Roll on Carlisle, and the Premier League whilst I’m at it!

Posted on July 8th, 2010 | 91 Comments |

Brunton Park - Where the journey begins.
Brunton Park - Where the journey begins.
Is anyone starting to get that feeling? That feeling of excitement as the new season draws ever closer?

I know I am, and I can’t wait for us to kick off our pre-season campaign away at Carlisle in a little over a weeks time. At least it will give us something else to focus on, and it will give us a sneak preview as to how the team are shaping up for the forthcoming season.

I think perhaps my excitement regarding the new season has been cranked up a notch by what has been a disappointing summer, particularly on the World Cup front as England faltered at the first knockout hurdle leaving me with not much else to focus on apart from domestic interest. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had half an eye on the World Cup ever since England’s departure, but for me it just isn’t the same without them in the competiton and I have found it hard to sit there as a neutral and take in the dull game after dull game that has been on offer.

But now I can get back to my bread and butter, the reason why I fell in love with football in the first place, and that is Newcastle United.

I know a lot of people hold some fear of the forthcoming season, which is fair enough, but I don’t hold those same fears. I understand there is a step up between the Championship and the Premier League, but I honestly believe we have what it takes to survive.

Survival? Is that me being unambitous? Or is that me being realistic? The fact we aren’t likely to see vast swathes of cash pumped into the first team over the summer, although evidently there is at least some cash available to Chris Hughton, would suggest that we won’t be following the example set by Kevin Keegan and his entertainers on their return to top flight action back in 1993.

The world has moved on since then, and all that team is now is a pleasant memory, a brief highlight in amongst years of medocrity. In short, that is all in the past, the distant past, and shouldn’t dictate the future.

This is a different Newcastle United these days, and although many don’t like it, unfortunately that is what it is. I don’t want to go into the politics behind it all as I am prepraing to put all my efforts into backing the team, but I’ve said it many times on here before that now we have a team that will fight to the bitter end for the cause, and that is a quality that will be needed next season.

At the end of the day, whatever happens, happens. I fully expect that we will lose our fair share of games, we may even lose a few games heavily, but I believe this team has enough character to not let it get them down and to be able to bounce back fighting.

The voices of discontent are there, like white noise, but I just don’t get why? Again, avoiding the ownership situation as I support Newcastle, not Ashley, I just don’t get why people are so down on the team we currently have. At the end of the day, we stonked the Championship and finished miles ahead of anyone else, that kind of hits home when you realise that we could have stopped playing in March and still got promoted as champions. Surely all that combined indicates that we were just to good for that league?

I don’t believe that this team is as bad as has been made out. Yes it needs strengthening, and it looks like that is happening, but I honestly feel that some people are being overly harsh on the side. Lets look at our last time in the Premier League, in fact lets look further back than that. How many so called inferior teams have managed to beat us despite the fact we had a team that was worth loads more than them? We can do that.

I just think that if you take out the top ten teams in the Premier League, the ones that are left are distinctly average and should hold no fear for us. It will be hard, it will be tough, we will lose games, but we can survive.

This season we really have to be Newcastle, united.

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

Related Posts:

Posted on by toonsy in category: General miscellany and NUFC 'Blog and Thoughts and reflections and Toonsy , with tags: ,
Comment on this post

91 Responses

  1. Did we get promoted to the Premier League then, toonsy?

    Sorry – but by the way some poeple on this blog gan on I could have sworn we’d been relegated to League 1! ;) :)

  2. TC – Can’t stop, have to get back in the bunker. I feel a vast swathe of negativity creeping in ;)

  3. The team might not be as bad as some make out, but the squad isn’t great to be honest.

    A few good signings could alter that like.

  4. This season we really have to be Newcastle, united.

    Hmmm,why is the word united seems so small.You get what i meant?? :lol: :lol:

  8. I just hope after a few thumpings, possibly in the first few televised games, people dont get too down. There will be teams that we can get 3 points off, especially at home.

