European Eureka

The answer to my last blog has proved to be 'Second Wind' and I say that with as much pleasure as expectation.

Having done my utmost best to not raise expectations beyond those from the start of the season, Alan Pardew and his underrated squad have left myself and the rest of the Toon Army faithful with no option other than to expect a top 5 finish.

With ability sparsely present in the Newcastle United roster, I anticipated end-of-the-season injuries to be the downfall of the team's respectable league position.

However where there is ability, it is in abundance and where there isn't, there is determination and endeavor - a formula that Pardew has compounded to sustain the hope, dream and possibility of St. James' Park staging  European football next season in the Europa League or dare I say it, the Champions League.

A mention has to lend itself to Hatem Ben Arfa who has been the marquee player and difference maker in securing 3 points as opposed to just 1 or even 0 in the team's current five game win streak. It appears that the Frenchman's bit-part role has now retired whatever the reasons, be it a maturity boost from HBA's part or a man management masterstroke from the Gaffer.

There has been premature likenings to Leo Messi and these come at no surprise in the current climate which frequently sees the term 'Legend' labelled to anything positive that lasts for more than five minutes. HBA is however inundated with attributes of skill and has the 'get off your seat' factor when he receives the ball so as a supporter I'm pleased to see this development.

After digesting comments regarding the current Senegalese front pairing that spearheads the NUFC attack, I would like verify that Demba Ba is still every bit the same player he was before his fellow countryman arrived. I say this because there has been questions marks instigated over Ba's form because the goals have recently belonged to Papiss Cisse and not the club's pre-Christmas goal machine.

As a frontman myself, I can identify, analyse and appreciate the balance that Ba brings to the starting XI, his link-up play and on-the-ball contributions cannot be faltered and while his positional role has changed only slightly his peformances should not be overlooked, especially when a shortage of team goals could not be further away!

Looking ahead, this weekend will see no NUFC fixture take place giving the Magpies the opportunity to reenergise for the upcoming WWE match with Stoke City on 21 April. I will be there to witness the wrestling match between the two sides and I expect it won't be a pretty contest given the Potters' philosophy of how to play football.

That said, I'm confident that the long ball signature move of Tony Pulis' wrestlers will give the Toon Army no problems and that NUFC will move just one game away from equalling the club's current record of 7 consecutive Premier League wins which has stood since 1994.

Whitewashed By 'Arry And Co.

This instalment should be kicked off with a critical review of Saturday’s whitewash defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

After a week of media microscope treatment for Harry Redknapp, the whole nation was tuned in to watch Newcastle United throw away a match in record time and gift title-hunting Spurs a generous three points.

I have a sixth-sense for identifying complacency but to be quite frank it didn’t take that to predict an embarrassment last weekend.

The run of good form Alan Pardew has instilled into the club has been highlighted throughout the season and rightly so but in turn as the good PR heightens so does that imminent fall from the sky. Everybody knows the current NUFC squad is at worst a top half team and no better, something that ‘Arry and co enforced a reminder of.

Hull City manager Nick Barmby was approached by Sky Sports with a proposed weekend feature piece but the crew were turned away in a bid to keep the spotlight off the Tiger's good run of form to prevent the football world from picking up on how well they had been playing, all to avoid that 'fall from the sky'.

All the talk of ‘top four/five/six’ had understandably gotten into the players heads on Saturday and as a result had forgotten the things that originally brought all that talk about. A team cannot cross the white line just expecting to play well by default.

I didn’t manage to cast my eyes over the team's warm-up but I imagine it was lacklustre, light-hearted and lightweight because the troops certainly weren’t rough and ready to battle from the first whistle on Saturday.

Pardew and Steve Stone need to ensure that the pre-match preparation hard work is followed through in the warm-up and consequently not thrown into the gutter on the ten minute mark because a clinical team like Tottenham Hotspur will capitalise on that mistake and... embarrass you.

No FA Cup fixtures remain to bolster the fixture list which is somewhat saddening because with both Manchester City and United out of the fold, it could be anyone’s to lift this year. I can’t help but wonder.

Senegalese duo Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba

However a free-weekend for the squad to do whatever they like to rest up and recharge will do no harm (excluding any Joey Barton/Andy Carroll/Nile Ranger-esque misdemeanors), especially for the returned African trio of Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba and Cheick Tiote.

I for one am becoming ever more impatient by the day to know how the Toon Army's season is to conclude.
Will it be a disappointing finish to an encouraging start or will last weekend prove to be nothing more than a blip with the team defying all odds by pipping Liverpool and Arsenal to the European post?

