Is McLaren’s Newcastle future doomed?Could it be that Steve McLaren’s future depends on what happens on Saturday? After we play Chelsea we have 17 days without a game and that might be the ideal time to change managers.
Of all the things Ashley’s bad at when it comes to running a football club – and there are many – one of his worst is his management of managers. His reluctance to change managers at the drop of a hat is not a bad thing in itself, but only if you have the right manager in the first place and, with the possible exception of Chris Hughton, I’d argue he hasn’t picked the right manager for Newcastle United since he bought the club.
Evidence?
Well, in the seven seasons we’ve been in the Premier League since Ashley bought the club, our average finishing position has been 12.57 (I’ve not counted the season in the Championship) and in the seven seasons prior to Ashley buying the club our average finishing position was 8.14. That might not sound like a huge difference but before Ashley we were, on average, a mid-table team who sometimes flirted with Europe whereas now we are, on average, a mid-table team who sometimes flirts with relegation. And of course in 2008-2009 we did more than merely flirt with relegation – we kissed it, fondled it and knocked it up behind the bike sheds. (more…)
Going all out for 4th placeNewcastle United gained a valuable 3 points at Stamford Bridge that keep the prospects of a Champions League finish alive. Here’s some reaction to the match and to the prospect of playing Manchester City on Sunday.
Mancini was in the crowd at Stamford Bridge yesterday, no doubt composing his tactics for the weekend’s game when Manchester City visit St James Park. And it’s going to be a high-pressure game for both teams, neither of which can afford to drop points if they’re to achieve their respective targets for the season.
Pardew is going to go all out for a 4th place finish and Champions League qualification:
“It’s not often in a professional career that you get an opportunity to actually break into the top four in this country,” said Pardew.
“We’ve been in and around it all year, we’ve touched fourth placed and touched third a couple of times.
“We’re going to give it everything. If we miss out, it’ll still have been a phenomenal season and I’m looking forward to the highlights video because some of the goals have been unbelievable, they really have.” (more…)
Response to defeat required at Stamford BridgeNewcastle United suffered at the hands of a top-quality Wigan on Saturday and it will be a big test of their character to see if they can bounce back from that in Wednesday’s match against Chelsea.
The weekend’s defeat by a resurgent Wigan brought us down to Earth with a thump after a 6-game unbeaten run. It got worse too because Spurs beat Blackburn 2-0 to leap over us into 4th on goal difference and Chelsea hammered QPR 6-1 to pressure us up the rear, just one point adrift in 6th place.
We didn’t play particularly well on Saturday but Wigan were outstanding and they played as well as any team we’ve faced this season. You have to wonder why it took them so long to find their form. Things didn’t go our way in the short spells when we did get the upper hand but, then again, some weeks we’ve had things go precisely our way when perhaps we’ve been lagging behind the opposition on pure footballing merit. We were beaten by the better side on the day – it’s as simple as that.
We’re going to Europe come what may now and that’s a great achievement after so many years without European football. Credit goes to the players, Alan Pardew and the club’s upper echelons for orchestrating that – it’s more than most people expected of us. (more…)
Stamford Bridge - Home of Chelsea FC.Newcastle head to London on Wednesday for what will be a tough test against a rampant Chelsea side in the Carling Cup.
The reality is that both sides are likely to field watered down versions of their respective teams so it is very much going to be a battle of the fringe players at Stamford Bridge.
That won’t sit well with fans who would like us to make a concerted effort to get to the latter stages of the competition, but it is unfortunately part and parcel of what football is about these days. Premier League survival is the priority, and Hughton has made no secret of that, and if you look at the figures you can perhaps see why. A team that finishes 17th in the Premier League will recieve around £3.2 million in prize money plus the guarantee of another lucrative season of TV money compared to a team earning just £100,000 in prize money for winning the Carling Cup. (more…)
