Newcastle lost such an important game last Monday at Ipswich Town after we had been denied all 3 points in the previous game very late in stoppage time when Chris Wood scored an equalizer in a game we had completely dominated.
We thought we would bounce back and get all 3 points at Portman Road, but not only were we beaten but we were outplayed for the second successive game away from home.
It’s humbling that we have cratered in the last eight games and got only 9 points and two wins when Brighton have 21 points having won seven of their last eight games.
Grant Hanley – we must all stick together
They know when to go on a winning run, that’s for sure.
We’ve had 6 and 9 game winning streaks this season but nothing close to that this year in the second half of the season.
We have not been as good in the second half of the season by a long way and that’s not good.
Rafa’s rotation system was put in place so our players would be fresher at the end of the season than players at other clubs, but the results don’t show that.
Grant Hanley came back into the team for Chancel Mbemba and the experienced Championship player has been interviewed today and has tried to calm the Newcastle fans – who don’t exactly know what’s going on at the moment:
“The fans have been great all season, they’ve stuck by us and are always travelling away in their numbers.”
“There’s always packed crowds at St James’ Park and I know they’ll stay behind and give us that bit of support we need to get this job done.”
“We haven’t had too many wee blips this year, or patches where we’ve struggled, so now it’s time for the lads to get together.”
“We need to show our togetherness, show the strength we have in the squad, and make sure we pick it up again.”
“We just need to keep going.” “It speaks for itself really: we’ve got three games to get promoted, so it’s in our own hands.”
“It’s not rocket science. If we look after ourselves, we get promoted. That’s what we’re going to do.”
“Ipswich are a physical side who had a game plan and knew exactly what to do, which was too much for us in the end.”
“Ipswich deserved to win but we need to regroup and we will make that we have a response come Monday.”
United have lost key men to injury this season, including Dwight Gayle and Ciaran Clark, but Hanley dismisses any notion of using it as an excuse.”
“That’s football, and people get injured – that’s part and parcel of the game.”
“We’ve got one of the biggest and strongest squads in the Championship so that’s definitely not an excuse you can use.”
“That’s football and sometimes it goes for you with injuries, sometimes it doesn’t. There’ll be no excuses from the lads.”
“We need to look at ourselves, see where we went wrong, and improve on it.”
“It’ll be a tough test against Preston. Week in and week out in this league it’s difficult, as Ipswich proved.”
Let’s hope we can beat Preston on Monday night but that’s a long time to wait to see which Newcastle team will turn up and it’s still mathematically possible that Newcastle can throw away their chance of automatic promotion.
That would be too much for me if that happens.
Comments welcome.
46 comments so far
WWSBRD
Apr 20, 2017 at 12:12 PM
Comment #41Lew
They also are struggling for CBs and have nothing to play for…nailed on draw isn’t it
Bobbybee
Apr 20, 2017 at 12:17 PM
Comment #42James, so right mate. If we’d gone down and brought in some other joker like the last few appointments we would not be where we are now. It’s a long time since he’s managed a second tier club and even then, nothing like this league. All in all he’s done a great job. For all the meltdowns and gnashing of teeth, he set the team up to play his way, working on the averages that his way would get us up. Looks like he was right after all. He’s believed in what he’s done and stuck by it, despite the ‘experts’ telling him how wrong he’s been and how he should do it their way. There’s a reason he’s a top manager and they’re bloggers! 🙂 I looked at his CV and trusted him to get it right. He has. Not a surprise really.
JamesToon
Apr 20, 2017 at 12:18 PM
Comment #43Chronicle have linked us with Carl Jenkinson who is leaving Arsenal in the summer? Would anyone take him?? I certainly would if Anita was to leave
JamesToon
Apr 20, 2017 at 12:20 PM
Comment #44Bobbybee
He’s genuinely the first manager we’ve had in a long time perhaps since hughton where I think the players believe in him and do listen to him. They don’t want to let him down.
He’s also the first manager in a long time that I personally feel I can trust to fix problems, to solve issues, to change his ways if needed etc
When we were in crisis with people like pardew, all I ever thought about was just hopefully waking up to him getting sacked and replaced with a decent manager.
ronaldo aarons
Apr 20, 2017 at 12:26 PM
Comment #45James
You stitched me up there James lol! Clarke does deserve it as he’s been more consistent but lascelles was never going to offer that consistency, most players only develop consistency with age especially defenders. Think this season will do him good as it did Enrique and coloccini when we were last in the championship.
Bobby
Yeah I agree but that’s been Newcastle fans in general for as long as I can remember! We’re an emotional bunch when it comes to football and it gets the better of us at times. Rafa has done great and I would say it was more of a mess when we got relegated this time than the first. Only saving grace was Rafa stayed and highly doubt we would have came up if he decided to leave. I said after the Ipswich game that it’s not just players feeling the nerves but the fans too! Think we’ll be fine and as long as we make the required signings we’ll do well next year too.
Bobbybee
Apr 20, 2017 at 12:30 PM
Comment #46James, spot on mate, the players are in awe of him to listen to them. He’ll come into his own next season and onwards. He’s far more comfortable in the better leagues as his CV shows. He’ll attract better players next season. Not sure he’ll take anybody currently playing in this league either, I think his sights will be set much higher myself. Not expecting too much next season, simply because rebuilding will take time. We’ll stay up comfortably but it’ll be the following season before we challenge for a trophy imo. He’s made mistakes this season, but nothing like the mistakes players have made. Every goal virtually has come from an individual error. Nowt he can do about that. All in all he’s doing what he set out to do and that’s good enough.