Norwich beat Watford away 3-0 last night and it seems new manager Dean Smith is having an impact at the club.
Dean was appointed Norwich manager on November 15th, after being fired by Aston Villa.
And in the last two games, the Canaries have gone from 10 points to 16 points, with two wins, and are now 4 points ahead of Newcastle, but we do have 2 games in hand.
That wasn’t a good result for Newcastle last night, and a draw would have been better.
But we cannot rely on other teams losing – it’s up to us to start winning games.
And if lose at Leeds today (heaven forbid), that will put Newcastle 13 points behind the Whites and perhaps out of reach?
Club | Matches | Goal Difference | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|
9 | Brighton | 38 | -2 | 51 |
10 | Wolves | 38 | -5 | 51 |
11 | Newcastle | 38 | -18 | 49 |
12 | Palace | 38 | 4 | 48 |
13 | Brentford | 38 | -8 | 46 |
14 | Villa | 38 | -2 | 45 |
15 | Southampton | 38 | -24 | 40 |
16 | Everton | 38 | -23 | 39 |
17 | Leeds | 38 | -37 | 38 |
18 | Burnley | 38 | -19 | 35 |
The bottom line in all of this is Newcastle must start winning games.
Yes, I am like a broken record on this, but if we don’t win today at Elland Road we will have just one win all season, going into February.
It’s certainly our worst ever start in the Premier League, and likely our worst start ever in the league.
And to think this happened when we have become the richest football club in the world, after Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed takeover bid was finally approved by the Premier League after an 18-month delay.
You just cannot make this stuff up.
But we have to start fighting in every game and cut out the mistakes.
And if we are to stay up, it will need our fans to keep backing Eddie Howe and the team through some tough times ahead.
Every single game is now important, and the goal has to be to win every game – even against the top sides – home and away.
Another relegation would be a disaster – even though if that happened, we would be winning a lot of games next season.
🙂
Comment welcome.
22 comments so far
Vask
Jan 22, 2022 at 10:50 AM
Comment #1At least it was Watford they took points off.
TheTinman
Jan 22, 2022 at 10:55 AM
Comment #2Norwich were pants in the first half.
The goal came from a bad defending error and moment of magic from Sargent.
2nd goal was just game state, a decent counter attack.
Then of course the red card ended it as a contest.
Two very poor teams who both failed to carve out a single decent chance in the 1st half. Its a travesty that we didn’t beat them both.
But it fills me with confidence, they won’t get many more points this season.
Bills Son Is Back
Jan 22, 2022 at 10:56 AM
Comment #3My view on here before the Watford game was that all the euphoria and confidence after the Trippier and Wood signing could go down the drain if we didn’t win.
And that’s exactly what has happened.
It will absolutely have had an effect on Howe and the players as well, and it is a mammoth job now to get the heads of the manager, coaches and players right for the Leeds game – especially as they have won two on the bounce and looked very strong against WH.
With Norwich also winning two on the trot even if we win today we are still in a relegation place – lose and I can see the mood all round getting even worse and signings having to almost accept they’ll be joining a team almost certain to be relegated – and most won’t.
I don’t even really celebrate us scoring first now because it seems almost inevitable that the other team will score sooner or later – 22 points now lost from a winning position this season.
If the other team score first, it’s game over for a win. When was the last time we won after going behind?
I’ve said before, I like Howe. He is clearly intelligent, gets the passion of NUFC fans, and is a great communicator. But…
The fact is results haven’t improved at all. He’s stuck with players who aren’t performing, and stuck to trying to play a more attacking game which has just left us wide open for the counter attack and exposed the limitations of our CB’s especially.
My view from when Howe was appointed was that we needed points over entertainment, wins over attacking football – however boring or defensive we had to be to get them.
I was worried that Howe would try to give us the better style of football we all want but that we didn’t have the players to play that way. Up to now, my worries have been confirmed.
Massive, massive, game today. My worry is that with their tails up and ours down I could see us losing 3/4-0.
I desperately hope we win, because if we don’t I think the Howe honeymoon period will be over. Not just for us fans, but the players too.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jan 22, 2022 at 10:57 AM
Comment #4Yeah two very poor teams last night – yet we cannot beat them – what’s that make us!!!!????
Rotonda heights
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:00 AM
Comment #5OP
I wouldn’t say you’re thick, but you’re just totally lacking in any self awareness.
