£10 Million Bonus for Newcastle Players!

When it comes to a top Premier League team you would expect big team bonuses at the end of the season. But what is the deal with relegated Newcastle United players receiving a £10 million bonus? This is the case as senior players such as Michael Owen and Mark Viduka are due annual loyalty payments believed to be in the region of £400,000, the overall bill will be around £10m. And to make matters even worse it appears that some Newcastle players will be heading into the Coca-Cola Championship on an increased salary in what appears to be a glaring oversight by club executives. What a disaster of a season it was for Newcastle. Kevin Keegan had the team moving in the right direction before Mike Ashley intervened causing unnecessary issues to arise on Tyneside. Smaller teams make accommodations for Relegation, but unfortunately that was not in the plan for Newcastle. They are a team with one of the best of supporters anywhere to be found, and a team that includes top international players like Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and Geremi, yet they never got it together last season. And lets be honest, even though there was a lot of issues behind the scenes, it is no excuse for such a good team to get relegated; in my opinion the onus is on the players.

"Bring back Bobby" should be the chant at Newcastle if you ask me(Sir Bobby Robson). When the team was struggling back in 1999, Robson came in and saved them from relegation. His first game in charge was an 8-0 mauling of Sheffield United. Robson was sacked in 2004 for not helping the team qualify for the Champions League, thats a top 4 finish in the Premier League. Long gone are those days! The team has never recovered since, with many pot holes hampering the team. What needs to be done at Newcastle is a clean out! Ashley is the first that needs to go, from fan to team owner....what a way to destroy your team. It would probably be a good idea to know how to run a second division team before taking over a Premier League team! Alan Shearer, one of the most passionate of Newcastle fans, needs to take charge and mark his stamp on the squad. Shearer did not have much success in the Premier League, but he is the ideal candidate to get the team back on track. And then players like Owen and Viduka will be leaving on free transfers (while taking such large sums with them). Brazilian flop Cacapa is also on his way out of Tyneside with a sizable pay-off, while Joey Barton will receive a sizable bonus for being imprisoned and getting red cards for fun! Unneccesary junk if you ask me. Building the team around the likes of Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll and Shola Ameobi is the way to go, players with heart that want to be part of a successful Newcastle team. I am not a Newcastle fan, but I have 100% respect for their fans. For this reason I want to see them succeed. Next season, I will be cheering for them as they endure the unenviable task of trying to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Newcastle Take A Step Towards Survival

Newcastle took a huge step towards survival in their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League on Monday night at St. James Park. In what was one of the most anticipated Teeside derbies in recent times, two late strikes secured Newcastle a 3-1 Victory over cross town rivals Middlesbrough. Both teams entered the game on 31 points, knowing that a win could see them leapfrog Hull out of the relegation zone.And Newcastle took full advantage, in doing so winning their first game since December 21^st 2008, while also securing Alan Shearers first win as manager! It was Obafemi Martins and Peter Lovenkrands who were the heroes, climbing off the bench and scoring a goal apiece in the final 20 minutes.

I have to comment on the whole Alan Shearer situation. It actually looks like he will secure their Premier League status after all. What a difficult season it has been for Newcastle all round, with so many ups and downs. For Shearer, last night’s win was his first as manager of the club in six games. But is one win in six a good return for the Geordie legend as he battles to keep his old clubs Premier League status intact? Under the circumstances, Yes. They are out of the relegation zone and have an easier final two games than either Hull or Middlesbrough, meaning they should survive the drop. It will be the final two games that determine Shearers status as a top flight manager. If Shearer can build from this success(like a top manager should) and win his final two games he will become an untouchable legend on Tyneside. In my opinion, failing to win both games will be a disappointment. Shearer has a fully fit squad that includes some truly great Premier League players, and a team now brimming with high confidence knowing their faith is in their own hands. Next challenge- a tough Fulham team who are looking to finish their extremely successful season on a high. For Newcastle it is now not about winning to stay up, it is about winning to prove they belong in the Premier League. Two wins Mr. Shearer!

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Toon Army and Shearer Feeling the Pressure

With only 4 games left in the season, Newcastle United are feeling the pressure of the relegation zone and a season in the Championship. Alan Shearer took the reigns on Tyneside less than 3 weeks ago, with the task of saving the Toon army from relegation. But thins have not got any better since his arrival, with a record of 2 draws and a loss, 2 points from a possible 9. One of those draws occured last night in a pretty boring 0-0 home draw with Portsmouth. Shearer had started with a very attacking team that included Owen, Viduka, Martins, Smith and Duff. But even with so many attacking players on the field, Newcastle really struggled to create any chances. The miss of the match went to Michael Owen in the 63rd minute. Chances were at a premium for the Magpies striker, but when the time came the former Liverpool marksman fluffed his lines. It was Viduka who managed to squeeze the ball through the Portsmouth defence, despite having been wrestled to the ground, to leave Owen with just the keeper to beat, but James blocked with his legs to leave Shearer with his head in his hands.

It does not get any easier for Newcastle in the remaining 4 games. They will need at least 7 points to have any chance of survival. First up is a trip to title contendors Liverpool, followed by home games with fellow strugglers and Neighbors Middlesborough, and a home game with Fulham. They then finish the season away to Aston Villa. My verdict: loss to Liverpool, win over Middlesborough, draw with Fulham, draw with Villa. What does that mean? Championship status for Newcastle next season.