Coming Home Newcastle - Season Review WeekA prudent and measured bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48541/cominghome-fave.png2014-05-16T14:00:14+01:00http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/rss/stream/54726872014-05-16T14:00:14+01:002014-05-16T14:00:14+01:00Newcastle United Season End Roundtable
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<figcaption>Paul Thomas</figcaption>
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<p>From goal and game of the season to transfer targets and plenty of blame to go around.</p> <p>At CHN, we have a tradition where our writers gather together (virtually, of course - let's just pretend that we met at the imaginary bar known as Three Left Backs) and digest the season once it's over. This year, the medicine didn't go down so easily. Presenting: The 2013-14 Roundtable Discussion.</p>
<p><b>Let's start off with a positive, if that's possible. What was the high point of the season for you?</b></p>
<p><b>Jim McMeachin:</b> Was there a high point? I mean, even from the part of the season that we weren't abject... I guess I'll point to two instances (see Alan? I'm learning!) that would be contenders. <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">November 10</span></span>, Tim Krul was everything. He played that match at White Hart Lane at the absolute highest level possible and stole three points for his team. Outside of that match, I suppose a hat tip has to go to finally winning at Old Trafford for the first time since the Battle of Trafalgar (roughly)... although <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United's</a> struggles during the David Moyes "era" take some of the luster off of it. But Jim, I hear people saying, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/">Tottenham Hotspur</a> match is really an individual thing, isn't it? Yes. Yes it is; however, that is the kind of season we had.</p>
<p><b>Alan Hoffmann:</b> I think the biggest positive for the season was winning at Old Trafford. It was something Newcastle hadn’t done since 1972. Yeah, Manchester United had a down year, but I think at that point this season, anything was possible. Newcastle were 7th on the table, and given that this win kicked off a nice run of form, it wasn’t to hard to conceive that they could push for Europe. Of course then the transfer window happened and we sold off Cabaye and as Paul Harvey says, "you know the rest of the story." But, I think back to that day, and how fun Newcastle Twitter was and seeing the shots of the away support celebrating after the Manchester fans had left, and I can’t remember anything coming close to how special that day was.</p>
<p><b>Robert Bishop:</b> Off the pitch: The day that Joe Kinnear left the club. There's no doubt in my mind that the singular on-pitch moment has to be <span>Tim Krul's</span> 14 save performance against Spurs, but Jim mentioned that already. So, I'll go with Loic Remy's header from a corner on 23 November against Norwich, which ended a corner goal drought of 785 days.</p>
<p><b>And what was the low point?</b></p>
<p><b>JM: </b>I'm going to cover a bunch of bases with this one. As we have discussed on the site before, Newcastle have struggled against lower-table opposition. This year was no different. My "low point" is rather specific if a little wide reaching: our form against teams occupying 20th place in the league at the time of the match. We were abysmal. I don't care to go and find all the instances of it (I could, you know), but it does cover two derby losses and a late season loss to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/">Fulham</a> that started our wonderful 6 match losing streak.</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> It’s hard to pick one, but the 3-0 home loss to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/">Sunderland</a> has to be right near the top. I mean, this year, you literally have to wade through the 3-0 or worse defeats to pick from. But, to lose to your rival, at home, for the third time in a row, giving up just Sunderland’s sixth double in the rivalry is pretty bad. I know some people don’t put a lot of stake in rivalry games in terms of they are must wins and manager’s jobs depend on that, but Sunderland were a horrid club. This is a club that spent most of the year not just in the relegation zone, but in last place (by my count, 17 weeks at 20th….half the season!) For that club to come into your ground and walk out 3-0 winners is awful.</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> The day Yohan Cabaye was sold to PSG for good, but not great money. It was Mike Ashley's message to the manager, players, fans, and anybody paying attention that the season was over and the mission had been accomplished. That the season ended the way it did was no surprise.</p>
<p><b>What went wrong this season? Try, if you can, to narrow it down to 1 or 2 problems.</b></p>
