As painful as it is to write, Newcastle United have booked their one-way trip to the Championship next season. There are nine games left to be played, but did anyone watch the performance against Brighton? The Magpies made the Seagulls look like Barcelona as the home side dominated the affair in every department.
That game should have been treated as a cup final by Newcastle United, instead they barely got out of their own half. The Toon Army were convinced they would wake up to news of the club parting ways with Steve Bruce, yet the clowns in the front office made it clear they are sticking with him.
At this point, Mike Ashley is pushing Newcastle United over the relegation finish line instead of doing everything he can to maintain the club’s Premier League status. He may be a business tycoon, but this strategy will only lead to him potentially selling the club for a fraction of his original asking price. Ashley might actually struggle to sell the club even more in the Championship as the clubs around them would be much more affordable.
The fact that the owner is willing to give Bruce a few more weeks to turn things around is terrible news, but the latest report from Football Insider is the real nightmare that screams RELEGATION! According to the site, sources close to the club claim that a few key players have had enough of Bruce and will try to encourage the club’s managing director, Lee Charnley, to take action.
That exclusive report spells bad news for Newcastle United. Here’s why…
On one end fans might find some comfort knowing that some players despise Bruce as much as they do. His tactical decisions and player exclusions have stunned many in the squad for quite some time, but their plan to beg Charnley to sack the manager raises a major red flag.
Why? Well, a fractured dressing room composed of players who no longer want to play for the manager is a key contributor to relegation. Rumor has it that a few players have called Charnley with the opposite initiative in advocating that Bruce keeps his role. This is a case of ambition versus complacency.
Secondly, these calls should have come a long time ago. Why wait until there are only nine games left on the schedule? Six of the Magpies’ remaining fixtures include terrifying games against Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester City, and Manchester City.
The team’s confidence is already at the lowest possible level, the dressing room is officially split over Bruce’s presence, and the schedule will only get more difficult. The return of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin will make the Toon more competitive after the international break, but they dropped too many points in winnable games in recent weeks.
Ladies and gentlemen, you would be wise to mentally and emotionally prepare yourselves for relegation. Just knowing that Newcastle United are headed in that direction makes me numb from head to toe, but “we are where we are.”