and Botman is key to making it work for one reason.
He has brought a composure and calmness on the ball that is difficult to find elsewhere in Europe. That has allowed Newcastle to take risks in midfield and combine their high line with an effective counter press. It is rare the huge spaces in behind Botman and Schär are ever exposed.
When Newcastle attack, it often starts with Botman; he plays the ball into Bruno Guimaraes at the base of the midfield and with the Brazilian on the ball, the rest of the team have the confidence to spread out and make the pitch bigger, creating space for the likes of Trippier, Miguel Almiron and Joelinton to threaten going forward.
On the rare occasion that Newcastle do get pressurised, such as in the early stages against Arsenal this week, the way Botman plays out from the back can be a very effective way of taking momentum away from the opposition and pushing his side up the pitch. For much of the game at the Emirates Stadium after the opening five minutes, Newcastle looked as comfortable in defence as they have all season.
Signing the likes of Botman was supposed to show where Newcastle were heading in a few years. There was always the possibility that he would outgrow the club, even at the the expected rate of development. But they are reaping the rewards of their due diligence and look years ahead of schedule. Targeting the Dutchman early on has proven to be a master stroke.
