Top ten, and above Sunderland? Yes please!!!
It won’t be easy as we have two difficult away games in our last four, but if we can win our two home games against Birmingham and West Brom we have a chance of finishing in ninth. Looking at it realistically, Bolton in eighth are probably that little bit too far away from us to catch up, so a ninth placed finished is probably the best we can muster now.
That would be a great achievement for a newly promoted side in my opinion and would far surpass my pre-season expectations. I thought we were good enough to avoid relegation, but I thought it would probably be a lot closer than what it’s turned out to be. If you’d have said ‘top ten’ at the start of the season I’d have smiled and admired your optimism!
Finishing in the top ten would be a massive boost for the club in my opinion. There is a certain status attached to being a top-half team. A steady club that isn’t too far from the European places and is far enough away from the relegation places will surely be seen as an attractive proposition by ambitious players?
Then there is that prize money, which obviously goes up the higher you finish up the league. I’m going by figures that are a few years old now, but the bottom club used to get £2.5 million in prize money, topped up more prize money for each position higher. The prize money per position is now around £800,000, so a top ten finish would easily bring £10 million into the club.
Hopefully a top ten finish will show the current set of players, especially the likes of Jose Enrique and Joey Barton, that getting into Europe is not too far away and that they don’t need to leave to find it. If they see the players coming into the club that they believe can help get them there then may just be persuaded to stay a bit longer.
A top ten finish would also be a good thing when it comes to the commercial side of things aswell. Being associated with a team in the Premier League is a draw, but being associated to a team in the top ten carries a higher level of prestige with it. This could be another way to increase money coming into the club.
The benefits of a top-half finish are many, and with safety assured (albeit not mathematically yet) and not a lot else to play for I’m glad the players and manager seem to have set a target of a top ten finish.
If they could sneak ninth it would be great as it would mean that we’d finish above the Mackems. That would surely be a kick in the nads for the inbreeds who were polishing off those passports getting ready for that next level. They should be embarrassed to be honest. All of that money spent, not one fit striker at the club and nearly half of their starting XI is on loan from other clubs. Massive indeed!
It’s not just money we are playing for, or commercial deals. It’s local pride. Finishing above the Mackems will be sweet revenge for all the rubbish they’ve dished out to us over the last couple of season and will give us our status of North-East top dogs back.
Top dogs!
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So long as the players stay motivated once safety is assured, it would be a good target to aim for. Very credible and unexpected. I would have bitten anyones hand off, offering a top 10 finish to me at the start of the season.
I would take 13 points from our last 4 games anytime! That would put us on 54 pts and one of our best totals for many a season in the PL!
@shearers RH
Anyone’s hand off?
Nobody mention Liverpool ! I’ve mentioned it a few times yesterday and early this morning. I think I’ve got away with it and Toonsy hasn’t noticed !
Hes off driving his bus searching for some scousers to run over so he’s preoccupied.
Polishing there passports hahahha
Toonsy man im gunna be smiling all the way to college now
2 home wins? It’s not like Newcastle to make things so simple. It’s just as likely that we’ll take points from Liverpool or Chelsea (or both) and draw or lose one of the home games (or both).
I think top ten would be an outstanding achievement for this season.
Ooops, mentioned Liver-you-know-what
Agreed, would love to finish above mackems.
Hopefully Ireland will get a start on Sunday, probably in place of loverman. Reckon we need shola up there as a hold up striker
Must admit I’m not a fan of Liverpool either, I hated their style of football and the continuing self pity as they wallow in their dole estates.
Most of all I blame Derek Hatton who almost single handedly ruined the city, oh and those stupid dockers who refused to modernise working conditions and wrecked their own industry
Still enjoy the toon – Liverpool games tho and don’t give a flying about Carroll joining em as I expect no player loyalty, at the end f the day it’s a job and if you can double your wages then go ahead
Caveat: I do have a couple of scouse mates and they’re good lads and have always had a decent night out there, shame about tier annoying accent tho
Bobby, how many points do you get for winning a game in the PL nowadays like?
Depends who is at the back for Liverpool. If its skrtel I reckon shola will get bossed.
