Pointless!

Fifty two thousand people faithfully arrived at St James’ Park on Saturday to create a carnival atmosphere to greet the players as Newcastle began their home campaign. The opening day defeat at Fulham was disappointing but fans expected a much more profitable afternoon as Newcastle looked to take full advantage of unparalleled home support. What this incredible support was delivered though was shockingly woeful. Defeat to Huddersfield has left the Magpies pointless after two games and looking alarmingly short of quality.

The wave of optimism generated by Rafa Benitez’s decision to commit his future and some decent transfer activity now seems to have dissolved as cheers turned to jeers at the final whistle. The result is a devastating blow to Rafa and his men as they gift away, what could turn out to be, vital Championship points. Fulham and Huddersfield are not good sides, they will not be fighting for promotion at the end of the season. These are dropped points.

However, let’s not panic just yet. The loss is a bad one yes but Newcastle still have a long, long way to go. The season and the evolution of the team is still in its infancy. Benitez made good changes for the match, Perez and Colback rightfully dropped after struggling against Fulham. The presence of Mo Diame in the starting line-up and the omission of want-way Moussa Sissoko would have also pleased most fans. Chancel Mbemba was back in the back four and at kick-off everything seemed to point to a good day for Newcastle as fans cheered on their team. Of course Huddersfield had other plans.

It does look as though a trip to Newcastle is seen as a bit of a day out for the opposition. They can arrive with no pressure whatsoever and play at a magnificent stadium in front of a crowd the size of which many of the players will have never played in front of before. St James’ Park – at the moment – is not a fortress, an insurmountable castle, it’s blinking Alton Towers. Teams need to fear it, dread coming there and have nightmares about losing there. For that to happen we need to stick with Rafa and the team, as difficult as that may be after seeing such dross but it must be done.

Newcastle need to do their bit too though and desperately need to get into a winning mentality. They really cannot afford too many more days like Saturday. Even if performances are still not quite right, somehow Newcastle need to start picking up some points before they leave themselves with too much to do. There is still plenty of time to resolve some key issues, but as they try to bring more quality into the club, they must start winning games.

Jamaal Lascelles needs the fans’ support. He has the weight of captaincy on his young shoulders and it appears to be affecting him. Just as it seemed to disintegrate Jonjo Shelvey’s performances last season, Lascelles’ shoulders look heavy and he needs time to grow into a difficult role. Gayle too must cope with that number 9 on his back. Saturday was Alan Shearer’s birthday and Gayle did well to get on the scoresheet. He may have initially missed the penalty but the eagerness he shows to take penalties and free-kicks illustrates his desire to get on the scoresheet and get shots on goal. He too will grow into that formidable shirt.

It’s about as bad a start as anyone could have imagined but the only way, as they say, is up.

295 thoughts on “Pointless!

  1. Wow 😯
    Psychs eats up the shoddy journalism as if it’s his last meal.
    Take a look at 75 percent of managers in their managerial roles over the period Pards was at nufc.
    He outlasted most of them.
    Do you think all the other managers who were sacked were not pulled apart by journos and fans alike? Of course they were.
    Pardew never took us down. He was restricted in the cups starved of investment and players bought that he didn’t want. Yet he still survived and walked away whilst we were in 8th.
    I’ve always maintained he was an average Premier league manager who did a decent job for us under the circumstances. Nothing more. Nothing less.

      (Quote)

  2. I thought the Toon looked good on the attack against Reading (only from highlights) and to score 4 goals and one disallowed can’t be bad.
    Need at least a draw against Bristol City.

      (Quote)

  3. Is it right that we have a net spend this summer equal to money made from sales. If so, is it a coincidence that the LW, LB and STR moves we desperately need have stalled whilst we are not in surplus financially? Seems to me players need to be shifted on pronto before it’s too late.

      (Quote)

  4. Sissoko is the only player we have that will bring decent money. I can’t see anybody buying Krul when he is injured, Tiote is not worth that much as he only has 1 year left on his deal and the rest will be hard to shift for anything at all – Saivet (loan), Gouffran, Riviere, Vuckic, Sammy.

    If we have to sell to buy, it is Moussa or bust. I am sure the buying clubs are aware of this as well and are loathe to pay our 35 mil asking price.

      (Quote)

  5. Troy, if Pards had players bought he didn’t want, how come he keeps trying to sign our ex players? He couldn’t of been that unhappy with the squad if he keeps looking to buy them.

