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Opinion

The 14 years Mike Ashley Premier League table

3 years ago
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The media, the pundits, have for yet another year running been more than happy to belittle Newcastle United and it’s fans.

For two years there’s been a staunch defence of Steve Bruce and the jibe at the fans that we are an ungrateful, deluded bunch that automatically expect to be challenging the big six and all the old rubbish going…

I honestly don’t know how the media/ pundits can justify that nonsense year in, year out.

We haven’t played in the Champions League since the 2003/2004 season and in the years that have followed that, have only qualified for a European competition another three times.

Only the one season of European qualification in the 14 years of Mike Ashley and that is now nine years ago and counting.

The media though no doubt will throw the old line and carry on the nonsense next season ,when a few bad results occur and we rightly get frustrated and annoyed with the shambles at our shell of a club.

Speaking of the 14 years of Mike Ashley, I did some research and looked back at the end of the first season of his ownership, the Premier League table finish back in 2007-2008.

Newcastle United ended up 12th that season, whilst there are nine clubs from that campaign who are now no longer current Premier League clubs – Derby, Birmingham, Reading, Bolton, Wigan, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Blackburn and Sunderland.

Wigan, Birmingham and Portsmouth have all won silverware since Mike Ashley took over Newcastle United in 2007 but along with the six others listed above, are all now in the lower divisions. Some have barely played in the Premier League since, some even unfortunate enough to find themselves in League One.

Is this what we are supposed to be grateful for, as the media like to remind us, that we should be thankful to Mike Ashley for only the two relegations and two seasons outside the top flight??

You tell me.

I can tell you though, after 14 years we are currently 9th in the ‘Mike Ashley table’…in terms of total Premier League points collected during his reign at Newcastle United.

The big six are obviously ahead ( I didn’t bother counting their points and average league positions), so I started with Everton. They have accumulated 800 points in that time and sit 7th with an average of finishing 8th place in the PL these past 14 years. They are the only ever presents in the top tier outside that big six in the time frame so no major surprise on that one.

Next in line are West Ham with 606 points, 8th in that table with an average of finishing 12th in the Premier League during the Mike Ashley era at Newcastle. The Hammers have played 13 of the last 14 years in the top tier, so the one more PL campaign than we have, but they have generated 74 points more than Newcastle United have. So 38 more Premier League games than NUFC these past 14 years but 74 points ahead of Newcastle United. Which just goes to show how poor things have been under Mike Ashley have been.

Next in line are Newcastle United as I mentioned in 9th, a total of 532 premier league points over the course of the last 14 years, an average of 44 points in the 12 PL seasons and an average league finish of 13th.

In 10th place and behind us is Stoke with 457 points in 10 Premier League season, at an average of 46 points per season and an average placing of 12th when in the top tier.

In 11th Southampton with 446 points and in 12th place Aston Villa with 434 points.

In 13th place West Brom with 399 points.

Then in 14th Leicester City with 393 points with an average of 56 points in their seven PL seasons and and an average of 8th place in the league (PL Champions in 2016 and FA cup winners in 2021).

I’ll finish this table off with Crystal Palace who with eight premier league seasons are in 15th with 356 points, an average of 44 points per season and an average finish of 13th in those eight top flight campaigns.

Now after all that, how can the media honestly justify telling us that we are deluded and our expectations are unrealistic?

We are miles behind Everton and West Ham in terms of an accumulation of points and have lower average league standings than the pair.

Statistically we have been bettered by Southampton and Leicester City since their respective promotions of 2013 and 2015 respectively.

Even Stoke City bettered us statistically up until their relegation in 2018.

Crystal palace have matched Newcastle United statistically, yet nobody is going around saying they have unrealistic ambitions and are ungrateful.

Thanks to Mike Ashley we have managed to only better Aston Villa and West Brom over the course of  the 14 years.

I don’t like the conclusion I that I have come to but it’s the truth, as harsh as it may seem.

Deluded and unrealistic is something we should brand the media and pundits for their coverage of Newcastle United and the NUFC fans during this Mike Ashley era of ownership at St James Park.

Comments welcome.

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