Poll: Are you happier with NUFC now than you were a year ago?
By Richard Huggan On Wed 28 Nov 2007 |
As you may have already noticed, we finally have a new poll up and running on the website.
The question is simply this: Are you happier with Newcastle United in late November 2007 than you were with Newcastle United in late November 2006?
Before you rush over to the right to click on your answer, cast your mind back to November 28th 2006…
At this point in time NUFC sit 17th in the Premiership table, with only 3 wins from 14 games. We’ve scored a meagre 6 goals in 7 home games and we’ve already lost at St. James’ to Fulham, Bolton and Sheff Utd - the fans have been baying for Shepherd’s blood outside of the Milburn Reception. However, in our previous game at home to Portsmouth we snuck a 1-0 victory thanks to cult hero, Antoine Sibierski.
Despite our patchy opening we’ve recently took a point off Arsenal at the Emirates thanks to the returning Kieron Dyer and we’re going great-guns in the UEFA Cup with five wins from five games, the best of these coming in Palermo thanks to the head of Albert Luque. We’re also into the 5th Round of the Carling Cup after an impressive 3-0 home win against Portsmouth and a rare penalties victory at Watford in the last round.
That was where we were at on November 28th 2006, with a trip to Frankfurt followed by Reading (h), Blackburn (a), Chelsea (a) and Watford (h) to come in our next five fixtures.
Fast forward one year to November 28th 2007. At this point in time NUFC sit 11th in the Premiership table, with only 5 wins from 13 games. We’ve scored an improved 11 goals in 7 home games, but we’ve already lost heavily at St. James’ to Portsmouth and Liverpool - the fans have been baying for Sam Allardyce’s blood inside of the stadium. We’ve also been dumped out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal’s Reserves, after a comfortabe 2-0 win over Barnsley at Gallowgate in the 2nd Round had got us the trip down South.
Despite our recent patchy form the club had made it’s best start to a league campaign for a good few years and the feelgood factor around the club after the takeover of Mike Ashley was something that hadn’t been felt since Bobby Robson’s time in charge.
This is where we are at on November 28th 2007, with a trip to Blackburn followed by Arsenal (h), Birmingham (h), Fulham (a) and Derby (h) as our next five fixtures.
So, after that brief refresher, are you happier now under Ashley, Mort and Allardyce than you were under Shepherd and Roeder?
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We rid ourselves of one fat man, who didnt have a clue for another who doesnt have a clue. I’m really concerned who we’re going to get next its just one bad manager after another. Allardyce has lost the dressing room imo and I have never liked players and managers blaming the fans when all is going wrong. If 20k + weekly wages doesnt inspire or motivate a player turning up at the match half cut shouting haway the lads wont either. I dont boo or leave the game before the final whistle but for almost £1000 a season for my season ticket I expect commitment and work ethic. How dare Barton walk into the club and after a couple of months slag the fans off. If they bust a gut and worked hard they wouldnt get booed win or lose. I dont think we are shit fans at all and if waiting almost 40 years for a trophy makes us a bit impatient well who can blame us !
Sent in on: December 2nd, 2007 at 6:23 pm
Unhappy. One year ago we lost because of many bad, and injured, players . Now we’re losing because off bad tactics.
The thought about “where would we have been with better tactics” hurts….
Sent in on: December 1st, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Unhappy, because now we’re losing because of bad tactics. One year ago we lost because of bad, and injured, players.
Sent in on: December 1st, 2007 at 10:14 pm
hey this goes for all newcastle united fans!!!!!!!!!
next home game Vs Arsenal lets get behind the lads aye none of this booing crap its a disgrace!! i read an interview with joey barton and everything he said was true the reception at SJP is shocking to say the least. greatest fans in the country my RING HOLE!
we are shit fans!
the minute our team is losing we start to boo you are going to drive players like Oba Martins, Michael Owen and Emre away from the club and no one will want to play for newcatle because of the fans!
please take note!
cheers.