      (Quote)

  6. Troy has a point – Pardew was a really **** manager and a real bell end. There’s no point in arguing with him.

      (Quote)

  7. Kim
    Howay. He’s said it himself, he was given players he didn’t want. He’s just trying to get the better ones, sissy & cabaye. He was also given dross. That there is no debate.

      (Quote)

  8. It looks like Palace and Pards are relegated. After one game of judging them. 😆
    Like many new managers, players get their noses pushed out because the new manager doesnt see them in their plans. This inevitably causes unrest in the camp. Managers have to be given time to settle things down and get rid of those not in their plans.
    Bring in players they want and gel the team.
    Pardew has only been there a short while. Give the bloke a chance.

      (Quote)

  9. Kimtoon:
    ICE, It’s a loan by the looks of it

    well thats the end of his loan then he will never do a couple of months never mind a season

      (Quote)

  10. Georgio:
    Anybody know anything about Periscope TV? Best chance of a live link somebody somewhere said.

    i watched the Reading game on there,dont know much about it,MM i think put the link up,mind it kept breaking up i got fed up with it

      (Quote)

  11. Thanks Ice – I’ll give it a go if I can find it (any clues?). I’m already fed up of having to listen to Mick Lowes again.

    Can’t believe we’ve managed to get rid of De Jong. Few more still to go though.

      (Quote)

  12. Georgio:
    Thanks Ice – I’ll give it a go if I can find it (any clues?). I’m already fed up of having to listen to Mick Lowes again.

    Can’t believe we’ve managed to get rid of De Jong. Few more still to go though.

    all i can say is check it out on google mate,sure to find it on there

      (Quote)

  13. Troy he also tried for an over the hill Colo too so what does that say. Oh and he wanted Santon but he failed his medical for the third time. He’s got Benteke now who will likely save his skin.

      (Quote)

  14. Less to pay out on over time for the physio’s as well,money saved all round,he still has three years left on his contract so hope it works

      (Quote)

  15. Kimtoon:
    Troy he also tried for an over the hill Colo too so what does that say. Oh and he wanted Santon but he failed his medical for the third time. He’s got Benteke now who will likely save his skin.

    hes a good player,dont think target men work at L/Pool the way they play,Carroll had no luck either

      (Quote)

  16. Pardew having another go at the toon over transfers saying he wanted to the toon,but now we are a club that put more crosses into the box than any other PL team,what do you base that on Alan?how many games have been played,god your a ****

      (Quote)

  17. Ice, he has an unhealthy obsession with us, forever bringing up his time with us and how the board didn’t back him. He should of spoken out while here, would of gotten more respect from fans . He was happy to pick up the wage and tow the party line.

      (Quote)

  18. Kim
    He’s no different to 75 percent of coaches nowadays who are coaches not managers. None of theM would have a job if they spoke out against the board about transfers.
    He knew the deal when he signed. He accepted the terms. He did a decent job whilst here.

      (Quote)

  19. Are Liverpool really going to let Ings go out on loan? We might be a good choice as they know Rafa will give him games, but do they want to loan to a Championship club? Is that a step backwards or better than Burnley or Hull even though they are in the PL. They would not want to loan to PL rivals which severely limits their choice in the PL as you would have to say the usual suspects are their rivals plus Spurs, Southampton, Everton, Leicester, West Ham and even Stoke.

      (Quote)

  20. De Jong said this about his loan to PSV:

    “Coach Rafael Benitez has said he sees a future for me at the club but feels that I need matches at a level to judge me. And he can’t guarantee me games in the Championship”

    Best for all concerned if he can pass the medical. I don’t think it is a good idea for him to be mixing it with the Championship bruisers and we still need to see if he has fully recovered from his 2 collapsed lungs.

      (Quote)

  21. Who was the last Dutchman to really make a splash in the Premier League? There have been a ton of Belgians recently but Gini would probably come closest. They don’t seem to be turning out yer Van Nistlerooys and Robbens at the moment. De Pay has been a bust so far and he was top scorer from the wing at PSG.

      (Quote)

  22. Can’t see Rafa passing on Ings if he knows he’s available. Definitely worth a try!
    That Haller looks another Le Sulk doesn’t he?

      (Quote)

  23. Shamrock:
    Is it right that we have a net spend this summer equal to money made from sales. If so, is it a coincidence that the LW, LB and STR moves we desperately need have stalled whilst we are not in surplus financially? Seems to me players need to be shifted on pronto before it’s too late.

    ive been saying that for the last 3 weeks… i reckon its pretty obvious.

