It looks like the relegation race could be very close now between which two clubs from Sunderland, Norwich and Newcastle will be relegated next month along with Aston Villa – and we now seem to have a better chance of survival – at least better than after the terrible Southampton loss.
Newcastle have picked up four points in their last two games at home and the form of the team plus the passion and fight shown by our players gives us some hope, but the truth is we are still favorites to take the drop and we needed the 3 points last night against Manchester City.
And while the local papers have reported Rafa Benitez may stay even if we are relegated, that may in part be some wishful thinking and Rafa could get some big clubs coming in for him this summer.
Time is up for Fabricio Coloccini
Whether Rafa stays or goes and whether we stay in the Premier League or not, these players are out of contract in the summer and will be released:
Steven Taylor
Gabby Obertan
Sammy Ameobi
Haris Vuckic
Sylvain Marveaux
In addition to these five players Remy Cabella will be sold to Marseilles for something like £6M and we expect Manu Riviere to be sold too and Seydou Doumbia to return to Roma from his loan spell, which hasn’t worked out.
If we do take the drop then we expect Gini Wijnaldum, Moussa Sissoko, Daryl Janmaat and Andros Townsend to leave the club and we could pick up close to £50M for those players and then bring in players more suited to the Championship with a portion of those funds.
Getting those 12 players above out of the club if we go down should help the wage bill significantly – and it will need to be reduced because of the much lower revenues in the second division.
Aston Villa announced yesterday they will be laying off 500 non-playing employees of the club to cut running costs so some of that will need to happen at Newcastle too.
That’s one of the human costs of relegation and our players not giving 100% all season and Lee Charnley and company hiring second-rate coaches.
On the positive side, if we stay up Rafa will probably want to keep Sissoko, Janmaat and Townsend although Gini Wijnaldum was dropped last night.
But Rafa can still get the Dutchman playing well and improve the player should he save us from relegation.
So whatever happens next month expect eight players – Taylor, Obertan, Ameobi, Vuckic, Marveaux, Cabella, Riviere and Doumbia – to leave the club.
And we’ll add one more player to that list, who just happens to be Newcastle’s highest paid player – captain Fabricio Coloccini.
Whether we stay up or go down it looks like time is up for Colo – especially since Chancel Mbemba and Jamaal Lascelles are playing so well in these important games for the club – credit to both of them – they are ones for the future.
And since Colo has one year left on his contract maybe Alan Pardew would be willing to pay £2M for him?
Time to bring in at least one good center-back in the summer, whichever division we are in and fix that shocking defense once and for all – something we should have done long ago and we wouldn’t be in this perilous position in the league.
Let’s hope Rafa can save us!
Comments welcome.
49 comments so far
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 20, 2016 at 12:50 PM
Comment #1@Pitmatic
Yeah I have been impressed with Townsend in the games I watched him at Spurs he was always wasteful and frustrating a bit like Obertan …. although playing for us he has everything a Newcastle winger should have he may have matured finally at the right time for us !
Just wish we could get someone on the other wing to do the exact same Perez and Wijnaldum do a job there but its not really their position and they dont have the pace either only players in our squad that maybe could do it are Obertan or Aarons which was interesting to see Aarons actually get a game at the end which might mean he is in Rafa’s thoughts for future games !
Obertan was not even on the bench so I think maybe the game is over for him at the Toon !
Also is Saviet not a winger or used to be ?
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 20, 2016 at 12:51 PM
Comment #2Also Sammy has another year on his contract so he wont be going anywhere! If we go down he will no doubt play every week !
Graeme
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:07 PM
Comment #3Just re-done the Chronicle Relegation Predictor!!
Liverpool v Newcastle – Draw
Sunderland v Arsenal – Away win
Arsenal v Norwich – Home win
Newcastle v Palace – Home win
Stoke v Sunderland – Home win
Norwich v Man Utd – Away win
Aston Villa v Newcastle – Away win
Sunderland v Chelsea – Away win
Norwich v Watford – Draw
Sunderland v Everton – Draw
Everton v Norwich – Home win
Newcastle v Spurs – Draw
Watford v Sunderland – Draw
Which results in –
17th Place NUFC 37 Points
18th Place Norwich 32 Points
19th Place Sunderland 32 Points
20th Place Villa!!
