What Were Newcastle Fans’ Expectations Last Summer?

What would represent success for Newcastle next season (2011/12)?

This was one of the questions asked in the Mag’s end of season review published in last June’s summer special. The responses were:

Top six    6%

Top half  81%

Lower mid table  10%

Staying up   3%

The following are all quotes taken from regular contributors, one may even be me, and published in the same issue of The Mag. They all relate to the upcoming, now current season.

…and just hope that Pardew knows the hell what he is doing.

The top 6 are too far away for now.

If they don’t offer Joey a contract and we also lose Jose then things could turn very ugly at SJP next season.

Commenting about AP. …I don’t see him taking the club any further forward than Hughton could have.

Comment about Enrique, Barton and Nolan. …These are all key players we cannot afford to lose in my opinion.

I’m not asking for Europe next season but I certainly want to see the squad developed so we start looking like a solid and reliable team.

And the views of some outsiders; the first a Norwich fan, the other from Spurs.

Newcastle top 10, comfortable, but not really moving too far on from last year.

If Newcastle spend the £35 million wisely they’ll be challenging Everton for 7^th along with Villa and the mackems(!). Spurs can challenge for the title…

Finally we have the view of the esteemed journalist John Gibson.

If they manage the club well and progress is made over a period of time then in that 5 years we should be at least on the fringes of the Champions League.

If you consider the views of The Mag to be fairly representative of the views of NUFC fans in general then last summer there was not a huge amount of confidence amongst us for this season. Tomorrow we have the chance to move a massive 11 points ahead of Liverpool which should be enough to guarantee NUFC a sixth place finish, at least.

Of course we may not win tomorrow. It is possible we could lose, but we’ll still be sixth.

So if the worst does happen and you are one of those that booed the lads off against Wolves please think about where you hoped this club would be at the start of the season. I suspect it will have exceeded your expectations. Judging by the responses to the question at the top of the page the same thing will apply to most of us.

I still believe that fifth place and possibly even fourth are still up for grabs. Positive support from the terraces can only help our cause.

PLEASE DO NOT BOO THE LADS OFF.