If some early alarm bells are not going off so early in the season at Newcastle, they should be, after we have played our two easiest opponents in the first six league games and picked up zero points.
We were beaten fairly easily in each of the last two games at West Ham and at home to Watford today, and we played badly and didn´t look any better than last season, when we only just avoided relegation.
It´s far too early in the season to panic or overreact (well not too much), but we also can’t fall too behind other teams before the end of this year.
And even though we brought in four good players in the summer, we have looked very poor over these last couple of games.
Ighalo scores the first goal – it was all too easy
Newcastle have just 2 points from our last 6 league games and in the 25 league games we have played this year Newcastle have 3 wins and 6 draws for 15 points out of a possible 75 points.
Over a 38 game Premier League season that average would get us 23 points.
That´s relegation form, so Newcastle will need to improve rather quickly if we are going to move up the league table before the end of the season.
We should also remember that Steve McClaren has asked that we not make too many judgments before 10 league games have been played, but that´s hard to do.
It doesn´t help that the next two league games are at home to Chelsea and at Manchester City.
We are defending poorly and we don’t seem to have players who can out the ball into the back of the net, and at least after the first six games it looks like it was a mistake not to have signed Charlie Austin – a proven PL goalscorer.
What we assume Lee Charnley and the Board are already doing is lining up some new signings in January, in case we need them.
On the evidence of the last two games which we thought were very winnable on paper – we will need reinforcements brought in.
And we suppose we have to remember it´s only two games and say if we can beat Chelsea next Saturday things will look a lot better.
Steve McClaren must give chances to players like Siem de Jong and Rolando Aarons and both got on only as subs today, and Ayoze Perez must be given a starting position in the next few games.
Papiss Cisse was again poor today and he seems disinterested.
It´s early in the season, and we have to keep remembering that – but we had hoped for a better start this season, given the disasters and nightmares of last season.
Comments welcome.
26 comments so far
GeordieTwo
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:52 PM
Comment #1Keep Janmaat and the Wij. Sell everyone else!!! Harrumph
GeordieTwo
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:54 PM
Comment #2I refuse to be drawn into debates about Graham Carr. He’s doing what Mike has asked of him. Looking for cheap, young foreigners. Some will make it, some won’t. Perez was a decent signing and Mito might turn out to be as well. The Wij looks good. Sissoko needs to be more consistent. These are all good players but we have a laughable system in place and no reliable veterans to anchor the team.
Average_Contents
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:56 PM
Comment #3How embarrassing was THAT.
It’s early doors though eh. Once shteve gets his hands on that £100m all will be great again.
Transition my fcuking arse.
We’re dogshit.
AMEOBI
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:57 PM
Comment #4Why we still playing colo and Sissoko baffles me…
AMEOBI
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:58 PM
Comment #5Mind you we will against Chelsea, always the same. Sissoko will turn up haha
SUTTY1978
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:58 PM
Comment #6The transition is just from being shit to being the shittest, it takes time to perfect playing this badly
Jib
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:59 PM
Comment #7Jeepers Japan have beaten S.Africa in the rugby world cup.
That’s like er like erm like NUFC losing at SJP to Watford
😎
GeordieTwo
Sep 19, 2015 at 6:59 PM
Comment #8Oh and another thing. People seem to have forgotten we have no nasty knobbler at the centre of the defense! Harrumph.
lochinvar
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:00 PM
Comment #9It’s not to early to panic – I’m not Captain Mainwairing – I’m very irritated by the performances.
Stats show we had 40 crosses and only 4 on target – crosses to just who exactly – which of our super sized physical number 9 s were we targeting ?
How about passing to players in space ?
Seems like Mclarens tactics are useless and that’s not reassuring at all
JackButler
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:00 PM
Comment #10Line up who you like, it’s the type of players we go for that are the real issue, Carr and Charnley better update their cv’s at this rate
GeordieTwo
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:01 PM
Comment #11Oh for a nasty knobbler….Slow those fleet footed attackers down. A few lads limping about the field complaining to the ref about us. That would look lovely about now.
toon kk
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:01 PM
Comment #12Our new signings are actually good player’s if mixed in with the right squad, but due to our current shambles more proven quality with pace should have been brought in.
Novocastrian66
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:01 PM
Comment #13Good grief.
GeordieTwo
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:02 PM
Comment #14Tiote used to be able to do that. But he’s a permanent sick note on the dole now…..
Dennis Twice
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:03 PM
Comment #15Attack Toon, attack, attack!
angelswithdirtyfaces
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:03 PM
Comment #16Springboks 32 Japan 34 is more like Man City 2 Newcastle 3.
GeordieTwo
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:04 PM
Comment #17Ashley will hide for the next month or more. He sees things haven’t turned out quite as planned. Are we still a top 8 club Steve?
GeordieTwo
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:05 PM
Comment #18Let’s see Swansea in 8th place have 9 points. We have……what is it again…..just checking….errrm surely this can’t be right…..2 points!!! Yes we definitely look like a top 8 club Steve.
bettyswallocks
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:06 PM
Comment #19Ibiza……. That was then. This is now. Another reledation scrap , what fun and so much for cautious optimism. Tremendous.
GeordieTwo
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:10 PM
Comment #20And where are the nasty knobblers who can slow those enemy attackers down? Leave them limping aboot. Colo looks like a walking advert for a women’s hair salon. We just don’t have enough grit in the team. Tough lads who fight hard for the 50/50 balls. Penny pinching Ashley puts us in the pudding!!!!
hibbit
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:10 PM
Comment #21like i said before the game what happens if watford beat us well they did in all departments the players are poor the system is so out of date most school teams know how to play against we can not defend and we have no threat going forward we got beat by a poor team because we gave them way to much room and respect…..the crowed are starting to loose patience with M and the players at the end
BandB
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:12 PM
Comment #22Or City 1 West Ham 2.
The West Ham’s and Watfords don’t look in “our league” at the moment at all.
It should not be impossible to get something from Chelsea or City.
LLLLL would have a familiar look to it.
JackButler
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:12 PM
Comment #23Watching West Ham and it’s sickening to see just how far we have fallen.
A new manager with a truck load of new players and they are tearing it up, playing great football and working their backsides off and SM has said it could take a season for us to settle down???
oldbobaycliffe
Sep 19, 2015 at 7:16 PM
Comment #24our chief scout should be sacked as his buys have been rubbish from anita haidara and de jong and the present batch nothing but failures and as for the new a.shearer his record for yellow and red cards for someone so young surely carr checked his record. thavin was voted in the 15 worst players in the french league.we have had the worst defence for the last 3 years but still have williamson taylor and collo on the books.in fact collo has been given another year relegation here we come and carr is to blame
Ravostag
Sep 19, 2015 at 9:24 PM
Comment #25Our recruitment policy is clearly not working. Buying young foreign stars with potential and hopefully with a resale value is not working. Should we not perhaps sign a few players who are familiar with the Premier League to hit the ground running allied with young players from abroad with potential. Many players have passed us by who are now doing the stuff in the Premier League i.e. Vardy, Ings, Moses, Stones, Long, Austin all of whom could have been bought at years ago at a knock down price from lower clubs at the time. We need a rethink and a change in policy
Lager_arm
Sep 19, 2015 at 10:00 PM
Comment #26Janmaat worst player on planet earth