I’d take 13 points from the four games also bobby
i still reckon 11th too 14th ,pluss it would win me a grand
How come I can’t get .org?
@ toonsy
Now do you see why some get so het up having read Moreno’s comment?
He’ll be telling me the Spanish City Dome is not St Marys lighthouse next.
Unbelievable.
Sorry, shouldn’t be doubting anyone’s intelligence or character. Naughty Bobby!
@batty
How much have you put on to win a grand?
I see you are already on the good drugs Bobby… Stay medicated mate!!
If things stay as they stand, no one at the start of the season would have predicted that we would finish above the likes of Villa – Fulham and dare I say it, Stoke… All three have become well seasoned PL sides… And lets not forget the the Mackems, finishing above them is great but I really struggle to admire anything about them at all….
Oh great it’s Aussie Mag.
Ive been waiting with anticipation and excitement to see what inspirational banter you bring to the brekkie table this morning.
Only jokin
Sort of
Breakfast table? It’s after 6pm, mate.
I’m glad I made your morning brighter Bobby
I cant stress how much I want to finish above Sunderland, to laugh at all my mackem mates will be great.
We just need to win both our home games.
@Aussie
You say;
If things stay as they stand, no one at the start of the season would have predicted that we would finish above the likes of Villa – Fulham and dare I say it, Stoke… All three have become well seasoned PL sides…
I say;
I predicted at the start of the season we would finish above the likes of villa fulham and dare I say it Stoke.
Not correct very often are you Aussie.
Bobby the Predictor.
Just did the predictor with 5 teams on 48pts including us with the best goal difference therefore 7th, However two on 46 as well
Don’t believe it mind
Your are truly gifted Booby, I should have gone to you for advice at the start of the season and all of my worries would have been solved.. After all, you have regular chats with the players, know the clubs wage structure like the back of your hand and… you can predict accurately the outcome of a full PL season.
You aren’t Derren Brown by any chance???:shock:
Just dug out the PL predictions that I made before the start of the season.
ManC, Chelsea, Arsenal, ManU, Liverpool, Spurs, Villa, Everton, Fulham, Sunderland, Stoke, Blackburn, Newcastle, Bolton, West Ham, Birmingham, West Brom, Wolves, Wigan, Blackpool.
I might yet get the relegation places.
Man C was a big call Vegas…. You should have spoken to Bobby first mate…
Aussie – I didn’t know I was going to meet him then. Though he probably did.
I think I said top half finish at the start of the season Toonsy. I recall you smiling and saying you admired my optimism.
Only kidding. I’ll be as surprised and chuffed as the next man if we pull it off.
Just one more thing: what makes you think mackems have passports to polish? Most of ‘em consider the nearest Greggs to be an expedition worthy of a crayon map and a pie for the journey..
booby @15 £200 m8
Your keyboard kickin up typos as well Batty??
Whumpie – I bet the mackems getting ready for Europe is like am ugly vengaboys video
i want stoke too lose there remaining games ,get thrashed in the cup and spurs finish above mancity so the c unt divvent get in europe
14
Bobby Shinton number 9
Posted April 26, 2011 at 8:03 AM
@ toonsy
Now do you see why some get so het up having read Moreno’s comment?
Hahahaha, Brilliant
Toonsy, Bobby just hit me….tell him off
‘If you’d have said ‘top ten’ at the start of the season I’d have smiled and admired your optimism!’
I would aswell but I don’t think we will finish there. 5 teams can go above us on Sat with a win, Stoke and Fulham actually have a midweek game before that. Then we play Liverpool on Sunday, I think it’s safe to say that will probably be 0 points considering the way they have turned over the two Manchester clubs and slaughtered Birmingham 5-0 in their last fixture at Anfield. I don’t think we’re a million miles better than Birmingham either although we have to hope we can beat them at home.
Then comes Chelsea away, not an easy game and baggies at home, a game that looks good on paper but one that we have struggled in the last couple of times. So I don’t think we will get a top 10 finish but we have to still fight for points and then it will all be over and we can look forward to months of endless speculation and not much football. Glass half empty today.
batty
I don’t want Spurs to get in the champions league again, they might be able to keep Bale and co. if that happens.
