Steven Taylor: “Relegation was the best thing.”

Taylor's 'thumbs up' to the future.
Steven Taylor has become the latest player to highlight the optimism and positive thinking that the Newcastle United squad has running through it currently.

Speaking the Journal, Taylor talks of exciting times ahead, how he is looking forward to the future at Newcastle, and how the current squad, whilst mindful of their place due to summer recruitments, are willing and able to prove a point next season aswell.

“It’s exciting times for us,” said Taylor. “I’ve just signed a new contract and I’m looking forward to being here for the next five and a half years and seeing what we can do in that time.”

“This squad has made a habit of proving people wrong. I think at the start of the season many people thought we’d be in the relegation fight but we’ve proved people wrong again. We’ve really kicked on this season and I think the best thing that’s happened to Newcastle was getting relegated.”

Now whenever I hear anyone connected with the club say that relegation was a good thing I always shudder and wonder just how it could have been a good thing. I mean every single one of the changes could have been achieved in the Premier League so I don’t see how the club having to suffer the indignation of relegation and losing out on millions of pounds can be a good thing.

I accept that getting relegated was a catalyst for change, and that it benefited some of the players and the team to an extent so in that way it was a good thing, but overall I’d never call it a good thing. Anyway, Taylor continued:

“The spirit we’ve got here now is great, you want to be at training everyday and everyone is hungry to do well for the club. I think we feel lucky to be here, especially the local lads. It’s the best feeling ever.”

“We know the fans would love to replace us with new players – we realise that – but for me I think we can really kick on with this squad next season. As a group we’ve done well this season and we want to do even better next season.”

Now I’m no fan of Steven Taylor as a player. I think he is considerably over-rated and hasn’t improved at all since he broke onto the scene six or so years ago. I think he makes horrendous clangers and gets caught out of position a lot and has a tendency to let his heart rule his head which makes him make mistakes. However, I do agree with his optimism on this occasion.

There is an attitude within this squad that I really really like. It’s an attitude that we haven’t seen for quite some time either. They aren’t the most technically gifted footballers that we’ve ever seen grace St James’ Park, but they give their all for the most part. We don’t carry passengers anymore.

The key to this summer is getting the balance right between bringing in the quality that we lack and keeping the nucleus of this current squad together.

If we can get that right we’ll have a good season next season!

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.

93 thoughts on “Steven Taylor: “Relegation was the best thing.”

  1. Taylor should never get close to the starting eleven if Mike and Colo are fit. I don’t rate Taylor at all, he’s a Geordie blah blah it does not make a difference. When Taylor plays I never feel confident.

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  2. Willo is bailed out of trouble more often than not, Taylor has suffered from not having an inform and settled leader alongside him like Williamson has in coloccini…

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  3. unfortunately Taylor hasn’t improved over the last few years, in fact he’s gotten worse – wouldn’t be that bothered if we sold him to be honest – got to agree with 1 above

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  4. Yep – he is atrocious – not so much footballingwise but from a positional angle and selfish way in which he plays – always protecting his weakness (lack of pace) he positions himself to protect that, makes desperate lunges and knocks everyone else around him nervous and out of shape. Colo is 1000000 times the player Taylor is.

    Colos my player of the season by a long way.

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  5. I think Williamson brings the best out in Colo to be honest. Taylor next to him makes Colo nervous IMO.

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  6. Yeah, I agree that exciting times lie ahead.

    This is why I think Jose will stay – give it a year or so and see how things pan out.

    Next season is a critical season. This northern summer is a critical time. If we stuff this up I’ll be joining Stuart in his diatribes and subscribing to .org

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  7. CC as CBs you play as a pair, so sometimes Williamson may force a player to commit to a play that makes it look like he has been beaten, only for Colo to mop up – but great pairing know how to work together. Its a trust thing – whereas Taylor plays for himself – that’s why Colo looked like he was thinking WTF when he arrived – Taylor doesn’t play for the team he plays for himself. Take Taylor away and Colo is class – put him back in and watch the back line crumble again

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  8. unfortunately I’m inclined to agree that Jose is off, just hope he doesn’t goto the bin dippers and is sold abroad instead 🙁

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  9. Taylor always goes on his daft runs up the pitch, does my head in. I just hope we gave him a five year deal so we can get a bit of money for him…

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  10. Who’d have thought that the majority would back a player who had never played in the Premier League ahead of our all-star, world-beating Geordie Baresi Taylor 🙂

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  11. Taylor played next to Colo for an entire season – we got relegated.