      (Quote)

  24. Ashley did say the well was dry last season and that not to go crying to him for more cash. He said in’s would have to come from revenue raised from sales.

      (Quote)

  25. Troy, I don’t believe all coaches would put up with what they assume to be a raw deal like Pards did. Plenty have walked away on principle, most recently Steve Bruce left Hull over the boards antics.

      (Quote)

  26. Kim maybe Bruce was promised a different deal. I can’t think of many other who have done so.
    Can you?

      (Quote)

  27. Kimtoon: I have it on good authority that Steve Bruce left Hull because they took away his meal allowance.

      (Quote)

  28. Groucho:
    Didn’t Pardew buy Obertan?I wouldn’t trust him to buy a packet of crisps.

    it seems he tends to follow the lead what other clubs are looking at

      (Quote)

  29. Pards was out in the wilderness when he accepted what could only be described as his dream job at that time. We were still much bigger than Southampton and even West Ham back then and on the up. He had no other options and must have thought a leprechaun had **** a pot of gold on him when he met Lliambas. So he took the deal he was offered. Him being as cocksure as he is I am sure he thought he could renegotiate down the line. Unfortunately, Mr. Pardew’s employment always follows a similar pattern whereby the players buy into his blather for a while and then after many bizarre decision, tactics and fallings out he turns the team into a mirror image of himself and goes on a death spiral.

    When you see him on the sideline and in interviews he is like a manic depressive, and everything shows. He does his little sideline dance when things are going well and calls Pelligrini an old **** when they aren’t. Wash, rinse, repeat. Same as Troy’s defense of him. He only has 2 things to say – he didn’t take us down and we wouldn’t have got anybody better if we (deservedly) sacked him. It doesn’t matter how many times Pards repeats the same formula Troy will have the same mantra about him. I don’t understand this man-love he has for Pards. Surely there must be someone better he could be in bed with?

      (Quote)

  30. And Troy: Pards has not had just 1 game to judge him on. As you will have noted from that article I posted yesterday Palace have won 2 league games in 2016. I think it was 2 out of 22. So, no, Pards has NOT had just 1 game to be judged on.

    But fck Pardew. I only brought him up because I had read a concise article detailing all of the faults I had tried to tell you about.

      (Quote)

  31. Troy, Did our very own KK not walk out on us ? And Advocat walked away from Scum when he knew he was not up to it anymore. Likewise in the late 90’s Roy Evans left Houllier to it for the sake of the club he loved when things were not going well. Aitor Karanka walked away from Boro shortly to go back after a hissy fit. Pards would never walk away for the sake of the club, his arrogance wouldn’t allow him to. The man has an ego the size of the avon gorge as we say down here in Bristol.

      (Quote)

  32. Eric it’s all your fault you toad, mention pards and it’s like rattling a gimps cage where Troys concerned .

      (Quote)

  33. With respect, the Pardew argument is old hat now. He’s at Palace and I don’t give a monkeys either way how well he does or does not do. He is in the PL and we are not even mid table in the Championship. Onwards and upwards and all that!

      (Quote)

  34. Shamrock:
    With respect, the Pardew argument is old hat now. He’s at Palace and I don’t give a monkeys either way how well he does or does not do. He is in the PL and we are not even mid table in the Championship. Onwards and upwards and all that!

    Sham , he doesn’t get a mention then he references us in the media and we are all talking about him again 🙄 you are right though, best to brush him out of the memory.

      (Quote)

  35. Shamrock, regarding the toon it has to be upwards, theres nee where else to go .

    Troy is just fishing for the tiddlers with Pardew, and he keeps getting bites every time ?. ISFIAGTBI (It’s So Funny I Almost Got The Beers In).

    De Jongs uncle is the doc at PSV..

      (Quote)

  36. what going down with this site. loads of random headline grabbers on newsnow but no links within this site and we can only comment on old articles

      (Quote)

  37. Munich Mag:
    Shamrock, regarding the toon it has to be upwards, theres nee where else to go .

    Troy is just fishing for the tiddlers with Pardew, and he keeps getting bites every time . ISFIAGTBI (It’s So Funny I Almost Got The Beers In).

    De Jongs uncle is the doc at PSV..

    ah, not the old confusing..hes fishing for bites craic? was he getting bites when he called for Clarky, El Tel and Big Ron? Believe me, Troy is not fishing for bites, he really is fascinated with Pardew 😆

      (Quote)

  38. pardwho got a steal with Townsend, but has had his kegs pulled doon with the signing of Benteke. These two signings still won’t keep him in a job.

