This looks like another poor ending to a season, but we still believe we can get promoted in one of the two automatic promotion spots.
If this thing goes down to a play-off that would be almost impossible to bear for Newcastle fans.
So the players have to really look at themselves in the mirror, take some credit for what but for the last three games has been a really good season – and then play the last three games at or near their best.
If we can do we will be fine – no problem.
Rafa Benitez – could be difficult summer
Rafa will not have wanted this to happen that’s for sure, because he wants momentum going into next season and the summer transfer window.
And over the last few years at Newcastle when we have finished a season badly, it has adversely impacted the start of the next season.
Two good examples of that are the 2013-2014 season and the following season.
Back in 2014 we had done well and were in the upper half of the table at the turn of the year but in our final ten games we lost eight of them and won the other two – 6 points from a possible 30.
And what happened in the next season is that we had a terrible start under Alan Pardew with just 3 points in our first seven games until we won the eighth game 1-0 at home to newly promoted Leicester.
And then that season deteriorated quickly when Alan Pardew surprisingly departed in late December and John Carver was put in charge through the end of the season – a move by Lee Charnley that turned out to almost cost us a relegation.
John did quite well initially but then in the final 11 games of the season we lost nine – eight of them in a row for the first time ever – and the one win was the final game at home to the Hammers when we won 2-0 and only just avoided relegation.
4 points from a possible 33 to finish that season.
🙁
And then Lee Charnley’s next huge blunder was to announce the hiring of the just sacked Derby manager – Steve McClaren – and the rest is history and that one did cost us relegation.
Steve has to be one of the worst managers in Newcastle’s history and he has the record to prove it; this is Steve’s league record as manager of Newcastle.
[table “44” not found /]We have nothing against Steve personally, he’s just not a good manager and nowhere near what Newcastle needed.
So Rafa will be desperate to overturn this terrible run of results when it seems the pressure has affected our players and that’s not good.
If we can win the next three games that will significantly change the mood at Newcastle and what the table looks like from now – we will have gained promotion easily as the record will show.
But if we struggle over the finish line then it could make it hard to attract the players we need this summer, but hopefully with Rafa as manager we will still hold our own in the Premier League.
We still expect to do well next season under Rafa, but maybe those expectations are way too high.
But they weren’t three 3 games ago when we were still one point above Brighton and looking like we could finish strongly.
🙁
Here are the standings at the top of the Championship at the moment.
[table “54” not found /]What do you think?
Comments welcome.
46 comments so far
sparky55
Apr 19, 2017 at 7:35 PM
Comment #41Sorry Ed…but we do have something against Maclaren personally and quite a lot actually…he is a fcuking buffoon and it was 100% his fault we got relegated last year and it was 100% the boards fault for not getting rid of him quicker just like it’s the scums managements fault for not getting rid of Moyes quicker…and by the way…Moyes is 10 times better than Maclaren…first class clueless w@nker
Essex Geordie Bill
Apr 19, 2017 at 7:47 PM
Comment #42Wow, that’s a lot of negative votes for Armstrong.
For the record I’m on the yes vote side.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 19, 2017 at 8:20 PM
Comment #43sparky55,
How on earth was it 100% Mclarens fault we got relegated, we were almost relegated in two out of the three seasons before he came and only points gained in the middle one of them at the start of the season prevented us being relegated then. Mclaren was a 100% bufoon but the shambles of a board who appointed him should take much more of the blame.
Moonraker15
Apr 19, 2017 at 8:49 PM
Comment #44Clem
Do you know Maddley is a Huddersfield fan as he was born in Wakefield and that’s close to Leeds ?
Moonraker15
Apr 19, 2017 at 8:59 PM
Comment #45I blame McClaren 100% for our relegation as the man is clueless. You can’t blame the club for appointing an ex England manager. Nobody knew how poor he was till he met the huge challenge at Newcastle. His biggest failure is that he doesn’t know he’s clueless.
sobadithurts
Apr 19, 2017 at 9:30 PM
Comment #46Why do people think that Adam Armstrong will ever succeed here,hopefully in prem,when he has been bang average at Barnsley and barely gets a full game and even worse think that Sameobi is worth a place in our run-in when he has been playing in league 1 for Bolton barstard Wanderers? Neither are remotely good enough for the prem and never will be.