    Taylor is back up at best and even then, I think Kadar is first choice back up. Taylor is 4th choice to me.

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  12. Seing as Smith doesn’t look fit enough to Crunch Carroll, what are peoples opinions on letting Raylor finish off a few of his ligaments…, would you give him a place in the team if it taught Carroll a lesson? 😀

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  13. stardust

    What evidence is there of that, Coloccini played the majority of his first season with Bassong, Taylor and Coloccini played together in the championship together in a side that conceded 7 goals in matches they played together before christmas, Taylor got injured Williamson was signed and that was that.

    Bar a few matches earlier in the season Taylor got little if nowt wrong taking 10 points from 7 matches including Chelsea/Liverpool/Spurs and man city, Then he got injured and came back at full back and the villa match where him and williamson were like the blind leading the blind.

    Hes rarely if ever had a really good run with a leader alongside him, You only need to see ther difference Woodgate and Craig Moore made to Brambles performances to see what that can do…

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  14. im very optimistic for next season. I think , when fit our first 11 is a top ten team , i just dont feel our squad is strong enough in certain areas. I have faith in the club to strengthen in the right areas this summer to give us a squad to establish ourselves back as a top 10 team n hopefully a decent run in one of the cups. I do hope our youth players have a chance ( if good enough ) to break into first team squad.

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  15. Yeah, you’re probably right there Toonsy 😕
    Not really sure if I want Carroll to play against us or not, I guess its a lot to do with the result, don’t want to see him scoring against us but would love to thrash them with him in the team. From a purely footballing point of view, I think I’d like to see what Colo/Williamson can do to handle him, I think Williamson is a brilliant battler strength wise and its hard to get the best of Colo, plus they both know him from years of training…would be interesting to see if we could “handle” him so to speak. I guess the real worry is suarez.

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  16. Good luck to Carroll !
    I hope he doesn’t score but I still feel he forced out by the club.

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  17. be interesting to see if Carroll celebrates if he scores against us, if he did I reckon he’d cause a riot – I really hope we beat the bindippers by whatever score

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  18. I fear Liverpool are gonna hammer us.

    If they can hammer Man City, they can sure hammer us. We have to hope we have one of those Man Utd performances.

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  19. Good luck to anybody attempting to injure Carroll. I hope they really do him… I’d love it, just love it if has career was prematurely ended

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  20. how can relegation be classed as a good thing?each to their own.
    taylor looked like he had promise a few years back,but now looks more like a liability every game he plays.he has that vacant thousand yard stare,that you know he is about to do something stupid.i’ll never forget the villa game,when he went down as though he was shot by a sniper,classic 😆 .

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  21. He’s not saying it is a good thing to get relegated. He’s saying it turned out to be a good thing for Newcastle.

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  22. Are you just going to try and argue every message I post Moreno.

    I bloody give up with this place. Sick of it.

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  23. FJ, calm down mate. just wanted to ask why you thought we were going to get hammered. Sorry if I don’t agree like, I will try tiptoe more carefully next time

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  24. CC watch the difference between Colo playing with Taylor and anyone else. The difference is monumental.

    Though I do agree those first few games in the CC were OK – Taylor will always play for himself not for the team or his team mates.

    Just my opinion fella – but I’m not sure how anyone can try and defend Taylor if they’ve ever played to a semi-reasonable standard. He ignores even the basics

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  25. Stardust, I think that a problem with is that he was built up a few years back as being our future captain.

    Maybe he believes he is the natural successor and doesn’t have to listen to Collo where as willo will appreciate Collo is better with more experience

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  26. @AndrewNUFC
    Carroll states in his interview that he was asked to put a transfer request in as they wanted the cash. He told the club he didn’t want to leave but the club told him they had accepted Pools offer.
    I would believe Carroll over the club anytime.

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  27. bobby- Pardew also states the Carroll handed in a transfer request. Carroll looked so pushed out with his big massive goofy smile, and playing infront of the best fans in the world on his debut.

    Such a frail, quiet man, i bet he was pushed out easily….

