Newcastle did excellently last season, and we finished 5th top in the Premier League, and at that time two of our very best players were Yohan Cabaye and Ben Arfa, two top French Internationals.
Moussa Sissoko – could become a top player at Newcastle
And they were such bargains that owner Mike Ashley brought in five new Frenchmen in January, maybe as many as four that were not planned until the simmer, and they were brought in early to help us strengthen the squad and steady the ship – but unfortunately it hasn’t worked.
But it’s also disingenuous to put the responsibility (blame) on any of our five new Frenchmen, who are not only trying to learn the language, but are trying to settle into a new country – and are at the same time getting used to the much higher standards of the English Premier League.
And the fact that Newcastle are surprisingly battling a real relegation threat – it’s got to be very difficult for our five new players – and we remember a certain Kevin Nolan, who had big problems in adapting at Newcastle, when he arrived four years ago.
And Kebin had played more than 300 Premier League games for Bolton Wanderers before he arrived on Tyneside – and think what a player Kevin turned out to be for us.
We have mentioned a few times that transferring in January is very difficult at the best of times, because you have no pre-season, and a number of the new Frenchmen – Debuchy, Sissoko, Yanga-Mbiwa and Gouffran – became immediate starters in the side.
It’s too easy to blame the new French players – whether or not they are truly responsible.
It’s probably going to be true that if we can avoid relegation, and have a good clear-out in the summer of some of our fringe players, and get a top class striker through the door, the French players that we have could well be at the forefront of Newcastle’s resurgence next season.
Don’t be surprised if in a year’s time, we’re in the same situation as we were twelve months ago – and fighting for a top four place.
That’s always assuming we are good enough to escape relegation this season – which is at the moment still a huge concern.
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93 comments so far
BandB
May 10, 2013 at 8:23 AM
Comment #81It’s nice to see some of the Punch and Judy stuff dying down and lots of people making an effort to explain why they hold the positions they do.
And there have been some very funny one-liners too. So I’m enjoying just reading, as there isn’t much to be done now but offer prayers against relegation.
There has been Omerta, as usual from the top, which makes it perfectly natural for folks to fill the space with speculation. But it also means nothing should be taken on face value.
You know those Channel Four adverts, where the camera pans around a junkyard or something similar? It looks chaotic, until you get to a certain camera angle and suddenly an image comes together in the middle of the screen.
That’s what I’ve been doing in my head over Newcastle, and suddenly, there it was. An idea that seemed plausible.
It is a counter-intuitive theory, but I’ve seen very similar scenarios played out in management politics down the years.
I don’t even want to think it out loud, because if it IS how MA is thinking, it relies entirely on surprise.
All I would say, is that the very worst thing we could be doing right now is slaughtering Alan Pardew.
The team needs to feel 100 per cent supported against QPR, and Pardew needs to be allowed to get on with it for the next two games to deliver safety for the club.
HWTL.
Lilongwe Geordie
May 10, 2013 at 8:26 AM
Comment #82Santon,
Streete spent a large part of the season injured, and had only just returned around Christmas. However he quite probably isn’t ready at this level just yet. He needs a loan to a decent League 1/Championship side next season. Same with Satko and Mbabu.
ganiyu
May 10, 2013 at 8:27 AM
Comment #83@ cyprus perch is quality defensively, tiote imo should be sold asap. Nufc need aanother dm as i dont even rate bigirimana
Also, i think pardew is a decent manager who can take this club to greater heights.
Ibizatoon - Back By Popular Demand
May 10, 2013 at 8:30 AM
Comment #84Morning BandB…
Do I read that as it will be in Ashleys interest to have Pardew receiving all of the blame or at least the majority of it?
Either way, for 2 more games, I think the enquiries and pitchforks can wait and you are so right that the manager and players need help to believe. Survival is key.
catchy in norway
May 10, 2013 at 8:30 AM
Comment #85Lilongwe Geordie
lucky you
i was up at the reserves every match years ago, stopped going about 10 years ago,
if you went when marcelino was playing,, i thought he was amazing with the kids,, should have been first team, but yeh , we know why,,
one kid i thought was amazing, orr, he went to hull,
was very surprised when SBR chose shola instead of chopra,, chopra back then was outstanding, he chased like bellamy, scored like own haha , at that level anyway
Transfer Sage
May 10, 2013 at 8:30 AM
Comment #86catchy
I disagree on BA, I think he did the role on the left pretty well.