We can dream.

Cloud Nine

Following on from my previous instalment, the biggest talking point on Tyneside is still the overachievement of Newcastle United and long may it continue.

I was under the impression that recent statements of expectation would come to a halt but it is par for the course as they roll on in parallel to the club’s form guide. I had hoped that it would be Alan Pardew and not me taking to the lectern to tell the world the team need take it ‘game by game’ until the death.

This wasn’t to be.

After an expected three points at home against a struggling Aston Villa side, the spiel of the Europa League continued and dare I say it, a VIP pass into the ‘big four’ was even suggested.

I am no pessimist but the Magpies fly down to White Hart Lane for an evening kick-off on Saturday and I am certainly not alone in fearing that a disappointment at the hands of ‘Arry Redknapp could begin a rolling snowball into a decline from the ecstasy in which the Toon Army have experienced so far this term.

Our remaining fixtures behold contests against Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City as well as an additional four matches to be played away from St. James’ Park. My view is that we have a tough run-in and attaining anything over 20 points will be a success.

Tottenham Hotspur Manager Harry Redknapp

Saturday’s encounter has been made all the more interesting after Fabio Capello relieved himself from the post of England Manager yesterday. The vacancy has already been filled in the eyes of players, supporters and the media as they bizarrely united as one in sounding out ‘Arry as the only desirable candidate to take on the most difficult job in football.

The same day saw Redknapp exonerated from charges attached to him regarding tax evasion, this news paved the way for him to take the reins and at the grand age of 64 it could possibly be his last chance to take on every manager’s dream job.

It is unlikely that the FA will move as quickly as the weekend to replace the Italian but either way, the manic activity surrounding the Spur’s boss has come at a brilliant time for the Toon Army and I hope that victory can be stolen this weekend as the focus of Tottenham personnel lies elsewhere.

I cannot go on without mentioning that Alan Pardew has been promoted by the bookies as the strongest candidate after diamond geezer, wheeler dealer Redknapp for the Three Lions job. No surprise there because the only other English Premier League manager is Woy Hodgson, need I say more?

NUFC did ever so well in the latest transfer window to keep hold of all prized assets and again I won’t be alone in hoping that will be extended in retaining the services of Gaffer.

Cloud Eight

The overachievement of Newcastle United this season has heaped further expectation and pressure onto the team.

It is time that someone, preferably Alan Pardew, takes a step back to highlight the following:

1. Man City (54pts)
2. Man Utd (51pts)
3. Tottenham (46pts)
4. Chelsea (41pts)
5. Arsenal (36pts)
6. Newcastle (36pts)

NUFC prop up only five teams and any level-headed Geordie would not be surprised to see those clubs above us especially at this stage in the season.

The attractive sixth spot comes as a result of a few factors:

• The Premier League adopting a pattern, the same which has run its rule over the Championship in recent years with it becoming so difficult to predict the outcome of any fixture.

• Two or three players at NUFC hitting 'Player of the Year' form to claim points which would ordinarily have been lost.

• Alan Pardew instilling a die-hard ethos into the playing squad as well as doing what he can to eliminate any high maintenance personnel who bring negativity towards the club (the exception is Hatem Ben Arfa who has outspoken about his prolonged bench-warming duty... understandable).

• A pinch of luck.

AP has turned NUFC from a club that is less stable than the coalition government into one that is now the surprise package of the season.

Newcastle United Manager Alan Pardew

AP hasn’t yet seen a campaign through from start to finish with Newcastle and he now speaks of the Europa League but in doing so he is lumping unwanted expectation onto not only the club but himself.

There are many potential hazards that could harm the club's domestic form e.g. the unavailability of Cheik Tiote and Demba Ba as well as The FA Cup padding out the current fixture list.

Last year, Premier League survival was all that any Geordie wanted to achieve and to escalate those targets within one year to qualifying for the Europa League is unrealistic despite current form.

The dangers of sitting on cloud nine are that everything is seen through rose-tinted spectacles and if somebody doesn’t turn down the pressure levels sooner rather than later, I predict that AP’s head will be on the block and once again the club will be back to square one.

It’s no secret that the Geordies have high expectations but there is absolutely no requirement for these expectations to be rocketed.

Can everyone please take one step back on to cloud eight and accept;

‘We are overachieving, enjoy it and build on this form game by game without that reluctance to prematurely rework our targets.’