: Mon May 25, 2009 9:14 am
The problem with the squad was that there was no balance, no creativity and very few players applied any urgency to the cause.
Too many of them seemed happy to just collect their wages and put in below par performances, one after another.
Beye, Duff, Bassong, Guthrie and Steven Taylor are the 4 that can probably put their hands up and say, well at least i tried or played like they wanted to avoid relegation to The Championship.
Too many of the players have had the wrong attitude, and they simply are not good enough.
We had so many second chances, Stoke getting a win at Hull, then us beating Middlesborough, then Man Utd winning against Hull yesterday, but we couldn't take advantage of when other teams' results were helping us out. We don't deserve to stay up.
This season has been an absolute joke, i don't really care too much of the views of the bitter Man Utd fans and other fans that have an agenda of hatred towards Newcastle, especially those who have only been supporting Man Utd since 1999. It must be a hard life as a football fan to support one of the big 4. Players like Given, N'Zogbia and Milner leaving and replacing them with Lovenkrands, Nolan and Ryan Taylor, isn't going to strengthen a team. I remember saying it at the time, and i said in December that we would get relegated.
Not really sure how people can pinpoint blame at Alan Shearer really, he had 8 games to work with players who the majority, don't seem bothered, and secondly, aren't good enough. He will have wanted to win more games in his 8 games in charge, however, apart from the fans who dislike him on a personal note, probably for turning down Man Utd twice during his career, i don't really see how he can be criticised.
It will be interesting to see who stays at the club, both players and managers.