<p><b>JM:</b> Alan Pardew. If you're going to purport that the squad was good enough and of a sufficient level that "we was real good in the first halv ov the season" then it follows that the squad was good enough and of a sufficient level that the second half of the season is down to management. The loss of Loïc Rémy for a stretch in 2014 will be pointed at as evidence that the problem lies elsewhere, but Mike Ashley wasn't picking 4-4-anything formations with three left backs and 4 center mids.</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> The question here asks me to narrow it down to one or two main issues, so I’ll just go with this: Mike Ashley refuses to spend money on this club. Brendan Rodgers said at the end of the season that the fact that Newcastle has spent no money in the last two transfer windows and still finished 10th is quite the achievement. And yeah, you want to brush that off and say that Rodgers is just being kind, but he’s got a point. No permanent transfers, no ne signings, we sold our best player and we still finished tenth. I’m not going to say that Pardew has great tactics or that the team is fine, but given that Newcastle hasn’t had depth and has had glaring holes for two years, has done nothing to fix them, and still finished in the top half of the league is kind of amazing. If Ashley invested money into the club, gave us depth, this season may have turned out differently.</p>
<p><b>RB: </b>They quit. Everybody quit. As I mentioned above, Mike Ashley signaled his intent to pack in the season four months from the end with the sale of Cabaye, but nobody at the club should get a pass for following his lead and folding like a card table. The entire organization showed their collective lack of integrity and professionalism in the way they conducted themselves.</p>
<p><b>What went right? What can Newcastle build on moving forward?</b></p>
<p><b>JM:</b> Newcastle United can build on the momentum gained by the Pardew Out campaign and hopefully get him out of our club next season.</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> It’s hard to say what went right because the season as a whole is clouded by the awful ending. I do think Newcastle has some nice young players that it can build off of. I really like Haidara and Dummett. I think those are two young players that the club can build around. I’d like to see Sammi Ameobi and Adam Armstrong get some more playing time. I’m not sure why Pardew was reluctant to play these guys down the stretch when the club knew it was going to finish somewhere between 8th and 10th . I also like that Coloccini is coming back. That’s great news for the backline.</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> Lots of individual performances at the right times. It's easy to look back at this season and think, "First half good, second half bad," but recall that there were plenty of things that we were worried about before Cabaye left and Remy was unavailable most of the time. They went entire matches without getting a shot on target. At one point, they had taken something like 65% of their shots from outside of the box. Wonder goals from Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Remy, and a stand-on-head performance from Krul gave the Toon results that they probably didn't earn otherwise. Individuals that can change the course of a match are a must-have in the Premier League, but there's no replacement for solid team play. Sadly, the examples of that in 2013-14 were few and far between.<b></b></p>
<p><b>Who was the player of the season?</b></p>
<p><b>JM: </b>Yohan Cabaye. Next question.</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> I think I has to be Remy. Without his goal scoring prowess at the beginning of the year, this club is probably relegated. In a way, he underscores the problem that Pardew and Newcastle have. Remy was relied upon for pretty much all the goal scoring, and when he was injured or if he had an off-game, there was no one to pick up the slack. If you single-handedly keep a team in the Premier League, I think that gives you the nod.</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> Cabaye and Remy are in the same tier for me. If Cabaye stayed, he'd be the runaway winner (I'm assuming), but since Remy was around for some of the back end of the season, I'll give him the nod. There really aren't any other legitimate candidates.</p>
<p><b>Goal of the season?</b></p>
<p><b>JM:</b> Brace yourselves for this one - <span>Hatem Ben Arfa</span> v. Fulham (close runner up: Yohan Cabaye FK v. West Ham). Although this could really be seen to be the beginning of the end for HBA this season, this goal was class and clutch. It also taught him his Preferred Move of "roll the ball around at the top corner of the box until you can strike with your left" that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/hull-city">Hull City</a> showed everyone how to solve.</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> I’ll take Cabaye’s winner at Manchester United. It might not have been the prettiest, but that was an outstanding win and well, I miss Cabaye.</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> The team goal against West Ham (seen at 2:58 in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20140514/nufctv-freeview-goal-of-the-season_2281670_3831791">this video</a>) stands out to me, because it was seemingly one of the few that wasn't a moment of individual brilliance. They created that goal. In a normal season, I'll give a nod to Ben Arfa or Cabaye or Sissoko, but not this year.</p>
<p><b>Game of the season?</b></p>
