The Premier League curtain came down once more on another frantic and exciting season. As the final whistle blew many Newcastle United supporters gave out huge sighs of relief. Premier league status assured and the chance to look forward to next season. This season for Newcastle United was painful at best, filled with disappointments and anger, frustrations and anguish. This season will be largely erased by many and who can blame them? Now the season is over we can review what actually happened and dissect mistakes made.
Pre season & Transfers
Pre season brought around a large change in personnel. Seven fresh faces arrived at the club’s Benton base. Dutch internationals Daryl Jaanmat & Siem de Jong were joined by French playmaker Remy Cabella, Monaco striker Manu Riviere, local lad Jack Colback and Spanish starlet Azoze Perez. Alan Pardew felt this current squad could push on towards the higher echelons of the league and even amazingly make a push for the Champions League spots – despite capitulating the previous season when he was at the helm. It is a decision I was bemused at, given Pardew had never shown any inclination he was capable of transforming the club.
Pre season was largely underwhelming. Fans worried that by retaining Pardew nothing had been learned from previous mistakes. Pre season began with news of fans favorite Hatem Ben Arfa being forced to train with the reserves, due to returning under conditioned and overweight. Stories had surfaced of tensions between the charismatic Frenchman and manager long before pre season. This felt from a fans view as if Pardew had a personal vendetta against Hatem. Ostricing creative talents as a way of disguising his inabilities to get the required results. It has been suggested for many a year Pardew was always against creative mavericks. Pardew would rather select a player who provided hard work as opposed to technical ability and skill. Marveaux and Yanga-Mbiwa suffered the same treatment over the summer as their compatriot. Isolated from the first team and when the transfer window had shut all three were headed to pastures new. Ben Arfa signed for Hull City on loan, his current contract expired at the end of the season so it was assumed it was the last we would see of the Frenchman. Marveaux joined Europa League participants Guingamp on a season long loan, while Yanga-Mbiwa joined Italian giants Roma on loan with a view to a permanent. Mapou left at a time Newcastle were badly in need of defensive reinforcements. Alan Pardew’s arrogance and ego were the only winners in the sale of three fine players. By allowing Yanga-Mbiwa to leave at such a late stage in the transfer window there was no possibility of finding a suitable replacement. Pardew had effectively weakened the team due to his own ignorance and inability to bring out the best in the player.
Positive wins over Schalke and Real Sociedad were the only particular highlights of pre season. What was largely poor and Championship opposition, very little could be ascertained from the squad as to how they would cope with the rigors of the Premier League.
During the trip to New Zealand, the sad deaths of John Adler and Liam Sweeney rocked the entire football community. A plane crash as they traveled to support the team was not only a sad time but a complete shock. No fan should ever travel to a football fixture without returning home. Despite Newcastle making a lot of PR errors and decisions, the actions of the club were outstanding and made me proud to be a fan. From players wearing black armbands and laying tributes to senior management attending the funerals, the club behaved professionally and compassionately. Finally building a garden of remembrance outside St James’ Park was both fitting and right for the situation.
Premier League under Alan Pardew
17th August 2014, Newcastle began another domestic campaign at home to the visiting champions Manchester City. Was this a start of a new era? Could Newcastle United move forward?
In short no! 7 long fixtures past before we got the first win on the board in the league. Tactics and approach to the fixtures had not changed, with weaknesses being ignored. Negative mindsets and attitudes were an ever present. Combining this with a lack of confidence and the season already looked like it would become a long, drawn out slog. Too many times Newcastle lacked a cohesive game plan. Players looked alienated and confused in the system on the field, both collectively and individually. Individual errors were becoming a regular occurrence and mistakes were proving costly. Surrendering victory in the dying seconds to a poor Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace one of many late collapses through lapses of concentration.
Siem de Jong made his debut in the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa. As Pardew was under a lot of pressure at the time, I believe he rushed De Jong back looking to attain a positive result. De Jong had been sidelined the majority of pre season due to an alleged muscular problem, so rushing the player back was not something that should be advised as the risk of recurring injuries intensifies. The risk backfired and De Jong suffered injury which would curtail his season until mid January at the earliest.
Hull City leading 2-0 at St James’ Park, introduced Cisse for the first time – who turned the game on its head, sparking a comeback in what looked to be another demoralizing defeat. After the game Pardew openly admitted he’d risked Cisse without seeking sufficient medical advice. Newcastle’s club doctor was unavailable as he had other obligations to fulfill. The same pattern is developing. Pardew risked the safety and welfare of players for his own personal benefit. Not only is it dangerous to the players career but immoral.
