Newcastle have a good chance during the International break of getting more of their players fully fit and ready for the last eight crucial games of what has been a disastrous season for the Tyneside club.
Derek Llambias – will need plan in place in case Newcastle are relegated
But they will also need to work on a plan in case the club ends up getting relegated.
Danny Guthrie is close to a return after injury, and Hughton hopes to get Michael Owen a lot fitter in the next couple of weeks, because surely Michael, if anybody, can get the goals to save the club from relegation.
Chris Hughton told the Newcastle official web-site:
“It’s about getting players physically fit for the Chelsea game now,”
“It’s a chance for the likes of Michael Owen, Habib Beye, Kevin Nolan and Danny Guthrie to work on their fitness.”
“We’ve got a couple of weeks to prepare for what will be a very tough game. But there were enough positives from the Arsenal game – and we must take them into the next match.”
It’s hard for us to see how we can get anything out of the Chelsea game, but miracles do happen.
One was on Saturday when Fulham fairly comfortably beat Manchester United 2-0 at Craven Cottage, so big surprises are still possible, but the lads must take their chances when they are offered, and not do daft things like miss gifted penalties when the score is 0-0.
In fact Fulham got a penalty after 18 minutes on Saturday, and Danny Murphy made no mistake and they went onto win the game. Goals change games, and missed penalties can also change games.
Maybe Newcastle could have gone onto win on Saturday if Oba had scored, but of course well never know that now – and it’s onto the next game.
We have to hope for the best, but the club must also plan for the worst. And we feel there must be some work being done right now at the club, to establish a more complete plan in case the side ends up relegated. They already seem to have a plan worked out with transfers and the like, as to who they will go after in the summer transfer window, but if we get relegated, all that will need to change, and Plan B will need to be executed.
We’ll need to ship out a number of our top wage earners, and bring in others at much lower wages, just so the books can be balanced.
That of course, would be a monumental disaster for Newcastle, and we have to hope we can survive, but after every game, it looks more and more possible – unfortunately.
And with just one win in 14 games, that’s certainly relegation form, and that’s the truth.
Comments welcome.
52 comments so far
Widowmaker
Mar 24, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Comment #1Do they really work with a plan now? A plan without a pemanent manager?
Mags
Mar 24, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Comment #2Hate to be a cynic but surely offering Ameobi a new contract and signing the likes of Ryan Taylor and Nolan are precursors to a championship team.
evildick
Mar 24, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Comment #3at least we would win some games in the championship… although i wouldn’t expect to come straight back up. i’m preparing myself mentally for the worst. we have to win three and draw one to stay up i reckon. not likely, but possible.
shearerbliss
Mar 24, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Comment #4‘B’ruce
jimiley
Mar 24, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Comment #5Plan A is simple and the owner is carrying it out expertly. Get relegated. How else do you explain selling our best players in January when we were relegation candidates and pocketing 8 million into the bargain. Then buying Championship players Taylor and Nolan. How else do you explain keeping the worst manager in NUFC’s history in charge …Hughton.
Plan B. To survive in the fizzy league. Well there is no Plan B. Ashley cannot think that far ahead. Lambias himself said that relegation ewas unthinkable. Muppets the lot of them. Relegation is our destiny this year. Ashley has destroyed a great club.
jimiley
Mar 24, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Comment #6God I used to think Westwood and Mckeag were hated. But this man puts Shepherd and all the othet spongers totally in the shade. They are angels compared to Ashley. He has ruined the club in just over a year!!!!!
lesh
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Comment #7C’mon Ed even you know that relegation’s been on the cards since KK walked and he wasn’t replaced by a manager of standing and important changes were not made at senior management level!
If the powers that be have only just realised that the drop is inevitable, then I’m sorry, they should not be trusted with money of any description, let alone run a business with a near guaranteed 50k paying customers.
If they did see the drop as a posssibility, surely they should have had a ontingency budget in place to counter that threat? I was certainly encouraged to have a contingency in place, presumably you too?
This has been yet another disaster of a season and IF we do survive, then Ashley surely must make major root and branch changes to the club’s board and management.
I fear though it’s to late and it’s a crying shame that he should have treat the fans with abject contempt.
Stardust
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Comment #8And Lesh – what about he fans contempt of circumstance. They cry like spoiled children – I am embarrassed by our standing throughout the UK – it is only in Newcastle we refer to ourselves as the best fans – most regions laugh mockingly at our deluded view.
batty
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Comment #9shite house
Whumpie
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Comment #10Can people stop using phrases like “the drop is inevitable”?? It just isn’t true. Possible, definitely, perhaps even likely – but this kind of thinking is what led to the worst thing about Saturday: sitting there and watching the so-called supporters deserting their team with 20 minutes to go.
