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Maybe I should have shouted this a bit louder about Newcastle United 5 days ago

7 years ago
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I had a rare moment of clarity about Newcastle United on Tuesday.

I scribbled down my thoughts and they were published on The Mag before the match at Hull.

I don’t always get it right (who does?) when it comes to our team but I just had a feeling about this one.

The defeat to Blackburn was of course key, it set the whole week off on the wrong footing. If Newcastle had won that one I find it hard to believe that two defeats would have followed.

However, due to that home loss to Rovers and the changes Rafa Benitez had made, I was having bad thoughts.

Thankfully most Newcastle fans have put the three defeats into some kind of decent perspective but you are always going to get the lunatic fringe going overboard.

This was my warning and you can read the whole thing HERE, just in case you think I am being clever after the fact.

What I wrote on Tuesday 29 November 2016:

I do think Newcastle can go to Hull and win but equally I think that the team could play pretty well and still get beat, which I think is something that Newcastle supporters have to accept in advance.

Similarly, if Rafa throws everything at the game tonight then there is no question that it could impact on the Forest match only 72 hours later.

If Rafa Benitez had written off this League Cup quarter-final then I think Newcastle would definitely have got a minimum of a draw at Nottingham Forest but with the changes made on Saturday against Blackburn, it looks clear that he is targeting this Hull match.

Newcastle could very well beat both Hull and Forest but equally they could lose both.

Three defeats in a week would be a shock to the system for Newcastle and the fans but not fatal…I’m just saying, be prepared and don’t get too carried away whatever happens.

Was Rafa right with his changes and how he handled these three matches in quick succession? Well even he has held his hands up about the Blackburn match and said he called some things wrong.

The reality of course is that pretty much any 11 players Rafa Benitez picks from this squad, SHOULD be too good for all but one or two Championship clubs, such as Brighton.

However, I think we could be ending up with more of a shake-up in January than might have been anticipated, as I sense Rafa losing patience with some of the high profile and better paid members of his squad, who are failing to show dominance in this division.

If you want some hot tips moving forward, I will only go as far as predicting a fully wound up Newcastle side will brush Birmingham City aside next Saturday, Newcastle’s form is temporary and class is permanent, at least in this division anyway.

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