Southampton away is without doubt up there with one of the worst performances ever by a Newcastle United team of any generation. Losing 4-0 in what was an embarrassing day to be a supporter. The scoreline did not flatter the opposition and had they actually not taken their foot off the pedal in the second half this could have been a whole lot worse. The performance was gutless and will live with me for an awfully long time. Pardew watched as his team crumbled without even putting up as much as a whimper. It was all too easy to Southampton. They toyed with us, opening our defense up with ease and scoring in a manner in which professional footballers should be ashamed.
The game was marred in controversy before a ball had even been kicked. John Carver was videoed abusing supporters, who wished to show disgust at the managers running of the team. The manner in which the coaching team treated fans was disgusting. Given the fans are the cornerstone and foundation to any club the contempt Pardew and his staff had for the fans is beyond words. Carver and goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman, were forced to apologize for their actions. Neither of the statements contained a morsel of sincerity, nor had they acknowledged lessons would be learnt from the debacle.
A home fixture in October saw a run no fan envisaged – a run of five straight wins saw Newcastle begin to move up the table. Given the opposition it was never a set of fixtures many expected to win. Leicester, Spurs , Liverpool, West Brom and QPR were all dispatched.
West Brom is up there with the best results of the season. A game we controlled from start to finish. A scintillating, goal of the season contentioning, back heel from Azoze Perez completed a dominant performance. Both QPR and Leicester whilst we won were poor, dire games, these are fixtures I would look at and hope Newcastle could put on a resounding performance. 3 points was all that matters. Newcastle had from somewhere appeared to found a way of winning fixtures. Spurs away saw Newcastle overcome a half time deficit to leave White Hart Lane with all three points. Something Pardew had never been able to do previously. It wasn’t pretty but it was effective. Fans were happy at stopping the rot and it eased the pressure on Alan Pardew. What I will say is he has a habit of putting a string of wins together. During his whole career he’s managed brief winning runs whilst not having consistancy to maintain them. Newcastle fans were obviously happy points were being acquired, but you always had the fear in your mind it would come crashing down – sooner rather than later.
Late November and December consisted of more depressing results. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea provided us with the only plus point. Chelsea, who were backed heavily in the summer by Russian Roubles, had assembled a team who was dismantling all challengers put in front of them. For the first time questions were not being asked of Mourinho’ s style. Chelsea were not only winning but dominating and showing finesse to an already solid foundation. But the Chelsea boss’ record at St James’ is something he prefers not to discuss. What Mourinho saw that day was a spirited Newcastle United performance. A performance where fans could take heart and see that there was talent in the squad, but it wasn’t being used correctly. It was straight back to reality for Newcastle fans, as their side lost heavily away to Arsenal and then looked lackluster in defeat to West Ham – displaying their shallow and weak underbelly.
The first Tyne and Wear derby of the season was just before Christmas. A victory could have created a merry period for a region who had very little to cheer about during the opening months of the season. Fans believed nothing could get any worse. Our local neighbors had been on a run making even our results appear acceptable. Under the tutelage of Gus Poyet, Sunderland appeared to be heading down to the Championship – something Poyet had helped avoid the previous season.
Alan Pardew had already lost 3 derbies in a row, surely he couldn’t lose another. Well, Newcastle didn’t just lose, they were comprehensively beaten. Losing to a last gasp, Adam Johnson goal was a bitter pill to swallow. Despite their truly horrendous run of results prior to the game, it pains me to admit, Sunderland dominated us in every department. They played with desire and enthusiasm to get a result. We looked a disorganized mess, incapable of matching the intensity of the opponents or the fixture in general. Many fans from other clubs disregard derbies as just another fixture. I believe Alan Pardew adopted the same mentality. That mindset is unwelcomed on Tyneside, many define a season solely on how we performed against our local rivals. Whilst I don’t use that as a barometer of success personally it’s indicative of how fans view the game.
The end of 2014 saw Everton return to Merseyside empty handed, a much needed win and the final fixture of Alan Pardew’s reign. Newcastle were on the search for a new coach. This was the end of an era. Alan Pardew walked out, choosing to return to Crystal Palace, a club he served as a player. A significant wage rise and chance to return to his roots was the primary motive. Newcastle fans did not force him out, something I really would like to stress. Media put the blame solely at the fans’ door. This arrangement was best for both parties. He could try something new and we could move on. Pardew had neither the acumen nor the character to succeed. Facts proved categorically he’d failed at his primary duty which was obtaining credible results consistently. He left Newcastle mid-table, exactly as he’d taken over, with far better resources than his predecessor Chris Hughton. I was glad he left. It was not unrealistic to expect more from a club of our stature.
