It seems a long time since we were celebrating promotion back to the Premier League.
The plaudits and euphoria soon died down though and many pundits were quick to point out how NUFC would struggle upon their return to the Premier League. In the eyes of many people, and even in the eyes of some of our own fans, they saw a team that was almost the same as the one who took us down. On paper that may have been the case, but in practice they were very wrong, especially Andy Gray who said that West Brom were the best team to win promotion despite finishing way behind us in the league last term.
Fast forward eleven months and it’s Newcastle who are top of the trio of promoted teams and look favourites for safety whilst Blackpool and West Brom both linger just one point ahead of the drop zone. Whilst safety is yet to be guaranteed, I would much rather be in our position than in the position of either of those two teams
Which brings me to my point really. I found an article earlier which named the a ‘Best XI’ team of players from the promoted clubs, and to my surprise I found that only four players from Newcastle had made the grade. Here is the team that Sport.co.uk have nominated. Needless to say I disagree with it, but here goes:
Matt Gilkes, Danny Simpson, Jonas Olsson, Alex Baptiste, Jose Enrique, Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan, Charlie Adam, Jerome Thomas, DJ Campbell, Peter Odemwingie.
The first thing that strikes me is the goalkeeper. Matt Gilks has been out since November, so can he really qualify? Has he been any better than Steve Harper? And does he qualify simply because he is playing for the Premier League’s latest love affair that is Blackpool?
Danny Simpson and Jose Enrique I’d agree with, as I would with Jonas Olsson, but does Alex Baptiste really deserve to get in there in front of Fabricio Coloccini? I don’t think so!
Moving onto the midfield, I can’t really argue with that. I’d probably drop Kevin Nolan if I’m being honest and replace him with Cheik Tiote. It would be harsh on Nolan as he has been good for us again this season, but Tiote is the better player and gets the nod from me.
As for the strikers, well where do I start? No Andy Carroll? Granted the chap is a Judas, but he did score eleven goals in half a season which is more than both DJ Campbell and Peter Odemwingie. You could even put a case forward for Leon Best as he has scored nearly the same amount of goal in less appearances, but I’d probably plump for Carroll instead of Campbell.
That would leave my team ‘Best XI’ looking like:
Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, Jonas Olsson, Fabricio Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Joey Barton, Charlie Adam, Cheik Tiote, Jerome Thomas, Peter Odemwingie, Andy Carroll.
Any advances on that?
About toonsy
A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.
I would say Ian Evatt instead of Olsson 😉
dan4toon(Quote)
I forgot I wrote this 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Get Nolan in there toonsy, he might be a heffer but does a good job, a lot like you chubba 🙂
jay jay(Quote)
😈
toonsy(Quote)
chris brunt.
MarkToon(Quote)
Good call. I knwo you like him with your detailed dossier on him Markus 😉
toonsy(Quote)
You 2 slags booked your train for Stoke yet?
jay jay(Quote)
Is he like jed in I’m alan partridge? 😆
jay jay(Quote)
Jay – We don’t book trains. We just go whenever. That’s how we roll 😉
Hopefully the train “approaching the platform now” won’t just disappear this time though. How the **** can they lose a train FFS!
toonsy(Quote)
Leon Best 😉
toonsy(Quote)
ile stick routledge in for whumpie 😆
batty(Quote)
😆
toonsy(Quote)
Routledge is the best. Being compared to six foot of fresh is a fantastic compliment lol
toonsy(Quote)
Back in a bit.
Freaky Friday 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Ya’ll fit right in then 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Why arent my posts showing up
CC(Quote)
He’s got the tits
jay jay(Quote)
he most certainly has 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Manager: Holloway
——————Harper————————
–Eardley–Taylor–Coloccini–Enrique—-
—Dorrans-Barton-Tiote-Adam-Brunt—–
——————Odemwingie—————–
CC(Quote)
Good evening Lads whats the craic
Big Dave(Quote)
How’s you BD?
jay jay(Quote)
Jay pissed off running about getting my car fixed the day then finishing work late because of it 👿 I like to get home early on fridays 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
But it could be worse 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
richietoon,
How are you adjusting to your new life?
It’s pissing down in Newcastle!!
