I’d struggle to list the emotions that I went through during that 90 minutes, but they ranged from optimism to depression, to hope to elation with many many more feelings sandwiched between them. Only at Newcastle United….
Still, it’s gone now and Newcastle must build on that superb second-half performance by taking that momentum to Blackburn this weekend. Ewood Park is a ground where we tend to struggle, but hopefully the lads can play from the word go and put in a performance similar to what they put in during that second half against Arsenal. If they can do that then they stand every chance of coming hope with something to show for their effort.
It’s quite strange really how 45 minutes can change a mood. At half-time I was sat down with virtually nothing to say. I had real fears for the rest of our season and had my eyes firmly set on scraping survival. The team looked dejected, and I was much the same
Just 45 minutes and four goals later I was feeling infinitely more positive about our prospects for the season. I mean now the players know they can pull of a performance like that they should know that they have the ability to cause any team a problem, right?
We’ve only lost one league game this year, and if we can keep picking up points we will soon be safe. If we can achieve safety pretty soon then we can think about pushing on a bit further.
In a way, injuries haven’t been kind to us. Who knows where we could have been had we had the services of Hatem Ben Arfa for the duration of the season? What’s that? He’s only one player? True, so I assume that the same can be said about Andy Carroll then?
This new Newcastle has always been about the team, not the individual, and it hasn’t served us too badly so far. Hopefully that will continue at Ewood Park in front of nearly 5,000 travelling fans. Without a doubt this is a chance to build on that fantastic comeback against Arsenal.
I just hope we don’t blow it!
I think we will take 4 points from these 2 games, not sure which way round and also Best is going to knock a few more in 🙂
dan4toon(Quote)
Anyone thinks Kuqi looks like ryan giggs? 🙄 😯
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
3 points tomorrow and I would consider us safe. If you think about points dropped against spurs and mackems then we should already be well on our way. I reckon it’s scary times for West Brom and especially Wigan. Wigans run of fixtures look absolutely awful! There are dinately 3 teams in heaps more trouble than us so I just hope we win to end all the firefighting talk and overtake the mackems!
Moreno(Quote)
I meant to start talking about overtaking the mackems…
Moreno(Quote)
AoD – I can’t see it mate, there both older footballers and have a beard, that’s it for me. I tell you who looks the same; Leon Best and Troy Deeny for Watford! 😆
dan4toon(Quote)
Over Christmas I said that because we have a tough run in I said we need 35 points by the beggining of March and i’m sticking with it, so 4 points or more from these and I reckon we’ll stay up
Blackburn (a)
Birmingham (a)
Bolton (H)
So how many points does everyone think you’ll need to stay up then? I reckon more than 40, but god knows if i’m honest, this seasons that close 😕
I Love Mike(Quote)
ILM I think it will be a tiny bit more than 40 as I think there will be 2 teams cut off at the bottom and the last place will be a toss up between a couple of teams.
Im going for atlest 5 pts from them 3 games 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Toonsy I honestly think without a few of the injuries we have had we would be safe by now and well on our way to push on for a top 6 finish 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
To me, if Best has learned to stay on-side and he can be fed low passes, the momentum just might continue.
You gotta feel Rovers (and everyone else) know NUFC gives up goals in the first and last 10 minutes of games & that NUFC owns the middle 70. So I look for Rovers to push early and then park the bus and wait for late chances.
I’d really like to see Jonas and Enrique taking hard low shots from the edge of the 18 yard box and see if Nolan and Best can jump on some rebounds.
Again, set plays will be the making of NUFC, as Barton can lay them in there like no other..
BeeGuy(Quote)
Its going to come down to Goal Diff and in that regard we are doing ok too.
I think we will be safe…..JUST 🙂
Alan Partridge(Quote)
Bigdave
I think Ben Arfa was the one, with him, who knows how many more points we could have had.
Me and Stu both agreed actually when we played Blackpool and Stoke that they were 6 pointers, even so early in the season. If we were looking like we were going in to a relegation fight we knew Stoke and Blackpool would be around us, and they are. The last thing you wanted was to say ‘arg I wish we had got some points in those games’, we didn’t, and we are.
Think about it, Blackpool 3 points, Stoke 1 point, Blackburn 1 point, Scum 2 points, Spurs 2 points. That’s how many points I reckon we’ve lost this season which we shouldn’t have.
Would put us on 40 now, but hindsight eh…
I Love Mike(Quote)
After Fulham I was analysing the fixtures thinking about May and 2 home games. Should be 6 points but if we actually need them then could be tricky because we would be on a rotten run of form.
So looked at April and it looks tricky. March is only 2 games so I was conluding that Feb could define our season. Do well, players back in March. Move serenly through April and have a happy May. However nowt from Feb and the pressure builds.
Looks a lot more promising now than it did half time in the Arsenal game.
