A tough task initially for Eddie Howe. Mike Ashley is out and Newcastle fans can start to dream again. It’s been a long time coming and tastes very sweet for thousands of the Toon Army. However, though expectations are higher than ever due to the amount of money the new owners have, success doesn’t happen overnight.
On the flip side, it’s hard not to imagine Newcastle going on the same journey as Chelsea or Man City. With hope springing eternal on the Tyne, it’s essential to keep our projections as realistic as possible. But what is realistic? (more…)
How a relegated Toon side might look like next May. A late goal-scoring run from Joe Willock helped power Newcastle to five wins in their last eight fixtures to finish the 2020/21 campaign in 12th place – a full 17 points above the drop zone. Yet, there were times when Steve Bruce’s men looked genuinely in danger of facing the drop. The big question ahead of the new season is: Can the Magpies carry that good form forward and consolidate mid-table status? Or will they regress into relegation candidates once again? (more…)
Are the Magpies still stuck in the mud? Newcastle United finished the 2020/21 campaign on a high note with an impressive run of results that allowed the club to place at 12th in the Premier League. The club has summed up mid-table mediocrity since their return to the top flight in 2017. Dating back further, the Magpies have finished in the top half on only three occasions since owner Mike Ashley bought the club in 2007. (more…)
It’s not all bad for Newcastle right now. It’s fair to say it hasn’t been much fun to be Newcastle United fan for the past decade and beyond.
Given the stature of the club, the iconic ground, the history and the huge fan base, demanding a team that can be competitive in the Premier League shouldn’t be too much of an ask.
Of course, we all know that hasn’t happened. Instead, the Magpies have endured a difficult spell that has seen no chances of silverware, falling down to the Championship twice. (more…)
It could be a long road ahead. With news that a return to Premier League football on April 30th has now been further postponed, plans for an intense finish the season in what Toon manager, Steve Bruce, described as a ‘Festival of Football’ look more uncertain. In reality, the future of football over the next year, or even two is highly uncertain and all predictions may have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Not even eminent epidemiologists know for certain how long this current crisis will last, it may subside for a while, only to come back in waves like the so-called ‘Spanish’ Flu emergency of 1918-20. Any predictions of a return to football in the next few months may be completely wide of the mark, indeed, the effects of CoVid-19 may not just curtail the current season, it may also curtail the next one too; though if it does, by the time we are finished and counting the damage, football might not be so important in the grand scheme of things for a while any way, though it may be a little frustrating for Liverpool fans if they were denied their first league title in three decades. (more…)