In Rafa we trust lol
sweendog
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:19 PM
Comment #4Graeme .. I hope so, but Sunderland/Norwich at Watford, their minds are on the FA Cup .. may be
17th Place NUFC 37 Points
18th Place Norwich 35 Points
19th Place Sunderland 35 Points
fingers crossed we get something this weekend.
Graeme
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:22 PM
Comment #5Sweendog – I’m more than happy with your outcome mate – we stay up!!
bettyswallocks
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:25 PM
Comment #6Those that were slagging Anita off yesterday before the match ought to realise that their judgement was way off the mark. I won’t name and shame as you know who you are but an acknowledgement and apology to little Vern would be in order.
LGFUAD21
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:26 PM
Comment #7I’m not getting involved in predictions.
I predicted we’d scrape it after a win against Norwich.
It’s Sunderland that worry me the most.
They are at least grinding out draws. Hopefully they can get smashed in their next few games and have the wind taken out of them.
I think Liverpool will be tougher than City.
We played well and I agree with Henry that the way we played stopped them from playing. BUT
They also looked like they thought it’d be a walk in the park against us.
Liverpool are really fighting under Klopp and their work rate along will kill us I think. Especially after the busy week we’ve had.
That said, their defence is poor so hopefully we’ll get a few chances ourselves.
Essex Geordie Bill
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:27 PM
Comment #8I think Townsend will ‘WANT’ to stay, it would be stupid to let him go.
Ed is you 500 figure of AV staff correct, did you mean 50?
catchy in norway
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:35 PM
Comment #9well I’m one of those who DO like Anita, he is a good little player, and I said this yesterday.
it was nice to see effort yesterday.
also Gini should have passed to Mitro
ArtyH
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:39 PM
Comment #10Looking at the big picture, I think Rafa can see the potential at the toon, just as Keegan did, and in similar circumstances but not the same ( just sayin as someone will say its not, I know ) . IF we do go down Rafa has seen the club warts and all, and if he can get the funds to build his own team, we will get back up at first attempt, I’m sure. Given that and the support it would be PERFECT on his portfolio, but more interesting he would want to try and improve on what Keegan did in the 90’s as it is legendary and still talked about today. I’m sure Rafa wants this kind of job as it has limitless ramifications IF he is given what he needs to succeed. It will even make the owner money in the long run as we all know he is not leaving soon.
Hail Wor Ashley
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:45 PM
Comment #11I really liked Anita for a long time upon his arrival. I could see he was sharp and accurate in his distribution, if lacking in stamina and aggression, however in recent times in CM he’s been poor and easily spooked in possession, his trademark becoming an aimless first-time punt.
Now he’s been here a while his engine has definitely tuned up and he’s more combative, but, his size will always be an issue aerially for those looking to exploit it with a direct physical style, particularly when playing FB.
When on his game he’s a very good team player and seems to thrive in the crunch matches. He was second only to Jonas in the last gasp survival match.
bladeuser
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:47 PM
Comment #12Predictions in anything are pointless, guesswork we could beat the bindippers and lose to villa who knows
ASH OUT COLO OUT CARR OUT PENFOLD OUT SHEEP ? OUT
gingavitus
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:55 PM
Comment #13The sale of some of these players will help rafa build the kind of team he wants. Finally a world class manager (head coach?) Just hoping he stays…
sweendog
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:56 PM
Comment #14bettyswallocks .. can’t fault Anita yesterday but for whatever reason it hasn’t worked for him in our midfield.
Class goal yesterday.
WWSBRD
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:57 PM
Comment #15Apologise to Vurn? Why? He should apologise for being poor for 95% of his NUFC career and crying about being a CM instead of a full back
3/4 good games doesn’t a hero make imo like
WWSBRD
Apr 20, 2016 at 1:59 PM
Comment #16But of a click bait article this considering we have no idea what league we will be in so player plans are up in the air
Also hoping Pardew will take Colo off our hands? He might get the boot before he gets the chance
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:01 PM
Comment #17Anita just so looks so much more comfortable at full back than in midfield he is pretty fast so not many wingers can destroy him with pace Janmaat always had a nightmare against nippy wingers and because he likes to fly forward was always getting caught out !
lesh
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:17 PM
Comment #18Such sad news that Ed expects these stalwarts, the backbone of Newcastle United to leave in the summer. How will we survive without them?