Sent in on: December 1st, 2007 at 1:44 am
I am alot happier than last year and i didnt really need that refresher because i was fairly confident we are better now but after it i am way happier… I didnt realise we were that bad!, Too many people forget we nearly got relegated last season, if it wasnt for Taylors header at Sheff United and our immense perfomance at Tottenham we would have been relegated! so sitting 10th after all the changes in the team and club and 5 points in front of 11th isnt all that bad, Support the lads and give the gaffer time, Time = success.
Sent in on: November 30th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
much happier.
this was never going to be a quick fix, the club needed to be cleansed from top to bottom.
mid table will do for me this season, then build from there.
the start to the season created overexpectation and now the recent blip has led to a big reality check for many who follow the toon.
now is the time for us to do our duty and get behind the side from the terraces, not bombard them with negativity.
Sent in on: November 30th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I am happier and I am very unhappy.
Sent in on: November 29th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
I think early euphoria caused by the appointment of a new board, a new manager, and new players saw expectations rocket through the roof for the mass majority of toon supporters. I think this massive boost may be the root cause of why fans are now feeling quite dis-heartened. Yes I think that we do really need to give big Sam the time to build a squad that can learn to pre-empt each others moves and techniques, but on the same scale, each of the players on the pitch are already professionals and should therefore be playing at a better standard than they currently are. Even some of the worst toon teams we can remember would hang their heads in shame at loosing so many games at home, and by so many goals against!
I say a big ‘YES’ to big Sam, and ‘YES’ to giving time for the team to adapt and settle, but we can’t keep having 0-3 scorelines at home otherwise the unthinkable ‘religation battle’s’ will start early!
Sent in on: November 29th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
thisi s a good article and i think it needed to be shown to alot of toon fans just to show we are perhaps pushing sam and his boys a little to much they have improved on last year and thats good but i think it shwos were expecting miracles over night.
then again, he must stop the awful performances now, i dont mind losing if we play well.
Sent in on: November 29th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
We have to be happier. Nobody felt that the combination of Roeder and Shepherd was going to reproduce flair and table topping football. Atleast with these two gone we can look forward with renewed optimism.
One thing keeps running through my mind though……….Mourinho, would he come to NUFC if so then lets get him whilst he is available. If he wouldn’t come then I am willing for Allardyce to sort things out. Its just when a manager of his Jose’s quality may be available its worth a punt!
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Dont feel that any progress has been made on the pitch but at least Shepherd has gone taking with him any prospect of Financial Meltdown on a Leeds Scale.
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
36% of 125 people don’t think we’re better off, I can only guess that the 36% have just returned from some desert island where communications were a problem. We’re much better off by miles off the pitch, we’re financially sound and we just need the manager to put his ego or pride to one side and make the right decisions regarding selection and tactics.
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I am happier than this time last year.
Ok, our team is awful and unorganised, and Sam isn’t really making me feel confident after I had backed his appointment. He has vastly downgraded our quality of football as expected, but results are as ify as ever.
But the key thing is that Shepherd is gone. I was always of the opinion anyone would be better than Shepherd, and Ashley and Mort are more than welcome.
Shepherds leaving makes up for everything, frankly. I hated him.
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
People have to remember that this is one of our best starts in 10 years!! Give Big Sam time to stop the rot!!!
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
I think all this Allardyce out talk should be put in to perspective.
If we hadnt had a period of euphoria sparked by the ousting of the Shepherd, which resulted in our expectations soaring through the roof a the thought of a new ‘Roman Abromovic style chairman’ I recon we’d all be pretty happy with where we are.
I mean think about it, imagin the Ashley takeover had never happened yet we had still signed the same players that BSA has brought in. Wouldnt we be quite pleased with what we have? I think so.
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
yeah
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Just like that well know rescue service when you are stuck up the A1 hopefully Ashley & Allardyce will come good.
Yes much happier!
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I am happier, we have a good squad, a good manager who has the backing of the board!! If this was under the Shepherd era he would throw some cash at an over rated has been (babs, luq) and then blame the manger for poor results. This is a new team and it will take a little time to grow…..Newcastle fans are passionate but we are also very fickle!
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
New team same old problems the only plus is that fat Freddy has gone.
Sent in on: November 28th, 2007 at 4:35 pm