<p><b>JM:</b> Newcastle United 2 - 0 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>. <span>Yoan Gouffran</span> scored that header from a Yohan Cabaye free kick, we managed to break free of the "let a better team run at you" tactic (eventually) and stopped playing "hoof it to Sholer" (eventually) and lo! A result was won! (Also, <span>Gabriel Obertan</span> actually played in this match!)</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> Since it was my high point, I’m going to go ahead and say the win at Old Trafford. Possibly one of the more complete games Newcastle played all year as well.</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> It probably says a lot about the season that I'm going to go with a draw, but here we go: Newcastle 2 - 2 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> on 19 October. It wasn't their best performance, but it was the one in which we saw the fight that we want from the team. <span>Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa</span> committed a really, really dumb foul in the 40th minute and was shown a deserved straight red, but for once the lads didn't fold. In fact, they went out and grabbed a lead in the second half (only for <span>Daniel Sturridge</span> to salvage a point for the visitors). It was ugly, and their woes were self-inflicted, but at least they had the gumption to claw their way back. I choose to remember this match, because it's all I want from them going forward.</p>
<p><b>What are <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle's</a> biggest on-the-pitch needs? How would you prioritize transfer spending?</b></p>
<p><b>JM:</b> Newcastle's biggest needs are as follows (in no particular order): 1. Play-making central midfielder, 2. Striker not named Luuk de Jong or <span>Shola Ameobi</span>, 3. New manager, 4. Defensive coach who can set our defense right. There's talent enough there, but we concede way too many goals. I would prioritize these items thusly: 1. 3. 2. 4.</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> Well, it sort of depends on who all leaves, but obviously there needs to be some scoring. If we assume Remy is gone, then that leaves Newcastle with just Papiss Cisse, which doesn’t work. Luuk de Jong was the "worst transfer of the year" according to the broadcast, and it’s hard to argue with that. We need some strikers or forwards that can take the pressure off Cisse. Also, can we please get someone who will put in a decent ball on set pieces? I can live without scoring off them, but could we at least look dangerous?</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> The biggest need positionally is undoubtedly striker, but really what Newcastle need is a Best Player Available, to use the parlance of other sports that have a draft. The best playmaker that can be bought using Mike Ashley's relatively meager budget should be pursued without prejudice and regardless of position on the pitch. Grab him and build around him. The team doesn't have a direction - or even a consistent formation, apparently - so this approach is viable.</p>
<p><b>What players that haven't been linked to Newcastle would you like to see the team pursue?</b></p>
<p><b>JM:</b> Arda Turan? I know I know. Never going to happen, but a fella can dream, right? I guess maybe Fraser Forster for when Tim Krul finally realizes he's better off playing for someone not named Alan Pardew?</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> Wouldn’t Shola be like a new signing? (<i>Ed. note: <a target="_blank" href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/5/13/5709836/newcastle-united-2013-14-season-review-revisiting-preseason-predictions#233861215">Stop avoiding the question.</a></i>)</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> I asked this question thinking that I was going to answer it realistically (as in, list some players that are in NUFC's price range and that might actually want to play for Pardew), but that's actually no fun at all. So, why not throw some money (ha!) at Adam Lallana and see if he can't be enticed by the promise of playing time?</p>
<p><b>Make a bold prediction about the summer so that we can look back and laugh at you in a couple of months.</b></p>
<p><b>JM:</b> Newcastle United will make a multi-million £ move for a striker that hasn't scored even two handfuls of goals over the last two competitive seasons he has played.</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> Newcastle will sign a few more French players and people will bitch and moan about it on Twitter. That is a BOLD prediction if I’ve ever made one.</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> <span>Alan Pardew's</span> first incoming transfer this season will be a loan; the fans will lose their collective mind. In the end, however, he'll buy at least four players. None of them will be Remy Cabella. Sylvain Marveaux will not leave.</p>
<p><b>The blame for how the second half of the season went can be placed at the feet of a number of people: Mike Ashley, Joe Kinnear, Alan Pardew, the players (or maybe a certain player or group of them, if you like). If you had to choose just one person to fault, who would it be?</b></p>
<p><b>JM:</b> Each and every one of these carries a certain degree of culpability. I've written recently about the club's need for Mike Ashley to invest and why he's not likely to do so. Joe Kinnear was a disaster, just as we all knew he would be. The players underachieved mightily. At the end of the day, as I mentioned earlier, this steaming bag of crap is placed directly at the feet of Alan Pardew. Freezing creative players out and then whining about a lack of creative players. Playing players who are international class players at their normal positions out of position (remember when we signed that promising young right winger <span>Moussa Sissoko</span>?). Most of all, the inability to achieve even the slightest degree of motivation within the locker room put us where we were. This doesn't even mention HeadbuttGate. Pardew should be gone already and will drag us down to another season of underachieving relative to actual talent level in the squad.</p>
