Holidays in the Sun...

Hello again, remember me?

I must apologise for my lack of posts lately, basically it's because my boss is a twat.

Anyway, I went to watch Newcastle get smashed at Aston Villa last Saturday and, despite the result, which I half expected anyway, I had a very good day out. With this in mind I thought you might like to have a look at my latest article for Players Inc without having to go to the bother of actually buying a copy - I'm good to you.

Holidays in the sun

There will be those of you who’ve been a little disappointed by the results of the messiah’s return thus far. Some of you were no doubt dreaming of us storming up the table and into the european places just before we battered Man Utd in the FA Cup final and have been a little discomfited by the chill wind of reality. Me? I knew we’d struggle for the rest of the season. I also knew we wouldn’t qualify for any european competition (fingers crossed for the fair play league eh…or maybe not with Smith and Barton in the team!) so I’m not downhearted in any way shape or form.

Yes we’ve been tanked in a few games, yes we’re struggling for both goals and points and yes, I admit relegation is a real possibility but look further than the london based tabloid headlines and you can see the beginnings of a new era at St. James.

In the first half against Villa we dominated them, even though we were carrying the likes of Barton (slow, and over-rated in my opinion – that’s not me being vicious though) they couldn’t get the ball off us. When Kev’s had time to get his own men in then we’ll see that start to turn into full games of keeping possession and toying with the better teams.

If you look back at Wor Kev’s previous go around at Newcastle he started slowly, he just kept us up in Division two with a mixed bag of results and performances before he got to have a proper pre-season and work with everyone away from the hurly burly of a match every couple of days.

Throw into the mix that it also gave him time to plan and execute his transfer policy and it’s obvious we should be looking forward to next season with relish.

That summer we stayed up he got rid of half a team and brought in players of the calibre of Venison, Bracewell, Beresford and (a few weeks later) the mighty Robert Lee. He persuaded them all to sign for a team that was literally minutes from going into Division Three (once again thank you messrs Kelly and Peacock – lest we forget) and then lit the blue touch paper.

The paralells that can be drawn from that season all those years ago to this current mess are eerily similar:- underperforming players on big money; disenchanted fans; cowardice in the face of the enemy (ie good teams!) and, most importantly, a new owner making his first managerial appointment and being prepared to throw buckets of money at making it work

So smile at the social inadequates who try to bait you with jibes about our underachieving club, dismiss the ‘journalists’ who find every excuse possible to have a go at us (you could even stop buying their paper – just a thought like) and ignore the pundits on the telly who repeat gossip, fabrication and rumour as solid fact.

As Newcastle supporters, the best thing we can do now is get behind the lads on the park regardless of whether we think they deserve to play for us or not, write off this season and then book our summer holidays knowing that while we’re on the beach and drinking lager for breakfast Kev will be hard at work on our behalf.

He loves the club, he loves us and he’s got unfinished business with a few old adversaries.

Next season’s going to be great – I can’t wait.

Howay the lads