Consistently inconsistent?

Posted on November 21st, 2010 | 81 Comments |

Keep the faith!
Keep the faith!
As the dust begins to settle after Newcastle United’s humiliating 5-1 defeat to an in-form Bolton Wanderers, many fans will be wondering what happens next.

The answer is that none of us know really, which is a crap answer to be honest, but what we do know is that we have Chelsea next week in what is set to be another tough encounter.

But which Newcastle side will turn up next week? Will it be the side that is motivated and determined to right some wrongs, much like they did against Sunderland and Aston Villa? Or will it be the Newcastle side that turned up, or failed to, yesterday, where they capitulated and never looked really up for it from the get go?

That has arguably been the main feature of our season so far, and not knowing which consistently inconsistent Newcastle side will turn up is making me nervous already.

I guess the bottom line is that we mustn’t get carried away after suffering such a heavy defeat, even though it is hard not to. On the flipside though, we mustn’ get carried away when we dish out the thumpings like we have done at times this season.

Remain level-headed and keep your eyes on the goal!

I personally feel that some of our fans need to re-evaluate their season predictions. I’ve seen predictions of us finishing in the top-half of the table or in mid-table. Why?

I’m not saying that to be negative, and I still don’t think we will get relegated this season, but wouldn’t 17th place be enough? I got hammered from a few people not so long back for daring to suggest that 17th place in the table would be enough for this season. I’m also sticking by my idea of success for the season.

I’m not saying that we can’t finish higher, or that we shouldn’t aim to be as high in the table as we possibly can be, but my concern is that after our reasonable start to the season, and sitting in lofty positions such as fifth, has added to the expectations. I’m concerned that if we drop to say, 15th place, then it will be deemed as failure and the presuure could start to mount when in reality, 15th place would do us for this season if you look at the bigger goal.

Makes no bones about it, this season will be tough. We’ve had ups and downs already, and there will be more to follow. There is no divine right for Newcastle to be in the Premier League and we have to earn our place just like the rest of the teams, but that will only be done over the full season.

There will be no buccaneering 3rd place finish like the last time we got promoted as football has changed so much since then. At the moment, Newcastle are having to rebuild and establish themselves as a Premier League team again, and to do that we must survive first and foremost.

So what now? Well I suggest we dust ourselves down, stay level-headed, and continue backing the team, through the ups, and the inevitable downs, that will happen throughout the season.

Keep the faith!

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

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81 Responses

  2. Yeh!!!~~Okay i shall start my comment here.

    Like i always mention i did a target point for the team to earn a minimum of 24points at least by year end. And now we already have 18points.

    Which means 6more points(2more wins) shall meet that target.

    then we would need to fight for at least 16points in 2011. and we will get 40points.

    But i gt strong feeling we wouldn’t get ONLY 40points.I can briefly confident to say we will get more than that.

    Btw,toonsy…40points what position we would get by end of season?

  3. AOD – Depends. Historically 40 points has been good enough for about 16th place. It has been higher on occasion, but also 40 points has had a team relegeated before (West Ham).

  6. Whoa,40points might not be enough then.

    But judging from previous season of us in PL.

    in 2007-08,we got 43points, -20Goal difference and got 13rd position.

    further back,in 2004-05,we got 44points but with 14th position.

    I reckon we just need slight increase of 2-3points more than 40points and we will be safe.

  7. Anyway,off-topic.

    Under-pressure West Ham United manager Avram Grant has just three games left to prove to the board that he is the right man for the job.;)

  8. Looks like January could loom even more important when you consider some of the laggards we’re currently carrying. Realistically, I think 17th would be great considering our current crop of on again/off again players. I’d also like to see some of our younger players get more of a role. Campbell, Smith, Guthrie and the like are way to risky to have out there now.

  9. AOD – 40 points is all but safe mate, but if you say it definitively some smart arse will pop up and point to West Ham getting 42 points and going down.

    Mind you, that is the only time it has happened in the PL.

  10. I’ve heard a lot of people calling for the young’uns to be bled, but two of our biggest prospects are currently injured (Vuckic and Lua Lua, not to mention Gosling who we nabbed from Everton). Meanwhile, Kadar is behind Taylor and Sol in the pecking order. And I can’t see Ferguson getting ahead of Jonas.

