I’m sure as fellow Newcastle fans you will have also grown slightly, let’s say, annoyed by the constant response that “aye but you’ve had an easy run” in reply to our sensational start to the season. We are now level on points with Chelsea and just a point behind the red half of Manchester.
Firstly, we are Newcastle United, this is our second season in the Premier League and any suggestion that we have an easy game in the league is absolute nonsense. Man City might have an easy game at home to Wigan, but they just went and spent £400,000,000 on a team of world class players.
To suggest that Newcastle have had an easy run is to imply that we’ve gone into games, such as Wolves away, and expected to win the game. Now, is this not the same thing that we Newcastle fans have been criticised for in the past? Yet here we are and we have people telling us that we should expect to win those games. Ridiculous.
The only way to judge how well we have done is to compare how our results this season stack up against the exact corresponding fixtures of last season.
Let’s start with our home record. This season we have 11 points from 5 home games against Arsenal, Fulham, Blackburn, Spurs and Wigan. The exact same fixtures last season yielded just 4 points.
Away from St James’ Park we have picked up 8 points against Sunderland, QPR, Villa and Wolves. If we discount QPR as they were not in the league season, we have 7 points from 3 games. Last season the same fixtures produced just 2 points.
Therefore, if we had the same return of points this season from the same games as last season you could bet your bottom dollar that Pardew would be favourite in the bookies sack race. Our fixtures may have been favourable in comparison to the ‘real’ top 5/6 teams but to place us in the bracket, as the press and many people seem to be doing, is simply deluded.
If we are still in the top 4 in 5 games time, then I like every other Newcastle fan would be more than happy to agree with these people who say our opening 9 fixtures were rather kind. On a more realistic note, I would bite your hand off if you offered me 5 points from those games.
Written by Miles Law for NothingButNewcastle.com
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I judge every game
i agree that we’ve improved a great deal since last season but still have a long we to go in terms of improving the team and attracting more class players to the squad. We should get a true reflection of how much we have improved in the next 5 games.. fingers crossed were still up there at christmas and if we can improve the squad more i january then a top 6 is a strong possibility.
We need more cover in central defence with a quality cb and also keep hold of colo. we need a new lb/rb and would like to see pieters come in with santon on the opposite side, a top quality cf or 2 is a must and would like to see the young dutch kid De jong come in, also letting loven and maybe ranger leave. Also Maiga looks like a big improvement.
i know this sounds silly but would love to see us show our intentions and go out and get Eden Hazard, that would be a big statement from Mr Ashley and his commitment to making the club a great club