Silver linings for Newcastle United

The primary two weeks of this Newcastle United season has, for me, been a little bit little bit of a moist squib.

My expectations had been that we might cruise to a high 4/5 end similar to we did the season earlier than final.

That Newcastle United would beat Southampton 8-0 on the opening day and we might be everybody’s darkish horse within the Premier League race.

The doubters would really feel silly and people pundits who predicted us to complete exterior the highest six, would want to hold their heads in disgrace and need to go discover a correct job.

I predicted that Liverpool would battle post-Klopp in the identical approach that Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea did once they swapped out Outdated Purple Nostril, Wenger and Mourinho for Moyes, Emery and Avram Grant respectively. Chelsea can be terrible as a result of they must reinvent themselves once more and any preparations for his or her assault on the league can be delayed by at the least three weeks, whereas the brand new supervisor learnt the names of his squad of gamers.

Nevertheless, two weeks into the season, that bubble of pleasure has burst.

The sensation is like while you arrange your Fantasy League group and suppose to your self, “That is it, can’t imagine I received this glorious squad for 100 million quid. Let me try the prizes as a result of this group goes to blow all others away.” Then after sport week one you’re utilizing your wildcard.

This realignment of expectations isn’t a nasty factor although. I’m studying to stability the unfavorable ideas I now have with the silver linings I can see in these clouds. I hearken to all of the NUFC podcasts out there in order that they will inform me the whole lot goes to be alright ultimately and that we shouldn’t learn an excessive amount of into the beginning of the season. Then I hear Alan Shearer’s ‘England-esque’ doom and gloom and that sends me proper again. My optimistic/pessimistic swing gauge rotates like a helicopter rotor blade however that’s par for the course while you observe the Toon.

I need to admit I’m involved concerning the lack of signings and the squad depth general. I’m additionally frightened concerning the temper within the membership. A few years in the past there gave the impression to be an enormous togetherness throughout the group as we battled to fourth place. This season it feels totally different for many causes.

There appears to be a number of disgruntled gamers akin to, Trippier, Barnes and Gordon, if we imagine rumours.

I even have the sensation that the membership management 2.0 is a downgrade on Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi. I really feel that we’ve got misplaced the drive and the uncooked emotion that they introduced. They appeared to embody the notion that we might someday be that mega-club that Chelsea and Man Metropolis turned with related backing. They had been good characters who genuinely appeared to like the membership and the followers.

Stick some glasses on Darren Eales and you’ve got Penfold (Lee Charnley) which is a horrible thought. He’s greater than doubtless a wonderfully good CEO however he doesn’t come throughout as having black and white blood in the identical approach.

For all of the again slapping we did at touchdown Paul Mitchell, I for one had by no means heard of him. All of us laughed at Man Utd for getting Ashworth once they actually needed Paul Mitchell however on the final rely Man Utd have signed three gamers for properly over 100 million and look so as to add two extra high quality gamers earlier than the window shuts.

Then there may be the fiasco of the PSR gross sales. I believed a variety of Elliot Anderson, while Minteh may have gone some technique to fixing our proper sided winger drawback given the prospect, however to the world it appears we hadn’t thought this PSR factor by correctly and somebody in some unspecified time in the future discovered we had been within the sticky stuff and sacrifices wanted to be made to appease the footballing Gods.

What about these silver linings, I hear you ask?

We are actually two weeks into the season and are unbeaten. I imagine that the poor performances in our final two video games have been right down to some off-field disruptions however no lack of effort on it. There could also be health points and a few drained legs ensuing from summer time worldwide shenanigans however the coronary heart remains to be there in a lot of our gamers. That is evident in that we beat Southampton with a gritty efficiency and solely 10 males, and we got here from behind to rescue a degree at Bournemouth, a floor we received tonked on final season.

A match Joe Wilock and Harvey Barnes look to be actual distinction makers and with Sandro Tonali again, our midfield seems full of excellent choices, undoubtedly high 4 worthy.

Additionally, we’ve got received some defensive choices when Fabian Schar unbans himself after the Tottenham match and Sven Botman recovers from his poorly knee. Though signing Guehi can be large!!

As for the Newcastle United senior administration group and common lack of signings, I’m ready to provide them the advantage of the doubt. I get that we are going to solely signal distinction makers and in our monetary place, and with PSR guidelines, we’ve got cash just for one or two a yr, with promoting golf equipment nonetheless seeming to suppose we’ve got oodles of cash to spend.

Paul Mitchell nonetheless hasn’t been with us lengthy sufficient to know the place his desk is and the entire PSR factor is altering the way in which transfers are performed for everyone, evidenced by all golf equipment spending much less and being a little bit extra cautious.

I’ve enormous doubts that we are going to signal a distinction maker this window however with 5 months extra within the scorching seat, Paul Mitchell nonetheless has extra time to indicate his magic methods earlier than the January window closes and barring extra critical accidents our squad in all fairness wholesome.

HWTL – from a Texas based mostly Geordie.