      (Quote)

  39. Gash, it’s surprising how seldomnly the blogmasters post on here. There again I suppose just because you buy a site doesn’t necdssarily mean you have to pitch up.

      (Quote)

  40. Kim/Psychs
    I only bring Pards up when I read others posts about how **** he is.
    As with most Managers, they only last 12/18 months so it’s the same rhetoric.
    Players are clearly not trying for them as well. That goes over your heads though.
    He was at the toon for over 4 yrs and Kim, he eventually did walk away. 😉 he wasnt sacked.

      (Quote)

  41. Troy, HA HA, Troy only cause Palace was in waiting and lets be fair he knew his time was up.
    We have to agree to disagree where that man is concerned.

      (Quote)

  42. Well it’s windy here and gale force winds forecast for tomorrow so the ball will be whipping about all over the shot, should make set pieces interesting. Been peeing down all day until a couple of hours ago too.

      (Quote)

  43. Gash: Troy is the one biting, as usual. He has Pardew radar. Whenever Pards is mentionsed you can be sure Troysta will be there defending the indefensible. Benteke is very streaky so he will either save Pards’ job or help him out the door. I remember at Villa he scored a lot of goals but they came in clumps.

    But, it is very old hat. Looking forward to the match tomorrow and we even have Man U on live in a few minutes so that should be fun.

      (Quote)

  44. No pre match thread, no match thread, no post match thread for Reading. This place was just getting a nice balance but seems the regulars are being sidelined somewhat. I mean 18 new articles since this one was posted, but none if them deemed appropriate to be comment enabled, so I assume they were all click bait. No pre match thread has been published for tomorrow and I’m at work so won’t be doing a match thread unless somebody else steps up. I don’t want to moan as it seemed to be going in the right direction here after a stuttering start, but not pitching in with match threads and instead just rehashing newspaper gossip is poor imo.

      (Quote)

  45. Shamrock:
    No pre match thread, no match thread, no post match thread for Reading. This place was just getting a nice balance but seems the regulars are being sidelined somewhat. I mean 18 new articles since this one was posted, but none if them deemed appropriate to be comment enabled, so I assume they were all click bait. No pre match thread has been published for tomorrow and I’m at work so won’t be doing a match thread unless somebody else steps up. I don’t want to moan as it seemed to be going in the right direction here after a stuttering start, but not pitching in with match threads and instead just rehashing newspaper gossip is poor imo.

    Very very poor mate I agree,oh why the hell didn’t you take this blog over???

      (Quote)

  46. Shamrock:
    No pre match thread, no match thread, no post match thread for Reading. This place was just getting a nice balance but seems the regulars are being sidelined somewhat. I mean 18 new articles since this one was posted, but none if them deemed appropriate to be comment enabled, so I assume they were all click bait. No pre match thread has been published for tomorrow and I’m at work so won’t be doing a match thread unless somebody else steps up. I don’t want to moan as it seemed to be going in the right direction here after a stuttering start, but not pitching in with match threads and instead just rehashing newspaper gossip is poor imo.

    Sham, I’ll knock up a quick one as it’s my city if you want, can you put it up for me?

      (Quote)

  47. Yes Kim. I’d be more than happy to mate. Thanks ? Us blog veterans have got to keep the place ticking over it seems!

      (Quote)

  48. Ha just seen this
    Next Tweet 

    Taylor and Besty ‏@TaylorandBesty · 1h

    Taylor and Besty Retweeted Steven Pienaar

    Moysey getting the band back together eh?

    Taylor and Besty added,

    Steven Pienaar @therealstevenpi I am delighted and honoured that I have got the opportunity to play at @SunderlandAFC

    4 retweets 16 likes

     Reply

     Retweet

    4

    Like
    16

     More

     Follow

    Andrew Long
    ‏@NutcaseOReilly
    @TaylorandBesty I suppose it’ll make a nice change for them to have Pienaar on the wing, rather than a paedo on the wing.

      (Quote)

  49. Most of whatever you claim is supprisingly appropriate and it makes me ponder the reason why I hadn’t looked at this with this light before. This particular piece really did switch the light on for me as far as this particular topic goes. But there is actually just one issue I am not necessarily too cozy with so while I try to reconcile that with the central theme of your point, let me see just what all the rest of your readers have to point out.Nicely done.

      (Quote)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *