After a short break, akvbcfc is back with an article. Here are his thoughts on recent events:

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A month away from my laptop due to exams have not quenched my thirst for the beautiful game and what a month it has been…

Into The Abyss You Go…
On Saturday 16th August 2008, who could have possibly predicted the season that was later to unfold?
It has been a truly remarkable year for numerous reasons, and as usual, it has come to an end full of joy and laughter, tears and sadness, success and failure. A season that began with visions of Brazilian magic emerging from the realms of Stamford Bridge, and with a Messiah in charge of Newcastle, has ended with a heroic Russian riding off into the sunset, and a new Messiah, whose eternal image is tainted with the pain of relegation.

Another rollercoaster ride has ended with the demotion of West Brom (again), Boro (thank god), and Newcastle (haha). For the first time in their history, Newcastle have been relegated from the Premier League, and the Tyne-Tees derby will now take place…in the Coca-Cola Championship. Do I have any sympathy for West Brom? Just a bit, but they prepared for this day the second they were promoted back to the Top Table. Any sympathy for Boro? Yep, definitely. They have a fantastic chairman and good facilities, but they always seemed to be a bit out of their depth in the top flight. Any sympathy for Newcastle? Get a grip.

Newcastle United has been badly run since the day that Bobby Robson left the club and the club deserves no sympathy or kind thoughts whatsoever.

Yes, relegation was hard on the fans. The thousands of fans who decide to host mass wakes or parties depending on the result the week before. The thousands who turned on their club completely mid-season, when the team needed them most. My message? It may be cruel, but get on with it. Being a Bluenose, we’ve been relegated from the Prem twice, but we didn’t get any sympathy coming our way. Heck, Leeds are in League 1, and not one person has offered them even a tiny amount of sympathy.

Honest, hard working players have been sold as the club constantly tried to ‘improve’, but as a result, the club have only moved backwards. James Milner has provided a perfect example. He was a quality young player, who gave his all and never put in a bad performance. However, Graeme Souness decided that he didn’t like the kid and he did his utmost to offload him onto another club. Villa didn’t sign him, and then Newcastle had another chance to utilise the young star’s potential. What happened? He signed for Villa last summer. The club ditched bright young stars in favour of over-paid layabouts who offered little. Boumsong, Collocini or Luque anyone?

Mismanagement has been evident for the past few seasons, and this was brought to a head by the entrance of Mike Ashley. The Spurs fan who wanted to go and have a beer with the Toon Army before the game. You couldn’t make this stuff up.

Then? Then he hired Dennis Wise, Executive Director (football), and the club just became even more of a laughing stock. To think, things went downhill from here!

I know that this article may seem as if I am completely against Newcastle FC and everyone connected with the club, but let me be clear, I am not. At their best, Newcastle fans can be quite brilliant in their encouragement. However, mismanagement, diabolical decision making and a lack of unity has led to a situation which previously seemed unthinkable. This is a good club, with a very large fan base and a unique belief that anything is possible, and I admire that. However, Newcastle United has no-one to blame but Newcastle United. They brought it on themselves.

Where to now?
“Whoever comes into the football club will have a big job on their hands”
Alan Shearer’s words will resonate in the minds of Newcastle fans this morning as they tried to piece together the puzzle that is Newcastle FC. There are no more Messiahs (apart from Ant and Dec, but they’ve got Britain’s Got Talent), and the club has to start again. Of the 3 relegated clubs, West Brom are in the best position to bounce back, purely because they know what the Championship is all about. Boro have not played a game in the second tier for 11 years, Newcastle haven’t played a game there for 16, and it will be a monumental shock to the system when the league kicks off next season.

West Brom have players on low wages, so they’re fine. Boro have relegation clauses in most, if not all of their players’ contracts, so they should be OK. Newcastle…well, what do you think?

I would say that at Boro, the whole playing squad needs overturning, because in many ways, the squad is just not good enough. Personally, I would say that they also need a new man in the dug-out, but it seems that the patience of the Boro owner Steve Gibson may win the day. Boro need a couple of strikers who actually know where the goal is, and they need to refresh the club with younger, hungrier players, who will fight for everything. Newcastle? A complete overhaul is needed, otherwise the club could implode. Without these relegation clauses in contracts, the club will find it very hard to balance the books next season. If Shearer stays on, and you just get the feeling that he will, then the squad must be replaced. Not refreshed. Replaced. The players are not good enough, and that is a fact.

