Newcastle came so close to a Champions League place last season, but ahead of their clash with Wigan tonight, find themselves in 14th place.
Even if Newcastle win tonight at home to Wigan, and anything less will really have fans worrying, they will still be no higher than 13th.
It’s quite a comedown considering that earlier this year they were fighting it out for fourth position, and finished in a highly creditable fifth – Above European Champions Chelsea.
The reasons for their below-par performances in the league this season are easy to pinpoint, a combination of balancing the squad in the Europa League, and suffering injuries to key players.
Krul, Cabaye, Tiote, Coloccini, Taylor, and Simpson are among those to be kept out of the team for spells this season and Ba and Cisse have both enjoyed mixed form.
Yet given that their squad performed seemingly at their peak last season, surely Newcastle have themselves to blame for failing to strengthen in the summer?
This summer fans were hoping for big names, but they got just Vernon Anita – Who Pardew admits is taking his time to settle, and the lesser-spotted Romain Amalfitano, picked up on a free.
Newcastle did do well to keep their in-demand stars, and tie several of them down to new contracts, but we have seen already this year that the strength in depth in the squad is not as high as it needs to be to maintain their excellent level of performance.
They will pick up, and surely finish the season strongly, but fans will be kidding themselves to think they can equal last season’s fifth placed finish or better it.
And that’s the big issue, they should have been looking to push on.
When a side gets close to cracking the top four, its evident there is huge talent there, but they need help to kick on. Clearly Mike Ashley has not put the funds up to sign the big names, or the talent to propel the side to further heights, and cover in case of injuries.
This year Everton are pushing close for a Champions League place, and if they fall narrowly short, they should not rest on their laurels as Newcastle have.
They will have to go out and splash more cash than they have done previously to give the club that final lift, or risk falling back down. They need look no further than Newcastle for evidence of that.
Should Newcastle have spent more this summer?
image: © machernucha
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