Whether it's the Champions League or the Europa League...

....Newcastle United have been THE Team of the season.

If anyone would have told me that Newcastle Utd would be heading into the final month of the season in contention for Champions League qualification I'd have laughed my ugly head off. I sincerely hope they achieve the impossible and get there. What a story it would be!

There was quite a stir when Alan Pardew replaced the likeable Chris Hughton and, from what I have read anyway, not alot of the Geordie faithful were happy about Pardew taking on the job but what a job he has done. After selling Joey Barton, Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan alot of folk half expected a season of toil and strife. I fancied them to finish in the 9th to 13th place bracket but never contesting a European place. Staggering.

Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse have been a revelation. What did Cisse cost? 10 million? Well he's worth at least double that already. Averaging a goal every league game is pure Hollywood. But it's not all about the front two. It's been a hurculean team effort. Everybody deserves equal praise.

I, more than anybody I know, in both the cyber and real world have moaned about the diminishing quality of our top league but you have to give Newcastle Utd FC their due props. They are mixing it with the big boys and are doing within their modest means. I can imagine that the place is absolutely rocking right now? St James' Park must be the stadium to be at right now?

It will be an interesting summer for Newcastle. I'd expect the big boys to come sniffing around the likes of Cisse and Ben Arfa but hopefully, from a neutral's perspective, they dig their heels in, hold firm and keep their top stars and take Europe by storm. The fans deserve it. I know they haven't won a major trophy since 1969 but if they do join the elite in the Champions League then that's as good as, if not better, an FA Cup or Carling Cup triumph in my eyes.

Alot of people have been waxing lyrical about Athletic Bilbao this season and rightly so but I'd like to think that our European counterparts are looking over at our league and acknowledging the brilliant job Newcastle have done. Manchester Utd will win another title....what's new? Wolves will be relegated..it was only a matter of time. Liverpool have failed to mount a challenge again...true to form I suppose. Newcastle Utd, with four games to play, are sitting in fourth place....wow! just wow!

Norwich City and Swansea City have been excellent this season and pleasing on the eye but there can be no doubt that Newcaste Utd are THE team of the season.

Cheers guys.

We've been sensational but I'm not getting carried away. It's a tough run in and we have a resurgent Wigan to play at the DW next. I think we will just fall short of Champions League with Chelsea (a), Man City (h) and Everton (a) to play.

Two years ago Newcastle United were in the Championship Division. Two to three years ago it seemed there were irreconciliable differences between Mike Ashley and the clubs fans, with paranoia over the "London influence". I seem to recall possible death threats against Mike Ashley and him desperately looking to off-load the club without making too much of a personal loss.

Yes, agreed. Things in football can change very quickly, I mean you can go from being a villain to a hero overnight in a majority of sports. Just look at arry' at the lane but in reverse now, touted for the england job by everyone, now after some poor results people are questioning this possible appointment, typical crazy world of football.

I think people saying 'they were tipped for relegation and now look at them' were wrong. If those people actually knew about world football and not just about little england then they would of realised that we had bought some absolute gems. Ben Arfa was labelled a wonderkid from very early on, yes he had attitude problems but his quality was never in doubt. Had won multiple titles in France and had a winners mentality. Cabaye, just won the league and cup double for lille and was a regular french international.....need i say more? Tiote, this signing was a peach from hughton at 3.5m from Twente, who had just won the league in holland and was a regular for Ivory Coast. Cisse was another one along with Ba. They had scored goals regularly wherever they've been. Cisse scored 24 goals in 30 odd games at Frieburg and then 9 in 17 in a struggling Freiburg side. Both natural goalscorers. With an ever improving coloccini and a keeper in krul, was this side ever really destined for relegation? Yes, in the eyes of people who nothing about football outside this country, their blinkered vision and lack of knowledge has been very evident. These same people labelled Liverpool title contenders with exciting signings of downing, carroll and henderson......need i say more?

Whether its champions league or europa league football is upto the gods now and i will wait and see what happens. If we get a top 4 then is just an added bonus to what has been a simply unbelievable season. If we only get europa league football which is now guaranteed then i will be delighted not disappointed. (that may change however if we beat wigan and get a point a chelsea lol)

There are going to be several contenders for Manager of the Season, but at the moment I think there is only one man who could deny Alan Pardew this accolade ...

... and that is Roberto Di Matteo, if he does the impossible and wins the Champions League for Chelsea.

Di Matteo will never win the manager of the season. Firstly he's been in charge, what, 3 months? Secondly is the manager of the year solely based on the league or does it account for european success?

I can't see beyond Pardew now.

John wrote:Di Matteo will never win the manager of the season. Firstly he's been in charge, what, 3 months? ...

That's a fair point. Okay I overstated Di Matteo "manager of the season" potential, perhaps "manager of the last 3 months" ... if he wins the Champions League.

Nore Staat wrote:

John wrote:Di Matteo will never win the manager of the season. Firstly he's been in charge, what, 3 months? ...

That's a fair point. Okay I overstated Di Matteo "manager of the season" potential, perhaps "manager of the last 3 months" ... if he wins the Champions League.

If he does it, he deserves to be manager of the season, look at what he'll acheive, he'll take the worst Chelsea team of the last decade and do what none of the men who built those squads could do, he'll also become the first manager of a London side to win the European cup, a feat that in itself is both hard to believe and would be against all the odds.
Obviously though, if Chelsea fail to win the CL, as most people suspect, then Pardew is the only sensible candidate, what has gone on at Newcastle this last year or two though, it seems like every player they've signed has exceeded expectations by a long way, where are the duff signings that every manager makes once in a while?