But, there is an ray of sunshine, some hope in expecting one of greatest players to return. We shall welcome Thauvin with much joy.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:19 PM
Comment #19http://www.themag.co.uk/2016/04/jamaal-lascelles-sergio-aguero-hes-just-man-cant-just-wants-newcastle-1-manchester-city-1-newcastle-united/?
The guy is a breath of fresh air hes done more interviews in the last 2 weeks than Colo has done in his whole career !!
Keep giving the lads stick as it seems to be working !
WWSBRD
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:19 PM
Comment #20lesh
Tbf is like to see what Rafa could do with Thauvin, lots of potential
catchy in norway
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:20 PM
Comment #21Lesh
I hope they go.
The overrated Frenchman
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:21 PM
Comment #22Anita has been solid the last couple of games, but WWSBRD is right. Most of his time here has been very ordinary. The odd good performance amongst far more average to poor ones. Kudos to Benitez for getting him going, even if it’s just a stop-gap thing. De Jong is the one I can’t understand. Why does Benitez shun him? Technically he is the best player we have. To answer my own question I suppose it’s because he is working to a plan built around effort rather than skill. Just seems like a waste of talent to me. I’d play him off the bench at least. He’s more likely to create something than the headless chickens in Wijnaldum and Aarons.
bettyswallocks
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:24 PM
Comment #23Anita hasn’t excelled during his time with us admittedly. Pardew didn’t use him much as he considered him too lightweight for the PL but he was rated highly in Holland and is technically quite talented. Maybe he just needed someone to believe in him and instill some confidence. Rafa gave him a glowing review yesterday and seems to rate him. That’ll do for me but maybe his detractors know best.
Munster Mag
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:34 PM
Comment #24Anita has been brilliant for rafa and sissoko looks like he has been injected with something. I we stay up, sissoko could become a real hero here. Bonkers to think it, but sissoko cud be a cult hero yet!
Munster Mag
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:35 PM
Comment #25Must be plenty of red faces on here re Townsend!
Ibizatoon
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:35 PM
Comment #26It’s normal for fans to have differing views on various players, but what is getting me a bit is that I can’t really think of more than a couple of players who have had any sort of (good) consistency.
Elliot for sure. Other than that? Fairly hit and miss.
So i’m just not sure where the Anita comments come from. Sure he doesn’t play the same in most of the games, but then who has, to make it a point worth considering?
What is more intriguing is what can a decent manager make of these players? Not that long ago a fair majority on here were putting most of our woes down to shoddy recruitment, not management.
If a decent manager can get these players playing, has old man Carr really done such a bad job? Sure, some of them have been overpriced for what we’ve seen, but is that scouting or coaching? Keeping in mind that no scout get’s them right, all the time.
Something to ponder. Seems these characterless and useless players do have some character and aren’t useless. Perhaps.
Munster Mag
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:52 PM
Comment #27Ibiza, yes bad scouting and a waste of resources, all day long. Players we didnt need with a lot of involvement from one agency. Carr would also have been behind the smc appointment, given he is the only one with knowledge at that level in the club.
Munster Mag
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:56 PM
Comment #28Whats the thoughts out there re rafa to everton? I hate martinez but hope he survives. Who was banging his drum here? Catchy? Rotunda? Irritating ref moaning whinger of a manager. Hugely overrated and cant trach teams to kill off games
bettyswallocks
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:56 PM
Comment #29Anita seems to be able to cope with pressure very well. Last season in that last game against West Ham he grew a foot and took control of the midfield. Yesterday he took the bull by the horns and scored a great goal. Who would have thought he had that in him. For whatever reason a lot of the players suffer from a lack of confidence when under pressure . Either that or they don’t care enough.
Ibizatoon
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:57 PM
Comment #30Munster…Got that all tied up nicely then.
My point was, if with proper management, these players can function (which they are currently doing, although we’ll have to see if they can do it consistently) then can these players still be considered bad recruitments?
There will of course be some, there are at all clubs, from all scouts.
Seems you have him on one of two counts mind. Either bad players or a bad appointment of manager.
Oh the life of a de facto DOF, that is really just a scout.
