Newcastle In Trouble After Yet Another Loss

Newcastle suffered an embarrassing 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace to send the Tyneside team into the relegation zone. With fans furious, their manager and players can not seem to cope.

The day had started so positively for the away side who took an early lead courtesy of a well timed header by Cisse. However this would be as good as it got. Palace took advantage of the staggeringly dis-jointed Newcastle who at times looked as though they had never played together before.

Once the home side scored, the goals kept coming. First it was McArthur who equalised, before Bolasie and Zaha made it 3-1 at the interval. McClaren would have been furious by his sides complete lack of intensity and I imagine he gave his side a firm talking to at the break. Whatever words were said at half time, was wasted breath. Before the manager could return to his seat, Palace had added a fourth. McArthur then rounded the afternoon off nicely, scoring his second in the last minutes of the very one sided match.

Newcastle United are in danger of being relegated this season thanks to seven straight losses. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

This is the second humiliating loss in two games. They had previously been beaten 0-3 at home to Leicester City and had been rightly booed off by their supporters. I rarely justify fans booing their team but I can only have sympathy for the Toon Army. They have seen their team fall apart under the current hierarchy, who still seem to be putting personal business before the needs of the football club. This has resulted in a hugely dysfunctional club with problems which go far deeper than the first team squad.

However, this aside, the team do need to start showing a bit more fight. No-one really looks like they want to be playing for Newcastle. The team is awash with mediocracy and ego, with no control on or off the pitch. The team simply hasn’t gelled and it is really beginning to show. This is yet another issue which the owner is at fault for. Mike Ashley has been too quick to sack managers, some of which could have saved the club from their current position. Alan Padrew, the man in the opposite technical area, must have been counting his lucky chickens that he got out when he did!

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Steve McClaren has already said his players are struggling to cope with the pressure which doesn’t bode well for the rest of the season. If his side are too avoid the dreaded relegation, they are going to have to find confidence from somewhere. They need someone to come in and take control. Someone with spirit to step up and be counted on the pitch. McClaren will be desperately waiting for January, where hopefully he will have the chance to buy one or two players who can inspire his team to safety.

Talent can only get you so far though, attitude is what is most important. A good attitude is something which many Newcastle players don’t have. Yes, they probably have enough talent in the squad to keep them safe but they will have to start playing for each other. At the moment the team is flat, lifeless and mentally weak.

They will have to turn it around very quickly because their next two games are against two in-form sides, Liverpool and Tottenham. If the fail to pick up points from these games, Newcastle will be in a lot of trouble and I really do fear for them. Unless they begin to show a little more character, I believe this once great club may be playing in the Championship before too long.

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