While it´s still possible for Newcastle to avoid relegation it’s getting very unlikely, because with that stoppage time winner from Norwich yesterday it means they gained 3 points on us and we are now a full 6 points behind Norwich and 4th bottom place with only seven games to go – and two of those are away from home at Southampton and Liverpool.
We suppose if we could get four or five wins in the final seven games we could be safe – but we only have six wins in 31 games so far and our lads still seem to have that losing mentality even under Rafa Benitez.
Giving that late goal away yesterday after we had just equalized for the second time was almost like pushing the self-destruct button – which the team has done too many times this season.
With just 25 points from 31 games we still need 9 points just to equal our total the last time we were relegated nine years ago – so yes – this has been a disastrous season for the club – the worst ever in the Premier League.
This man is the top executive at Newcastle
This thing hasn’t crept on us like it did last year either – we just didn’t learn from the mistakes last season – like choosing an inadequate coach – so history is repeating itself.
And when you think we spent £82M on new players you have to question those that run the club, because there’s something wrong somewhere with Newcastle and the club looks broken from top to bottom.
But we shouldn’t expect Rafa Benitez to stay around and he can walk away with that break clause in his contract.
I had this utopian idea that maybe Newcastle could offer him and his coaches a £2M bonus if they stayed and got us promoted immediately back to the Premier League next season.
But I was persuaded after the game by my son Neil that is never going to happen and that Rafa just isn’t that stupid to go down and coach in England’s second division with Newcastle after coaching Real Madrid at the start of this season.
If that’s true then Newcastle will need to be on the lookout for a new head coach in the summer since probably Lee Charnley and Graham Carr could even try to keep the old system in place, where they hold all the power.
We wouldn’t put anything past these two.
The experiment of getting world-class manager in to save us and give Rafa all the power he wants doesn’t look like it will work and we will still be relegated.
And if Lee Charnley gets the choice of whom to pick as the next head coach after his two choices of John Carver and Steve McClaren – then watch out – Newcastle could be playing in England’s second division the season after next.
Unless there is some kind of miracle and Newcastle can win four or five games then we will go down and there is no guarantee that we will come back to the Premier League immediately this time around.
Those who run Newcastle have completely broken the club – and completely failed the fans completely too.
They should be ashamed of themselves from a professional viewpoint.
As we said Newcastle is now broken from top to bottom and our only hope was Rafa Benitez – that now being in the past tense.
32 comments so far
chicousa
Apr 3, 2016 at 8:14 AM
Comment #1Ashley Out!
jimmysmith
Apr 3, 2016 at 8:27 AM
Comment #2We aren’t stuck with each other. That’s rubbish.We are stuck with SD. Ashley isn’t selling
Jib
Apr 3, 2016 at 8:33 AM
Comment #3Hopefully Ed will look at the number of hits on his last few articles and finally get the message that folk don’t particularly want to read incessantly how bad the executive is at NUFC.
Boring boring boring shit.
We get it Ed – honest
The next Mike Williamson
Apr 3, 2016 at 8:38 AM
Comment #4I don’t trust Charnley to find a good manager. even benitez was an easy find. A manager with a huge reputation. what we need to do now is find an upcoming manager. The next tuchel or pochettino. Charnley only knows people who’ve managed in the premier league so we will probably go for steve Bruce, unless Carr can persuade him to bring in some rubbish french man.
