However a football season runs for many many months and at times it’s easy to forget just what went on at various points throughout the season, which is why I’m hoping this handy little (it will probably turn out quite long) review will serve to remind us of some of the good, and bad, moments of the 2010/2011 Premier League season.
Expect bias and for this to be very heavily tilted in favour of Newcastle United. This is after all an NUFC Blog so it’s perfectly acceptable to be a bit partizan towards our own team.
When the fixture list was announced I feared the worst from our opening two games of the season. Manchester United are Manchester United (they only dropped two points at home this season) and Aston Villa are a good side (they were at the time). We faced a very real prospect of gaining nothing from our opening two games.
As we headed to Old Trafford we had only the signings of Sol Campbell, James Perch and Dan Gosling in the bag. It turned out that Gosling would only see five minutes of action all season long. So there we were at the “Theatre of Dreams” 🙄 , the start of the season, the eyes of millions upon us, armed with virtually the same team that had won us promotion just a few short months earlier.
As it turned out we lost that match 3-0, but the most surprising thing for me was that we didn’t look out of place. Many teams go to Old Trafford and get beaten by more than three goals, better teams than us get beat by more than three goals, so as a debut back in the big time I wasn’t overly let down by that result as it was to be expected. With Villa up next though I did wonder if we would end up being bottom after two games.
It didn’t work out like that though. Football is a funny old game and fans of Aston Villa, who had previously revelled in our demise soon had the smirks wiped off their faces when they came away from St James’ Park on the end of a 6-0 thumping. One highlight of the season, only two games in. Incidentally the signing of an unknown Cheik Tiote was also confirmed that day.
An away League Cup victory at Accrington Stanley followed before Newcastle made the trip to Molineux for a clash with Wolves. Sat in the stands news filtered through that the most on-off of on-off transfers had been completed and Hatem Ben Arfa had finally signed for us on loan after months of wrangling, hissy fits and harsh words between the player and Marseille. That game ended 1-1 and NUFC looked to be building up some momentum.
That was until Blackpool rocked up at St James’ Park and reminded us all why we shouldn’t get carried away. Their ‘keeper played a blinder that day as the Tangerine Dream continued and Blackpool smashed and grabbed their way to a 2-0 victory.
Everton next and a trip to Goodison Park awaited. Generally speaking we don’t have a good record at Goodison, but this was a day for new loan signing Hatem Ben Arfa to really make his mark on the Premier League as he put in one of the most exciting performances I’ve seen from anyone in a black and white shirt in a long time. To refresh your minds, have a look at this.
Another impressive win followed as we beat Chelsea 4-3 at Stamford Bridge in the Carling Cup, but the ever so predictable kick in the nuts was soon to follow. A home defeat to Stoke was quickly followed up by an away defeat at Manchester City. That defeat at Eastlands was only part of the problem though as Hatem Ben Arfa suffered a double leg break at the hands of nasty Nigel de Jong. We’ve yet to see Ben Arfa return.
A snatched 2-2 home draw with Wigan was next as Fabricio Coloccini nodded in a 94th minute equaliser to cancel out a Charles N’Zogbia double, and that result sparked one of our most impressive runs of league form we had this season.
First up we won 2-1 at Upton Park before being unceremoniously dumped out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal. That set us up for a derby date with Sunderland who were looking for that next level at the time. By the half-time whistle all they were looking for was the level of the concourse as we set about thumping our hated rivals 5-1 in a match that will live long in the memory on Tyneside.
That result gave us all the feel good factor, which was heightened a week later when we took a trip to Arsenal, and came back with three points after an amazing 1-0 win at The Emirates.
Once again *BOOM* went the kick in the knackers and that fine run of form was soon forgotten. Blackburn came to St James’ Park and took all three points, a common theme which was starting to wear thin. Then Fulham headed South with a point before a 5-1 thumping at The Reebok left us all feeling rather low. A draw with Chelsea was scant consolation as we then transpired to rather limply surrender to the hands of West Brom. It was a performance that ultimately, and rather harshly in the eyes of a fair few fans, cost Chris Hughton his job.
To their credit the club moved quickly to appoint a successor. The reason for getting rid of Hughton was that the club said they wanted someone to take them to the next level. This started off wild speculation with names like Klinsmann, O’Neil, Jol all being linked. Eventually the name that got the job was Alan Pardew. Not exactly the first choice of anyone I’d guess.