  10. postive thinking lads.we can beat any1 and so can the others. all the top teams are in decline like the prem league only city are moving up and spurs.chelsea get rid of cole, ballack deca and others and sign benouyn from liverpool and u say we got problems next year these teams cant buy sh..t with the knew rules.

  11. I’m actually reasonably hopeful that two more signings could lead to a mid-table finish. I think the bad attitudes are gone, while others (Collo, Jonas, Enrique, Carroll, Guthrie) made strides this past year. Yes, I know it could’ve just been the competition, but I think they also have either become settled in England or improved with increased minutes. CH seems to have instilled some real pride in the shirt amongst the players and added some competition in key spots. Attitude means a lot.

  12. Not a lot been happening i see, same boring shit !
    Ah well, when Gosling, Cleverly and the rest come in, it won’t look so bad, a young pacey squad who cant wait to strut there stuff on the big stage, all fighting for a spot on the squad.
    Wou1d’nt be surprised to see some veterans sitting on the bench at times this season, just a matter of bringing in a few young guns who want it bad enough combined with a good team ethic.
    Hey ! have a bit of faith, Hughton’s “The Man” !

  13. If we get in Cleverly and Gosling, that’d already be more than I antipated. Still need a striker though…

    But I dont think we’ll get him TBO.

  14. I see the scum just lost their Captain…RAGE!!!

    Can’t wait till the start of the season. Was at the Shamrock Rovers friendly last year, we played poor that day and still won 3-0. If Hughton can bring in all the right players, keep all the right players and loan out some youngsters for experience it should be a season to remember.

  15. HWTL!!! Time to get back to real footy. Feck England – and Ashole n Lambiarse, Dennis unWise too wherever that scroat is – c’mon The Toon!!! Whatever happens we are the Toon Army n we are undoubtedly the best fans in the league. We will support the lads n i am sure that if it all goes tits-up it wont be for lack of hard work n we wont slip away without even a whimper like we did two seasons ago.

  18. Ice- agreed. He was a take charge sort- didn’t have time for any dissent. As it should be…

  19. MDS dont like the way webb brown-noses the nobs,plus he done the toon at sjp lol

  20. I’ve been asked to work afternoon when we play man ure first match, things are going from bad to worse :(

  21. MDS joking aside i watched the refs a lot as most games were shit,the guy from japan never missed a trick and as you said didnt have anytime for dissent

  25. Some mackems aren’t happy about Sol Campbell being in talks with them :lol:

  26. They want me to do 14:30-23:00 Sunday to Thursday , not happy, gonna have to make a fuss.

  27. talking of excitement, im really excited to see what formation we play!!

    Sometimes last season we were too old fashioned maybe, basic 4-4-2 with four central midfielders making up the middle, a bit boring and one dimensional, like England in the world cup.

    However, if we do get Cleverley and Gosling in, with the addition of Vukic, I could see us changing between a 3 and 5 man midfield, like most of the big teams do.

    If we get those in we have loads of options, our midfield has been our problem for the last couple of seasons I think, old, immobile and lacking in imagination. But with the injection of youth, energy and a bit of imagination, I’m excited to see what the result will be.

  29. that’s a bit harsh Toonsy…..it’s still a canny magazine imo ;-) :lol:

  30. ST
    AM. AM
    LM. FM

    DM
    LB. CB. CB. RB
    GK

    2 players in “the hole” it’s the future, I’ve seen it!