The next Mike Williamson
Apr 3, 2016 at 8:42 AM
Comment #5I’d be optimistic about going down and building a passionate team from our youths if we didn’t have the worst youth system in england. It was a terrible idea to stop bringing in youths from abroad like Abeid and mbabu. now all we have is local lads and a u 21 coach who was handed the job for reasons other than coaching ability. woodman and armstrong are our only talent.
mindshaft
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:03 AM
Comment #6Grahame Carr and Charnley should go , the whole idea of a scout picking players based on individual skills playing in a different league is a joke
They clearly can’t function as a team and we will be found out in the championship as much as we have been in the prem
on paper this should be a top half team easily
on the field we are a championship team at best
May as well drop Gini for away games – I don’t think he even touched the ball yesterday
Anita st LB was a disaster
Saylor was pathetic and Lascalles must be gutted he was on bench after watching that display
Tiote offered nothing
Sissoko was better at LB than LW
Perez seems half the player he was at start of season
hard to find plus points
only plus about yesterday was that it’s likely makems will be relegated with us if they fail to beat Norwich
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:03 AM
Comment #7The next
The club is rotten from scouting kids of all ages through to Under 18’s, 21’s and the first team squad.
Whoever comes in needs to be in control of the lot and given a free hand to hire and fire.
Would like it to be Benitez but he’ll be away – could be before the end of the season – made to look a fool – sicked off with trying to get the shower we have to play football
21st Century Schizoid Man
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:20 AM
Comment #8You shooting the messenger again Jeff /JIB ?
What is truly boring is your misplaced loyalty to the current owner and management regime when all we have been delivered is failure after failure. Of course this comes from somebody who believes that we all got above ourselves after Keegan and really only ought to expect mediocrity.
lochinvar
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:20 AM
Comment #9Benitez you have to believe is a man of principal.
He wants to be in the UK for his family reasons.
The Premier League is where the money is but which club could he work for next season ?
Arsenal – if Wenger goes ?
Everton – if Martinez goes ?
Man Utd – if Van Gall goes ( with Mourinho in waiting )
Man City – already sorted
Chelsea – already sorted
Maybe just maybe he could stay with us as Director of Football and restructure the whole set up with one of his team as Head Coach. The money would be good, very good and seven months up to December would give him a chance to ensure that we were top of the Championship and heading back up. If not he then has a decision to make. If it’s looking good he’s set up for the 17-18 season.
I know the Fat opera singing lady is moving into position but she’s not on stage yet.
Tsunki
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:24 AM
Comment #10I think it’s firmly established that the club structure has failed and cascaded this from the top down. We need to focus on next seasons reconstruction, which is a demolition and rebuild, frankly. I think even the most staunch supporters have had enough of the bumbling half wits, the uselessly inadequate academy, specious scouting and especially the hands in the air waving ” it’s not my fault” Ashley saying he can’t learn the basics of football Administration in ten years. Clear out the decks and no we won’t be back up in one year but we might have something worth backing in two.
The overrated Frenchman
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:29 AM
Comment #11Jib. Pull your head in son. Nobody is in the mood for Ashley Appreciation Society propaganda today.
Rotonda heights
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:29 AM
Comment #12Did I miss something, was Lascelles injured yesterday. Only caught the second half but was horrified when I saw taylor playing and knew the writing was on the wall. Though to be fair MBemba probably had his worst game to date.
Yesterday was cruel but the last goal was symptomatic of the general malaise, poor ball out of defense, people not bursting a gut to cover and close down and the second goal again ball watching, letting people run and how it went straight through darlow’s hand I’m not sure.
I really pray Rafa amazes us all and wants to complete ”the project” because god knows who charnley and carr will present us with next. Hopefully it may no longer be their decision if the worst happens.
NezzaNUFC
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:31 AM
Comment #13Like many I was buzzing when Rafa came here but now I know what the Chelsea, Napoli and Madrid fans had to say about him at his time in charge and they all say he has no style and it’s just basically counter attacking direct style.
We had this under Pardew and it’s being replicated once again by the mighty Rafa Benitez who is suppose to be a genius tactician, AND STILL WE ARE USING A 4231 style formation!
If you’s look back even in the Pardew era you’s will see where our most goals came from and it certainly wasn’t from the wings but from the centre.
So in hindsight play a more central formation like a 41212, 4312, 532, 3223 and even a narrow 4231 style and keep us central instead of the stupid retarded 4231 that never has us wining playing on the wings.