Still it was his gig from now on, and with a home game against Liverpool coming up many were interested to see just how the players would take to a new manager. The answer was hardly crystal clear after the 3-1 victory as the players set about dedicating the win to their recently departed former boss.
Pardew came into the club with a tough fixture list to face. Liverpool was done and out the way, but up next were Champions League chasing Manchester City and Tottenham. The result? 3-1 and 2-0 losses respectively.
That takes us to exactly halfway through the season. We’re over 1000 words now so I’ll stop, take a breather, refresh, and bring you part II of our season review tomorrow.
Stay tuned!
ILM — Borriello is good, but for 14M its absolutely unreal…29yo…for 6M…
ToonFan8(Quote)
ILM
Where have you been on your sabbatical
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
just over a year batty, was training and I ended up bloody knacking my hip in, so got sent home for a couple of weeks to rest up, bored shitless if i’m honest.
I Love Mike(Quote)
ilm u take care m8 no doubt u will have too go afgan 🙁
batty(Quote)
ILM – My mother has been asking about you!! She’s been wondering where you went 😕
Now I’m left wondering if you’re my dad? 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Batty have you got family in the army or been in the army yerself mate? You sound like it’s directly affected you some how?
Fat Mike has flown into the club… apparently working late to tie up a transfer. The realist in me says bollocks, the delusional toon fan says I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow and check every available media outlet known to the Wetsern world to see it it’s true…
DevonMag(Quote)
Devon – And the blogger in me says if anything happens it will be whilst I’m at work and not in a position to write about it 😥
toonsy(Quote)
devon me eldest son came oot last november m8 he went iraq and afgan ,got upmost respect for all of them 😉
batty(Quote)
toonsy @80 😆
batty(Quote)
Dan-
Yeah mate, planning on going to the Columbus game
OHurley(Quote)
ah Fair play Batty, have a couple friends in the army as well. Don’t agree with the war but, like you, also have utmost respect for em. Shame the government doesn’t respect them in the same way.
Don’t worry Toonsy, you should just pre-write an article about Drogba now and what his signing for the club means 😆
DevonMag(Quote)
Devon – If anything happens tomorrow I’m fecked as I have a 14 hour shift on the go 😆
Ching ching 😀
toonsy(Quote)
hello- we went camping and I got my sen into abit of a state, no drugs involved though 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Batty-
You must be proud of your bairn like! Good on you and your’s, mate.
Toonsy-
Work is NO excuse to not blog about a new transfer 😈
OHurley(Quote)
pence are you being sick or bending over ready too get bummed 😆 😆
batty(Quote)
🙄 spence 😳
batty(Quote)
Agree with Devon @86. Just go ahead and get the write-up done like. Be sure to write too, as I hear Kaka is lookin to move from RM
OHurley(Quote)
OH – I could do it on my phone but the battery is too **** 😡
toonsy(Quote)
The thing is, my face looks white, thats not because of the lighting, thats because it was white 😆
ya no what they say, enjoy ya sen while your young 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Be sure to write *two* 🙄
OHurley(Quote)
Toonsy-
Yeah man, writing anything of length on a smartphone sucks ***. I wrote the better part of a philosophy paper on my iphone once. Swore I’d never do that again lol!
OHurley(Quote)
Spence,
Wtf is “sen” ? lol 😉
OHurley(Quote)
ToonFan8 wijnaldum according to rumors here in Holland is joining PSV
Axel(Quote)
TOONSY tap into the coach battery prob over 😆
icedog(Quote)
OH – I can’t even get a full day out of it. I have to charge it on the go, which isn’t easy when I don;t have an in-car thingybob 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
‘self’, O’hurley, there’s one to add to your pseudo-geordie idiom!
DevonMag(Quote)
Dog-
Good thinkin’ mate! Must come from your many many years of experience 😉
OHurley(Quote)
oh sen =self
batty(Quote)
OH @ 97 – It’s gay talk. It means yourself, but only Spence and his “friends” are supposed to know 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Or it could be Sheffield talk 😉
toonsy(Quote)
OHURLEY 👿 👿 👿
icedog(Quote)
batty’s got it, its my tad of yorkshire lad’s sorry 😥 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Devon-
Explanation appreciated, man! I’m gonna have to teach y’all some redneck in exchange for all the Geordie ***** I’ve learned 😉
Toonsy- give me your address and I’ll send ya a car charger. I can get one for like $5. It’ll probably cost ya 5 quid to ship it though 😀
OHurley(Quote)
105-it is 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Toonsy/Devon/Batty-
Thanks, mates.
