Newcastle United Are Copying PSG, and Peter Crouch Can't Believe It

Eddie Howe is implementing a new strategy this season with Newcastle United.

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Eddie Howe is implementing a new strategy this season with Newcastle United, and some fans have been very vocal about it.

The Magpies started their 2025-26 season with mixed feelings, after earning only six points from their first six games in the Premier League, and after losing 1-2 to FC Barcelona in their first Champions League match.

A particularity of this new campaign for Newcastle is their way of executing kick-offs.

It is now common to see Sandro Tonali throw the ball towards the corner flag to force an opposition throw-in and immediately apply high pressure to the opposing team.

It is not a bad idea to get into the rhythm of the match from the beginning, but personalities like Peter Crouch have their opinions about it.

Newcastle United are copying PSG, and Peter Crouch can't believe it

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In the most recent episode of the "That Peter Crouch" podcast, the ex-Stoke City star made it clear that he doesn't understand the point of applying this strategy.

It’s everywhere, everyone’s doing it. Newcastle are doing it. But in any other period of the match, any other minute, any other second, if the ball is rolled back to you, you just keep it.

Why are we booting it out of play? I just do not get it. You’re not going to concede, that’s one thing. We’ve got keepers doing Cruyff turns in their own box, but from kick-off you have to boot it.

- Peter Crouch

This strategy became popular last season, as the reigning UEFA Champions League champions, Paris Saint-Germain, used it throughout their campaign.

Luis Enrique's PSG has the characteristic of being a team that presses a lot and suffocates its rivals, something that, evidently, worked for them. It seems Howe took note.

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According to The Athletic, it was actually Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid that convinced Howe to apply this new kick-off routine, since during the preseason the Spanish team did something similar against Newcastle, although not the same.

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