    It’s just not that feasible right now.

  11. RICHIETOON i take it you cannot get it cheaper on net advance booking?seems like just certain places are cheaper on advance,know my son got a return man/airport £60 a few times

  12. said i while back 43/44 points (4th bottom) to be safe this year,results for a lot of teams this are “strange”the so called money players just dont seem to give a shit imo

  13. the bottom half of the premier league is incredibly difficult to work out. the top half is no easier. One of the worst manure sides in years and other teams are gifting them the league.

    I believe there are three worse than us but points matter we need to accumulate them quickly as possible to keep the pressure off.

  15. richietoon:
    November 21st, 2010 at 12:45 pm
    bloody trainfares are extortionate from Toon to Brum, looks like a drive down

    Story of my life mate :)

  16. What team shows up? I don’t think that is the question. The effort is there, it is just that some of the squad cannot keep up with the play. CH had to choose his central mid-field from either experience, but slow, and inexperienced, but fast. Against Bolton, their speed dominated, and the NUFC smart, slow guys never got a chance to get in the game. The central mid field did not get back to help the back four, and the central midfield did not get forward to help the strikers, thought they ran themselves ragged trying to catch up. The right wing area, where NUFC will concede speed and territory this year did not have the help the regular midfield normally provides. So it was a fast 11 vs.8 and the outcome was unfortunately predictable.

    I would like to say I see a disturbing, but normal trend, in how the referees re-act to the banging around of Carroll. The are ignoring it. On the pitch, the smaller guy, or guy who does not jump as high, gets the benefit of the doubt from the ref. (This happens to Crouch as well.) Bolton had one man playing the ball & the other barging into Carroll. Somehow NUFC needs to make a point to the FA to instruct the refs to have a bit more of a balanced approach in watching these confrontations.

    And is ti me, or has NUFC had more spot kicks against than for? Is this a result of some of the squad constantly carping at the ref, or is NUFC a dirty team?

  17. £85.20 is the cheapest I can find richietoon, you need to book about 5-6 weeks in advance to get a cheap ticket £44-£53.

  19. Agree about the midfield being Key. Goals against gets you relegated.. IMO we need three midfielders who can tackle and protect the back four. We have these in JB, CT & JG, however they need to be tighter. They can provide width or back up a wing back when appropriate but that is not their main job. In front of these three we have 3 more players who can be flexible depending on who we play. Nolan is good and can add to the midfield. Carroll is good both as a target man and phenominal workrate. HBA looked ideal in that he could provide width & crosses or attack down the channels. Width without an end reult is useless to us. So I would rather see it come either from the backs or as a secondary role from the midfield or forwards. Unfortunately as we saw yesterday we have nobody goodenough to cover the three good midfielders we have.

  20. Sky goals on sunday programme was saying we dished out rough treatment to Elmander yesterday that looked pre meditated. Do we have any history with this player.

  21. Ive just had a thought.

    Is this what happens when Collo, Enrique and Jonas, the three amigos all have a stinking game. I mean they have been our best players for a long time now and is this the sort of beating wwe can expect without them?

    Very worrying, I can’t except this was just an ‘off day’. We have been too inconsistant and we can’t only turn up for a hand full of important games and away games. Ashley needs to either invest or sell up to someone who will. We are not that far off the bottom and if we lose to Chelsea, West Brom and Liverpool, all games we tend to struggle in, we will be in a fight.

  23. :roll:

    Keep pluggin away DJG. You tried with the Hughton bollocks yesterday, and now you are on the Ashley train….. zzzzz

  24. And we’ve actually historically always done well at West Brom, although that may not have been evident if for example an individual started following football back in 2005…..