Ice-
OHurley(Quote)
OH i reckon your a right dodgey character 🙂
batty(Quote)
Dodgey?! Gee, thanks Batty… 👿
OHurley(Quote)
delboy driber 😆
batty(Quote)
Better than bein’ an old gadgie like yersel 😈
OHurley(Quote)
BATTY@111,i think your reet,do you think honest men like us should mix with that type 😆 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
Batty, how the hell’d you know my name?! 😯
OHurley(Quote)
OH gee 😆 😆
batty(Quote)
dog 😉
batty(Quote)
Dog,
Laugh it up, mate 😉 You know you love all us yanks lol
OHurley(Quote)
R D of course i know your name 😆
batty(Quote)
batty knows every thing 😉
batty(Quote)
Batty-
Keep it to yourself, will ya? lol! And how do you know? Sy told ya, didn’t he? lol! You on facebook, man? Send me a request, then. I’m the one and only guy in the world with my name.
OHurley(Quote)
oh done 😉
batty(Quote)
right iam off night lads
batty(Quote)
Night batty
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
OHURLEY gan careful wor batty has a very long reach 😉 hope you owe him nowt his intrest rates hurt 😉
icedog(Quote)
Ice 😀
Anyway lads that’s me away. Early start tomorrow. Catch you all in a bit 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Ive got day off college sy…. how do you like that 😉 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
TOONSY drive careful m8 like you da told you 😉
icedog(Quote)
Spencer – It’s payday for me Thursday. How do you like those apples? 😛
toonsy(Quote)
Ice – Will do. Catch ya’s later 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
So we lost out on Albin, what about this Marvin Martin from Sochaux. According to the twitter guy Graham Carr is an admirer. Could make a good little right winger perhaps? Lots of skill on the ball.
DJG(Quote)
130-Karma’s a b@stard 😆
Ill find money from somewhere when i need it
later mate
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
I’m off college till June 13th. 😀 i will write about a new signing if we get one! 😀
Jobey07(Quote)
Later batts!
Dog- Fortunately I owe Batty nowt but respect like 😉
OHurley(Quote)
JOBEY good on yer 😉
icedog(Quote)
Study leave jobey? I dont trust myself and ive not finshed all my CW.. 😆
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
OHURLEY 😀 😀
icedog(Quote)
well ime off,see you later YANK 😉
icedog(Quote)
My last exam is on friday, after that im done with college until September 😀
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
Thats shyte that, myne would have you back in to start next years course, then just go over it again at the end of next year.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
yeah, i’ve got to go back on june 13th to do 4 weeks then im done
Jobey07(Quote)
I finish on 17th, in the case of all my CW being finished.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
aparently we just sign menez from roma dont know how true it is , but if its true we have some team next season can only live and hope 😆
shearer(Quote)
Menez? Just looked up his stats on sky for this season, scored only 4 goals from 29 starts and 11 sub appearrances. Not exactly top class is it?
At 24 years old, I’d put him closer to the quality of Xisco or Leon Best then somebody bringing us to the next level.
Of course he could be filled with skill, it’s just straight up stats. Although as a striker, I don’t know of anything else we’d be looking for a striker to do than score goals. On that basis, I hope it’s not true
AndrewT(Quote)
Andrew, he’s a winger most of the time.
dan4toon(Quote)
At Roma he’s averaged at four goals a season with four assists per season…so basically he’s worse than Jonas? 😕
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie, to be fair Ben Arfa didn’t have the greatest record for Marseille.
Menez is a lot like Benny as well, plenty of skill and can create something out of nothing.
dan4toon(Quote)
Newkie, pretty much on par with Jonas with 3 goals and 5 assists.
So we still wouldn’t have anybody to score goals for us next season??
AndrewT(Quote)
Dan-aye true mate, but I worry about having those flair players for the sake of it. The goals look good on youtube, but its poor quality opposition, and I worry about us being too light weight in attack if we get another like Arfa and play him as a striker.
Newkie(Quote)