  31. FM, sure I wrote RM, it looked nothing like that when I typed it, pissing iPhone.

  35. jay jay……I think it’s because being from Albania he wasn’t used to the dereliction and abject poverty that he had to witness in Sunderland ;-)

  39. Ya’ll have to put up with me til tommorrow night icedog……then ya have a nice break until the 26th ;-)

  41. Nice to see reality setting in, Westerman and Upson a week or two ago to the woefully past it Campbell a player who was desperately begging to join us in the fizzy, Fcuk me Niall this ambitious world domination plan is coming along nicely…

  44. JJ – with the iPhone have u found a way to refresh the page or
    do you have to keep going all the way to the top of the page each time? Gets annoying when we get to 100 odd posts

  45. ‘Undisclosed’ #NUFC fee for James Perch was £1.2m(!). One of people involved: ‘Great deal for everyone concerned. . except maybe Newcastle’ about 1 hour ago via UberTwitter

    Nice. £1.2 mill for Perch!

    Raffo – I don’t know if it can be done on here, adding the button I mean, like you said last night. Best person to ask is Workyticket.

  49. Like I said yesterday we are in for a midfielder in France not french?
    But expect a few to go.
    ????

  50. Whatever happened to that greek lad with all the inside transfer info from his mate who delivers houghtons latte?

  52. Toonsy….I’d said my “hp sauces” had said he’d be signing for £1m so that figure won’t be a kick in the arse off it.

  55. Told you the other night expect a bid for Nolan from Stoke. But club no CH trying to offload Barton.
    Good thing about club it full of surprises when it comes to player in.
    Loved to know the striker?

  56. I wouldn’t be at all fussed if Nolan went and I know that’ll cause some ripples.

  59. Raffo, try tapping the time at the top of the screen, saves you scrolling up.

    Still have t scroll down though :(

  60. RAFFO when i was a kid you expected players to be at “your” club for most of the time but the today is driven more by money than ever,and fans have to expect for a lot of players to be here today gone tomorrow life its sad but true imo

  61. Ice
    Said before, any decent bid who ever it’s for is sold.FACT
    He done it when KK was here
    He will do it at a drop of a hat with Little Chris.

  63. No doubt ice mate, which is why I think a few people, myself included hope Taylor and Carroll and Krul stay showing loyalty, which as you say is a very rare thing these days.

    Cheers for that Daverism mate

  65. Not sure I can see anyone taking Barton, I would anticipate people waiting to see what he does up until Xmas then maybe go for a cut price bid in the jan window. Can see Nolan going and smudger too, though I won’t be at all bothered if we can get these two young fresh lads that have ben mentioned. What’s this bout a striker waddles?

  66. First things first, toonsy, why does that Twatter thing say it’s a good deal for everyone accept NUFC?

    Waddles – No disrespect because I like you, but what have you and your sauces ever got right?

  67. RAFFO no one will take barton except maybe big ham on loan, never been my type of player got the wrong heed on him,smudger said himself he has not got the “legs” to play striker in epl but can handle h/mid,so that limits him

  68. Sorry
    Sod All I think?
    Can tell you for fact.
    Anybody taking the reserve team coach job it’s for a huge salary of £30,000 an year.
    Celtic after harper weeks before hit papers.
    Thompson to Celtic a good month before hit papers
    I don’t even know if I posted these to be fair.
    Always told doocey etc never take it as gospel as it’s a blog.

  70. WADDLES MULLET talking coachs think some have forgot we need one with all this transfer talk,always liked carver myself,but afraid for him with the kk link he had

  72. Must of missed all them Waddles.

    So I guess the reserve team boss will be a local out of work Sunday morning manager/local landlord.

  73. What I reckon Hughton will be thinking at the moment-

    AWAY:

    harps/
    perch/colo/s taylor/jose
    smith
    guthrie/barton/jonas
    nolan/
    carroll

    HOME:

    harps/
    perch/colo/s taylor/jose
    routledge/nolan/barton/jonas
    carroll/?

    I expect us to sign a new striker – with shola,lovenK, best used more and more off the bench.
    With barton back and fully fit, guthrie and routledge will be alternated home and away. I hope CH doesn’t bow to the pressure and go back to playing barton on the left – sacrificing jonas – where he was totally ineffective at the beginning of last season. I think he could well do though.

    A good side is a balanced side and not just one with all the louder personalities crow-barred in at any cost (out of position) as we saw this summer with england.