Yes, Ashley’s totally messed it all up and continues to make mistakes. But in my opinion the club needs a fan transplant too. Perhaps relegation would help us to do that and get rid of the boo-boys and the “avoid the traffic jam” poofs who walk out and think it doesn’t effect the team’s performance.
batty
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Comment #11shame on you
Mimo
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Comment #12There is a real smell of defeatism hanging like a cloudy day over Teeside at the moment. Why don’t people try to cheer up and get behind the push for premiership survival? Yes things are looking tough but remember the old saying that when the going gets tough the tough get going. We wouldn’t bury a body until it was scientifically pronounced dead so why are people so quick to sound the death knell for our club? It seems like too many supporters are acting like sheep accepting their destiny with no more than a bleat and ba. I honestly believe with the exception of the Liverpool game this club can get some kind of result from it’s remaining fixtures. Let’s save any wake until after the burial and until then act and speak positively about our club’s destiny. Remember the final day of the 1991/92 season!
batty
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Comment #13Whumpie spot on
lesh
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Comment #14Stardust, ‘fickle’ might be a less contentious word for the fans’ behaviour!
You’d so youreslf more favours if the language you used were less provocative and inflamatory -I’m sure you do have the wit to do so.
Unfortunatley, I beginning to draw paralells between you and a certain club director who shall be nameless but’d be able to start a fight in an empty room!
You surely can’t disagree that this season has been an absolute disaster born of blind faith and abject incompetance.
Whumpie
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Comment #15Mimo’s right. This defeatism explains so much about the rubbish support the team have been given over the past few years.
Best fans in the world? Give me a break.
Whumpie
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Comment #16You’re right about that, Lesh – while the financial foundations thing is all well and good, the continued disaster in the dugout and on the pitch has eclipsed it now, and I have to admit that I’d trade with some of the more financially dodgy teams in the top half of the table.
But I stand by what I said earlier: If relegation is what it takes to clear out this cancer of negative ‘supporters’ and let in those who will actually support, then so be it.
Won’t happen, mind. We’ll all be avowed optimists again once we beat Stoke 3-0.
spiderpig
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Comment #17lets try and take some confidence out of the last 2 games where we have more than held our own for long spells against the best teams in the land.possibly europe.instead of whinging and bleating like spoilt kids.all this has been done with half fit players and no manager.imagine how good we can be in the run in after the chelsea game with a full fit squad and a manager.we need to not give in and defo not boo the players until we are mathematically down.these players need us to play our part for the rest of the season and give them some confidence that they wont be booed when a mistake is made.on the final whistle of the last game you can do what you want.just dont spoil it now.
Mag 48
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Comment #18Oh its the fans fault silly me I thought it was because the powers that be have done nothing when it was obvious what was happening
Spurs in something of the same boat did do something about it.As we face relegation I would’nt be suprised if they get into Europe
LoonyToon @ graft
Mar 24, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Comment #19Mimo // Mar 24, 2009 at 11:19 AM Post 12
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Bloody well said that man!!!
Danish_Magpie
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Comment #20As much as it sounds self-contradicting, this is not the time for Plan A, B or C. Planning should have been ongoing for all of this season, should have been in place for the summer, for january, after Joe’s illness etc. but not now. Now, we should fight tooth and nail, from the groundsman to the chairman, to stay in the Premier League. Every fan, every player, every coach, every blade of grass at St. James’ plan should be thinking of nothing but the next game and scraping together as many points of period. Once we have been either definetely mathematically relegated or stayed up, we can start the long hard work of planning the next phase of Newcastle United.
That’s my opinion on the matter, anyways.
Toon Graeme
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Comment #21Mimo – summed it up fella.
sahota
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Comment #22Mag 48, Before this crisis when KK was here, even then our SQUAD was not as good as SPURs on paper. So you can not compare spurs with Newcastle. Yes they changed their manager on time. But don’t you understand that nobody was willing to come to Newcastle when KK left. The reason we are in this position is not just ONE, there are many. KK is also part of the reasons we are in this situation. But let stick together, we might survive and then see what happens next.
lesh
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Comment #23Apologies chaps, been sounding a bit despondent and thus (frightened to say it) negative.
Whumpie, Mimo, Danish Mag et al, you’re stars as is most everybody that posts on here.
Howaaaaaaaaaaaay the Laaaaaaaaads!
clinta
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Comment #24I’m not convinced shipping out all the big named overpriced crao we have at our club would be such a bad thing, we should be looking to do that whether we get relegated or not.
sadly apart from perhaps MO no other managers would be stupid enough to take our Vidukas, geremi’s, smiths and duffs.
I can see us getting that much real talent in even if we are in the PL too. who in there right mind would come to an annually relegation fighting side- which is what we’ve become.
yeah guys come play for JK!!! give me a break, the only chance of a stop to the rot is a new respected and talented manager through the door before next season.
look what happened when the likes of Oneill went to villa, thats the sort of turn around and influence we need and have needed at the club since bobby was forced out by disgruntled fans.
Stardust
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Comment #25Lesh we simply have a different view on where the blame lies.
I blame the Mob and KK. You Ashley and the board.