And Benitez should know this about Newcastle but I believe again that ego is getting better of a man and it will cost us.
21st Century Schizoid Man
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:32 AM
Comment #14Lochinvar
I would like to believe that Rafa believes he can turn this spectre of a football club round and that his career would not be badly served by spending say three years here turning us into genuine contenders for cups, and European level EPL finishes especially after a year in the Championship.
After all he’s proved almost everything else. We are a real football challenge, that’s for sure. He’s a football obsessive. He’d be a Geordie legend if he got us into the top 6 in 2018 and say a cup final.
ochytoon
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:33 AM
Comment #15I think it’s very very safe to say we’re down now but it’s been coming since the Europa League season. The club is completely rotten and I think around 90% of the playing and backroom staff need clearing out. Would like to keep Mitro, Armstrong (perhaps that’s a given), Lascelles, Mbemba and Aarons for next season; everyone else can do one.
Pretty much everyone involved in our youth set up needs to go including Beardsley. Yes he’s a legend but he’s a poor coach whose made no progress with our academy players.
Charnley, Carr and Moncour all also need to leave but I think that’s obvious.
Overall the club needs a complete restructure and we may not recover from this relegation for a long time but in the long run it may be worth it.
Just curious if anyone else despises Janmaat? I’ve never been particularly fond of him as I like my fullbacks to be able to defend, but I just get a vibe that he’s got a piss poor attitude behind the scenes
posada
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:34 AM
Comment #16Not a lot has changed under Rafa. Same formation, same selection.
I was hoping he would come up with something. 3/5/2 or whatever.
Sick of trying to fit Sissoko, Wini, De Jong and Co into a team that functions.
All year we have tried. Look at the table for the result.
21st Century Schizoid Man
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:35 AM
Comment #17Nezza
Rafa was a pioneer of 4-2-3-1. What did you expect ?
You’d get exactly the same from Mourinho.
posada
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:39 AM
Comment #18We don’t have pace up front. Look at the difference Afobe has made to Bournemouth.
If we are gonna win a couple of games then go for it.
Doumbia with Mitro as a front two.
Arons and Townsend on the flanks.
At least we would have pace and we would trouble teams.
But, you just don’t know whats going on behind the scenes. After the West Brom game we have essentially imploded. 1 point from 18. Even if we had chugged along at a point a game we’d be on 30 points and in with a shout.
ilovetoon8788
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:40 AM
Comment #19We deserve relegation. It’s been coming for very long. They are seasons where we avoided relegation by fluke. Last season comes to mind and the season where the qpr defender scored an own goal or smth. It was coming.
It’s finally come home to roost. Goodbye epl. Goodbye rafa. Fairytale was fun while it lasted. We would t be seeing top flight or top player for a long long time. It will take atleast 15-20years.
We need now to establish ourselves as a championship team. Right now we are heading for league 1.
NezzaNUFC
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:43 AM
Comment #20We need a young hungry manager that offers everything we need, Laudrup or Karanka?
Both offer fantastic football styles something we all would like to watch.
But if anything if/when we get relegated I would stick with Cathro through and through, he’s young so he adds stability, has the same style as Pep with possession passing play which we all would enjoy win or lose and it gives Newcastle a chance to rebuild the team from scratch but we should keep Perez, Mitrovic, Armstrong and Aarons and rid the rest then simply go after young hungry players in the Championship because who wouldn’t want to play for a giant club like Newcastle in the Championship?
Rotonda heights
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:45 AM
Comment #21Nezza
Some strange comemnts there. Rafa played some lovely stuff at chelsea, it was only the previous he had with liverpool that was the problem, not how he played.
He is a legend at Liverpool and Valencia where he is absolutely idolised.
With the best will in the world I think a double european cup finalist probably has a bit more nous than us, but as has been said many times on here ”you can not polish a turd.”