<p><b>AH:</b> The press, obviously. That Lee Ryder, he just ruins everything. No, I think it pretty much rests with Mike Ashley. I’ve made the case before that unless Ashley invests money into the club, it doesn’t matter who the manager is. Not in the long term anyway. I honestly feel that until Ashley invests money or sells, Newcastle is a club that is going to bounce between mid and low table.</p>
<p><b>RB:</b> It's all of them, but more than any, it's Mike Ashley. Also: Science.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/5/16/5722292/newcastle-united-nufc-season-reviewRobert L. Bishop2014-05-15T11:00:09+01:002014-05-15T11:00:09+01:00Devil's Advocate: NUFC did well
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<figcaption>Was it really all that bad? | Julian Finney</figcaption>
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<p>This isn't a popular opinion, but it might be worth considering that Newcastle did just fine this last season.</p> <p>Season Review Week has been a bit of a downer. Who wants to relive THAT season, right? We had a look at our beginning of predictions and had a great laugh. I know my contribution to the year end roundtable borders on angry. And why shouldn't it be?The rundown to the season was awful. There was the walk out. <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle</a> twitter is a strange mix of bitter, cynical, and flat out hate towards the club.</p>
<p>But, I'm wondering if maybe it wasn't all that bad.</p>
<p>The ending of, well, anything, can sour you on the entire experience. I once stopped reading my favorite author for a year after the ending of one of his books (Dean Koontz, for those curious). The series finales of long running shows such as Lost or How I Met Your Mother can leave a bad taste in your mouth if they don't stick the landing. And, when it comes to Newcastle, they didn't just not stick the landing; they missed the mat.</p>
<p>But, that's the ending of the season. The ending spent largely without Loic Remy, spent entirely without Yohan Cabaye. When Newcastle beat <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a>, they were seventh in the league. At the halfway mark, the Mags were sixth. If we are to look at the season as a whole, we have to remember that this season did include a lot of good. There was legit talk of the club making a push for a European spot.</p>
<p>If you look at the season as a whole, there is something to be proud of. Let's do a year-by-year comparison to last year.</p>
<p> </p>
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span> </span></td>
<td>2012-13<span> </span>
</td>
<td>2013-14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Place</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Points</td>
<td>41</td>
<td>49</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Goals Scored</td>
<td>45</td>
<td>43</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Goals Allowed</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>59</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Goal Differential</td>
<td>-23</td>
<td>-16</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>Newcastle finished six places higher, added eight points, and allowed 11 fewer goals than they did a year ago. They scored two fewer goals. Newcastle won more games this year (15 compared to 11) than last.</p>
<p>Now, you're probably saying, "Big whoop. Newcastle did better than a season that they nearly got relegated. Let's pop champagne." You are saying this sarcastically, because the numbers still aren't great. But, they are better. They didn't regress, they didn't stay stuck, they improved in several metrics.</p>
<p>Now consider that during the last two transfer windows, Newcastle has done nothing to help themselves. No permanent transfers. Loic Remy was brought in, but that was only a loan. Luuk de Jong didn't even help anything and he's not a permanent transfer. Newcastle basically said from their nearly relegated year that the squad was ok, and rolled the dice. This hasn't gone unnoticed. <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Liverpool</a> manager <span>Brendan Rodgers</span> mentioned it last week, basically calling the job Pardew did to be remarkable.</p>
<p>Fans were angry when <span>Alan Pardew</span> received his bonus for finishing in the Top 10. But, recall, that was the goal the club set for itself. The club then hampered itself by not doing anything in the transfer window (except selling their best player). It was frustrating as can be, but it may just be that the club was being realistic about what they could achieve this season.</p>
<p>Maybe "well" is to strong of a word for the title of this piece. Newcastle did "alright". They did "OK". I just don't feel that, as a whole, the season was terrible.</p>
<p>The ending was awful, but the season as a whole can't be considered a waste. Now it's up to the club to make some moves in the transfer window and continue to improve and make next season better than this last one.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/5/15/5719170/devils-advocate-newcastle-did-well-this-year51dimes2014-05-13T14:03:00+01:002014-05-13T14:03:00+01:00We made pre-season predictions - how did we do?
