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Opinion

Time to bin this negativity with Newcastle United

5 years ago
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These are challenging times supporting Newcastle United.

I sympathise with all fans, whether you still go to games or have called enough is enough.

Personally, I decided to still go and stick it out.

Having seen all five games so far, I have to say that it has been pretty rubbish.

I enjoyed my day out at Tottenham (superb new stadium!) as I do all trips to London but even that match wasn’t brilliant from a football perspective. It was a brilliant result but if we are honest, defending pretty much all game (only 20% NUFC possession) doesn’t make for brilliant viewing.

Obviously afterwards it is all about theĀ  result and you glory in that. However, you do have to accept at the same time that we hit lucky in visiting Spurs at a time when they were so lacking in ideas.

Anyway, this is my first contribution for The Mag and assuming it makes the cut, I actually wanted to make a different point.

Whilst as you can see from what I have written above that I’m in no way a happy clapper and think everything is great, I think we do all need to get on a more positive slant as much as possible.

I love reading the stuff on The Mag but I think at times it has crossed the line in terms of too much negativity since Rafa Benitez left.

I know this is maybe mostly down to the articles sent in by fans and so hopefully this one will redress the balance slightly.

Yes we know it is disgraceful the way Mike Ashley runs the club and this summer has been one of the very worst.

Yes we know Steve Bruce isn’t up to the job and his press conferences usually verge on the embarrassing.

Yes we know the summer transfer window has left us well short, not enough goals and creativity brought in. Plus to make it all so much worse, four of the five signings arrived in the final week of the window, meaning no pre-season with the new team-mates.

Having said all that, we now have a choice.

We have to really get behind the Head Coach and the players because what is the alternative?

Constantly pointing out the shortcomings of Steve Bruce and many of his players won’t serve any purpose.

I don’t expect everybody to say how great everything is BUT you can accentuate the positives.

Dubravaka has been excellent yet again, whilst we have any number of very good options for the three centre-back positions, with Lejeune also to return.

In Hayden and Longstaff we have a very exciting midfield partnership that could be a class act for years to come if given the time and opportunity to progress.

Joelinton looks the part and I think we really see a transformation when Allan Saint-Maximin gets fully fit (what on earth was Bruce doing starting him at Tottenham only 48 hours after he was back training with the squad???).

Almiron hasn’t been half as bad as some in the media are making out and once we have two quick players who can run with the ball supporting Joelinton, I think we will see far more of an attacking threat.

In Dubravka, Schar, Lejeune, Hayden, Longstaff, ASM, Almiron and Joelinton I do think we have eight or so players who can play at a high quality level, then you have triers such as Dummett, Ritchie and Lascelles who are good enough when playing at their best.

We all know the squad is fragile and there is no depth. Whilst I also think there is still a desperate lack of quality in wide positions, especially the failure to properly invest in quality wing-backs (Willems and Krafth no better than what we already had).

However, I still there is more than enough to still have an ok season if everybody pulls together, get most of those better players on the pitch and we will be fine.

Sadly, when it comes to longer-term ambitions beyond surviving this season, yet again Mike Ashley has ensured there is no point in looking ahead and hoping for better under him.

The way I see it is just hoping we can stay up, get any enjoyment out of this season that I can, then get the prayer mat out and hope that this 13th year of Ashley’s (mis-)rule will prove lucky for us and he’ll sell up.

Far more chance of somebody buying Newcastle United if we remain in the Premier League.

As somebody once said…Don’t let the bast.rds (such as Mike Ashley) grind you down.

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