After many years of having our noses rubbed in it I can understand the glee at having finished higher that NUFC. Fair enough and I know the rivalry will never go away but does anybody else think finishing higher than them should not be the sole aim to our season. My point is; if that is what we want more than anything it distracts from seeking real progress season upon season. Our aim must be to make such progress that at some point we have a realistic ambition of winning honours. In my opinion this has definitely not been a good season for us and finishing higher than NUFC should not mask that fact. In a way finishing higher than them in many seasons will be settling for mediocrity and we should not give ourselves and our Club an excuse that everything is alright as long as we finish above NUFC. I've supported this Club of ours for best part of sixty years and if I'm honest during most of that time we've had to settle for second rate. I really hope we can move up a notch or two in the coming years so that being higher in the league than NUFC becomes an irrelevance.
Been saying it for weeks, even to the bloody extent of getting a hypnotist in. There needs to be a mental + physical toughness & competitive edge throughout the team. I would like to see a big hard intimidating CB, CM & centre forward brought in. Cannot remember a particular hard man in our team since bally left. There has been glimpses this season of good football etc but when we come up against the hard physical teams eg Stoke, we bottle it. Lets sort that out.
Totally agree. Ive been telling me Mackem dad to get that monkey off his back for a while now. A foray into Europe will show your fans what they really can focus on if they put their minds to it. Unfortunately for both of our teams that looks a long way off at the moment me thinks....
Very good comments, Pontsafc & malbranqueslastfag, and no doubt everybody will agree. That must be another step up in the continual search for improvement. Let me just say that exactly two years ago we were lusting after the comfort of mid table mediocrity. I would not say we have achieved that yet despite 10th. Even if we do achieve it - it is a frustrating place to be I think. Not as bad as being involved in relegation battles but not at all satisfying. I suppose that is progress of a sort (frustration replacing squeaky bum adrenaline) but we have such a long way to go and I for one am impatient to see the obvious things sorted out.
Should our next target be what Stoke and Bolton have done this season? A good solid season with no scares PLUS a fantastic cup run with hopefully a nice day out at Wembley - even if it is just a semi-final? If like me you remember '73 fondly, you will remember how that cup run picked up the whole team, success rubbing off onto the league form. Not many teams - particularily those from the bottom half of the table or newly promoted will fancy playing those 2. Look at Stoke now - Europe! Even if it is short lived EUROPE!!!! Feyenoord, Athletico Madrid, St Etienne............. I want what they've got!
They are not mutually exclusive aims. Overall it has been a dissapointing season despite finishing 10th.Many questions need to be answered quickly and even Brucie's supporters of which I am one are far from sure that he is capable of taking us further.Did the last ten minutes of season,cheer me up?FFS did it ****? If I had to choose I would prefer a cup win and safety in the league to finishing above the mags next season. But I don't have to.
I have to admit, good post. I can safely say having went to a fair few games in my time and being a member of a lot of football forums that the Newcastle fans, myself included of course, measure our season on how well we finish in the league, and how well we do in the cups etc... Finishing above you lot and doing well in the derbies is just a nice added bonus if it happens. Having also met various Sunderland fans and even used to be a member for a short time on the ReadyToGo Sunderland board (Joined because the banter is class, im not obsessed before anyone throws that one out) I have noticed that a big, big majority only seem to measure the success of a season on how higher you are than us and what the derby results were. I'm sure theres a section of Newcastle fans that are the same dont get me wrong, just think your lot are more guilty of it, possibly from seeing us challenging for the title and being in the champions league in recent(ish) times.