Premandup(Quote)
I wouldn’t consider us safe for a long while yet. This season is the strangest ever I think 40 points will not be anywhere near enough, more like 45.
DJG(Quote)
DJG I cant see any of the teams in the bottom 3 at present picking up 18 pts in the last 12 games
Big Dave(Quote)
ILM I too think Benny boy would have made so much difference 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Was bored in college today. Made this up in MS Paint. Think ill get one printed tomorrow 😆
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/1443/boomp.jpg
thebenarfashow(Quote)
43 points and we are home and hose imo,and batty will have won his bet 😀 ime going for a 11th to 14th finish,43point=14th,but its a ***** old season like
icedog(Quote)
Ice I was thinking around the 42 mark 😀
Big Dave(Quote)
Oh, one other thing about Saturday. Williamson has shown signs of being very good, or very bad. He seems to have been affected by the AC sale, or maybe Arsenal was way beyond his skill level (didn’t he have trouble in the League Cup game with them?). If he can get his feet on the ground and head level, NUFC could hold Rover scoreless.
BeeGuy(Quote)
the gunners are a good team but some of defending early on was schoolboy stuff from us imo,the first one was down to pure pace of walcot and couldnt do a great lot,if it had been taylor instead of collo we would have been down to ten men as he would have dived in imo,its a total diff type of defending on sat,b/burn dont have that type of inter-passing the gunners have,but i would be happy with a draw
icedog(Quote)
Indeed. We need big lumps who can head the ball against Blackburn.
toonsy(Quote)
Ice I think if Taylor was playing we would have done better, I like Williamson but I think Taylor is a better player 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
I think we’ll be safe but it is a strange season 😕 As for the Arsenal result, I’d hope it would we showed a great spirit & Pards deserves credit for the part he played, didn’t think I would be saying that when he first came here 😆
Slarth(Quote)
ime going with DAVE 5points from the next 3 games i will be happy.no bloody good saying if we had this player or that player fit we would have done this and that the same goes for all teams in epl,we have to go with what we have which itsnt much at the mo,which down to our great manament team 👿
icedog(Quote)
Ice yeah there is no point crying over spilt milk, but I do think Benny would have made a big difference.
Big Dave(Quote)
Dont think we will beat Brum, maybe a draw, but I do think we can get a win at B’burn as they are back on the slide after their resurgent run of form after fat sham got booted out
Bolton could be tricky, but is winnable. so that would be 5 or 7 points. nice 😆
But this is NUFC so probably just come away with 3 draws. 😕
Hmmmm ❗
Alan Partridge(Quote)
Oh! just noticed you got rid of the Judas from the top banner Toonsy. 🙄
Good Lad. 😛
Alan Partridge(Quote)
40 points will be enough just too stay up ,cant see blackpool and brom picking up another 10 each realy 😉
batty(Quote)
Good evening Mr Batty and hows you, I would like to see us getting well over 40 pts mate
Big Dave(Quote)
alreet dave ,we will get over 40 pluss will most probs send cluelesses brom down on last day 😉 that would make a certian person choke 😆 pardew vs clueless
batty(Quote)
pool man u and chelski our hardest games ide say but the bottom 3 have got 5 or 6 games like that m8 😉
batty(Quote)
http://www.skysports.com/football/calendar/0,25004,11698,00.html here look at broms they look fcked 4 derbys 4 tops 4 and stoke who always beat them 😆
batty(Quote)
looking agen 38 points will be enough 🙂
batty(Quote)
i can see us gettin 13 to 16 points from our last 13 games
batty(Quote)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/feb/10/shola-ameobi?
batty(Quote)
Batty could you imagine the out pouring if we put clueless and the Broms down, wonder who they would support on that day 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Not seen Wigans run of games? Its horrific. The only game they have a chanc of winning is Bolton….and thats in the cup!
Moreno(Quote)
some of them no doubt would be with clueless 😉
batty(Quote)
moreno most of the teams around us and below have a harder run in m8 😉
batty(Quote)
Batty 😆 Strolla in a mask 😀
Big Dave(Quote)
aye dave i reckon a couple of week 😆
batty(Quote)
iam of nite dave moreno 😉
batty(Quote)
Take it easy Batty catch you tomorrow 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
shola = phantom of the quayside
Alan Partridge(Quote)
Not that worried about cookie signing – massive jump up for him and although he’s only likely to get last ten mins he’ll prob be ok, he ain’t a replacement but is already match fit and can slot in this weekend – hoping for a sibierski type surprise, if he gets close he could become a short term legend 😉
4411(Quote)
As far as how many points will be enough for survival, I honestly think 40 points will be enough, as the second half of the season takes its toll on the smaller weaker squads.
Hopefully with players coming back. We won’t be one of those smaller weaker squads.
JJ(Quote)