110% Football

Can Newcastle make the top 4?

Newcastle's story this season has been nothing short of remarkable. Last season saw a 12th place finish, 7 points away from the relegation places. The season was also marred by the hate towards Chairman Mike Ashley who the Newcastle fans hated with a vengeance, protests took place nearly every week to try get him to step down from his position.

However, luckily for Newcastle Mike Ashley didn't budge and continued his job bringing in Alan Pardew for the remaining 5 months of the 2010/11 season, Alan then steadied the roller-coaster season and drove his Newcastle team to Premier League security.

Alan Pardew this season has done something which Newcastle fans or even the owner Mike Ashley could ever have imagined in their wildest dreams. Newcastle are challenging for the top 4 in the league and the final Champions League place. They are currently in 5th place level on points with Tottenham in 4th and they are in outstanding form going into the last 5 games of the season. Based on the last 8 matches they are 3rd in the form table with only Manchester United and Arsenal on a better run of points.

This incredible run of results from what I can see is down to the 'much hated' Mike Ashley's spending structure and the 'not so popular when appointed' Alan Pardew who has done an outstanding job of blanking out the Newcastle fans hate when he took over and has built a really impressive team that have genuine quality.

When the likes of Jose Enrique, Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton were sold Newcastle fans were left seriously concerned and doubted the club could bring in better quality players to replace them. However, they needn't have worried, Alan Pardew and his scouting team had already line-up ready made replacements, Demba Ba was brought in to replace Carroll and was straight away perfect for the club and couldn't stop scoring, next was Yohan Cabaye in to replace Joey Barton/Kevin Nolan and he has been outstanding picking up a number of assists and looking a miles better player than Barton or Nolan. Finally to top it all off they signed an unknown player to most fans called Papiss Demba Cisse, who had been scoring goals for fun at SC Freiburg. This would prove to be the master-stroke from Alan Pardew and possibly the signing of the season, his return of 10 goals in his first 9 games, many people already liking him to legendary Newcastle striker Alan Shearer. 

From watching Newcastle's last 4 games I can genuinely see them making it into that top 4 of the Premier League, they have genuine quality throughout the team, from the Goalkeeper Tim Krul, who has really come of age this season, Danny Simpson who has looked solid all season, James Perch who has recently been a rock at the back, Coloccini who is now back to full fitness, then into midfiield, Cabaye is truly an inspired signing he has the ability to control the midfield, then onto Hatem Ben Arfa who is looking better every time I see him, his goal at the weekend was truly outstanding. Up Front the duo of Demba Ba and Cisse in my opinion is the best strike force in the premier league at this moment in time.

I find myself really wanting Newcastle to break that top 4 now, its great to see a bunch of players really putting in the graft for a manager like Alan Pardew who seems a genuinely decent guy, he has got them working as a team and every time I watch them play I can tell that every player on that pitch wants it and its brilliant to see.

C'MON NEWCASTLE!!!