Author Profile - Jamie Hardesty ( 15 Posts )

One thing that I really appreciated about Rafa Benitez when he was at Newcastle United, was the team’s defensive prowess. Under Rafa, Newcastle were more solid at the back than…

Following Newcastle United under Mike Ashley is a cruel torment; there’s no reward in the grief it brings. Rafa Benitez, of course, was our glimmer of hope. His handling of…

I guess that name has been like an elephant in the room whilst reading this hasn’t it?

Moussa Sissoko is a perfect example. Yet when I watch him, and in all fairness a good few others too, he’s so consistently ineffective!

Writer Jamie Hardesty examines the relationship of Newcastle United and the fans under Mike Ashley and asks ‘Can you give me something to believe in?’.

I doubt he will stay and I’m not buying into the usual ‘I love it here at Newcastle’. I’m enjoying his goals but still very wary of allowing myself to have a player/fan affinity with him whilst he is on loan.

We do not live in an ideal world. Rather we have to be pragmatic and weigh up the situation. Pardew is far from the best manager in the world but there is no realistic, better alternative out there to replace him.

Sibierski’s signing left me feeling deflated. It seemed like a bad joke in fact. Surely Newcastle United wouldn’t disappoint me…?! Where are our famous deadline day fireworks?!

So you can snatch titles from us, you can call us a wee club, you can beat us time and time again and you can burden us with Gabriel Obertan! But the Premier League won’t be the same without you that’s for sure. So long Fergie, maybe it’ll be Manchester United who will only record 7 wins over the toon in the next 50 games…

So what I’m saying is, if Pards continues to approach away games in the same vein as the displays at West Ham and West Brom, playing for a point rather than a win, he will not only be lambasted by frustrated and disillusioned supporters, he will also then have to hope Wigan slip up. Paradoxically, the safe option of being conservative is in fact a risk itself!