Carr has presented us with the most lop sided unsuitable characters you could possibly assemble.
posada
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:45 AM
Comment #22Not really sure you can say Rafa was a pioneer of 4/2/3/1.
I saw Man U use this system 15 years ago.
It’s a slight tweek on 4/2/4.
In away games they had Butt and Keane sitting in front of the centre halfs and the four in front had great movement and the option to interchange.
Rotonda heights
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:47 AM
Comment #23nezza
that said, i do agree with a lot of what you say at 20.
posada
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:50 AM
Comment #24Rotonda
Your last sentence sums it up there mate.
You need to decide on the style you want to play and the way you want to play. Then bring in the players to do it.
How do we pick players. I’m sure old man Carr plays a game of spin the bottle.
NezzaNUFC
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:54 AM
Comment #25Rotonda
He just seems to have a boring style mate, 2 weeks to train Newcastle and we still played the same as we did against the mackems.
To be honest it didn’t take McClaren long to integrate his own method into Newcastle, I knew his style and it didn’t involve long balls it involved possession passing and play on the wings but unfortunately we were playing sideways.
But again though he used a 4231, 4-5 strikers but only have one up top? It’s retarded!
The overrated Frenchman
Apr 3, 2016 at 9:59 AM
Comment #26posada@24. Nothing random about the players Carr selects. They are carefully chosen for him to maximise the cut he gets on the deal. Of course they are almost never the players we need, but he has his own agenda and those around him are either complicit or simply too stupid to be aware of what’s going on. Take your pick.
posada
Apr 3, 2016 at 10:07 AM
Comment #27TOF
You hint at a hidden agenda/perverse incentive there.
We will never know.
Worse thing that ever happened was Carr bringing in Cabaye who we sold for 5 times his fee.
Fooled everyone. Carr was talked of on here like he was a genius. Remember the caption – in Carr we trust.
Truth is Cabaye was a French international. You don’t need scouting skills to assess a player like that. The whole of football knew about him.
The good teams also knew he did not have the ability to play more than once every 7-10 days.
Jib
Apr 3, 2016 at 10:08 AM
Comment #2821st Century Schizoid Muppet
Jib who believes that we all got above ourselves after Keegan and really only ought to expect mediocrity.
Not really
I would say after Sir Bobby.
He is the only manager we have had of any stature who actually won anything in his managerial career.
Now we have another.
If Fat Frederick thought SBR had lost the players he should have kicked him upstairs not out of the club.
We should fight tooth and nail to keep Benitez whatever happens and with whatever job title he wants.
I’m neither anti the executive or support it as it is irrelevant who owns the club.
There have been many examples of clubs with crap ownership who have won things .
As long as you have a good manager all things follow.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Apr 3, 2016 at 10:20 AM
Comment #29If Benitez is the manager he is cracked out to be then why in F**k’s name did he drop: Lascalles for that muppet Taylor.
also Cisse for Mitro who is improving and scoring
Where has Saviet gone –
Sick of the same old same old
Got nowt to lose why not play Saviet and De Jong next week instead of Winjammer and Tiote
Harley
Apr 3, 2016 at 10:21 AM
Comment #30If by some miracle we could actually win a few games, we could really do with Sunderland beating Norwich.
I think it’s all for nothing now as yesterday probably sealed our fate.
NoahJ
Apr 3, 2016 at 10:32 AM
Comment #31I think benitez might stay if he doesn’t get any better offers in the summer- unlikely, but the man was coaching his kids’ sunday league on the Wirrall when he was out of work, that’s how much he loves football.
If he goes, I think the best we can hope for is the likes of Pearson, Bruce, and we’ll inevitably be linked with the likes of sherwood too (god help us); wouldn’t be surprised if we were linked with garde again
wow, the future looks bright :/
Sav
Apr 3, 2016 at 10:41 AM
Comment #32Its not over until the fat general manager tweets.