Munster Mag
Apr 20, 2016 at 2:58 PM
Comment #31Rafa carries himself well. No ref blaming, no allardyce type moaning. Well done rafa
Ibizatoon
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:02 PM
Comment #32Munster…Are there rumblings that Rafa could go to Everton then?
My thoughts? They can do one.
Who cares about Martinez, other than to try and settle old scores?
Betty…I do believe a lot comes down to motivation, or lack thereof, or as you put it “they don’t care enough”.
I think that has been a huge problem. A fair few have been saying they believe that to be something that has filtered down from the top. When your bosses don’t care, how likely are you to?
Just saying the club now has ambition didn’t work, as the clubs actions didn’t follow suit really. With a proper manager in place and some real care and desire being put forward, the players are now responding (hopefully that continues).
Confidence and pressure have no doubt played their parts, but for me, the clubs lack of care and desire was the start of it all.
Munster Mag
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:02 PM
Comment #33Carr is also ashleys pet. We killed pardew for not shouting out about the regime and playing ball with the devil. Where does this leave carr in our estimations? Oh he also wanted remi garde in the equation for manager. Lets not hang chumley for that. Who advised him? Hmm let me work that one out….
Munster Mag
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:07 PM
Comment #34Speaking of which, wasnt our old french left back talking a lot of cobblers when he told us garde wud be good for us! Phew dodged a bullet there!
Munster Mag
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:09 PM
Comment #35Ibiza, if we go down, rafa’s family in wirral. Everton wud be attractive if martinez sacked and rafa can overlook his reds history
Average_Contents
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:11 PM
Comment #36Anyone hear that?
Sounds like a two year old drum being banged 😉
stuart no9
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:12 PM
Comment #37Why would rafa want to leave ? and where would he go with a better proposition than here??
Back Door Man
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:14 PM
Comment #38Munster Mag, nowt to work out really.
Our very own emperor Ashley, behaving like some imperious, bouffanted Sadam Hussain (yep, I know that fatty’s a slaphead) has surrounded himself with a crooked circle of spineless courtiers. This pride of gelded cowardly lions have mishandled in an obcene and unabashed way just about everthing they’ve touched. This uncouth and ignorant clutch have their grubby claws on the levers controlling our once great club. What makes them experts in their field? Why have they been promoted to their lofty slots? It can’t only be because they obtained their business management certificates for their jobs via some distance-learning course operated by some obscure, third-rate correspondence college in the USA’s Bible Belt. It has to be more than this surely! Please don’t tell me they got the gig by sleeping with the Boss.
Ashley has allowed his bag carriers to hollow out the club in an unsentimental campaign to promote the nightmare that are his ‘stack ’em high – sell ’em cheap’ bazaars. I’m convinced his only motivation for coming and staying here is to get his cheap tat advertising hordings on the telly. When you look behind all the smoke and mirrors about his financial investment here he’s got to be testing the boundaries of satire. Actually, there’s no risk for him … it’s all borrowed dosh which if needs be can be written off under the City’s helpful fiscal so-called regulations.
A pox on all their houses. Bastards!
Ibizatoon
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:19 PM
Comment #39Munster…Does Ashley have pets then or is he being blindsided with poor info from two out of their depth numpties?
I think you perhaps feel I’m a big Carr fan, much like you were accused (me too actually) of being a big Pardew fan.
What I’m asking is to judge the man on the role he is actually employed to fulfil, which is head scout, right?
The idea that he is the clubs go to man on all footballing matters is perhaps correct, but not really the failing of Carr, but those who are looking to him for matters about his head.
He is and should only be a scout.
It’ll be interesting to see what Ashley decides to do with him.
bettyswallocks
Apr 20, 2016 at 3:22 PM
Comment #40Ibiza……. Lack of ambition and the directive from above that mid table mediocrity is the goal obviously doesn’t help with motivation, but for players to show off their skills they need self belief instilled by the manager if they lack confidence or the proverbial kick up the backside or left on the bench if just plain lazy.
IMHO hesitancy and over cautious play is not the answer in the modern game. Moving the ball quickly in attack and reacting quickly in defence is the key to success. Look at Tottenham against Stoke they were quicker thinking and moved the ball confidently and quickly. This has to come from the training ground and from a good manager.