Newcastle are now almost in the same place they were, back when Bobby Robson was sacked in late August of 2004.
Graham Carr – helped bring in some top players
At that time Newcastle had been positioned 4th, 3rd and 5th in successive seasons, and Newcastle are now back in the Europa League, after finishing in 5th place last season.
And it’s a million miles away from where we were in the summer of 2009, after just being relegated, and that was a really difficult summer for Newcastle fans – in fact a terrible summer for Newcastle fans.
And the media didn’t help either, suggesting Newcastle were a shot force, and would likely be relegated to League One, much like Leeds United had been a few years earlier.
But Chris Hughton didn’t listen too much to those stories, and we followed our relegation season of just 7 wins in 38 games, with 30 wins in 46 games in the Championship, and Newcastle won the league by a full 11 points from West Brom, with an incredible 102 points.
Newcastle will get the chance to thank Chris Hughton (and Colin Calderwood) for all they did for Newcastle when they return to St. James’ Park with Norwich City on September 22nd.
Of course there have been a few bumps along the way, since that terrible summer of 2009, after all this is Newcastle, and most of the big names left the club that summer.
And Mike Ashley again tried to sell the club but was not successful, and Newcastle then sold Andy Carroll on January 31st of 2010 to Liverpool for £35M, which was met with real anger by Newcastle fans.
But that turned out to be a good deal for Newcastle in retrospect, but then Chris Hughton was surprisingly fired in early December of 2010, and that was also met with disdain and anger by the Newcastle faithful.
But that too has turned out to be okay for Newcastle too, with Alan Pardew performing miracles on Tyneside, in his first 18 months at the club.
And Chris has done well too, signing on at relegated Birmingham last summer and getting them into the play-offs even though he lost his best players last summer.
And Chris this summer replaced Paul Lambert at Norwich City, a wonderful club in East Anglia with great fan support – and it reminds us of how the great Bobby Robson spent 13 years in charge of Ipswich Town from 1969 through 1982, Norwich’s great rivals.
One of the big reasons for Newcastle’s success has been their work in the transfer market, with Graham Carr and his high caliber team doing the scouting, and they’ve managed to bring in players like Cheick Tiote, Ben Arfa, Yohan Cabaye, Dan Gosling, Demba Ba, Davide Santon, Papiss Cisse – all seven players for around £25M – which is simply astonishing value for money.
So it’s been quite an amazing come-back by Newcastle, and if the club can get Mathieu Debuchy, Luuk de Jong and Vurnon Anita on Tyneside this summer, we should continue to do well next season.
But there’s no doubt the club has come back a million miles over the last three years, and the very good name of Newcastle United has been restored, there’s little doubt about that.
Howay The Lads!!
NUFC News 24/7
34 responses so far ↓
1 Hatem's better than Messi // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:19 AM
No doubt at all HWTL
2 Toonboy_84 // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Good article Ed. Proud to be a TOON fan again. Especially living down south. HWTL!
3 saxonfenken // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:24 AM
Latest on sky about Debochy, from there coach
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11678/7851291/Lille-firm-over-Debuchy
4 No Plain Saylor // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:24 AM
The name of newcastle united didnt need to be restored and can’t be tarnished, this club is more than a club and will never die. Its just getting the recognition again now, deservedly
5 Beattie25 // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:24 AM
Without any bias IF we sign Debuchy, Anita, Douglas and De Jong I think we can push the top 4 again next season.
A big big IF
6 No Plain Saylor // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:26 AM
Beattie I don’t think we’re gonna need those pitchforks atal!
7 sps80 // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:27 AM
“Newcastle then sold Andy Carroll on January 31st of 2010 to Liverpool”
On January 31st of 2011 Carroll was sold after Hughton was sacked.
8 No Plain Saylor // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:29 AM
Sps80.. just a misprint dude, we all do it
9 rainrix // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:29 AM
Garcia sounds miffed, i doubt we’ll be going back for any more lille players soon =D bar debuchy of course.
10 Toonboy_84 // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:33 AM
@NPS
Those pitchfork’s have been made redundant I think!
11 No Plain Saylor // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:37 AM
But toonboy I had mine polished and all!
12 toon smart // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:39 AM
@ Beattie25
If we only could sign 2 out of the four players you listed, which would you go for?
13 Toonboy_84 // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:40 AM
I sold mine to some blackburn fans
14 Big Pappa Cisse // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:41 AM
@ Toon smart
Debuchy and De jong hands down
15 Indian Magpie // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:44 AM
the rumor has it that Mike Ashley is willing to spend big because the expenses have been reduced greatly by a reduction in AShley’s diet
16 mondziu // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:51 AM
Reading between the lines – Ba’s signing for Twente and Krul is coming home.
17 Big Pappa Cisse // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:52 AM
@ Indian
What was he eating like ?, caviar filled pasty’s
18 Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:53 AM
I heard Ketsbaia had a meeting with Ashley over the last few days and had been appointed the new chief of transfers, hence the sudden action.
Well done Kestbaia…you’ve done us all proud!
19 Indian Magpie // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Big pappiss cisse
My sources have not revealed that
20 Toonboy_84 // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:57 AM
Lol ibiza. Love it!
21 toon smart // Jun 29, 2012 at 11:59 AM
@ Ibizatoon,
I think Ketsbaia has started poorly as chief of transfers – he should have got 7 new players in by now!
22 Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:01 PM
To be fair, whilst Mike was impressed with Ketsbaia’s “vision”, he did have a problem coughing up £50m, so has started him on a budget of £30m to start
23 toon smart // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:06 PM
I wonder if Ashley found the missing £35 million down the back of the sofa and has decided to spend it
24 Big Pappa Cisse // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:09 PM
@ Toon smart
Or under one of his flabby rolls he managed to work off
25 Beattie25 // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:12 PM
Sorry
De Jong and Debuchy for me too!!
My pitchfork is still in the closet ready to go just in case but it hasn’t been sharpened for a while!!
26 Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:13 PM
Beattie….You closet pitchfork! Is pitchfork the right word??? Hmmm….
27 Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:15 PM
You’ll also be pleased to hear that Ketsbaia convinced Ashley that no player be sold, even if offers of £50m+ come in.
He is also cancelling the contracts or Simpson and Williamson, others to be announced in due course.
28 toon smart // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:18 PM
What is the right word to go with closet???? Hmmmm…………
29 Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:19 PM
toon smart….the mind does wonder
30 Toon_Jock // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:20 PM
Couldn’t get anymore of a different vibe during this transfer window – comparing it to last years.
HWTL
31 Beattie25 // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:22 PM
Maybe Mike Ashley has finally seen the £ signs and knows that in order to make the big money you have to gamble big!!
32 Indian Magpie // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:22 PM
http://thespectatorsview.com/2012/06/29/st-james-park-to-appear-on-cover-of-fifa-13/
33 RobertNufc25 // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:26 PM
De Jong & Debuchy would be a good start.
Would like to sign another centre back,along with that aussie kid.
O and another central midfielder.
34 JAMSHA // Jun 29, 2012 at 12:49 PM
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luuk_de_Jong
Current club newcastle
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