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  28. @jobey
    I’ve printed his interview before.
    He was told that the club had accepted their offer and asked him to put in a transfer request. At that point he knew he wasn’t wanted and decided to move matters along swiftly and put in the request.
    Why don’t you accept it?

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  29. Moreno – great point!

    Now then Big Batty Stavers – you can try to avert the eyes of the masses but I have you firmly in sight!

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  30. Cause pardew said that he’d found on the wages liverpool were paying and came in and asked for his wages to be tripled. We said we’d rev-evaluate his contract in the summer and give him a rise then, but no. He handed in a transfer request. He wouldn’t have done it an tarnished his reputation if he was leaving anyway

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  31. People fail to mention the fact his agent was working in the interests of Liverpool FC and NOT Andrew Carroll.

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  32. starbob 😉 your not as carefull as you used too be ,some times ya cannit help too slip into bobby mode ,your secret is safe with me just as billy bunter was 😆 😆 😆 plus bobby mentioned sumit last week what i told you on messenger 😆 😆 😆 but like i say your a top lad 😉

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  33. Moreno – People forget he was being represented by an agent appointed by Liverpool as his agent wasn’t representing him at the time 😉

    It’s called tapping up 😉

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  34. But doesnt it show modern footballers are brainless individuals? If he didnt want to move no one could force him? Not Newcastle, Not Liverpool and not his agent! He went for money simples, and dont tell me he was pushed and fell harder than pedro or any barca player. His reputation is ruined and it will not be forgotten. Id play Taylor against cesspool with the single purpose of marking and possibly hurting judas.

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  35. Big Batty Stavers – we are both known to posters on here who will tell you that bizarrely there are two of us – I’ve always been known to be the Clever one and Bobby as a bit thick.

    You on the other hand spell Billy Bunter style then drop in a few “Hences” and “Therefores” kind of gives the game away – I always confess my sins Big Batty Stavers – dooooooo yooooooouuuuuuuu??????? 😆

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  36. @jobey
    Pardew never once says that Carroll wanted the same wages as L’Pool were offering. To the contrary, Pards states Carroll was asked about a rough figure and Carroll couldn’t come up with anything . Pards admits the club were not willing to discuss any wage negotiations with him at all. Pardew states they knocked back two previous offers and accepted the third which was too much to turn down . Carroll states he told them repeatedly he did not want to leave.
    He then states, once he realised the club didn’t want me, my own hometown club, I knew it was time to leave and did as they requested, submitted a transfer request.

    How you all allow the club to escape the flak is beyond me and I wish Carroll all the luck.
    Gutted he’s gone but in my eyes, forced out.

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  37. @59 alreet bobby. nice selective reading and adding a few little points of your own and ignoring others to give you the most commanding story.

    NICE

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  38. Aye, “forced” into writing a letter because he feels unwanted. Poor cherub. I mean the lad who broke a team-mates jaw because he wasn’t happy with something he done, a lad who assaulted a woman, a lad who stuck a glass in someones face, didn’t feel wanted and just meekly surrendered 🙄

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  39. Big Batty Stavers – wouldn’t a real and genuine Batty have spelled “Scent” incorrectly and put in “sent” oooppppssssssssss fingers in the till have you! 😉 😆

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  40. starbob i nearly did ,you know me as well as i know you ,any way your dead too me from now on 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

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  41. Bloody hell TGS – being accused of being Bobby and Batty in one day is too much for a man to take – off to do some chores!

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  42. @toonsy
    When you are 21 yrs old and the club has told you they have accepted £35m for you and they want you to submit a transfer request, then you are a bigger man than me and many more if you could tell them all to stuff it.
    Do you realise if Carroll had told them he was staying, many thousands of fans would have lynched him!
    Many fans think it was a good deal and would have blamed him for not allowing the club to get an over inflated fee. Do you consider that or are yous just blinkered.
    I don’t.

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  43. I don’t think you look that far into it and have your own agenda.

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  44. Bullsh*t bobby. I don’t think any fan would have had a go at Carroll for staying, that is absolute shyte. He’d have been worth that 35 over the next 10 years if he had been loyal and stayed his career. I don’t think anyone wanted to Carroll to go. they just accepted once he had gone it was a good feee. focking shyte as usual.

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  45. @batty
    If you want to meet all 3 of us pre west brom, you are welcome to join us.

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