Newcastle are in deeper relegation trouble than we were after 22 games last season when we had 22 points.
Newcastle, after the defeat at Chelsea, have 18 points after 22 games played, and we are now third bottom of the league.
And there are some tough games to play against Man City and Tottenham coming up by early February.
Newcastle are weak in the final third of the field becasue we haven’t brought in top players who can score goals for us.
And that’s because they cost big money and Mike Ashley will not spend that type of money on players.
Rafa has talked about that after the defeat at Chelsea on Saturday – this is what he has said:
“Obviously Jorginho is a key player for them, but they have so many options; you could see Pedro and Willian, anyone, can create problems for your defenders,”
“We did well because, as a team, we were working very hard trying to control the game, without the ball and with the ball.”
“I think we were quite good in a lot of things, in a great part of the game, but after that, it is just the quality in the final third that makes the difference.”
“We are quite close – we have seen that in a lot of the games against the big teams.”
“When we play against the top sides, we have been close in every game, apart from maybe Liverpool in the last game.”
“Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United; we have always been in the games.”
“The team has played well and we have had chances, but the final decision in the final third is the decisive thing.”
“If you want to get that right, you have to spend the money.”
“For these players, clubs like Chelsea pay £40M, £50M, £100M – whatever. That makes the difference.”
“When you are working so hard, but then one player like Willian makes the difference, you cannot do too much.”
“You have to create chances, and we did that. But they take the chances and, for you, it is much more difficult.”
“We know this is a difficult month for us. We are without Ki and Muto and that makes a difference.”
“We also have a couple of injuries, and that meant we were short in the middle of the pitch,”
“But it is not a question of the number of players you have, it is a question of whether you have the quality that can make the difference in the final third.”
“That is it.”
As well as not being able to score many goals in games our home form has been terrible this season with just two wins at home in 12 games.
We have home games against Cardiff, Huddersfield, and Burnley coming up and what are the chances that we can win all three games?
Not very high at the moment but that’s the kind of thing we need to do to survive in the Premier League this season.
Comments welcome.
5 comments so far
lochinvar
Jan 14, 2019 at 9:07 AM
Comment #1The inertia and constant bickering originating from Ashley interferes and stifles Rafa and the teams performance.
The fact that Ashley made no contact with the Manager or the team at Chelsea speaks volumes. It show a complete lack of business competence and leadership even cowardice on his part. What happened to the team bonding ideal fostered at Pizzagate ?
Ashley is like the despotic ruler of some impoverished African state who fixes election results, squanders the country’s wealth and shops at Harrods for shoes he doesn’t need. All to satisfy his inflated ego of himself. Wonder who his role model is ? Nero ?
Jib
Jan 14, 2019 at 9:17 AM
Comment #2We are chasing more than one player in Italy
Milan’s Diego Laxalt and Empoli’s Miha Zajc
I think it will pan out like this:
Out
Shelvey to West Ham
Hayden to anywhere down south
Kennedy returned to Chelsea
In
Laxalt
Almiron OR Zajc
A striker from Turkey (take your pick of about 10
we have been linked with)
Giuseppe Iachini , Empoli’s manager has two ageing left backs
and managed Achraf Lazaar at Palermo so that would make
Zajc more likely unless Atlanta move from their silly valuation
geordietom
Jan 14, 2019 at 9:18 AM
Comment #3day 14…
no players bought …
no positive news on any take over …
geordietom
Jan 14, 2019 at 9:21 AM
Comment #4jib …
cabaye on a short term contract ? …
dig-n-dig22
Jan 14, 2019 at 9:22 AM
Comment #5chicosa previous
You wanted a link http://www.zerohedge.com scroll down main page to “Swimming in an ocean of debt”