It’s three years since I stood and got soaked watching Newcastle wimper out of the FA Cup 3rd round in Brighton. That day – the chants reigned out at the end of the game “We want Newcastle back”. Three years on, and it all just felt like deja vu, as the away end once again questioned what on earth has happened to their club. Apparently different this time round – the club actually want to try and win a cup. A pathetic exit against Sheffield Wednesday at home in the League Cup, has now been followed up with being dumped out at the first time of asking by a newly promoted side. That’s some trophy desire for you right there.
Certainly not for the first time this season, I found myself shaking my head in disbelief at how we managed to get ourselves in at half time behind. Steve McClaren (rightly) put out his strongest possible side, whilst Watford- made a few changes. Most notably- dangerman Ighalo was on the bench. The game was there for the taking.
After dominating possession for the first five minutes, the home team quickly looked like a weaker newly promoted team. Both our fullbacks were notably pushed higher up the pitch, and this helped encourage most of our attacks down the flanks. In particular, Janmaat was our biggest outlet- as he has been for one and a half seasons.
It was Janmaat who had our first chance seven minutes in- shooting straight at the keeper after bustling his way into the box. Our next real chance 
came about 20 minutes later- once again from the right hand side. This time it was Sissoko who played the ball back across goal, with Perez slicing the ball wide. During this period, Watford barely had one attack of note, with their main tactic being hoofing the ball up to stand in striker Oularé.
The dreading feeling of missing goal scoring chances started to feel very real again. Mitrovic glanced a header wide half an hour in to the first half, and seeing the big Serbian squander chances is now an all too familiar sight. Newcastle plugged on and maintained their pressure. After some nice footwork by Mitrovic in the middle of the park, Mbabu charged forward with the ball, and his well hit shot was unfortunately straight at Watford keeper Gomez.
Not really wanting the half time whistle to come, the game took its all too predictable turn. Out of nowhere, a sloppy pass back from the anonymous Wijnaldum was straight into the path of Deeney. The Watford captain rounded Elliot with ease and slotted in. I didn’t even feel much anger if I’m honest. Just shrugged my shoulders as I do most weeks.
Lascelles came on for Colocinni at half time. Our captain mustn’t have enjoyed his rare FA Cup outing.
Thauvin was thrown on shortly after the restart for Mbabu. A strange decision in my opinion, given the full back looked one of our more positive players in the first half. The next 40 minutes was a microcosm of modern day Newcastle United. Lack of belief, ideas, and a feeling of nothingness. God knows what McClaren’s half time game plan was, as I can’t recall one worthy chance of note. In fact- all I can remember is seeing £13m Thauvin spend most of his time on his arse or squandering possession. I’m all for giving players time to adapt, but they have to at least show some sort of ability- especially for such a substantial amount of money. Graham Carr obsession Florian has the aura of Jean Alain Boumsong about him. An expensive French donkey.
RICHARD SMITH – Follow Richy on @richysmith100
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The signing is yet another French midfielder, well a midfielder from the French league anyway
We have our many weaknesses, but the one which is killing us is Mitrovic. He does not even look like a Championship centre forward. Lumbering. We had all the possession v Watford B team, but he does not have any speed to get onto a pass down the channels. Balls knocked to his feet don’t stick, and centre halves bully him in the air. So our back four don’t see him as a forward pass when we have time to look up and create something threatening. So our attacks slow down and become easy to defend. Then we do create dangerous crosses and he does not have the pace, desire, or strikers instinct to get on the end of them and score. With someone like Austin we would have won 3-1
And as for Thauvin, we created maybe 5 or 6 opportunities for him 1 on 1 but every time he turned back and played it to our full back, who then tried to create something while Thauvin stood watching.
24million quid of great investment eh?