You’ve been asked countless times to stfu on this matter or go to a more appropriate website, yet still you churn out this bs that everyone’s sick to death of hearing about. What part don’t you get, I’m mean really …what part?
Toonarmy of Frogs
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:01 AM
Comment #6Team selection will be everything today. Haven’t thought much of Eddie’s teams of late.
Agree with some blog posts. We need more fight in this team. Joelinton and Murphy in the engine room (cm) might prove some returns.
Can’t have almiron in a battle. Weakest player in a challenge I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t use his frame or body positioning at all. Wrong player type for a battle. I’d player fraser over Almiron due to this understanding that Almiron simply hadn’t got.
ASM has to stop rolling around on the floor. Get up and hassle the opposition. He’s a good player but has massive drawbacks.
Can’t call this game. But a draw is no good in any of our remaining games.
Win or Bust.
Rotonda heights
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:01 AM
Comment #7Charllie
Poorer? What’s the prize?
kilcline
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:02 AM
Comment #8If shelvey plays today i wont bother watching.
Tom
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:03 AM
Comment #9https://www.themag.co.uk/2022/01/mike-ashley-newcastle-united-legal-case-against-amanda-staveley-details-made-public/
hibbit
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:04 AM
Comment #10Charlie all that makes us is another very poor team,
which lets be honest here we’ve all known for a long time !!
TheTinman
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:05 AM
Comment #11Bills,
‘I don’t even bother celebrating if we score first anymore’
I don’t believe that for one second!
I nearly hit my head of the ceiling whenever we score, even though I know it’s folly
Moonraker15
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:05 AM
Comment #12I predict we will win today 3-1 or 4-2.
Why? because Leeds are very beatable and I don’t think they will win 3 on the trot, whereas we are bound to win more than one game this season. We’re not great but have some decent players who can turn a game.
The Norwich victory over Watford is good for us as it pulls us in range of Watford and I think Norwich will go down anyway!
Wood going back to haunt Leeds!
shaun83
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:05 AM
Comment #13Disagree with this, a Norwich win much better than a Watford one and probably even better than a draw imo
Moonraker15
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:07 AM
Comment #14Tinman
I agree it’s a great feeling when we score! Then there’s the anxiety waiting to concede!
Pat Mania
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:07 AM
Comment #15Right now with our current squad and their inability to win matches reaching bottom of the league looks more likely than reaching 17th.
But Ashley is gone and we have ambitious owners which outweighs having to endure watching what our lads are capable of.
TheTinman
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:08 AM
Comment #16Charlie, Hibbet,
Dear me gents, cheer up! It’s the start of the weekend and the weather is decent 🙂
TheTinman
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:09 AM
Comment #17Shaun83, yes probably. When you seen how bad Norwich were first half you really can’t see them accruing many more points.
TheTinman
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:11 AM
Comment #18Oh we’ve got another negative Norman!
Pat save it for tomorrow or at least till 5 o’clock.
WLtoon
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:14 AM
Comment #19Didn`t see the game last night, i was at work, but however bad Norwich are they have now won 2 on the bounce and must be gaining a bit of confidence from that.
They are now 4 points ahead of us, albeit we have 2 games in hand but i can`t see where our next win is coming from unless we get at least 3 upgrades in key positions next week
We have won 1 in 20 because of the failings of the current squad, that includes half of those games under Howe, who must be starting to feel the pressure.
This team is riddled with individual errors which are costing us points almost every game and it doesn`t seem to be getting rectified.
We can`t hang onto a lead, 21 points lost through leading positions is shocking.
Over to you Howe.
Sav
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:16 AM
Comment #20Happier to see us linked with good young Championship players ahead of some wobbly and suspect ‘superstars’. As a fan, I would rather some hammer over so-called glamour any day and that is just what we need now.
The article about Mashley v Mandy is concerning in that it lends weight to the general feeling she is (comparatively) skint and perhaps clinging to the CEO job when the club could
Pat Mania
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:18 AM
Comment #21TheTinman
Negative Norman/ Positive Peter 😉
Sav
Jan 22, 2022 at 11:19 AM
Comment #22…be better served by a proper football person. Notwithstanding the difficult timing of the takeover and the mess Mashley left behind, it does seem like mistakes are being made one after another. I hope I’m wrong but I wasn’t expecting Mandyand Merhad to be running the show at this stage.