Going Down the Right Way
Albion deserve a bit of respect. Yes, they went down, and yes, in certain matches they proved to be cannon fodder for the opposition, but at least they went down playing football. As a result, after their relegation was confirmed, the Hawthorns stood to a man and gave the players a standing ovation. It was an amazing sight considering what had just happened, but that was testimony to Tony Mowbray’s unique brand of football, which involves getting the ball, and passing it. People have slated West Brom all season, saying that they had to play ‘dirty’ if they wanted to stay up, but in the end, they were only 3 points off survival. And that was with a suicidal defence and a set of strikers who could not hit a barn door with a banjo. If West Brom had the likes of Wheater and Huth in defence, and maybe Obafemi Martins upfront, then they would not have gone down. Let the Championship take note, you can play beautiful football in the Premier League.

Next Challenger Please…
It’s our turn now.
That is the message that will echo down the corridors of Molineux, St Andrews, and now, for the first time, Turf Moor. The mission statement for Wolves, Blues and Burnley is clear – Survival.

The failures of Albion, Boro and the Toon Army are clear to see, and it is up to the promoted sides to make sure that they learn from the past failures of other clubs. Can they do it? Of course they can, because anything can happen in this game. Will they do it? Now that question is a bit harder to answer.  It is of the utmost importance that all 3 sides are resolute in defence, with a touch of class in the centre of the park and strikers who will get crucial goals at crucial times. Mick McCarthy, Alex McLeish, Owen Coyle…Good luck, you are going to need it.
 
Join our FA or F off
The Football Association of Wales will take no action over the debacle during the Cardiff-Swansea match where referee Mike Dean was hit with a coin. Despicable. And that’s just the Welsh FA. It’s about time that Cardiff and Swansea joined the English system fully, or they leave for good. The FA should have the right to punish each and every club playing in English League’s. Is it so much to ask?

Why Barry has to stay at Villa
Yes, I know you are surprised, startled, and maybe a little bit shocked…but it’s true. If Barry goes to Liverpool now, he will probably end up playing left back/left wing in a World Cup year. It’s about time that Mr Barry woke up and realised the truth. If he goes to Liverpool, he won’t be utilised ‘properly’ as he is used currently in his central midfield berth at Aston Villa. Sit on the bench, or be the heartbeat of a top 6 Premier League side? Come on, a World Cup is more important than a seat on the Liverpool bench.

My Top Moments of the Season
It really has been an enthralling season, for a number of reasons, but after much consideration (about 5 minutes when I was making breakfast), here are the 6 memories that I will take away from this season:

1) The Rafa Benitez Rant – Well, what more can I say…It was an extraordinary premeditated attack which did…well…nothing.

2) Phil Brown’s Half Time Show – Brown’s decision to conduct his half time team-talk on the pitch at the City of Manchester Stadium was not well advised. Let’s leave it at that.

3) The Worst Premier League Ever? – I’m sorry, but the talk that this season has been the most competitive ever will not wash with me. The standard of football in the top division is decreasing. Yes, there is undoubted quality when you look at the top 6 teams in the league, but apart from those teams, there are very few others who offer anything. Teams entering the Premier League should have nothing to fear…Play half-decent football, and score a few goals, and you should be safe…comfortably.

4) Roy of the Rovers – Kiki Macheda. Absolutely amazing. Just when United were down and out against Villa, and when their title aspirations seemed to be on the brink of collapse, the young debutant stood up and finished with aplomb. It was one of those magic moments, and Macheda has gained cult status at Old Trafford after two touches of a football. It’s what this game is all about.

5) Down and Out? – This season has seen the demotion of some truly massive clubs. Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Southampton and Charlton have all been relegated and they all face a massive task if they are to return. Such monumental events can only be remedied by following the glowing example of Nigel Pearson’s Leicester City side who have been promoted back to the Championship.

6) We are Premier League! – At the end of the day, our own club’s triumphs are the greatest. Blues were promoted on a historic day at the Madjeski Stadium after a nail-biting victory over Reading, and the celebration party that followed the final whistle was worth all the nerves and anger that had gone before.

Can’t wait till next season? Join the club.

By akvbcfc