New-castle

24.05.09 Newcastle Utd are relegated to the Championship. An abject season in which they rarely appeared to have enough quality or desire to survive.

08.08.09 Newcastle Utd will begin their first season in the Championship, their first in the second tier of English football since 1993. My money is on an away tie at Peterborough.

How they got here? Mismanagement from the dugout, conflict in the board room, poor decisions in regard to personnel both on and off the field; the recent history of the Magpies is as tumultuous as any in this country. The fact that it took so many blows to finally knock out one of England's most famous and well supported clubs is testament to the position that this club was in at its recent peak, when Bobby Robson managed the club to consecutive Champions League qualifying finishes in 2002 and 2003. Robson was fired in 2004 after a poor start to the 04/05 campaign and 'only' a fifth placed finish the year previously in the league. Newcastle were considered to have a young, up-and-coming, vibrant group of players that could challenge at the summit of English football for years to come (featuring the likes of Jermaine Jenas, James Milner, Kieron Dyer, Jonathan Woodgate, Craig Bellamy and of course talismanic centre forward, Alan Shearer)

The clubs last major trophy came in 1969 - The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and despite challenging for the title in the mid-90's, Newcastle's futility, coupled with their relegation, have begun to redefine what 'success' means to this club. Their immediate priority will be to return to the Premier League. Should they do that, they will have to ensure their survival, a task that is the primary requirement of at least half the teams in the hyper-competitive top flight.

So, now that Newcastle have redetermined the boundaries of the phrase 'too good to go down,' how do they go about rebuilding and returning to the Premiership? Here's a couple of ideas:

Revolution - a sudden, complete or marked change in something

As Shearer professed after the defeat to Aston Villa (The post-match interview on Sky Sports was one of the most honest and forthright I have sever seen) the team, indeed the entire club, needs complete overhaul. Mike Ashley, the current owner, surely won't be inclined to sell the club now that they have plummeted down a division and are therefore, worth far less than a Premiership outfit. Ashley has been under immense scrutiny ever since his involvement with the club began but has been unable to find a potential buyer and has taken the club off the market.

Ashley’s administration has seen numerous incident to rile the Toon Army but, with the appointment of Shearer and the dismissal of Dennis Wise, Ashley’s cohort in the dubbed ‘cockney mafia,’ he appears to have somewhat reset the feelings of the Geordie faithful. Wise will not be replaced which indicates the manager, whomever that will be, will have autonomy in regard to personnel decisions and it is in this area that the club will make the most headlines. However, for the club to be successful, the board, the chairman, the owner, the manager and every other member of the club’s staff will have to buy into the same vision, something that has not been evident for a long time.

Resolution - the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action

The club need a plan, not just to gain promotion, but to build a team that can compete amongst the best in the country; the fans will accept nothing less. The side has been managed by 9 men in just three seasons and have suffered, as most teams do, from a constant revision of tactics and ideology. If this team is to find a place back amongst the elite they need to return to the consistency and evolution that were evident under Robson and Keegan (in his first spell). At this moment, it is difficult to determine how talented a manger Shearer may be but certainly nobody can question his passion and commitment to the cause and, if he wants the job, retaining Shearer should be Mike Ashley’s initial concern. If nothing else, he knows the limits of the playing staff currently under contract and will have the fan’s backing. If and when Shearer is confirmed as the permanent manager of Newcastle United, the work can begin on resolving how to rebuild this team.

Rejuvenation - to restore to a former state; make fresh or new again

Expect a fire-sale; Newcastle’s wage budget currently stands at around £800,000 per week and this is simply too rich for the Championship. Michael Owen, Fabricio Coloccini, Alan Smith, Xisco, Geremi, Damien Duff, Jonas, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins (some of the highest wage earners) are all likely to leave while the contracts of Cacapa and Peter Lovenkrands expire at the end of the season. Joey Barton definitely will not be back. Unfortunately, few of these players will fetch a high price - Coloccini and Xisco may recoup less than half the estimated £15 million that they were signed for, and with the club’s revenue certain to fall markedly next year, their may be meagre funds to work with in replacing their ‘premier’ talents. Despite Ashley’s estimated £1.3 billion fortune, Newcastle spent less money than they recouped over the past year (including selling Shay Given to Manchester City despite clearly fighting against relegation) and there is no guarantee that the owner will supplement a spending spree.