  25. DJG,we are going to be up and down this season,thing that worrys me is we dont seem to have a “plan”B,so teams suss us easy,i think we need to mix it up maybe put young fergie on the left with jose behind they can both defend/attack jonas on the right were the same applys,its worked a bit with spurs and bale,gone to have to try sumit

  26. Be nice if we could do this at West Brom again. even tough it was from way before football was invented ;)

  27. It’s shake up time, I think we need to go something like this against Chelsea.

    —————Krul—————
    Simpson-S.Taylor–Campbell-Enrique
    Jonas—Guthrie–Tiote–Vuckic/Ferguson
    ——–Ameobi—Carroll——

    The reason C.H keeps playing Guthrie out wide is because we just have no options at all. It didn’t matter so much in the championship. They knew we would attack down the left but knowing it and stopping it was two different things. In Jan, it is essential that we sign a RW. Even if we can’t get a striker that is essential. C.H has no option now but to leave out Collo for 3 games and it is lucky Campbell and S.Taylor are just back. I would play them. Kadar can come on for Campbell if he is struggling, the lad is good enough and he could play the left side where as S.Taylor and Williamson would be too inbalanced. Willo needs a rest IMO he is starting to make mistakes that he never used to make. We also need to switch Jonas out right IMO and have a proper RW with Guthrie playing in his proper position with Tiote just behind. It is now a chance for Vuckic or Ferguson who are both probably good enough. We have Enrique on thet side to support them and deliver crosses anyway. Yes I know this is not ideal but we have to try something different we people in their proper positions IMO and no more round pegs/ square holes. You may think this will work or would be rediculous but I am merely suggesting it and I don’t know myself.

  28. well pederson has just put fat shams lot 1-0 up on the stroke of half time , hope villa turn it around second half because i see blackburn as one of the teams that will be fighting against relegation come the end of the season .

  29. i think we will be fine and if we stay up its job done for this season, i called for sol to be introduced a few weeks ago for his experience will keep us up and got shot down for the idea of dropping colo or willo well now think everyone will agree its gotta be done sol n taylor gotta be brought in its not jus bout dropping ppl its bout keeping ppl on there toes n willo n colo got to comfortable for me

  31. i know ppl think there not good enough but its time to introduce xisco n best to add compition to the side, i feel sorry for krul not much he could do yesterday with the way that defence n midfield played

  32. Toonsy nobody cares about happened 25years ago. The last 3/4 times we have played them we have struggled and they were the only team in the champ that had the measure of us. That is what is important.

  33. for me it should be a long time before colo gets back in the side , that elbow yesterday was disgusting . If an opponent had done that too one of our lot we would be screaming for him to be banned , its not something i want to see Newcastle united players doing .

  34. DJG – I’m just clarifying it when you lied and said we never do any good against West Brom…..

    Even the last 3/4 times we haven’t lost…..

    2-2 D
    1-1 D
    3-2 W

    Not counting the FA Cup as we played mainly younger players…. but that is the only time they beat us….

  35. I agree we need some perspective, as tempting as it is throw the baby oot with the bathwater. Survival at all costs.

    Bolton are a damned good side. Probably will make top 6 this season. They were far more intelligent with the ball yesterday.

    When we beat Villa I thought we were good but not exceptional, and yesterday we were lively in their half, so 1st goal seems to either kill us off or unleash the beast in us.

    Collo, Williamson, Enrique have been awesome this season. Nolan has been crucial, when Tiote allows him the freedom to roam.

    It’s only 1 defeat, the suspensions are a shame, but then we have cover at CB for the first time in years.

  36. @26: what’s up with all the Newcastle players doing the 1 arm salute as goal celebration. 8O

  37. Fair enough but you can’t say that West Brom and Blackpool haven’t started well in the prem. We’ve already been done off Blackpool at home and it will be far from easy at the Hawthorns IMO. Although Tiote and Barton will be available.

  38. Plus West Brom are missing arguably their best defender in the shape of Jonas Olsson. No concidence that without him they have started to struggle!

  39. Well done AOD for taking a keen interest in our history :)

    That was how goals were celebrated back then really. Nowt flash.

    The extent to which goals are celebrated nowadays only really came along with the introduction of Sky and more publicity.

  43. richietoon @4
    Did the journey in reverse for years.Relegation year did it for me those long miserable journeys home car and train.Never tried it myself but there is National Express
    for about £27 may be a long trip though.

  44. davy

    Yes, every dog has it’s day and Campbell now should get his chance. I have been impressed with his attitude and willingness to play so many reserve games. He hasn’t been a billy big bollix or anything Mr 73 England caps or anything. He is just a good experienced head and he organises the offside trap ect. I would like to see S.Taylor play alongside him anyway and learn from him. I know he doesn’t really deserve too with this contract situation but I think the experience of those two might save us this season, even if there are a few Forest Gump moments. It might encourage Taylor to sign and we don’t know what is really going on to be fair.