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<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Prior to the season starting, we here at CHN were sequestered in a room that conveniently contained a round table. It is time to review the results of this terrible time.</p> <p>The particular details of how we came to be around this round table together are inconsequential. What matters is that we were held for an amount of time until we had provided answers to a list of questions regarding the 2013-14 season. I think that it probably annoyed Alfie the most - seeing as he probably had lots of things to do over at Big Cat Country. <a target="_blank" href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2013/8/17/4629046/newcastle-united-nufc-premier-league-season-preview-2013-14">Anyway - we made our predictions, were returned to our normal lives and the results were hermetically sealed within the Google Machine until now</a>. How well did we do? Let's find out.</p>
<h4 align="center"><b>Who will finish in the top 6? </b></h4>
<p>Suffice it to say, none of us predicted the rapid demise of the David Moyes era at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> and the extent to which their league position would be affected. Additionally, most of us over-estimated the Mourinho Effect, although to be fair <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> weren't far off the top of the table.</p>
<h5 align="center">Actual Results</h5>
<ol>
<li> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> </li>
<li><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a></li>
<li>Chelsea</li>
<li><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a></li>
<li><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a></li>
<li>Spurs</li>
</ol>
<h5 align="center">How did we do?</h5>
<p>Alfie was the only one of us that selected Manchester City to win the league. Robert, Alan and I all selected Chelsea. Oops. Although Alfie nailed the champ, he did choose Spurs as runners-up... while Robert and I both selected them fourth. Alan only specifically picked the champion in his Top 6 list, which in hindsight was a brilliant move as it completely sidesteps nearly all accountability for incorrect picks. 50% of us (Alfie and Alan) even picked Liverpool in the top 6 at all. We did all get pretty close on Arsenal, with Robert, Alfie and I all selecting them 5th... so that's close, right? Special mention goes to Robert for this nugget:</p>
<div align="center">
<blockquote>
<p>Manchester United will struggle (relative to other recent seasons) under <span>David Moyes</span></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<h5 align="center">Our Selections</h5>
<blockquote>
<p>Jim: 1. Chelsea, 2. Manchester United, 3. Manchester City, 4. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/">Tottenham Hotspur</a>, 5. Arsenal, 6. Everton</p>
<p>Robert: 1. Chelsea, 2. Manchester City, 3. Manchester United, 4. Tottenham Hotspur, 5. Arsenal, 6. Everton</p>
<p>Alfie: 1. Manchester City, 2. Tottenham Hotspur, 3. Chelsea, 4. Manchester United, 5. Arsenal, 6. Everton</p>
<p>Alan: 1. Chelsea 2-6 (in no particular order) Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So... yeah. Alfie got one exactly right (Man City), Alan didn't order his 2-6 so we're going ahead and claiming he picked Liverpool at 2, and Alfie nailed Chelsea at third. Although we didn't get specific league positions exactly right, ultimately we each got 5 out of 6 teams correct in the Top 6.</p>
<h4 align="center">Who gets relegated?</h4>
<p>We didn't fare too much better on our relegation picks.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Jim: 18. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a>, 19. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/cardiff-city">Cardiff City</a>, 20. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/hull-city">Hull City</a></p>
<p>Robert: (in random order), Hull City, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/crystal-palace">Crystal Palace</a>, Stoke City</p>
<p>Alfie: Crystal Palace, Hull City, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://stmarysmusings.sbnation.com/">Southampton</a></p>