I advocate the acceptance of changing circumstance and the neccessity to make decisions in light of it, thereon knowing the fundamentals behind each decision I form a framework of understanding (of known facts only not rumour)
You choose to see the result only and blame the can holder – irrespective of what or who caused those changing cirumstance (even if it were partly you)
So yes we are diametrically opposed. And we will always be at loggerheads as I deal in reality and personal responsibility – not blamecasting.
RyanToon
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Comment #26stardust is back. bad result for you against man city mate???
THE MAGPIE
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Comment #27In the end the judge and jury of any football club is points on the board and i fear we are just not going to get enough.
Mike Ashley decided that he couldnt or wouldnt spend 20m on new players in the 2 transfer windows-instead he made a profit of about 7m.
I dont believe he cant afford 20m and he made a bad financial and footballing decision.
He also had a choice Keegan or Wise-he made his choice and nothing will ever convince me it was the right one.
There is a lot of talk about KK walking-no facts-its quite possible he was sacked, if he walked then no compensation is due , let the club go to a tribunal and prove he walked.
We cant get a decent Manager because no Manager is interested in working under the Management structure that the owner believes in. We copied that from Spurs and they have chucked it.
Under our regime Benitez would not be employed because he would want too much control-its utter madness and even if we survive its not going to change.
Stardust
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Comment #28The Magpie
“Mike Ashley decided that he couldnt or wouldnt spend 20m on new players in the 2 transfer windows-instead he made a profit of about 7m.” He has not made a profit – the club is operating of a loss – you simply can not seperate income within a particular area and call it a profit. Overall the club is losing money.
“I dont believe he cant afford 20m” The accounts tell you aside from the initial purcahse he has supported us to the tune of 34mill and 20mill in the last 2 seasons. So your assumption is incorrect.
“He also had a choice Keegan or Wise-he made his choice and nothing will ever convince me it was the right one.” Apart from the facts when they come out – before they do you have no basis for that point either.
“We cant get a decent Manager because no Manager is interested in working under the Management structure that the owner believes in.” Managers all over the world work under this system – are you saying a spanish manager who lives in England all of a sudden cant? Again youre fundamentally flawed – the only things that stops it working are egos of those concerned.
scrotty
Mar 24, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Comment #29Its ok shouting for a clearout in the team but who’s going to buy replacements?
If we make 15 million selling off the wasters in the squad that gives Joe and Dennis 3 -4 million to spend on ab0ut 8 new players ( 11 – 12 for fat boys gambling money.)
coyote
Mar 24, 2009 at 1:07 PM
Comment #30I never leave before the final whistle and always support the team to the bitter end but on saturday when they brought bambi on I felt like walking out but didn’t cos I knew he wasn’t going to make any differance and he didn’t but booing the lad coming on was not right and those who did should be ashamed
I’m one of his biggest critics and believe he didn’t deserve a new contract and should have been got rid of but booing him doesn’t help him or the team
I said on earlier blogs it would get worse before getting better well it can’t get much worse now so I hope the getting better part will happen now
I still think 4th bottom by the skin of our teeth
heavyhittas
Mar 24, 2009 at 1:21 PM
Comment #31Perhaps I’m deluded but I still think we will survive………just !!
RichY
Mar 24, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Comment #32Plan B is What if we stay up not if we get relegated.
THE MAGPIE
Mar 24, 2009 at 4:17 PM
Comment #33Stardust-overall the club is not making a loss-look at the accounts again-100m turnover-73m wages-21m running costs.
The extra money Mike put in was to pay for outstanding transfer money+compensation for Allardyce-nothing to do with the day to day running costs-Mike should have factored those into the price he paid but because he was negligent he didnt.
i am saying he should have bitten the bullet and realised he needed another 20m for transfers on top of the amounts needed to pay of the previous regimes debts.
The facts are you are always saying Keegan walked as a fact-it was Llambias who said there was a major bust up between people and then made it clear there was only onw winner-read his interview.
Of course every Manager has an ego that tells him he knows more about players than a Director of Football or Chief Executive. Benitez thought that and was correct. Why should any Manager have to take the flak from results when he isnt in control of players coming in/out.
chuck
Mar 24, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Comment #34STARDUST
You are really an egotistical little windbag know all.
Don
Mar 24, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Comment #35Chuck I think you mean ‘Know nothing’ lol
Mag 48
Mar 24, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Comment #36sahota
Yes I do understand that no one would come when KK left The job would only be a stop gap and the DOF would stay in place That cut down your applicants a great deal Hence J Kinnear.
Stardust
Mar 24, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Comment #37Mag 48 – No one would come because of the lynch mob running around with bedsheets.
Newcastle is far bigger than the coward KK
Stardust
Mar 24, 2009 at 4:41 PM
Comment #38The Magpie
I refer you to comment 28 – my statement is correct.
Stardust
Mar 24, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Comment #39Chuck – cant help it if I see things clearly and choose to support my club.
chuck
Mar 24, 2009 at 4:51 PM
Comment #40Oh that god the gift would gie us, tae see oursels as others see us .