With just two games left in the Barclays Premier League season, Newcastle United are still battling to ensure a survival in the top tier of English football.
Last season, Newcastle United were one of the most entertaining sides in England, beating teams regardless of their stature and playing some of the most attractive football in the country.
Only in their second season after a return to the Barclays Premier League, Newcastle presented themselves as worthy top four challengers. They refused to back down no matter what opposition they were against and finished the season with 65 points, placed fifth in the table just four points behind fourth placed Tottenham.
The Magpies however just a season later find themselves three points shy of a relegation spot and if they fail to win their next two games, they might be forced to return to the Championship for the second time in four years.
Discussed below are some of the reasons which might have accounted for the unexpected decline of the club this season:
Was it over confidence?
After last season’s exploits, everyone expected Newcastle United to take the league by storm once again and possibly fight for a top four place. However, any such notions were unceremoniously discarded as the team struggled a lot to get the right results from the beginning of the season.
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley was so confident of a successful season that he awarded his English manager Alan Padrew a massive eight year deal in order to ensure his services were retained for long, there is a possibility that this might have removed any sort of pressure from the manager’s shoulders who was assured of a long term stay.
One has to say that most of the players in the squad had become complacent too and might even have thought that their achievements from last year would help them in the current campaign. Papiss Cisse who had been a revelation last season scoring some breathtaking goals, has only registered 12 goals in 41 starts this season, a truly embarrassing scoring rate for a striker.
Injury to key players
Injury to some of the key players was yet another reason why Magpies failed to progress in the Premier League. With the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa and Santon ruled out for lengthy periods, it was always going to be tough for the team to get a rhythm going for longer periods of time.
These three aforementioned players especially the two French internationals played a huge role in everything good that the club achieved last season and it is evident that Newcastle suffered immensely in their absence.
Departure of Demba Ba
One player can definitely make a huge difference to the fortunes of a side. Newcastle United can attest this fact by citing Demba Ba as an example. The Senegal international rose to prominence last season and since then, has not looked back.
However, the striker chose to abandon the ship and sign for Chelsea instead. The presence of Ba gave Newcastle an extra dimension to their game and without him, Papiss Cisse has so far been unable to replicate the form that he displayed in the second half of last season.
Moreover, Ba was never duly replaced. After a lot of negotiations throughout the month of January, Loic Remy who was one of Newcastle’s targets chose to join Queens Park Rangers from Olympique de Marseille. The France international was a long-term target and his snub has hurt the club a lot.
Players not living up to expectations
The likes of Jonas Guttierez, Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux, Tim Krul, Papiss Cisse and Yoann Gouffran have not lived up to expectations at all. Guttierez is no more the player who walked on water last season, Cabaye is no more able to find those inch perfect passes that had become his trade mark, Krul has not been able to be as commanding in the posts as he was last season while Papiss Cisse has simply blown hot and cold this season.
New signings not gelling in well
The arrivals of Moussa Sissoko, Yoann Gouffran, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa was supposed to turn the tide for Pardew. Instead, these players have still not been able to combine well with their new teammates with the exception of Moussa Sissoko who has done a decent job since coming from Toulouse.
Post-season prospects
Although Newcastle still have a great chance of avoiding the drop, finishing so low in the table will definitely hamper the club’s growth and may also see star players like Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa and Mathieu Debuchy seek greener pastures elsewhere which would hinder all the good things the club has managed to achieve in the past few seasons.
Newcastle next travel to Loftus Road where they will be facing an already relegated Queens Park Rangers side. Should they fail to earn all three points on Saturday, Newcastle will be edging closer to joining QPR in the championship.
Only in their second season after a return to the Barclays Premier League, Newcastle presented themselves as worthy top four challengers. They refused to back down no matter what opposition they were against and finished the season with 65 points, placed fifth in the table just four points behind fourth placed Tottenham.
The Magpies however just a season later find themselves three points shy of a relegation spot and if they fail to win their next two games, they might be forced to return to the Championship for the second time in four years.
Discussed below are some of the reasons which might have accounted for the unexpected decline of the club this season:
Was it over confidence?
After last season’s exploits, everyone expected Newcastle United to take the league by storm once again and possibly fight for a top four place. However, any such notions were unceremoniously discarded as the team struggled a lot to get the right results from the beginning of the season.
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley was so confident of a successful season that he awarded his English manager Alan Padrew a massive eight year deal in order to ensure his services were retained for long, there is a possibility that this might have removed any sort of pressure from the manager’s shoulders who was assured of a long term stay.
One has to say that most of the players in the squad had become complacent too and might even have thought that their achievements from last year would help them in the current campaign. Papiss Cisse who had been a revelation last season scoring some breathtaking goals, has only registered 12 goals in 41 starts this season, a truly embarrassing scoring rate for a striker.
Injury to key players
Injury to some of the key players was yet another reason why Magpies failed to progress in the Premier League. With the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa and Santon ruled out for lengthy periods, it was always going to be tough for the team to get a rhythm going for longer periods of time.
These three aforementioned players especially the two French internationals played a huge role in everything good that the club achieved last season and it is evident that Newcastle suffered immensely in their absence.
Departure of Demba Ba
One player can definitely make a huge difference to the fortunes of a side. Newcastle United can attest this fact by citing Demba Ba as an example. The Senegal international rose to prominence last season and since then, has not looked back.
However, the striker chose to abandon the ship and sign for Chelsea instead. The presence of Ba gave Newcastle an extra dimension to their game and without him, Papiss Cisse has so far been unable to replicate the form that he displayed in the second half of last season.
Moreover, Ba was never duly replaced. After a lot of negotiations throughout the month of January, Loic Remy who was one of Newcastle’s targets chose to join Queens Park Rangers from Olympique de Marseille. The France international was a long-term target and his snub has hurt the club a lot.
Players not living up to expectations
The likes of Jonas Guttierez, Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux, Tim Krul, Papiss Cisse and Yoann Gouffran have not lived up to expectations at all. Guttierez is no more the player who walked on water last season, Cabaye is no more able to find those inch perfect passes that had become his trade mark, Krul has not been able to be as commanding in the posts as he was last season while Papiss Cisse has simply blown hot and cold this season.
New signings not gelling in well
The arrivals of Moussa Sissoko, Yoann Gouffran, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa was supposed to turn the tide for Pardew. Instead, these players have still not been able to combine well with their new teammates with the exception of Moussa Sissoko who has done a decent job since coming from Toulouse.
Post-season prospects
Although Newcastle still have a great chance of avoiding the drop, finishing so low in the table will definitely hamper the club’s growth and may also see star players like Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa and Mathieu Debuchy seek greener pastures elsewhere which would hinder all the good things the club has managed to achieve in the past few seasons.
Newcastle next travel to Loftus Road where they will be facing an already relegated Queens Park Rangers side. Should they fail to earn all three points on Saturday, Newcastle will be edging closer to joining QPR in the championship.