And nor should he. No doubt they will have to sign players, even if just to fill the gaps left by the exodus from St. James’ Park, but this team will not necessarily be improved by throwing money at big names. In the likes of Steve Harper, Ryan Taylor, Danny Guthrie, David Edgar, Shola Ameobi, Steven Taylor, Andy Carrol, Sebastien Bassong, Habib Beye, Kevin Nolan and Nicky Butt (Beye and Bassong may be hardest to keep) the team have a base of players that want to play for the club and can be relied upon at the level they will find themselves at next term. In addition, Newcastle have a number of young players that have shown promise in the Reserve and Youth teams; Nile Ranger is a quick and strong forward, Mark Doninger has 12 goals from midfield for the reserves, Tamas Kadar and Ben Tozer are young defenders signed in January that may both get the chance to impress and Kazenga LuaLua, brother of former player Lomano LuaLua, is a vastly talented winger that has already appeared 5 times for the Toon.
Newcastle should focus on developing some of their young talent and complementing them with high-character individuals who have the ability to perform in both the Championship and eventually the Premiership.

The temptation will be to lure experienced players to the club to ensure promotion at the first attempt and then address the following campaign when need be. But Newcastle have an opportunity to use one of their darkest days as a catalyst to rebuild the club. Newcastle fans must be tired of seeing players whose best years are behind them and don’t have the legs anymore. They need something to be excited about, some heroes to cheer, some home-grown stars in the image of their manager. Ok, so that’s a tough ask of a side that fell out of the top flight with hardly a whimper but with a fresh start comes almost infinite possibility.
Optimism may be far from any Geordie’s heart or head right now, perhaps that’s a good thing considering the fate of many of the teams relegated from the Premiership; Leeds United languish in League 1, Norwich, Southampton and Charlton will all be there next season and 40% of the teams that have been relegated have not returned. If Newcastle weren’t too big or too good to go down this year, then why not next year? Well managed clubs, those that don’t panic buy and are fiscally prudent, tend to challenge quite rapidly though; of the three teams relegated to the Championship last year, Birmingham secured a quick return, Reading made the playoffs (and may well have finished in an automatic promotion slot but for an end of season slump) and only Derby struggled (although they were the worst team in Premier League history). A couple of seasons ago, perennial Premiership-Championship yo-yo teams all finished in the top 4. Newcastle will have to show desire and can’t take anything for granted but this club, for all it’s problems, has a strong enough base both on and off the field to concern itself more with the top of the table than the bottom.

Which players might Newcastle identify as individuals that can propel them back to the big time and beyond? Daniel Fox (Coventry) is young, highly-rated left back that was linked with Newcastle in January, Joe Ledley (Cardiff) is considered one of the most gifted players outside the Premiership and at just 22, has more caps for his country, 27, than he has had birthdays. Fabien Delph (Leeds) is another that has already garnered attention from Newcastle and the 19 year old phenom is a future star. Darron Gibson (Manchester Utd) has been a strong contributor towards the end of the year but his contract expires in the summer and may be available. Newcastle would also be well served to venture into the loan market - Manchester United have proven that their reserve team is better than a number of first teams in the Premiership and a number of talents could be available from the top four. The two things they must avoid are overpaying for veterans that have limited re-sale value and handing out large, long contracts to average players. Either could burden them financially, particularly if they fail to return to the Premiership at the first attempt.

Rehabilitation - to restore formally to former capacity, standing, rank, rights, or privileges

When all is said and done, anything but a quick return to the promise land will be seen as a disappointment. Newcastle will continue to draw huge crowds even in the Championship and will provide a bonanza for every opponent next season. The target will be on their back all year but for a club that is used to used to such internal combat and external pressure, that should provide little extra tension.

The club has been plagued by mistakes over the last few years and has finally paid the price. The extent of their demise, an almost unthinkable relegation, should refocus them off the field. If they can respond by retooling the squad and recovering the pride of one of the world’s most loyal and enthusiastic fan bases then Newcastle United will once again be playing on the same field as the best in the country.