The results of our poll on Where Will Newcastle Finish This Season are complete and it appears that Newcastle fans, at least those who are readers on the Newcastle United Blog, are now even more confident that Newcastle can finish top 6.
Seems like the positive start to the season – 3 wins in 5 games and 3 clean sheets – have convinced readers that Sam is on the right track – and we still have new players yet to be introduced into the team.
Let’s take a look at the poll results and we’ll make some comments and conclusions.
Sam Allardyce – has had early success at Newcastle and fans more confident on future
Here are the results of our poll in which we received a total of 991 votes.
A good 73% now think we’ll finish in the top 6 or better (top 4 or top2) and the real positive stat is that 96% of our readers think we’ll finish in the top 8 or better (top6, top4 or top 2). Assuming teams above 8th place win both domestic cup competitions this season then a top 8 finish should be enough for Newcastle to qualify for the UEFA cup.
That’s really Newcastle’s goal for this season. Not only to build a much stronger team on the field and more overall strength in depth, but to get back into Europe for next season. Then when next summer rolls around, we’ll be that more competitive in the transfer market. We’re sure some players Sam pursued in the last 3 months didn’t arrive at Newcastle because we couldn’t offer European competition, and we need to qualify every single season from now on.
We’ll then be able to offer European football to our targeted players, which we couldn’t this year – and yet still attracted players used to playing in those competitions, such as Beye, Cacapa, Geremi, Enrique, Smith and others. Roll on next summer.
Comments very welcome.
15 comments so far
Alan
Sep 6, 2007 at 10:48 AM
Comment #1Top 6?
Maybe this is what Scott Parker meant by “The fans have too high expectations”. A Good year would be top 8 after the Miserable finish last year followed by the huge Overhaul. Remember, this could still be the Honeymoon period!
Pessimistic Maybe but having high hopes has left me dissapointed too many times in the Past!
iain
Sep 6, 2007 at 10:48 AM
Comment #2no barton/enrique/beye/faye/duff/emre even seen in pl for us yet.
so barring an injury crisis its hard to see how we wont get better as the season goes on.
we will need additions in january to make sure we have a real good chance of finishing top 6. esp with the ACN from late jan to feb to contend with. with a mf player key as the injuries to barton/duff/have left us a little short in the creative deptartment.
no european football is massivly in our favour but we have to make sure we arnt loosing firstly to teams like villa/pompey/everton/blackburn so they dont get ahead of us. draws away at those grounds would be huge results imo, becuase in recent years they have got into europe aided by some easy points from us in games we havnt even competed in.
it will certaily be close tough and goal difference could even yet decide which team out of 4 clubs gets into europe.
good,the bad and the beardsley
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Comment #3why cant the TOON maintain there momentum through till jan when hopfully Mr Ashely will again realease funds 4 strenthening the sqaud.If so a feel theres a real chance staying in the top six througout the season,n who knows injuries permeting n 1 or 2 qualty signings in midfield(right midfield cos where alittle short) then maybe the so called top 4 might just start to sit up n take notice of BIG SAMS BLACK N WHITE ARMY!
Lynda
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Comment #4My concern is that we lose so many players during the African Nations Cup.
Rick
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:14 AM
Comment #5I think we’ll be okay with the AFC. The real key players to lose are Martins and Geremi, as long as Owen stays fit we’ll be okay up front for pace, and although Geremi is slowly becoming irreplaceable in many peoples eyes, Butt can do a job in the tackling/spraying passes out across the pitch department. As for Baba he’ll be lucky to even figure this season if Jose Enrique stays fit, I think our full back buys have been truly excellent.
It’s just an injury crisis we need to particularly avoid at this time to be on the safe side…
Rick
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:14 AM
Comment #6*ANC i meant, woops
evil dick
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Comment #7i hope we can break into the top four, if not this season than next. if we don’t i hope someone else does, i’m not sure how many more times i can stomach chelsea/arse/man u/scouse being up there. its getting very repetitive.
its good to be positive about the toon being top 6, but then if we finish 10th people must be patient and not start booing etc. if we brought home a cup i couldnt careless where finish (above the drop though).
Lamesley Mag
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:24 AM
Comment #8Let’s hope we have a good first half of the season to motivate Ashley and Mort to provide additional funding to BSA to improve the squad again in January.
A top 6 finish is possible but still expect at least 1 of the Elite-4 to slip-up this season and finish lower down the ranks; but who will step into their place?
jason
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:29 AM
Comment #9I would settle for a uefa place this season but just have the feeling we can be better than that,If we can pick up points from teams like everton,balckburn,villa(as mentioned) etc it will stand us in good stead.
If we bear in mind the team is still gelling together (and the injuries )as the season progresses I can see us becoming harder and harder to beat and the strength of the defence and defensive midfield should help our strikers and wingers to produde the attacking moves to make goals and the strength to not concede.
Jerry
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Comment #10I remember very well when finishing 5th under Sir Bobby was considered a huge failure by the Toon Army and the board – for which, he got the sack!
How much our expectations have dwindled!
adam
Sep 6, 2007 at 11:35 AM
Comment #11I agree with Alan, this could well be the ‘honeymoon period’. I think everythings been fantastic so far but we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. Sam needs time and hope the fans are patient wherever we finish this season.
Like all Newcastle fans though, I can’t help but feel excited, if Sam can take what he did at Bolton to the next level, with the resources and the financial backing, who know what could happen in the coming years!
Top 8 finish would be v good!
SS
Sep 6, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Comment #12Looking back at yesterdays comments regarding the number of english players in the premiership being half what it was 5 years ago, that shows that the quality of the premiership has improved – the net was not cast wider to get worse players.
We havent (yet) improved from where we were 5 years ago – others have and thats why we are can expect to finish in a lower position than we used to.
We will definitely finish better than last couple of seasons – but I dont think we will get top 6 until our team becomes stable and the players learn to play with each other – its a team game.
I predict we have a cracking end to the season, and next season are a force to be reckoned with.
AndyW
Sep 6, 2007 at 12:59 PM
Comment #13The team hasn’t got any real momentum or character yet – but its doing OK nevertheless. The important thing is that there are signs to build on. We haven’t seen everything that the squad has to offer but I can only see us getting harder to beat and more effective in attack once the players understandings and relationships start to develop. I see no reason why can’t be every bit as good as Everton, Villa, Blackburn, Spurs, Man C who would seem to be our nearest rivals.
Unless someone gives someone else hiding on the training pitch of course – never good for morale that one.
JackKnife
Sep 6, 2007 at 5:56 PM
Comment #14Top 10? Top 6? Personally i Believe we can manage a top 4 finish, and why not lets look at our squad we have two of the Best keepers in the league (Shay Given & Steve Harper) with the addition of the new boys our defensive line looks sturdy (aside from the BORO game which i still believe we should have won not drawn) our midfield looks scanty right now but with Zoggy paying dividents after being under wraps when Scounes and Glen was incharge, Milner on top form and Emre/Barton/Duff due to come back, Upfront we have MO & OM Can it get any better these boys are goal machines MV, SA for back up hell yeah i believe we can go top 4. My only concern is BSA i know some of you boys take your hat off to him..so do i don’t get me wrong but is he the man to take us there (it may sound like i’m contradicting myself but i’m not). What has he won???
perry
Sep 7, 2007 at 8:19 AM
Comment #15Hope Newcastle can finish in top 4.