January transfer window and John Carver
The January transfer window upset many fans. They believed we should have reinvested into the squad due to a lack of quality. However, January saw Davide Santon head out of the door to join Italian giants Inter Milan. Many rumors circulated about the actual reason for the move. It was alledged Santon’s agent had been touting his client around to other clubs for months.
January is a market I don’t think is necessary. It’s a gamblers market and should be removed. Clubs who buy in this time are predominantly in a relegation dog fight and make knee jerk decisions, while title contenders look to strengthen. Giving Newcastle’s position in the league table, finding the right player may have been unattainable. It makes little sense to buy a player purely on the basis that you can. With the club having invested in the summer, and made a statement with regards to January, we all knew where the club stood on this stance. John Carver insisted he was happy with the squad and approaching transfers was not part of his remit.
2015 saw the appointment of John Carver as “interim head coach”, and I don’t think any fan was happy with the appointment. John Carver was part of a failing coaching team under Alan Pardew. My thoughts on his appointment was that he was part of the problem and not the solution. Having said that I was prepared to wait until the summer if it meant the right coach could be appointed. Many held the same outlook. Newcastle were mid table, in no immediate danger and it appears the board also thought they could ride it out till the end of the season, maintain Premier League status before looking to move forward in the summer.
What happened in the second half of Newcastle’s season can only de described as a capitulation of epic proportions. 3 wins in the second half of the season is not acceptable. John Carver oversaw a run of 8 consecutive defeats – a new record at Newcastle. The record even surpassed the incompetence of Pardew. If fans thought it couldn’t get any worse than Pardew it certainly did. Onlookers and media took great pleasure writing about our demise. We were the perfect column page filler. Players look disinterested. There appeared no want or desire to improve or give fans something to cheer about. Fixtures came and went in the same fashion. A lack of ideas offensively and a defence leaking goals at will.
As the season moved on and defeats became the norm, relegation was a distinct possibility. I always felt Newcastle would acquire the points needed to maintain Premier League status, but in no way did I expect it to be this close. Fixtures that fans had discussed as winnable games went by the wayside. Newcastle were beginning to look over their shoulders. Fans looking at other clubs giving us favorable results. Leicester City appeared dead and buried at Christmas. A gulf in class saw them rock bottom and seemingly without hope, sinking without a trace. Nigel Pearson in the space of a couple of months, transformed Leicester and were achieving very good results, lifting them from the foot of the table. It was another opponent Newcastle had to be careful of. Defeat to Sunderland created a protest no one had seen coming. Another derby where Newcastle surrendered pitifully. The result brought around fans wanting to boycott fixtures as a way of showing disgust at the team. In my honest opinion losing to Sunderland was the reason for the protest and had we not lost the fixture this would never have happened. Whether you agree with that notion is irrelevant we all hold views and want the best for the club. A boycott did not force the players into a siege mentality – they carried on as normal, losing weekly with bodies language which suggested they didn’t care. Carver tried to offset the morale sapping defeats only to inflame the situation further. Carver used the narrative he’s a fan, he loved the club and was giving his all in the role. He may have had passion and heart but what fan doesn’t? Heart and passion is not enough to be a successful Premier League coach.
Discipline under John Carver steadily got worse. Dismissals and suspensions becoming all too common. Papiss Cisse notably was the main culprit. Having already been charged with violent conduct earlier in the season, Cisse was caught spitting at Manchester United’s defender Johnny Evans. Many see the incident as retaliatory. This is not the narrative I’d like to use. Spitting is not only gruesome but repulsive. A sickening and cowardly act. This act resulted in a 7 game ban. This not only lets himself down but the club and the fans, who look for their star players to lead by example. Cisse wasn’t alone. Sissoko, Williamson, Coloccini and Jaanmat, all showed clear lacks of self discipline. Many of those acts of cowardice in their execution. Dismissals can happen in a game, mistakes are made but the frequency in which players were being dismissed was alarming. Questions were asked by fans as the resounding consensus was the players have stopped playing for Carver or listening to his instructions.
Coming into the last day of the season Newcastle had one job – win! Victory would ensure another year in the top flight. Defeat and a Hull victory over Manchester United would condemn Newcastle to a second relegation under Mike Ashley’s regime. Before the game, tension was extremely high as can be expected. Mike Ashley chose this time to make his first every media interview to Sky Sports. Ashley spoke of wanting to win trophies and invest, allowing the club to punch above its weight. Whilst they are only words, it’s a statement of intent we’ve never seen before and should be allowed the time to live up to his word. A man is only as good as his word. Time will tell whether he carries out what he has promised. All we can do is live in hope.
