You’ll likely not find a more deluded sounding title with regard to NUFC this season, but in a sense the meaning behind the title is true.
This weekend saw the end of any lingering hopes with regard to Europe and will mean that the remainder of our season will purely be focussed on us getting the results to maintain our current league position and avoid getting into any trouble at the wrong end of the table.
It looks as though fifth place will be the only league position that will gain qualification to next seasons Europa League, which is going to be a stretch too far for us in my opinion. However, the fact that we have got to March without being eliminated from the Euro race, and the fact that it has taken some freak results in the cup competitions to rule us out, is an indication of just how well we have done this season and just how open the league table is this year.
I’m getting slightly fed up of people pissing on aspirations though if I’m being honest. Yes survival was our main aim for the season, but whilst we had a chance of getting to Europe we should have been going all out to grab it. We might not be good enough to have made it, but what is the harm in trying?
I keep hearing people banging on about survival and how we are in a relegation scrap yet we are actually closer to sixth place as things stands currently. Why not look up whilst only having a tentative look down? Are Sunderland and Bolton also in a relegation scrap then? Naturally it could all change and we could get dragged into trouble, which could be said for the two teams above us aswell, but one win and it makes it all look a little bit more rosy.
I’m acutely aware that survival is the main aim for the season, but at the minute we have a chance of finishing the season in top ten at the very least. Europe is gone, if it was ever on in the first place, which means that we just have to concentrate on winning football games. We may have nothing to play for in terms of qualification, but we still have everything to play for in the league.
A higher finish will hopefully attract a better type of player than we could get if we finished just above relegation, so in the short term there is probably very little to play for, but when you look at the bigger picture a strong finish to the season could be vitally important.
Drum beating over!
Howay the lads!
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 still reckon we will just get 5th 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
batty(Quote)
‘If it’s just there for info then fair enough . It doesn’t do anything for me and that’s just the opinion of me one person and an honest one at that.’
Well boo-hoo. Don’t go on it then! 🙄
DJG(Quote)
Batty-
Tell ya what, mate. I’ll buy ya pint in Europe next season 😀
OHurley(Quote)
DJG – ****** isn’t he? 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Btw Toonsy-
This is by far the best Newcastle Blog out there. Too many articles and not enough craic at Uncle Ed’s place, and too much drama at Worky’s. Your place is by far the best. And 10k views per day is fantastic for only having been up for a couple or three months. Gan on, bonny lad! Keep writin’!
OHurley(Quote)
I’m actually a wee bit relieved. If we’d been in with a shout of Europe beyond March, I think we’d have suffered one way or the other. If we’d failed, then more ****-take about deluded fans; if we’d made it then I doubt if it would have helped us with our ‘2nd season syndrome’ situation.
Nah – survival was the target, and remains our focus. Once that’s there, finishing above the scum is all that really matters.
Right now, I’m still not convinced of our ability to get to 42 points comfortably with the squad we’re left with. I think we’ll make it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it came down to the last couple of games before we secured our safety.
But As Toonsy points out: what does it say about our season that it’s taken until now – and even then only by virtue of the finishing line moving two slots higher up? That’s good going!
Whumpie(Quote)
Toonsy – I second what OHurley says about the blog. It works well, minimises the ****** factor, gets the balance and quantity of content right and generally the banter is of good quality.
Hell – someone even corrected ‘there’ to ‘their’ earlier.
That’s intellect, that is. 🙂
Whumpie(Quote)
envy is a one way road,if you want to go that way remember its a never ending one 🙁
icedog(Quote)
Whumpie-
Haha, no doubt. I’ve noticed the the misspellings on this site and the overall IQ of the bloggers is superior to all the others. WAY better craic too.
OHurley(Quote)
Yeah europe ( for now ) is gone but a top 10 finish really is a big achivement , we have come along way in a short space of time. Have we come too far too soon? Has this weird season given us an inflated league postion? Agree with pardew that next season is going to be a different ball game but if we finish top 10 this season we have to aim for the same again next season.
