Who is to blame for the crisis at Newcastle United?
By Durim Halimi
From a top ten finish last term to a win-less start this season, Newcastle United are experiencing a crisis.
Newcastle United took the Premier League by storm last season as they managed to secure a top ten finish with a roster often labeled as a Championship side. Newcastle underwent a major transformation in January as they went on a long streak of positive results which enabled them to climb the table from the drop zone to tenth with 44 points.
Fast-forward a couple of months and Newcastle are entering the month of October with a win-less record. The Magpies have played seven matches this season and they have a performance record of 0-2-5. To make matters worse, Newcastle have played four matches at home and lost all of them, which marks the club’s worst home losing streak to start a season.
The aim of this article is to analyze how Newcastle have been placed in this nightmare of a situation to start the season. Who or what circumstances are to blame for the current crisis on Tyneside?
Blame Game
Schedule
For starters, something obvious that is worthy of blame is Newcastle’s schedule. Four of Newcastle’s first five matches came against Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. These matches forced the Magpies to play ultra-defensive football, but in the end they lost all four matches, which dug them an early hole in the relegation zone.
Mike Ashley
The man most worthy of being blamed is none other than the club’s owner, Mike Ashley. The stubborn business tycoon has successively refused to invest in the club. Newcastle were the only club to conclude the summer transfer window with a significant profit, which shows how little the Magpies spent on transfers.
Other teams in the league, including newly-promoted sides, have spent large sums of money to bring in new talent and now Newcastle are feeling the impact. It is quite clear now that Newcastle overachieved last season and the disparity between the Magpies and other teams is clearer than ever.
With only two points from a possible 21 to start the season, Ashley’s lack of funds are a major reason for the club’s current struggle. Supporters can only hope that Peter Kenyon truly is serious about forming a consortium to purchase and revive the club.
Rafa Benitez
Rafa Benitez is a popular figure on Tyneside who enjoys the support of the Toon Army during this time of struggle, however, he is not above criticism. Benitez has every right to complain about having his transfer requests ignored and short-changed, but he has also made his fair share of mistakes.
Firstly, how does Benitez expect his players to perform better each week when he is publicly complaining about how weak his roster is in every interview and press conference? Secondly, Benitez has made some questionable moves regarding lineups and substitutions this season. Benitez knows who his best players are and he must play them on a regular basis to keep his side competitive in matches. Now is not the time for experiments. Now is the time for results.