Newcastle also relegated

[Hibernia&Alba]

Along with Villa; that's two big clubs gone this season. What a fat fool Mike Ashley is. For a club that size to be relegated twice in seven years is crazy, and they might find it difficult next season: surely Benitez will now be away.

[Stokesy's on fire]

Newcastle remind me of Hibs

[Thecat23]

Shame for their fans but I'm glad they dropped. Ashley is a clown and should be punted from football. I think Newcastle will be down for a while.

[Stokesy's on fire]

Shame for their fans but I'm glad they dropped. Ashley is a clown and should be punted from football. I think Newcastle will be down for a while.

I doubt Mike Ashley even cares.

[Pretty Boy]

Shame for their fans but I'm glad they dropped. Ashley is a clown and should be punted from football. I think Newcastle will be down for a while.

You're probably right.

The whole set up at the club is a farce. Charnley and Carr should be clearing their desks as we speak, they won't be though. Their legacy is abject failure but they are Ashleys men. The thing about MA is I don't even think he is intentionally running Newcastle into the ground as an exit strategy or whatever, he just knows absolutely **** all about football. A successful businessman no doubt, albeit with the morals of a sewer rat, but zero clue about how to run a football club.

The Championship is a tough league but if Newcastle get the right man in they should bounce straight back. Sadly the men tasked with getting the right man have all been named above and I have no faith they will. McLaren was a ridiculous appointment and then he was left in position far too long, had Benitez came in 6-8 weeks earlier Newcastle would be ok.

On the 'plus side' I'm quite looking forward to a few midweek trips to St James and elsewhere next season. I've hardly seen Newcastle this season due to Hibs commitments but the sheer number of midweek games in the Championship should allow me to get to a few.

[SJM]

They will piss the championship next year with the right manager.

[Hibernia&Alba]

They'll be a loss to the EPL: the north-east is football mad and the Geordie people are good folk. It's such a competitive league; there are no easy games, as Newcastle and Villa have found out.

[easty]

Why is it Mike Ashley's fault? I don't know anything about how Newcastle are run, I've never really cared for them.

He probably should have replaced the manager earlier than he did. Might have kept them up if they got Rafa sooner.

They spent a decent amount of money on players who haven't performed as well as their price tag would have suggested they might. They haven't sold off their best performers (other than Debuchy at the start of last season). I'm assuming Mike Ashley doesn't decide who to buy? So it's no his fault they've no performed.

Almost £80m on 7 players (Wijnaldum, Mitrovic, Thauvin, Shelvey, Townsend, Mbemba, Saivet) for this season. Only sold Santon.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Why is it Mike Ashley's fault? I don't know anything about how Newcastle are run, I've never really cared for them.

He probably should have replaced the manager earlier than he did. Might have kept them up if they got Rafa sooner.

They spent a decent amount of money on players who haven't performed as well as their price tag would have suggested they might. They haven't sold off their best performers (other than Debuchy at the start of last season). I'm assuming Mike Ashley doesn't decide who to buy? So it's no his fault they've no performed.

Almost £80m on 7 players (Wijnaldum, Mitrovic, Thauvin, Shelvey, Townsend, Mbemba, Saivet) for this season. Only sold Santon.


Who? I've only heard of Townsend!

[CockneyRebel]

Who? I've only heard of Townsend!

You've never heard of Shelvey? You must lead a very sheltered life.

[Hibernia&Alba]

You've never heard of Shelvey? You must lead a very sheltered life.

Aye, missed him. Nude nut and very average. Don't know anything of the others.

[flash]

The thing is he and his cronies do decide who to buy and have done for several years.

[Andy.1875]

Going down for their game against Spurs on Sunday.
Bit of a nothing game now!

[Onceinawhile]

Aye, missed him. Nude nut and very average. Don't know anything of the others.

I suppose the champions league football wijnaldum has been playing and his 27 caps and 3rd place at the world cup for the Netherlands passed you by?

[Hibernia&Alba]

I suppose the champions league football wijnaldum has been playing and his 27 caps and 3rd place at the world cup for the Netherlands passed you by?

Totally passed me by. Never heard of him :greengrin

[Pretty Boy]

Why is it Mike Ashley's fault? I don't know anything about how Newcastle are run, I've never really cared for them.

He probably should have replaced the manager earlier than he did. Might have kept them up if they got Rafa sooner.

They spent a decent amount of money on players who haven't performed as well as their price tag would have suggested they might. They haven't sold off their best performers (other than Debuchy at the start of last season). I'm assuming Mike Ashley doesn't decide who to buy? So it's no his fault they've no performed.

Almost £80m on 7 players (Wijnaldum, Mitrovic, Thauvin, Shelvey, Townsend, Mbemba, Saivet) for this season. Only sold Santon.

Ashley put the recruitment structure in place. It's flopped for years yet Graham Carr is untouchable. Some of the managerial appointments have been questionable to say the least, that's the watch of Ashleys board. No decent manager is going to come in and work under Newcastles recruitment structure long term.

