Nicky Butt’s Championship uncertainty principle.

Posted on November 23rd, 2009 | 10 Comments |

Butt: Shocked.
Butt: Shocked.
Newcastle United’s vintage ginger playbreaker, Nicky Butt, has been giving his thoughts on life in the Championship so far, with the lads about to face their seventeenth league game of the season against Preston North End at Deepdale.

“It’s a bit of a strange division and one that is very hard to predict.” Butt mused.

In the Premier League, nine times out of 10 the top four teams win their games whereas in the Championship you can come into the changing room after a game to find out there’s been one or two shocks.

The stastistics bear Butt out on this. As I stated in a previous ‘blog some time ago, last years champions, Wolves, lost a whole ten games last season, the year before, West Brom lost eleven, and the year before that, a certain Wearside team lost a mighty twelve games and still won the top spot. The last team to really ‘storm’ the division being Reading in the 05/06 season when they lost only two games, but with quite a few draws.

Butt continued:

“That’s down to the fact that the bigger teams in this division – the likes of ourselves, Middlesbrough and West Brom – are teams that everybody wants to beat and it’s a big deal for some of the smaller clubs to play teams like that. You see that week in, week out and it’s reflected quite regularly in the results.”

“This was never going to be a league where one side comes along and outclasses all the other teams.

“These teams that are coming to St James’ Park have probably never been here in their lives or careers before. It’s the highlight of their season so that makes things very difficult for us at home.

“Away from St James’ many of the teams haven’t seen Newcastle play at their stadiums for quite a long time so it’s been difficult. We just need to keep digging in together. Everybody expects us to do well but it’s like we’re playing cup finals every week.”

Let’s hope there are no ‘shocks’ at Deepdale this evening.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1096 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

10 Responses

  2. As said in the last thread, i’d settle for a draw now. 1st or 2nd doesnt matter as the prize at the end of it is just the same.

  4. well if CH – master tactitian – shows a bit adventure and plays 2 up front – carrol & ranger we should win this one.

  8. Nicky Butt – one of the most frustrating players to play for Newcastle for the last 15 years!!  He is good, dont get me wrong, but he is only good at what he does best, breaking up play, making things difficult for the other team!
    What he is NOT good at is 50 yard balls thinking just because he played with becks he can do the same passes!  He does this far far too much for me which is so annoying as if he just does his job he has a good impact on the game, but sometimes tries to be better than he is!

  9. I liked Butt back in the day and he’s a great pro, but Smith does a far better job in midfield these days so for me Nolan and Smith would form the centre midfield.

  10. Disagree, Butt is a much  more savvy player than Smith ever will be.
    He uses professional fouls, usually to prevent breakaways and usually in  areas where there`s less danger of scoring from a free kick.
    This is primarily due to his legs not being what they were, unlike Smith who has good pace and has found his role as a sweeper, if  only he could  control his aggression, he would be much more effective.
    The old line about him not being able to pass the ball is nonsense, as was the” he hoofs it up the pitch” nonsense echoed by many in regard`s to Seamus, or the “he runs around in circles” bullshit in reference to Duff, all rubbish echoed by a bunch of baying  “kna nowts.”