The difficulties Newcastle have had this season are now starting to manifest themselves in the Premier league.
Oba Martins – badly missed a penalty then scored great opportunist goal
After yesterday disappointing 3-1 defeat against Arsenal, who were the better side, especially in the second half, puts Newcastle in a precarious 3rd bottom of the league and 2 points from safety.
After the game, a much maligned Newcastle coach Chris Hughton said:
“I accept it’s going to be a dogfight through to the end of the season,”
“We are well aware of the position – we have eight games left.”
“We need to get enough results to stay in this division and we need to get results quickly,”
Newcastle have lurched into one of the worst runs in a long long time, getting just one win in their last 14 games, and in the league getting just one win and 4 draws out of their last 12 games.
We need a win,m and only then could we get on a run that could yet save the club.
It’s hard to fault the effort of the players yesterday, and until Arsenal scored their second goal Newcastle were in the the game, but after scoring 2 goals in just 3 minutes, it was Steve Harper who kept the score down, as Arsenal went rampant.
Steve protected our goal difference, which may yet make the difference in Newcastle staying up.
But Newcastle are not going to escape the relegation zone any time soon either, with Chelsea the next visitors to Newcastle in two weeks time, and if we were honest we’d expect a similar type of game as we had yesterday against Arsenal.
One good thing yesterday was the Newcastle crowd, who were as great as ever yesterday, and even at the end of a very disappointing game, there was no booing, as they knew the lads had given everything they had – they just weren’t good enough.
And that’s our problem, we just cannot seem to beat the sides we should beat, never mind the Arsenals of this world.
The game at Stoke City will now be crucial for Newcastle’s survival in 3 weeks time, because a loss there and we could be be set adrift and be relegated, as hard as that was to imagine at the beginning of this season.
If we do go down there will no doubt be regurgitations of why Kevin Keegan left the club after 3 games, and why did Mike Ashley, given the awful record of Chris Hughton in charge at Newcastle, not bring in an experienced manager in Joe’s absence.
But we don’t want to get into that now – we’re just too disappointed at the way things are positioned right now at the club. 🙁
Comments welcome.
42 comments so far
lesh
Mar 23, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Comment #41I think the Guardian’s just about got it right in this (see link).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/23/premier-league-newcastle-united-arsenal
Joe’s not guaranteed to return and neither is record one that makes me see him as our saviour.
Hughton and Calderwood, well need we say more?
Wise supposedly managed Leeds and Milwall and has done nowt but caused grief in his time here.
Mr Ashley, friends you’re not as soft as you’re trying to make out and you know as well as we all do that loyalties don’t mix well with business.
This is your business and you and you’ve invested millions – only to lose more if we go down!
Surely it’s time to bite the bullet, let these guys go and make an appointment that’ll fire the players up?
Not Tel though – he’ll just add more millions to the cost of relegation.
Clear the decks and there’s a guy living locally who might just be willing to step in.
lesh
Mar 23, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Comment #42Whoops, meant to say
…. Mr Ashley, you’re not as soft as you’re trying to make out and you know as we all do that friends and loyalties don’t mix well with business.
Sorry for the confusion….