A Merry Christmas beckons for Newcastle United?

December 14th, 2020 | 20 Comments |

St James' Park at Christmas — A Merry Christmas beckons for Newcastle United?

With two victories against Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion already under their belts, the Christmas fixtures could be a very good period for Newcastle United if they can keep up the momentum in the run up to Christmas. All of their next three opponents, Leeds, Fulham and finally, Championship side, Brentford, in the League Cup Quarter Final are all below them in the league. Can Steve Bruce take the bull by the horns, silence the doubters and make the most of this opportunity? (more…)

Three Memorable Tyne-Wear Derbies from the Past Two Decades

December 9th, 2020 | No Comments |

Shola scores! — 31/10/2010: Newcastle United 5, Sunderland 1

The Tyne-Wear derby is always one of the most fiercely contested fixtures on the sporting calendar, and although this much-anticipated match-up hasn’t been staged since March 2016, there have been many standout moments for Toon fans over the last 20 years.

With Sunderland currently languishing in League One, and having recently appointed their third manager in the space of two and a half years. (more…)

Newcastle make their best start since the Championship, but Bruce still gets no respect

December 8th, 2020 | 7 Comments |

He’s the Rodney Dangerfield of football, Rodney Dangerfield being the famous American comedian whose catchphrase was ‘I get no respect, no respect at all!’ But meanwhile, despite all the moaning, considering the resources at his disposal, Newcastle are actually doing as well as can be expected, at the least, they certainly aren’t doing badly.

In their first ten games, Newcastle have won 14 points with a 40% win percentage, not the greatest until you consider that in 2019/20 they’d only won 3 points, and before that, Benitez only won 3 too, though he equalled Bruce’s first ten game total in our first season after promotion. Bruce and Benitez have had similar league finishes, both have played a similar style, counterattacking football with a big target man up front which isn’t the most exciting to watch, and yet one was almost worshipped and the other is treated with disdain, but why? (more…)

Predicting Newcastle United’s December fixtures

December 2nd, 2020 | No Comments |

Can Callum Wilson keep up his form through December?

As expected, Newcastle United are having an indifferent season, and manager Steve Bruce is dividing opinions. While one can understand that he could not spend what he would have liked to in the summer transfer window, it must be noted that the team are not playing free-flowing and dynamic football that many fans would like to see.

Just like last season, Newcastle are not going to get relegated from the Premier League, but the St. James’ Park faithful would like to see the team show more ambition. It may be a case of hoping against hope, but perhaps things in December will change. (more…)

Who is Newcastle United’s best player so far? The answer may surprise you

November 20th, 2020 | No Comments |

Then again, maybe not in a season which has so often been about hanging on in defence and hoping for a goal on the break.

Whilst Callum Wilson and Allan St Maximin might be grabbing most of the praise up at the front, it is stand in goalkeeper Karl Darlow who has really given Steve Bruce a ‘selection headache’ (as they say) whenever Martin Dubravka recovers from his heel injury.

Whilst it has been a fairly average season for the Magpies so far, by recent standards anyway with the team currently lying in 13th, same as they finished last season, poor Darlow has received a battering in goal, fending off more shots than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League. His record so far this season being 39 saves and 1 penalty save. He is also currently Newcastle United’s most highly rated player on Whoscored, beating Allan St Maximin and Callum Wilson to the top spot. (more…)