Our players got the job done and not only easily beat the Saints 3-0, but the performance was excellent.
If we can play like that for our remaining 8 games of the season we will be OK and in the Premier League next season.
That would be SUCCESS for this season.
And as it happens, all the results went our way over the weekend so far.
Stoke play at home to Manchester City tonight, and it will be difficult for the Potters to get something out of that game but not impossible.
Rafa Benitez – on the touchline on Saturday
Newcastle won and we got our goal difference down to -10, and after Bournemouth lost at home 4-1 yesterday to Spurs, we have the lowest goal difference of all the bottom 12 clubs.
Here’s how the other clubs got on over the weekend.
- Brighton lost 2-0 at Everton
- Huddersfield and Swansea drew 0-0
- West Bron lost 4-1 at home to Leicester
- West Ham lost 3-0 at home to Burnley – the shock team of the season
- Crystal Palace lost 2-1 at home to Chelsea
- Bournemouth lost 4-1 at home to Spurs
Stoke to play at home to Manchester City tonight.
Newcastle gained 3 points on 5 relegation fighting teams and 2 points on another two sides.
It couldn’t be much better than that.
And if Stoke win tonight we are 4 points above the drop zone – if they don’t win we are 5 points above the drop zone.
We can also add a point to that becasue of our goal difference.
But we cannot get carried away – the only thing that matters now is to beat Huddersfield at home two weeks come Saturday.
As Rafa says, it’s got to be one game at a time.
[table “68” not found /]Comments welcome.
15 comments so far
Vask
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:27 AM
Comment #13 weeks between games. What an awfully long time to wait.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:27 AM
Comment #2That was a huge huge win on Saturday, we’d have to completely implode to go down now and this team doesn’t look like it does implosion. That run easier in the season definitely wasn’t helped by that takeover circus and coincided with Lascelles being injured. You’d like to think we’d beat Huddersfield and WBA at home and two points out of the Watford, Everton and Leicester games isn’t inconceivable. There are definitely bonus points to be had against Arsenal and Chelsea as well.
sing in the corner
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:28 AM
Comment #3Yes a weekend to warm even the coldest, most miserable hearts.
Isn’t that right lads? 🙂 (Ilovetoon, kimbo, bladeuser..to name only a few)
Jail for Ashley
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:30 AM
Comment #4Jib,
They sold Lukaku, if Kenedy wants to move and the price is right then it could happen. It just won’t if Mike Ashley is here.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:33 AM
Comment #5sitc,
I know it’s easy to throw the mackem jibe about but you have to seriously question ilovetoon8788 allegiances. His comments before the game could not have been more wrong. He’d apparently dreamt we were awful and lost 0-3 and claimed that Kenedy had been a poor signing.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:34 AM
Comment #6Catchy has gone missing since our upturn in form. He never even showed up after Liverpool.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:36 AM
Comment #7Chelsea sold Ake last season to Bournemouth for about 20 million.
Ake had 2 full seasons out on loan where he did well although he is a defender so you would think Kennedy would be priced about the same?
Can anyone see Ashley let Rafa sign a couple of 15 to 20 million players in the summer? As that is what we need to take us up a notch!
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:37 AM
Comment #8Also who the hell scouted Dubruvka? Thats world class scouting to pick a keeper from an obscure league at 29 to go straight into a premiership starting eleven!!
Jail for Ashley
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:44 AM
Comment #9LCBP,
Ashley doesn’t really do going up a notch though. He’ll do the bare minimum again and revisit in January. I have a feeling this every last penny will be missing a large chunk of the debt owed to him.
Jib
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:49 AM
Comment #10When Rafa attends the UEFA Elite Coaches Forum
in Nyon , Switzerland every summer there must be
some furious exchanges of info goes on.
I’ll bet in Benitez’ minds eye he has the perfect squad
drawn from leagues around the world.
Bambams
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:50 AM
Comment #11Been at work all weekend and didn’t see either footy or Rugby until early hours of Sunday morning.
Thought Gayle did tremendously well to get into that position to pass to Kenedy for the second.
From MOTD highlights we looked very fluent and the two CB’s have a great understanding.
Absolutely delighted to get three points and prevent the saints getting anything. Also as Ed has pointed out our rivals dropped points.
Only problem I see is we will all be ecstatic once we are safe, then the Takeover Circus will start again ‘Will he, won’t he’…..
Just hope Rafa stays
Jail for Ashley
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:54 AM
Comment #12“I’ll bet in Benitez’ minds eye he has the perfect squad
drawn from leagues around the world”
Do you honestly think that?
Jib
Mar 12, 2018 at 8:58 AM
Comment #13I can see where Ashley is coming from
The last time he loosened the purse strings
Steve MacClaren bought
Wijnaldum £17m
Thauvin £12m
Mitro £15m
M’Bemba £8.5m
Townsend £12m
Shelvey£12m
That’s the thick end of £80m
OK Thauvin Townsend and Wijnaldum we broke even.
Of the rest only Shelvey is a regular.
martoon
Mar 12, 2018 at 12:21 PM
Comment #14Carlsberg don’t do results but if they did…………………………………. 🙂
toonluvva
Mar 12, 2018 at 4:58 PM
Comment #15In any relegation scrap all a team can do is win their matches and hope that other results go their way.
We did our part of the job by gaining three points at the expense of a fellow struggler, the fact that other teams helped us out is a bonus.
Lets keep this up and climb away from danger.
HTWL