Skirge Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11678_3092819,00.html Given - We are not safe Shay Given has admitted he fears Newcastle will be sucked into a Premier League relegation battle. Tuesday's 3-0 defeat to Arsenal ensured Newcastle, who sit 12th in the league, remain without a win or a goal after three games under new manager Kevin Keegan. Given confessed the Newcastle squad are concerned by their flagging form and the goalkeeper insists the Magpies must quickly reach the 40-point mark which is commonly associated with top flight security. Newcastle currently have 27 points and still face a trip to Liverpool and a home fixture with Manchester United, while they must also take on local rivals - and fellow strugglers - Middlesbrough and Sunderland. Hard work "We're not safe by any means," Given told the Newcastle Chronicle. "There's still a lot of hard work to do before we can think we're safe. If you look at our run-in, there are a lot of tough games. "Of course we're looking over our shoulders. We need to get some points on the board." Given has also revealed his disappointment at Newcastle's 3-0 FA Cup elimination at the hands of Gunners on Saturday, but admits his side were well beaten. Frustration "We were beaten by the better team on both occasions," Given added. "It's extremely frustrating. The cup was our last chance of winning something, but we lost that game and we've lost again. "They (Arsenal) are streets ahead of us at the minute, and you've got to hold your hands up." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NorthernSoul Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 If we cant add anymore quality in the next day-and-half then I reckon we're involved in it for sure! Just puts into perspective how big Saturday is against the Smogs! I we don't win, looking at the fixtures it could be March until we win again!? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_69 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 We've just played Arsenal away twice with a patched up side. If we'd have got any sort of result it would've been a bloody miracle. We're missing Beye, Enrique, Faye, Emre, Geremi, Martins and Viduka - that's more than half our first team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NorthernSoul Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 True, but of those 'missing players' how many will really improve us? Faye and Beye will perhaps patch us up a little? But that still doesn't resolve the underlying problem here.... We're completly devoid of any midfield flair! N'Zogbia and Milner are lively and direct, but lack that guile and flair. Geremi and Emre have been dissapointing and Alan Smith will never be a midfield player! I do think theres more to come from Viduka and Martins and we're gunna need it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_69 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Smith can't score and Owen can only score when it's laid on a plate for him. Martins has shown in the past that he can create his own goals, as has Viduka. We haven't seen them under Keegan yet but i'm sure they'll produce. Emre is a better passer of the ball than Butt in that he passes it forward and completes more than one a game. Again we haven't seen him under Keegan but he's another player that i think will thrive. Beye is one of the best right backs in the league. Faye has shown himself to be the best of our CBs. Enrique at left back frees up N'Zogbia for an attacking role. IMO they will all contribute to a significant improvement over what we've seen so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisJbarnes Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 not a chance that wigan, brum, reading, boton, middlesboro and sunderland will all overtake us. we have enough in us to stay up no trouble. just cos we lost to arsenal 3-0 twice, and talk about given, well what could he do about that flamini goal? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlin Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 All the teams below us have to play the top teams as well, its not as if only we have to play the good teams. I think Bolton are in the biggest trouble out of those at the bottom. They shouldn't of got rid of Anelka. I think we will beat Fulham, Boro and Reading at home which alone would probably give us enough points to stay up. I find it amazing people are banging the panic button because we got beat by Arsenal away twice and because we havent got lots of players in the transfer window. We got the players from Africa to come back soon aswell as a few who have been suspended to come back so i think there is a bit to be positive about. And who among those African superstars is going to score the goals necessary to stay out of trouble ? Martins ?? Well, he's going to have to alter a whole seasons' habit because he has missed as many as he's scored - he hasn't even managed one against other African teams whose defences ,largely, have been rubbish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tachikoma Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Goala Ameobi and his sidekick Obi-wan Martins to save us from relegation. You heard it here first Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karjala Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Thought we were unlucky today, with the shite refereeing, but another week and still no win. 7pts from relegation now, with a strong possibility of picking up very few points from the next 4 matches. Newcastle 25 28 Middlesbrough 25 26 Bolton 25 25 Wigan 25 23 Sunderland 25 23 Reading 25 22 Birmingham 25 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toonpete1892 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Theres no time between the tough games to lift any confidence. A win was needed today to not only to lift us up the table but also life heads. We have to win our home games (even points from manure and chelsea) and steal the odd point away from home. Were in dogshit and unless the teams below us are as shit as us then i cant see us being higher than 17th!!!!! its gettin too close not to worry :-| Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon55544 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Do people think the other teams have easy games or something? 7 points is a lot when it comes to the bottom teams. Reading and Brummies will struggle to get 7 points in the rest of the season. Im not sure Villa have been that good at home so im goin for a 1-1 draw. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dokko Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 3pts was really important today, not sure how i feel about it. Surely we will pick up form at some point, we can't keep getting shite results all season long? But stranger things have happened. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shearergol Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Do people think the other teams have easy games or something? 