<p>Alan: Hull City, Crystal Palace, (choose from) Stoke City, Norwich City, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>We all obviously underestimated Stoke City the most as three of us picked them to go down (actual league finish, 9). Crystal Palace was also a popular inaccurate pick (three of four) although there were mitigating circumstances of sorts in that Ian Holloway stepped aside before he did irreparable damage to their chances. Although they were looking good early in the season, they ended the season in 16th, so we were close on that one (some more than others, ahem). Alfie gets the award for biggest disparity between pick and actual finish with his shout for Southampton. With Alan once again dodging 100% accountability, we're going to claim his pick of Norwich, so we'll end up with 2 correct picks out of 12.</p>
<h4 align="center"><b>Pick one team that will surprise in a good way and one that will surprise in a bad way.</b></h4>
<p>I think this one went a little bit better than the picks up to this point. Let's take a look.</p>
<div align="center">
<blockquote>
<p>Jim: Good - Everton, Bad - Sunderland</p>
<p>Robert: Good - Norwich City, Bad - Swansea</p>
<p>Alfie: Good - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a>, Bad - Fulham</p>
<p>Alan: Good - Fulham, Bad - Spurs</p>
</blockquote>
<p align="left">Not only did these picks largely go well in name, some of the justifications were pretty well on the mark as well. For instance:</p>
<blockquote>
<div align="center">Bad way: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/">Sunderland</a> - I think that they will surprisingly manage a number of results and be flying high (Party with Marty, anyone?) and then surprisingly lose momentum and end the season lower-mid table.</div>
</blockquote>
<div align="left">So I was a little bass ackwards, but it essentially kind of happened like I said, right? And then there was Alfie:</div>
<div align="left"><br></div>
<blockquote>
<div align="left">I think <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/">Fulham</a> is going to surprise in a bad way. They rely on Berbatov and I don't think adding Bent helps all that much.</div>
</blockquote>
<div align="left">We had some pretty spectacular misses as well... like Robert's shout for Norwich City:</div>
<blockquote>
<div align="left">I like <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.flightofthecanaries.com/">Norwich City</a> to continue to progress under Chris Hughton. He's made some shrewd buys (<span>Leroy Fer</span>, anyone?) and I can see them challenging for the top half of the table.</div>
</blockquote>
<div align="left">Or Alan's thoughts on Fulham:</div>
<blockquote>
<div align="left">I think Fulham could surprise in a good way. I think getting <span>Darren Bent</span> was a good pick-up for them. I think they may challenge the top six.</div>
</blockquote>
<h4>Premier League Player Of The Year</h4>
<p align="left">Let's just let the analysis of this one stand at: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH</p>
<blockquote>
<p align="left">Our picks: Jim - <span>Juan Mata</span>, Robert - <span>Eden Hazard</span>, Alfie - Robin van Persie, Alan - <span>Fernando Torres</span></p>
</blockquote>
<h4>Who wins the cups?</h4>
<p align="left">This one didn't go just a whole lot better - although I did at least pick Manchester City to win one of the competitions... though I picked the wrong one. Also, Alan refused to pick, so....</p>
<blockquote>
<p align="left">Our picks: Jim: Capital One - Newcastle United, FA - Manchester City, Robert: Capital One - Everton, FA Cup - Spurs, Alfie: Capital One - Arsenal, FA Cup - Everton</p>
</blockquote>
<p align="left">Actual results: Capital One Cup: Manchester City, FA Cup: TBD (Arsenal v. Hull)</p>
<h4>Newcastle United Player of the Year</h4>
<p align="left">We should have an outright winner here. Due to the fact that the player who SHOULD win it was sold off in January it seems most likely, however, we probably will not have.</p>
<blockquote>
<p align="center">Our picks: Jim - Yohan Cabaye, Robert - <span>Tim Krul</span>, Alfie - <span>Moussa Sissoko</span>, Alan - <span>Hatem Ben Arfa</span></p>
</blockquote>
<h4>Newcastle United's biggest surprise player</h4>
<p align="left">I think that we have another case of close but not quite for this one... although some of us were much closer than others.</p>
<blockquote>