It took away from his goals, which was poor, but he did have a lot of good chances but there were some unbelievable saves which stopped him getting a goal.
At the time he was the best option of the left (either him, jonas or obertan).
Lilongwe Geordie
May 10, 2013 at 8:31 AM
Comment #87Catchy,
Fergie is the only one that had a chance, but again he hasn’t really looked outstanding at Brum, good but not top drawer. i agree, he could have played more, but would see how he did over a full season. For example, Marveaux has looked good in bursts, and has assists, but has rarely looked goo for more than 20 min patches.
Tav isn’t good enough. He looked all at sea on occasions. He should have been on loan in the championship this year for the full year really to see how he got on.
Ibizatoon - Back By Popular Demand
May 10, 2013 at 8:38 AM
Comment #88TS…You make a good point about a player playing out of position there.
Most were delighted last season when we were playing a front 3 of Ba – Cisse – Benny, yet that line up had a player out of position (which is a sin you know). Truth is, it was our best option at the time and it worked a treat and shouldn’t have been changed (tested other ideas fine, but not ditch it completely).
Sometimes, not all of the time, it is beneficial to play someone out of their normal position for the greater good of the team. However, i will end that with Cisse on the wing? Unless it’s against Chelsea and he’s feeling lucky then no way 🙂
martoon
May 10, 2013 at 8:45 AM
Comment #89It is always a bad omen when Lawro predicts a win for us especially whe he says “I cannot see QPR putting up much resistance” – kiss of death or what?
jordijohnty
May 10, 2013 at 8:46 AM
Comment #90for every 4:4 against arsenal, there was the 3:3 at home to albion which seems to be airbrushed out of our history. for those who cant remember, we were 3 up till late in the game till we let them come back into the game. 9th position in our first season then became 12th in a minute.pardew was in charge that day
BandB
May 10, 2013 at 8:47 AM
Comment #91Hola Ibiza,
I’ll reply here, because I don’t want to be on a new thread.
No. It’s not about personalities or egos within the club at all. My idea is entirely based on how the end-of-season appraisals might go, and the new targets that will be set. I don’t think the fans view of how AP has performed will be any kind of deciding factor. I’m beginning to see logic in Ashley’s approach. The problem with logic is that if you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out.
Ibizatoon - Back By Popular Demand
May 10, 2013 at 8:59 AM
Comment #92BandB…How traditional of you, a one thread at a time type of woman 🙂
Logic? What’s that then? Apologies, I think I may be slower than normal today (no comment required…), do you think then that by keeping Pardew Ashley will see it as a tool to lower fan expections or simply that you just don’t think Ashley will listen to the fans at all and will give him another roll of the dice?
BandB
May 10, 2013 at 9:28 AM
Comment #93Ibiza
I’m a one thread for life type of women.
And I’m going to avoid my central point, because it is completely left-field, and it does rely on surprise.
I think MA bought the club primarily as a platform for SD. The two have to grow together. The club doesn’t need to be a huge international brand right now, because SD isn’t a huge international brand. But tethering a sports business to a football club is like harnessing a donkey to a spirited throughbred, and then trying to ride them standing up. It’s tricky.
Businesses work on projections. After 12th two seasons ago, eighth for last season represented steady progression. But instead, he got a spike on his chart. And the business logic is to ignore spikes. So eighth as a target for this season made business, if not necessarily footballing sense.
Here is a logical syllogism. Napoleon was French, and all Europeans are French. Therefore it follows that Napoleon was European. The conclusion you’ve drawn is true, despite one of the statements being false.
One of the enquiries at the end of the season is likely to be who originated the duff data.
MA can only take three courses with Pardew. He could be given more time regardless. He could be sacked if we go down. But there is a third.