7 points is a lot when it comes to the bottom teams. Reading and Brummies will struggle to get 7 points in the rest of the season. Im not sure Villa have been that good at home so im goin for a 1-1 draw. They've won more than Liverpool, as many as Everton, and only one less than Chelsea at home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brummie Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Do people think the other teams have easy games or something? 7 points is a lot when it comes to the bottom teams. Reading and Brummies will struggle to get 7 points in the rest of the season. Im not sure Villa have been that good at home so im goin for a 1-1 draw. They've won more than Liverpool, as many as Everton, and only one less than Chelsea at home. It is a good point, though, we look much more convincing away from home than we do at home - whether that is because we're so good away or because we're just poor at home, I don't really know tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnypd Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 i think we'll still have some distance between us and the bottom three after the next 4 games, despite not doing well, though the teams inbetween may well close the gap which would make it a bit perilous. key game is away at birmingham, lose that and we could find ourselves only 2 or 3 points away from the relegation spot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooonDoom Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 There is a very good chance we will go over three months without a win in the league. Aston Villa Top 4 in the form table at best a draw. Man Utd . Blackburn we have a chance but if we cant beat Bolton or Boro we wont beat them. Liverpool . Birmingham away got a chance but who knows. Fulham mid march will hopefully win. I don't think we will get relagated but there is no doubt we are in a relagation battle now. By mid march the table will make that clear as day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slugsy Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Its relegation form make no mistake about it, I'm not sure what our record is since that xmas crap but it aint good. I think we will be lucky as the lack of quality in this league lower down will save us not because we will actually be any good Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toonpete1892 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 We need to be safely up when the full time whistle goes against the mackems on the fourth last game- i cant see us getting anythin from the three final games what with the teams facing championship, champions league and UEFA cup uncertainties. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulie Walnuts Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 for the first time, I'm now starting to get worried. Really expected 4-6 point from Bolton and Boro. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtype Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 I'm strongly considering just refusing to watch the rest of the season. I think we're going to survive but it sure as hell won't be pretty. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon55544 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 The team that finishes 18th wont have more than 31 points imo. I can see us picking up more than 4 points, We'll probably finish 15th-13th. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brazilianbob Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 You optimists are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think we are not in with a serious shout of going down this season. Two of the teams below us picked up three points yesterday and with 13 games to go and little liklihood of us getting even a point away from home, and not getting a win from any of our remaining home games, I reckon the bookies odds on us getting relegated will be pretty short. I said we were in danger of going down three weeks ago because Ashley had left it far far too late to sack Allardyce, who was left in place to preside over crucial confidence sapping games against lesser opposition from the bottom . When we go down it will be solely down to Allardyce, who in my opinion, came in and destroyed a reasonable side that could have been built upon, but no! he decided to dismantle it and build it in his own cr*p image, and we are paying the price for that now because he sold the only two matchwinners we had in Dyer and Solano. As I said in a previous thread, I have seen NUFC relegated a couple of times and the signs are all there to indicate I am about to see it happen a third time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon55544 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 You optimists are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think we are not in with a serious shout of going down this season. Two of the teams below us picked up three points yesterday and with 13 games to go and little liklihood of us getting even a point away from home, and not getting a win from any of our remaining home games, I reckon the bookies odds on us getting relegated will be pretty short. When said we were in danger of going down three weeks ago because Ashley had left it far far too late to sack Allardyce, who was left in place to preside over crucial confidence sapping games against lesser opposition from the bottom . If we go down it will be solely down to Allardyce, who came in and destroyed a reasonable side that could have been built upon, but no! he decided to dismantle it and build it in his own cr*p image, and we are paying the price for that now because he sold the only two matchwinners we had in Dyer and Solano. As I said in a previous thread, I have seen NUFC relegated a couple of times and the signs are all there to indicate I am about to see it happen a third time. Odds on to go down Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robster Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Hypothetic of course but I think we would have lost both the Bolton and Boro home games. Going to be a limp hom to safety I think. Am keeping a close eye on Reading as they seem to te the other team, apart from us who are struggling to get anything. Thought Coppell on MOTD looked scared and his comments were of man who feared the worse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Geordie Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 I am concerned now, because whilst we may not be in a relegation scrap yet - we are experiencing relegation form, and that's a worry. With the games that are coming up, it's hard to see where the next win will come from. The last few performances, which have been an improvement in terms of an attacking sense, suggest to me that this side is very much in decline. Question is - is it terminal ? So may parallell's to when KK first over back in 92 and we all know how much of it was a fly by the seat of your pants job to stay up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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