@Aussie
You called me booby!!!!!!!!
I got reprimanded for doing such things with other people’s tags!!!!!!
Ive stopped doing it cos it upset so many sensitive individuals. Now stop it before I tell Liverpool! I mean scouse! I mean Heysel ! Doh! Toonsy!
Doh!
Don’t mention Liverpool !
I think I’ve got away with it!
@batty
You’re on benefits and putting £200 on bets!!
Bollox to spurs
Bobby, the fact he wins the majority of them is why he is on benefits!
Moreno
Nobody wins the majority of their bets, they just fail to mention the ones they lose.
jay fook off
villa for europe 
booby @39
you just want too pray i divent knock on your door 
Spurs are twats, Stoke will be a laughing stock in Europe and their squad won’t cope, villa to get relegated next season
I kissed her on the lips when I said goodbye, but I left her behind for you.
DJG well thats true ,i never back the toon while they playing games i backed them at the begining of the season ,made a 1500 prophit last season
jay iam sure the crime rate will go up in stoke ,tickets for europe
Only for the first round
My son said that when he grew up he was going to become a musician. I told him he had to choose one or the other.
Just seen Ed’s daily Seb Larrson article there
Spent the weekend at the Byron Bay Blues Festival. Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Jethro Tull, BB King, Leon Russell, Little Feat. I was almost the youngest guy there.
dan- if he signs he’ll blow his load
you off school/college this week?
Yeah, til Tuesday
Samee
Spencer has gone back
ZZ Top, Tim Finn, Grace Jones, Osibisa, Los Lobos …
Xavier Rudd, Tony Joe White, John Lennon, Cat Empire, Buffy Sainte-Marie …
What a shame for him
I would have taken 17th at the beginning of the season, so ninth would be a brilliant finish. The great thing is its not even a fluke, and that we deserve to be where we are-we’re already better than half the clubs in the league and that’s basically only with one new player-Tiote, imagining what Arfa and then maybe Gosling can bring in and alongside new summer recruits, we’ll be in the CL in no time
Good article Toonsy. Had to laugh at the thought of mackem’s having passports – surely that’s illegal? Didn’t think they would have the nous to find their way outside Pennywell let alone make it to the airport.
Fingers crossed for top ten finish
John Lennon, Bris?
Would anyone else take loosing every other game this season if it meant us thumping Liverpool on Sunday? I’m in two minds… kind of inclined towards it though…
the obvious implications being we could drop out the top ten and finish below Sunderland… perhaps not then I spose.
Ahh, Dev, mate. It was a scary moment. He was singing Imagine. Said it was for Stuart and Bobby Nine
DevonMag-I was actually thinking along those lines myself, but you raise a good point, i’d probably rather lose and have us finish higher than the mackems and hopefully in top 10. To do the double over them with one of our high scoring slaughters would be brilliant though…especially if we could see some close ups of Carroll on the bench..
DEBS hows you, long time no read working to hard are we.
I spose if we could tailor the victory like that I’d take it Newkie, i.e. if we beat them 9-0 with Steve Harper scoring the ninth with a direct free-kick and Carroll in the stands the entire time who, when getting up to leave, falls down two flights of steps as a result of his heavy half-time drinking, subsequently landing on Steven Gerrard and prematurely ending his career, prompting a crazed ‘pool fan to then jump on Carroll and attempt to strangle him with his own pony-tail, as all the while Barton’s completing a lap of honour around Anfield…
I’d probably take staying up on goal difference for that.
DM- FFS. isn’t Harper injured? sort out your story. Krul scoring the 9th from a free kick.
How about Carroll actually playing and scoring an own goal. Newcastle win 1-0.
DevonMag-Yeah, would take that any day. Maybe Shearer to come on and give Carroll a good elbow, then single handedly destroy liverpool like he did against sheff wednesday. Show Carroll the meaning of a true local hero like
Ha Jobey, my bad. Shoulda thought that one through…
Brisvegas I like the simplicity of that one mate. Poetry.
DM
How do everyone? Another day at the grind done. I’ll get a new article out now
Dev @ 66
ROFLMFAO
I’d stop watching footy after that. Couldn’t EVER possibly get any better lol!!!
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