I guess it's a lot to do with having realistic expectations based on the actual squads and resources available to each club - and so then not going overboard if we are not top 4 after 8 games. We are where we probably should be. It's not going backwards either, just because we had one season where we finished top 4. It's realistic for here and now. Other clubs evolve and improve too. Had we been allowed to go crazy with budgets, like Chelsea and Man City before us, then it would be a very different scenario and expectations would rightly be much higher. I think we are currently placed in the league exactly where we should be ranked based on squad quality / depth.
With the squad we had available, we totally overchieved to qualify for CL. It was never realistic to assume that same squad would consistently outperform at least half of the dirty six. Not without some serious and consistent improvement to the squad.
The energy levels and intensity are certainly not the same as previous couple of seasons. We need something to lift it. Experimenting with changing tactics is fine (and many on here have asked for that), but part of the success of the high press was that it also gave the crowd something to cheer about and help egg the team on. It created a good atmosphere. The club feels a bit flat atm.
Correct I set the poll to find out which of us are realistic as opposed to positive or negative. Backwards on the pitch forwards off the pitch. For some reason some people struggle to separate the two.
I'm not convinced we are much further forward off the pitch since qualifying for CL tbh, aside from it gave us the platform to get deals with the likes of Adidas. There has been a lot of disruption off field last year or so, coupled with continued attempts by the dirty six and PL to hold us back. Last couple of transfer windows have been disappointing and the whole Ashworth / Mitchell scenario has taken us a step back (temporarily at least).
They're doing work continuously in the back ground I'm sure. Finishing 4th was simply a good season and unfortunately it lead to some thinking we'd already become something the business simply is not. I'm not personally bothered about 4th because I don't think the club is good enough and it's all about the distant future. We're going to endure many years of painful defeats before things might present real opportunity.
There's flat earthers on here they're trying to convince everyone Newcastle are a top 4 side despite finishing 7th last season and spending very little.
I think I'll go top 6 now we've got a good idea what's happening. Looking at my previous post on this thread 5th would be ideal.
Currently, the club is way over achieving my expectations. After the lack of first team signings in the last 3 windows, I thought we'd struggle to compete for European places. Especially when the dirty 6 - and many others such as Villa, Bournemouth, Brighton - have continued to spend and strengthen. While our first choice 11 looks classy, our squad depth is very poor compared to most other squads competing for CL places. But fair play, our lads an coaching staff have done incredibly well.