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
Jay Jay – jed from AP!
No way you wierdo, you’r a mentalist
Moreno(Quote)
not still trying to keep that new car going are you dave,1946 was a long time ago m8,up-date it for gods sake
icedog(Quote)
TGS…..I know mate I’m still there 😀 fly out on the 4th April 😎
Dave….buy a car built this century ya tight fecker 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Ice I would change it but it would be hard to get someone to buy it 😥 as you need to carry plenty of petrol about with you 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
richie,
Arghhh………thought you had already gone. 😳
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
Big dave have you still got the DeLorean?
jay jay(Quote)
Richie thats what happens when you buy a car from the darkside 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Jay a rover 75 2.5l v6 average 18-19 mile to a gallon 😯 but I dont really do much miles so it makes it a bit easier.
The missus is pestering me to change it for the last year but tbh I like it and as I said its getting someone else to take it 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
That’s less reliable than a DeLorean 🙂
jay jay(Quote)
DAVE didnt kna rover did three-wheels like
icedog(Quote)
Ice it a converted one 😆 did the blog go off on anyone else ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
yep 🙁
richietoon(Quote)
Dont worry Richie we’re back 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
DAVE see richie causeing bother again
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/81361512/
icedog(Quote)
Back and better than ever 😉
jay jay(Quote)
cheers again lads for your support, i’ll continue to supply articles in return!
btw if i dont know you on facebook, add me chaps- Mark Stockley
MarkToon(Quote)
Ice 😆 😆 good old Richie with the white socks on, wonder if he got his wig back ❓ did you Richie
Big Dave(Quote)
we’re back yeha 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
aye but for how long? 🙁
icedog(Quote)
it took long enough
batty(Quote)
Dave….kna, never got it back 😥
richietoon(Quote)
RICHIE,batty got it for sale on e-bay 😀
icedog(Quote)
Ice…I can well believe it 😀
richietoon(Quote)
Toonsy needs to get that sorted, maybe he could do a wip round 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
That should be it now. An issue with the server (well not the server, but trying to connect to it apparently) that was beyond control.
Fingers crossed we’re fine now 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
😆 😆 😆 😆 …….eh? I don’t get it!! 😆 😆
richietoon(Quote)
aye rich its sold ,dog brought it off me 😉
batty(Quote)
alreet toonsy divent yap on ,how much do ya want 😆
batty(Quote)
just watching the news and thinking that most of us all moaned about the snow etc but we dont have it that bad compared to a lot lately plus Japans today 😯
Big Dave(Quote)
Does Ice “want curly hair too”? 😆
richietoon(Quote)
TOONSY you did say freaky friday mate.
didnt belive dave when he said you looked in mirror 😆
icedog(Quote)
Ice he dosn’t have any mirrors in the house he cracked them all
Big Dave(Quote)
RICHIE payed £10 for it,didnt like the £50 delivery batty charged me for it like
icedog(Quote)
CC – Sorted now 🙂
Ice – See, Freaky Friday 😉
toonsy(Quote)
What’s the word the peeps?
jay jay(Quote)
jay the word is marktoon has promised too prove you wrong and buy a round 😉
batty(Quote)
Ice but it was special delivery 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Reet, off to work. Laters lads 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
lata m8
batty(Quote)
Toonsy take it easy lad
Big Dave(Quote)
laters m8
icedog(Quote)
dave dog hasent paid for it yet ,he spends all his cash on feeding his staffie bull
batty(Quote)
🙄 is that what it is ❓
Ice are you going to take that of the golden boy ❓
Big Dave(Quote)
🙄 ❓
batty(Quote)
BATTY how come this wig has label on it says property of mike ashley you sure its the right one
icedog(Quote)
fuking blue eyed gets away again 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
amer/.bulldog you slag
icedog(Quote)
thats it Ice you get into the slag dont let him get away with that. 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
dog you will have too ask rich seeing that it was his ,think hes been doing abit of work for him ,dave told me rich flys fattys helecopter 😉
batty(Quote)
dog well i divent kna man , dave told me it was a staffie 😥 😥
batty(Quote)
dave you lairing c unt ,trying too get me in trouble
batty(Quote)