A week into the window and not a hint of any signing. We will be told that people are ‘ working very hard’ to get a signing ‘ over the line’ . Ominously quiet. If we had planned to target and sign anyone, we should have got them by now.
proves that we dont have the luxury of buying/settle in the reserves unproven foreign players to see if they will make it. why and how we didnt get Austin beggers belief. And why get 2 from Notts “for the future”? Waste of money. Need proven prem players that will work run thro a brick wall but u need a proper manager/coach. If we had one with REAL balls he would BEFORE taking the job say i want this etc…rather than ill take the job and kiss your arsenal for it
Right, I am gan to say this this now while I am still fuming. I HOPE MAN U FUCKIN MURDER US. things need to get very ugly as every fucka inside the club & the vast majority of the thousands of mutes who attend games seem to be totally unaware of what is coming. Wake up NUFC, you are going down. Mind you I don’t know why I get so bothered, as the one person who will really feel it is Ashley. Catch 22 or what ?
More incoherent and complacent drivel from Micawber McLaren in his post-match interview.Make no mistake ,Ashley,his muppet and puppet Charnley and the completely bereft of ideas McLaren are leading this once great club into total oblivion.
It’s not the same as the 80s. The hype surrounding the PL persuades some that they want to be part of the experience. Some people value participation in that experience to the extent that they accept the fare on offer. Others still go because they enjoy being in the company of friends and the match is only a part of this
I gave up my ticket after Ashley appointed Kinnear but I respect that others who care just as much as me have different views. However, the boycott last year did have an effect. It brought Ashley before the cameras along with the fall in season ticket renewals. Worth thinking about before renewing at the end of the month. You can always go to games of your choice
Mags being taken for mugs and still turning up while Ashley, Penfold and co. are turning us into Sunderland. Low expectations, no ambition beyond fourth-bottom, that’s exactly what they want us to expect and sadly it seems to be working. Vote with your feet on Tuesday.
Keep believing Tom, we will get rid of him and get our club back. I think thousands have left, but we need to think of ways to mobilise that support. In some ways,removing the protesters has given him an easy ride,so we need to be more imaginative in what we do. The anger is growing, and everyone has their breaking point. I hope!
Man u were shocking today so who knows we might get a result against them. But it shouldn’t stop the Ashley out protests. The longer Ashley stays the more our club will become an irrelevance to the rest of the football world. We pick up the odd win when the opposition under performs that’s it. That’s along the same lines as Sunderland. I hope that something can happen like the 80s protests that helped to usher in the Keegan era but I just don’t see it. People still seem happy to pay up and fill the ground. It’s not just the results it’s the fact the club is being run for the benefit of sports direct. Who are the hero’s for our young fans. Where are the local players who genuinely care for the club? Still no english player has netted for us this season in the league.
Well we tried but we are just not good enough. It is very simple Lee, we need a striker now. So pay the going rate and stop pissing about trying to get “value”. There is absolutely no value in getting relegated and you will be fired. Is that easy enough to understand, Lee?
Great result for Ashley no injuries suspensions or extra games to distract us from staying up and reaping the financial rewards. I’m no fan of Thauvin and questioned his signing on here when it was announced but he is not the problem do we really need to explain it again. Target Ashley not Thauvin or even look at yourselves when financing Ashley to continue his reign. You sing we’re sh*t and we’re sick but still renew. When will the message get through. Don’t moan about mike and then spend 40 quid on a wonga top.
As I said at the time of Mr Ashley’s infamous interview, the only thing that has changed is that no-one must say we are not trying in the cups. The policy remains the same-but do not give them the excuse of fielding a weakened team!
Get Ashley out-get angry and fight back!
Not able to watch the game but pleasantly surprised that Mclaren has put a decent side out wonder if Ashley knows.
One thing that doesn’t get highlighted enough as another failing of the Ashley era is our abysmal record in the cup since his running of the club. In his 9 or so years here we have never got past the 4th round and have only progressed beyond the 3rd round 3 times I think meaning we have won 3 games in the cup in that time! Possibly 4 I’m not certain. In fact Pardew must have the worst FA cup record of any of our managers. Even in the days of Mcfaul and Smith we has a few 5th round runs. It would be nice to get to the quarters at least this year I can’t see the extra games harming us too much with no Europe or league cup to trouble us.
Funny how Pardews Palace picked off Southampton away yesterday. What does that tell you about the boards aspirations
Very impressive that to be the most read club fanzine would never have thought that when bought first copy outside ground with Aaron Hughes on the front outside the ground early on in the Bobby Robson era when we were a mid table side. The mag was by far the bigger fanzine then.
Thanks Tom. From small acorns and that …