  75. They are expecting a already minted ex player coach who fancies adding to his CV?
    Thomo was on a lot more BTW
    That’s why they didn’t extend his contract.
    Cheap skates. These buggers

  76. I think fat spam could take smudger, but as waddles
    says if the right bid comes
    in the it’s all up for grabs. I can’t see CH comin out and saying things about TAylor, Krul, Carroll and then selling them,ore likely smith, Nolan, shola, maybe even collo, harper and Jose. Who knows.

    An interesting aside, just spoke to a mackem mate of mine and he reckons they let Cana go as they are getting Ireland!!! I couldn’t stop laughing!!

  78. Raffo….aye they’re good for a laugh,quotes from the player said he had the chance to play european footy and it was closer to his family……….maybe he meant theyre going to Ireland ;-)

  80. It’s sad if you think about this: this summer there are some real top quality players available, either established or good young players like: Ireland, Micah Ruchards, Robbie Keane, onouha, SWP, Ledley and Shorey to name just a few. These players will all be available I think, and they’ll all be pretty cheap compared with what they could have been available for last season.

    The unfortunate thing is we cannot really afford any of them, whether it’s because of wages or transfer fees.

    Personally I think 5m for Onouha would be a good buy, or the same for Richards, or 7m for Ireland, maybe Keane for 5m. Their all reasonably cheap for the talent they have.

    Shame really.

  81. Stu
    I still think they pay good money for the right player.
    Problem we have I think is the wages.

  82. Aye your right there Stuart,there’s some good ones available get in 3 from that lot and staying up would be a given imo.

  83. Stuart-20 mil would do us brilliantly wouldn’t it. Ireland, Richards, Onouha, Gosling, Perch and a striker and I think I’d be falling off my chair, lol.

    In saying that, we wont look to buy Onouha or Richards because we have..well..Perch. 1.5 million for him if thats the figure is seemingly steep, Forest fans seem to think they’ve done us there, they were saying anything over 500k and he should be shown the door.

  84. Ross…..I was doing some training doon Rotheram yesterday and there was a forest fan there and he said Perch was a crackin player for them……but not sure about in the prem tho………..but that’ll apply to most of our players now….time will tell.

  85. Were u visiting this area Richie mate or you live down here? I live about 15mins from
    Rotherham.

    Seems quiet so I’m offski

  86. Raffo,was just down for a training day at the holiday inn off jct 33(I think)

  87. If you want to find out what the forest fans think of perch then read their blogs. They think he is absolute garbage and can’t believe their luck that we’ve bought him!!!!!
    Calderwood is clueless and hooters less clues!

  88. Nadir Belhadj has signed for Al Sadd, so now maybe people can stop talking about the overrated pleb.

  89. England go out of the world cup and you lose interest. True fan of the game then, eh? Can’t be bothered watching those foreign buggers play their boring stuff. Aye, we have nothing to learn from Spain.

  90. Brisvegas – That’s right, I couldn’t be bothered to watch them. I had the games on, but only because I have bet on every game to maintain interest.

    Quite frankly, I don’t really give a toss about the other teams. Perhaps it would be different if the football was more exciting. Like I said, the games have been my tv, but not one of them has held any interest for me. Its not about being a fan, its being a neutral and wanting to be entertained rather than watching two teams trying not to lose. I can’t help it if I have higher standards.

  91. Higher standards? Yeah, sure.

    I think the “I don’t really give a toss about the other teams” comment is probably more accurate. And I agree. When Newcastle aren’t playing I don’t have any emotional tie to the game I’m watching so it isn’t as interesting. I watch a lot of Premier League on telly and quite frankly 90% of it is crap. It becomes more interesting in proportion to the game’s bearing on Newcastle. Consequently I found the Championship more interesting than the EPL last season.

    Still, though, some of the football played in the world cup has been breathtaking. Especially in the knock-out stages. Certainly far better than is seen in the PL.