After 90 minutes of tension and stress, Newcastle staved off relegation with a 2-0. It was not a game for the ages but a much needed, gritty performance. West Ham didn’t look at the races, players looked ready for their holidays after a long season and with rumors manager Sam Allardyce being relieved of his duties after the game, little care had been giving to the fixture by the opposition. At half time both Newcastle and Hull remained 0-0. Destiny was in our hands. Sissoko and Jonas provided the needed goals to ensure victory. In what could be his final game for the club Jonas was the standout player. Only 6 months after recovering from cancer, this was a fairy tale story and should this be his final game I don’t think he could’ve wished for better. Players showed character, a belief victory was possible and a drive to maintain top flight status. Support roared from the crowd giving the best atmosphere heard in many a year.
Lee Charnley observed the free fall of Newcastle United and in short did nothing. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing . Looking back now though this mess could have been avoided by better judgements. Charnley must have surely seen results deteriorate rapidly. Could he have pulled the plug on Carver’s reign? Would a short term appointment saved such pressure? Giving Sunderland have went down this route in two consecutive seasons, facts suggest positive results can be achieved. Charnley has to accept responsibility for the collapse under his watch. Time is right now to look at what went wrong. AP, Carver, Charnley and the coaching team have to accept these responsibilities. The club should never have to struggle in such a way .
Cup Competitions
The board of Newcastle United have never been a big fan of cup competitions. Preferring to concentrate on maintaining league status. This season was no different however results in this year’s competitions will anger most fans. A visit to Leicester was handed to Newcastle in the FA cup. Newcastle lost 1-0 in what was an awful game. Carver rested several key players.Whilst squad players were handed a chance to stake a claim Newcastle lost 1-0. This was a more than winnable fixture. Fans suggested the players and manager lost on purpose to appease the board. This notion to me is nonsensical, no professional sportsman goes out to intentionally lose. It’s against everything they believe. Professional athletes are set apart from amateurs due to their will to win mentality. John Carver did not give the players an approach or game plan to expose Leicester’s weaknesses and find a way to win.
The league cup started well only to finish in a manner we all have become accustomed to. Having this season made the Quarter finals, Fans were beginning to dream of a trip to Wembley. Spurs were short of form and giving Newcastle had beaten them recently in the previous fixture it was hoped the same result could be obtained. Newcastle though were never at the races soundly beaten by Spurs and our hopes were dashed for another year. Winning away at Manchester City will undoubtedly be a high point. Before the game many didn’t give Newcastle a prayer. Having selected a rotated side, many pundits feared it would be nothing more than damage limitation. A 2-0 win had fans very proud of the performance and the club. Newcastle never stopped running, showed a solid structure defensively and dominated large parts of the game. Even with the introduction of City’s big guns Newcastle brushed them aside. A casing point for squad players to be given a chance. A premier league squad can have a maximum of 25 players. It makes little sense to not give everyone a chance to stake a claim.
Player of the Season
There was very few candidates for this award but my player of the season is Ayoze Perez. Having signed in the summer from lowly Spanish side Tenerife, no one knew what the slight Spanish players had in store. Having been mooted as a player of great potential, Perez was perceived to be one for the future. What we saw is the makings of a fine footballer. 7 goals from the young lad, helped alleviate pressure due to Cisse’s injuries and suspensions. You will see no finer goal than his effort at WBA. A goal created from confidence in his own technical ability and awareness of the situation around him. Perez has all key attributes and potential to be a star for years to come. What is vitally important now is Perez maintains his desire to continue learning his craft, refuse to listen to hype and surround himself with people who have his best interests at heart.
I feel a special mention should also be given to Jaanmat. Despite being part of one of the poorest defenses in the past 20 years, Jaanmat performed admirably. Even when he was forced to play out of positions due to injuries he shone and played to a level I feel was way above his teammates. Jaanmat could possibly be a captain in waiting. Given Colo could move back to Argentina I feel it could be the right appointment.
Final thoughts
Thank god this season is over! I could not wait to see the season draw to a close. Alan Pardew and John Carver destroyed this season. Having remained in the Premier League is pleasing, but I don’t think it should be any to celebrate about. I don’t feel it’s unrealistic for a club of this stature to want more than to settle for relegation battles. The coaching was not good enough and moving forward this grey area requires addressing and rectification. I look in hope to see what plans are implemented during the off season. There is one thing for sure; supporting Newcastle United will never be an easy ride.