Someone above metioned similarities with Hibs and I get that. People will say the manager has been backed or this player was brought in or whatever but the club continued to fail. That comes from the top. Hibs seems to have taken steps to address that, Newcastle as of yet haven't.

[Stokesy's on fire]

Going down for their game against Spurs on Sunday.
Bit of a nothing game now!


fine for a pint though

[SlickShoes]

Employing Shteev McLaren was the one of many huge blunders, what would make you think a guy that's achieved nothing in management for many many years would be able to manage in the premier league after just being SACKED by a championship team?

[mmmmhibby]

Ashley put the recruitment structure in place. It's flopped for years yet Graham Carr is untouchable. Some of the managerial appointments have been questionable to say the least, that's the watch of Ashleys board. No decent manager is going to come in and work under Newcastles recruitment structure long term.

Someone above metioned similarities with Hibs and I get that. People will say the manager has been backed or this player was brought in or whatever but the club continued to fail. That comes from the top. Hibs seems to have taken steps to address that, Newcastle as of yet haven't.

selling Yohan Cabaye is an precise example of where Newcastle United ambitions lie, he was there best player at the time and was sold for £20m, not huge money in terms of his importance to the team....say everything about how bad this club has been run under fatty Ashley.

[Edinburgher]

Can`t stand Newcastle - bout time.

[SJM]

selling Yohan Cabaye is an precise example of where Newcastle United ambitions lie, he was there best player at the time and was sold for £20m, not huge money in terms of his importance to the team....say everything about how bad this club has been run under fatty Ashley.

He wanted to leave?

[DH1875]

Newcastle apparently spent more money in the January than any other club in EUROPE. No sympathy for them and really dislike the club.

[hibs69]

Sunderland & Boro can enjoy being the top two North East sides for only one season IMO. Tough league, yes but the Magpies will win the league next season. Well, my dough is on them.

[easty]

selling Yohan Cabaye is an precise example of where Newcastle United ambitions lie, he was there best player at the time and was sold for £20m, not huge money in terms of his importance to the team....say everything about how bad this club has been run under fatty Ashley.

If one of the biggest clubs in Europe wants to sign a Newcastle player, then they're probably going to get him.

Buy for c£5m, sell for £20m....hardly seems like a good example of bad management by Newcastle board to me.

[SJM]

If one of the biggest clubs in Europe wants to sign a Newcastle player, then they're probably going to get him.

Buy for c£5m, sell for £20m....hardly seems like a good example of bad management by Newcastle board to me.

Especially as he's French too.

What went wrong for Ben Afra at Newcastle?

[StevieT]

Going down for their game against Spurs on Sunday.
Bit of a nothing game now!

Me too. Although I'm a neutral, I was hoping that there would be something to play for. It will be interesting to see how the crowd reacts to the players.

[eastmainsmsh]

massive club but in the wrong hands

[WeeRussell]

Especially as he's French too.

What went wrong for Ben Afra at Newcastle?

Pardew never started him. The most exciting player at St James' in years and we hardly got to see him.

I'd have Newcastle favourites for the championship next season... being relegated by the Mackems last night is another in a long line of severe boots to the baws though.

[SJM]

Pardew never started him. The most exciting player at St James' in years and we hardly got to see him.

I'd have Newcastle favourites for the championship next season... being relegated by the Mackems last night is another in a long line of severe boots to the baws though.

Crazy, I thought he was a fantastic signing for Newcastle. Doing brilliant back in France now by all accounts.

I think they will come right back up. Hopefully changes will be made now. How come all the foreigners pick up other English clubs yet Newcastle, with the potential there is never one of them? Always found that weird.

[WeeRussell]

Crazy, I thought he was a fantastic signing for Newcastle. Doing brilliant back in France now by all accounts.

I think they will come right back up. Hopefully changes will be made now. How come all the foreigners pick up other English clubs yet Newcastle, with the potential there is never one of them? Always found that weird.

Me too, after I seen him play at the toon. His time was stuttered due to a serious leg injury not long after joining... but found it very frustrating the limited time he was getting towards the end of his Newcastle career as he clearly had the talent to change any game.

I don't quite follow the second point in your post. Do you mean that Newcastle don't attract as many talented foreign players? If so, I wouldn't agree, they do get their fair share of quality overseas (particularly French) players - Cabaye, Tiote, Ben Arfa, Winjaldrum, Mitrovic, Perez etc etc. In fact I think they rely on foreign talent as much as any other team in the premier league - unfortunately the Newcastle team in general over the past few years has not been near good enough.

Severe lack of spine/guts/hunger/passion/backbone whatever you want to call it in the team right now. I sat thinking last night, if Joey Barton had been with Newcastle this season, they would not have went down.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

Crazy, I thought he was a fantastic signing for Newcastle. Doing brilliant back in France now by all accounts.

I think they will come right back up. Hopefully changes will be made now. How come all the foreigners pick up other English clubs yet Newcastle, with the potential there is never one of them? Always found that weird.

Apparently barcelona are interested in signing him this summer.

[WeeRussell]

Apparently barcelona are interested in signing him this summer.


Seen that link somewhere this week. Interesting, and not unrealistic. The boy is very talented!