Johno Toon(Quote)
Took me half an hour to comment on that footymad……I found it really hard to navigate around it 🙄 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Cheers lads. It does mean a lot. I’ve been sat on another site arguing all afternoon sticking up for this place because this lad doesn’t like it because it’s **** apparently, so I thought I’d ask those who actually use it (he claims to have never posted on heer before) on a regular basis 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Rich 😆
toonsy(Quote)
I mean what’s hard about this place? Your read down the page, and continue reading down the page until you hit the bottom. Hmm technical 😉
toonsy(Quote)
said all along 14th/17th is were we will be,even batty has a winning bet there 😉
icedog(Quote)
The only thing hard about this place is Big Dave, The Cyber Bully 😆
richietoon(Quote)
The only good thing in all of this, is that Liverpool look unlikely to qualify for Europe also.
SpartanChris(Quote)
Rich – Dave the internut 😆
toonsy(Quote)
not even gan to comment again on other sites points,why i never gan on them,read them moved on,odd time on org and thats it
icedog(Quote)
😆
richietoon(Quote)
Ice…how ya doing mate?
richietoon(Quote)
Toonsy at 12. If you have a blog you are going to get criticized mate- often unfairly. Best not to give it much thought.
As you mentioned the stats for this blog speak for themselves. Plus the majority of the top posters (IMO) followed you here so that should tell you all you need to know.
MDS(Quote)
A top 10 finish would still be brilliant, even if it is really tight this year. We would have managed it with hugely erratic home form (which shouldn’t be too hard to remedy) and we’ve proven we can win at some of the toughest stadiums out there (Everton, Arsenal, Chelsea, Birmingham) and we’ve also done it playing some classy football unlike Birmingham did the other year.
NewkieBrown(Quote)
RICHIE getting there mate thanks,sorted with brother on phone,just got to get on like what else can you do
icedog(Quote)
Im willing to bet there’s more people think that those sites are ****, don’t have many people and are hard to navigate. 😉
DJG(Quote)
One of the things that will keep the squad together is the prospects of European football. AP needs to set standards aimed at that result. Sending away Roautledge may have been one signal to that effect-the message being you have to be good enough to stay here. I do not doubt that others would have been gone in the January window if the money was right and the replacements measured up to the club ambitions. The club needs to keep its core so it can enhance its weaknesses. If the off season is spent finding players to replace those quality lads that leave, then it is starting out where the club was just a few months ago. If the club gets in that cycle, no one with ambition will want to come to Newcastle. The squad will be in a year to year plug the leaks mode, not a press on to better things mode.
BeeGuy(Quote)
The wee *****. Funny how he came out with this random bakers analogy or whatever it was. Can’t please everyone all the time. It’s easy to be a big man sat in your mams room on her pc. The little dafty
Moreno(Quote)
Aye toonsy, I think this pastry is a little under-cooked.
😆
DJG(Quote)
Ice…aye mate you can only soldier on and be there for ya bro.
richietoon(Quote)
Maybe next season 🙂
jay jay(Quote)
Evening Lads whats the craic 😀
Ice keep on keeping on mate we are here for you bud 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Nae bullying to do the neet Dave? 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Richie not tonight mate I thought I would take it easy give it a miss 😆 but then its still early 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
cheers for gettin me banned of org dave 😕
batty(Quote)
cheers dave thanks.
ime saying we will finish some between 14th/17th,plus batty bet will be up and richie in for 15% cut so he says 😉
icedog(Quote)
batty….seriously?
richietoon(Quote)
Evenin’ Big Dave. How’s u, mate?
OHurley(Quote)
kna rich but if daves asks yes 😆
batty(Quote)
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/hawksbee-and-jacobs/blog/2011-03-14/ant-dec-newcastle-just-wanted-stay?
batty(Quote)
Batty you were on talking to your mate earlier will 😉
OH alls good mate 😀
Ice I would say between 10th and 15th
Big Dave(Quote)
DAVE thats a dirty trick getting wor batty banned from org,good honest guy like him,never has a bad word for anyone 🙁
icedog(Quote)
Ice I would never do that to my wingman 😉
Batty this was a classic > somtimes your like a woman with PMT snapping and biting at people
Big Dave(Quote)
batty…thought like, ya were on there earlier.
