Newcastle United promoted back to the Premier League

[afar]

I'm back to 9, which is the highest I will go unless we are mathematically certain. 90 points was always the target in my mind to be certain that we go up (correct me if I am wrong here but I don't think a team who has accumulated that amount has ever failed to gain automatic). We are beyond the half point in terms of points required at 46, with two games to spare and 4 points up on a 2 point per game target.

 

The other thing that's working massively in our favour this year is that the chasing pact keeps beating each other (with the exception of Brighton), there are 5 points separating 3rd from 10th. You don't see an obvious team among that trailing pack that can put a consistent run together that will be required to bridge the gap. Perhaps Derby, Sheff Wed, Norwich (if they find form again) are the teams with the best chance of putting together something.

 

As we enter the busy Christmas period, squads are going to be stretched, again something you would hope will favour us. Lots of reasons to be positive right now, although it's been great fun winning almost every week, we really do need to get out of this division, we are well on course to do so.

[Decky]

Dare we rename this to TITLEOMETER or something similar now? I feel like we're just looking at Brighton now.

[ponsaelius]

We're on course for 102-103 points with current record extrapolated. Same as last time. Brighton have been pretty ridiculous this season too.

[Gallowgate Toon]

We're on course for 102-103 points with current record extrapolated. Same as last time. Brighton have been pretty ridiculous this season too.

 

I'm pretty sure I read that RB's teams almost always perform better in the second half of the season, too.

[afar]

Other results didn't go for us today, so it was important that we didn't slip up. 24 games left now to get 41 points, or perhaps even less, be shocked if we didn't get it.

[ponsaelius]

We're on course for 102-103 points with current record extrapolated. Same as last time. Brighton have been pretty ridiculous this season too.

 

I'm pretty sure I read that RB's teams almost always perform better in the second half of the season, too.

 

I'd hope we'd get fewer defeats second half of the season, but also there has to be more draws coming. 1 draw so far is a bizarre statistic.

[Gallowgate Toon]

We're on course for 102-103 points with current record extrapolated. Same as last time. Brighton have been pretty ridiculous this season too.

 

I'm pretty sure I read that RB's teams almost always perform better in the second half of the season, too.

 

I'd hope we'd get fewer defeats second half of the season, but also there has to be more draws coming. 1 draw so far is a bizarre statistic.

 

We'll probably suffer another 3 or so losses. 8 losses, 2 draws and 36 wins would be hilarious.

[Altamullan]

I thought Brighton and Huddersfield were the best teams we've seen at SJP this season, and the league table is bearing this out, at the moment. We lost to Huddersfiled, but it was a good time to play us (early/bedding-in new players) but even though we beat Brighton, it was far from comfortable and pretty even IIRC, even though they had a player sent-off. Injuries permitting, they don't have our depth of squad, I can see Chris H and his chaps giving us stiff competition for the trophy, and Huddersfield won't be too far away.

[astraguy]

Can see Brighton beating us to the title only losing 2 outta 22 is amazing tbh,Praying Jonjo isn't out to long

[Danh1]

Can see Brighton beating us to the title only losing 2 outta 22 is amazing tbh,Praying Jonjo isn't out to long

 

They've only lost two away games in 2016. I agree that they'll win the league, but then again we are above them for a reason - don't think 5 losses reflects how we have performed.

[U2]

We have more points, more goals and have beaten them.  We're favourites for the league.  Our squad depth will see us manage the second half of the season better than them.

[Tubestationatmidnight]

Can see Brighton beating us to the title only losing 2 outta 22 is amazing tbh,Praying Jonjo isn't out to long

 

They've only lost two away games in 2016. I agree that they'll win the league, but then again we are above them for a reason - don't think 5 losses reflects how we have performed.

 

Bedwetters. Get a grip man.

[Foluwashola]

Brighton are a good side but personally don't think they're good enough to maintain this level for the whole season. We are.

[Chicane]

Brighton need to chill out and stop winning games imo.

[HaydnNUFC]

Brighton went on a 22 match unbeaten streak last season and they then lost 3 of the next 4 after their first loss, which evidently cost them promotion.

[Guest neesy111]

Brighton went on a 22 match unbeaten streak last season and they then lost 3 of the next 4 after their first loss, which evidently cost them promotion.

 

That didn't cost them imo, it was the amount of draws they had.  On that 22 match streak they drew close to half of their games.

[Guest neesy111]

Brighton are a good side but personally don't think they're good enough to maintain this level for the whole season. We are.

 

Not sure how you come to that conclusion, they were 1 goal away from winning promotion last season.

[Foluwashola]

Brighton are a good side but personally don't think they're good enough to maintain this level for the whole season. We are.

 

Not sure how you come to that conclusion, they were 1 goal away from winning promotion last season.

 

Aye, but can't see them having 100 points in them whereas we certainly do. Might be reading too much into their fucking gash effort at our place like.

[frankpingel]

They (Brighton) only lost 5 last season drawing some 17. There's evidence that, with minor improvement,  they could reach 100 points.

[Guest neesy111]

They (Brighton) only lost 5 last season drawing some 17. There's evidence that, with minor improvement,  they could reach 100 points.

 

[Stottie]

24 games to go. Another 41 points needed to hit 90. 1.7 points a game is 3rd/4th playoff place form, and about 0.5 points a game below what we've been managing so far.

 

Reading and Huddersfield have such poor goal difference that the kind of upturn in form needed to catch us is unlikely. If anything, it suggests they are lucky to have as many points as they do. On form, the best of the chasing pack is Derby.

 

 

[Figures 1-0 Football]

Not a chance do Brighton beat us to the title like.

 

They've got more chance of being caught by the chasing pack then winning the league.

[TK-421]

Brightons problems last season was the squad size - they lost quite a few through injury, which led to them slipping away and into the play-offs at the end.

 

Hopefully similar might happen this season to keep them behind us.

 

Boss at work reckons he doesn't see them losing another game this season, which seems quite arrogant given how they failed to go up last season after a similar run of form.

 

Also I may be wrong, but they seem to score quite a few in the last minute or stoppage time - either they just know how to keep going, or they have Fergies old watch!!

[merlin]

Quite reasonable for people to think that Brighton may win the title - we have been far too vulnerable at home and if we start dropping away points as well we would soon fall behind if they kept on getting results. Losing 5 games so far, three at SJP, is NOT good enough for a side wanting to be champions because you are relying on teams like Brighton and Reading to keep dropping points too and unless Brighton have a series of injuries which would show up their smaller squad strength, they could well take advantage of any further stumbles we have at home OR away. The loss of Shelvey may give them a lift because they know that he is the one player we will have difficulty in replacing for several weeks.

The game with Sheff Weds is crucial - it will not be easy, with or without Shelvey and in my view we cannot afford to lose any more home games ; apart from the points loss, it will start creating unease among the fans. Promotion from this league is NOT easy and it will be a tough grind from now until May.

[Hanshithispantz]

We have a stronger squad than Brighton (although the first XI is close, player for player you can argue they shade it) and it showed with the ease of that winstreak - only really Preston massively troubled us. We're only 1 point ahead but that includes our hilariously bad start to the season and the single worst refereeing performance I've ever seen.