<p align="left">Our picks: Jim - <span>Shola Ameobi</span> with double digit goals (!), Robert - Haris Vuckic, Alfie - Cheik Tiote, Alan - Moussa Sissoko</p>
</blockquote>
<p align="left">Yes... Shola did have a relatively good year (3 goals in all competitions), but nowhere near double digit goals. Haris Vuckic, tipped by Robert to play well in the cups and force <span>Alan Pardew</span> to consider him every week couldn't even get regular action at <strike>League Two</strike> League One Rotherham United. Cheik Tiote looked like he was back to his best in the first half of the season, but then... and Moussa Sissoko was the best right midfielder we played this season.</p>
<h4>Newcastle United's Final League Position</h4>
<p align="left">We had it surrounded. Out of the four of us, we had two 8th place picks, one 9th place pick and one 11th place pick. Well, the 11th place pick (Robert's) was technically 10.5th place and chose for us to underachieve slightly... but maybe we claim this one at 10th. At the end of it all, even though the club finished right where we thought they would they did it in the most infuriating way possible... because Newcastle United.</p>
<blockquote>
<p align="left">Our picks: Jim - 9th, Robert - median between 5th and 16th, 10.5 rounded down to 11th, Alfie - 8th, Alan - 8th</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>FINAL ANALYSIS</h4>
<p align="left">We didn't exactly set the world alight, but we didn't exactly come away completely empty handed, either. I would say that by most metrics we probably performed at the minimal acceptable standard. As we know, that is plenty enough to keep our jobs for next year.</p>
<h4></h4>
</div>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/5/13/5709836/newcastle-united-2013-14-season-review-revisiting-preseason-predictionsJim McMeachin2014-05-12T14:00:12+01:002014-05-12T14:00:12+01:00It's Season Review Week at CHN
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/07CireWZJVSbNxlXeYK5e5t2Wnk=/0x34:4000x2701/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/32908639/484384181.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>This week at Coming Home Newcastle, we take a look back at the 2013-14 Premier League season.</p> <p>Sunday's 1-2 loss to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> marked the merciful end to the 2013-14 Premier League season, and thus the beginning of perhaps the least anticipated offseason for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> United since they were relegated five years ago.</p>
<p>This week, we at Coming Home Newcastle will be looking back at the season that was. On Tuesday, Jim McMeachin will be looking back at our preseason predictions. Wednesday sees the return of our traditional roundtable discussion, and Friday will feature evaluations of each player's performance this last season. We'll also probably have another surprise or two along the way.</p>
<p>It's all a part our coverage strategy this summer. The offseason can be long and full of terrors, but we hope to have some fun and stay focused by introducing a new theme each week. We hope that this format will help all of us stay engaged in the comments section and in the FanPosts. Another new thing we'll be doing is posting a new article each day at a consistent time. This is something I've been wanting us to do for a while now, and the transition from season to off-season is a good excuse for us to commit to this new way of life at CHN. Every day, there will be a new links post, news article, or analysis piece at 2 pm BST (that's 6/7/8/9 in the morning in the continental United States).</p>
<p>As long as we're setting plans for the summer, don't forget to stop by for Championship play-off game threads (and the Conference Premier play-off final featuring Gateshead on 18 May), as well as <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-cup-2014">World Cup</a> match threads and, of course, preseason threads. There will be plenty of football to get us through all of this non-football, and we'll be with you every step of the way.</p>
<p>For now, let's enjoy (or not enjoy) Season Review Week. The season is over, and some stuff happened. Let's talk about it!</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2014/5/12/5708588/newcastle-united-nufc-2013-14-premier-league-season-reviewRobert L. Bishop