  45. Dave…..his old contract

    Carroll scored his first competitive goal for Newcastle on his first ever home start with a header against West Ham United in a 2–2 draw on 10 January 2009. He signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract, keeping him with Newcastle until 2013

  46. Coloccini has just put himself from no.1 CH to possibly 3rd or 4th with that stupid elbow. What was he thinking. 3 games is a long time for Campbell, Taylor, Willo and even Kadar to wrestle in on the act.

  47. Ice/jay ……aye thats about the price I got for trains.

    nutmag… cheers,backpage travel are doing buses for £30 long time on the bus like,will have to think about it :-(

  48. DJG…..I always used to think of Sol as a big headed arrogant tosser and to be fair he does look like one ;-)
    but when I think about it I can’t remember reading about any of his former managers or teamates(maybe notts county apart) slagging the guy off and like you say he’s playing reserve football here without complaint.Teach me to judge a book by its cover eh? :-)

  49. Rich – Don’t go backpage mate. The people bussed into concentration camps on the back of trucks were allowed to have more fun….

  51. Toonsy and Richie cheers ;)
    The thing with Colo is it dosn’t really seem to be his type of thing, maybe him having a real stinker has caused the problem but TBH I dont think it should cost him his place longterm. I would still like to think he deserves to be starting 11 once his ban is over the same as Tiote and Barton

  58. DJG – No alcohol, no drinking, no eating, no singing (like some at SJP so I guess that is bye-the-bye), no laughing etc :lol:

  60. We should all organise to go on an away trip together, (people in tyneside vicinity) before the end of the season and organise our own minibus or coach if there’s enough people. I bet it would bet it would be cheaper and more fun than the backpage. Or someone could hire a minibus and drive it, even cheaper still. :)

  61. DJG – Good idea. Make it a Midlands trip so a few others can tag along like me, Jay Jay, Mark etc….

  64. Richie could you not drive it mate or would you want to drink? Toonsy you could organise it by making it a thread every couple of weeks and all we need to do is have a meeting up time and point, work out the price for hire and fuel divided by how many people are going. Getting the tickets might be a problem to organise though.

  65. Wigans a bad idea…..I’m in Madrid :-)
    plus over the Xmas period alot of people are skint.

  66. DJG…I’d wanna drink mate,better of hiring one wi driver.
    If I was driving there’d be no drinking,singing,swearing or having a good time….oh and I’m only 24 ;-) :lol:

  67. Hey dont leave us boys out in Ireland! Would love to get over for more games just no one to go with :(

  69. It needs to be one where tickets are easier to come by, what about Blackburn, think we get about 4k for there

  71. Glad Sol will get a chance now – as soon as he came on yesterday he was organising defence shouting at people etc – something sadly missing between the back four previous to that

  72. reckon if we get 7 more points by xmas we should be okay tho aint gonna guess which games

  75. I will gladly help organise it if enough people are serious about going. Like Richie said it needs to be one where tickets will be still available for general sale period. People will need to get their own tickets as soon as possible and then let us know if they want to travel and how many people they have so we can arrange to appropriate sized bus.

  76. i think sol should be the only change at the back , dropping willo for Taylor might just destroy his confidence and it was his first poor performance . With the expierence of sol next to him and Tiote in front of him he will have protection something that the defence just did not have yesterday .

  77. Axel I think that would breed security which I think is a bad thing. I am a Williamson fan but his game has slipped over the last few games, and by not dropping him sends out the wrong signal that CH will except lower standards, hence compitition for places keeps the players on their toes ;)

  78. Big Dave

    Yeah it was not just the Bolton game, he has been sloppy in a few games now going back to the two N’Zog goals for Wigan and the Roberts goal for Blackburn. I want to see S.Taylor and Campbell together aswell because they have much more prem experience than the other two, although they have been good up until now.

  79. Funny season-expect the ups and downs to continue-great one week – shite the next.
    :lol:
    Least we hammered the mackems though….sweet !

  81. WHATS this picking on icedog shit,wor lass says hes a good guy.

    its that bloody batty putting storeys aboot dave/richie and a few others,but ime not grassing jay jay up