Manchester United and Everton transfer woes prove Eddie Howe deserves credit for Newcastle revival

Newcastle United's lowest moment of the season sparked an upturn in form no one saw coming. As the club's despondent stars trudged off the St. James' Park turf after losing to Cambridge in January, the feeling among the club's fanbase was one of defeat.

The reactionary nature of football these days means supporters were fearing the very worst, with Eddie Howe overseeing the same amount of FA Cup exits as victories in his first two months at the helm. Fast forward to present day and that cold Saturday afternoon in January seems years away.

Newcastle have 32 points from a possible 45 since the end of the winter transfer window, with fans now relishing the future and more Premier League football next term. The five additions Newcastle brought through the door during the recent transfer window have all played a part in the survival effort.

But to suggest that the north-east outfit are only now safe from the drop solely because of the £90m spree just three months ago is wrong. Very often money doesn't guarantee success.

Manchester United revamped their struggling squad with a £126m cash injection just last summer. Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho were all expected to hit the ground running at Old Trafford and turn the Red Devils into a Premier League force once more. 24 points from their opening 15 games followed. Ole Gunnar Solskajer was soon shown the door after not getting the best out of his new additions.

Leicester City, who had high hopes of gatecrashing the 'Big Six' party once again, have also had a below-par season despite a summer spend of £60m. Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumare and Ademola Lookman were brought in from Europe, as well as defensive reinforcements from the Premier League.

Aston