Anybody else lose the blog there?
richietoon(Quote)
Richie maybe you need to crank the handle on your laptop charge it up a bit 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
DAVE you got snow owr there ❓
icedog(Quote)
Aye, whats happened to .org. its went AWOL. ❓
DJG(Quote)
DAVE richie whats to bye a jenny off batty,there cheap sold me one says it runs off gas,havent tryed it yet like
icedog(Quote)
Ice we had snow sat night thats it mate. you need to be careful with them gas jenny’s 😆
DJG cause all the best bloggers are on here 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
It’s working on firefox but can’t get it on IE 🙁
richietoon(Quote)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A_YrNTsdeI&feature=player_embedded#at=33
Icedog!!
DJG(Quote)
I’m not sure we could cope with Europe anyway. Not qualifying this season will be a blessing in disguise.
Also I agree with OHurley this is the best blog!
pearceet(Quote)
How do everyone? Rich, this place is working on both IE and Firefox for me???
toonsy(Quote)
RICHIE,ime on IE getting nee bother,not fiddling with your knobs are ye
icedog(Quote)
me too…..don’t know what you lot are complaining about ❗ 😆
richietoon(Quote)
Spanner 😆
toonsy(Quote)
DJG 😆 😆 😆
Richie did you makesure your connected to the internet 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Happy birthday to Steve Harper.
DJG(Quote)
DJG 😀 runs like r.taylor doesnt kna were to gan
icedog(Quote)
DJG very nice you wouldnt wish me happy birthday 👿
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave 😆
No it didn’t work, then it did for a couple of mins then back off. I then switched to FF and it worked, now back on IE……..him on footymad was reet 😆
richietoon(Quote)
DAVE your getting nowt for being 70 mate,new glasses maybe 😀
icedog(Quote)
Sup fellas, 1st post!
Is jonas fit for weekend? reckon we should play
Harper
Taylor/Campbell – – Williamson – – Colo
Simpson Jonas/Fergie
Barton/Guthrie – – Tiote
Nolan
Best Shola
5-3-2 if that comes out alright. Solid defence and with enough in the box to nick a couple, should get a result at Stoke.
what d’ya reckon?
Also, was nice to hear from Carr recently, 6 in was a nice number to hear from him, feels like i’ve been holding my breath for the summer for a while now. Some shrewd business and we’d have a decent team on our hands, here’s to hoping…
welshpie(Quote)
I couldn’t find enough candles. 🙂
DJG(Quote)
WELSHPIE,wecome to the mad house mate
icedog(Quote)
DJG thanks 👿 for the wish’s anyway
Richie footymad ????
Welshpie welcome aboard 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
the snide is keeping us guessing a bit on team news,be quite a few missing imo
icedog(Quote)
Dave….some lad was slagging the blog, Toonsy put a link up to it.
Welshpie…..welcome to the asylum, there is no escape 😈
richietoon(Quote)
Richie was he on here mate ? and have you a link 😀
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave… http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=386&fid=596&sty=2&act=1&mid=2118082474#p29401173
richietoon(Quote)
RICHIE thinking back ime sure that guy kept going on org,asking people to join that blog,clint gave him short shift 2/3wks ago
icedog(Quote)
Bollocks to him 😀
toonsy(Quote)
Can anyone get on .org?
toonsy(Quote)
I think that was a different Davy Ice, on about his mates new blog, could be wrong like 🙂
richietoon(Quote)
nah Toonsy can’t get on…fraud squad have closed it down. Read about it in the Daily Mail
Moreno(Quote)
TOONSY kna been off a while,went to get sticky beak,nowt
moreno might be reet 😀
icedog(Quote)