Insight
The Premier League road ahead for Newcastle United - stay up or go down?
Money can buy you a lot of things and, theoretically at least, Newcastle United can now be considered the world's richest football club. Money can buy you better players, a better manager and a better life. It can also buy you resentment and guilt by association. But money can't buy you love (See: resentment and guilt by association) and money can't buy you time.
The Magpies might already be running out of time this season. Never mind who the new manager is. Never mind who they buy and how much they spend in January. The clock is ticking.
Both pre and post-takeover, Newcastle United have been bad this season. And we're beyond "bad start" territory here. They have just 4 points, and no wins, from 10 premier league games. That's more than a quarter of the way through the season.
They have to get better and they have to get better very quickly.
Already, I'm not convinced they've got much margin for error.
There are now a number of games the Magpies simply have to win.
But it's not a lost cause by any means and it's not like Newcastle United hasn't been here before. The club also failed to win any of their first 10 league games in the 1898/99 and 2018/19 seasons, and still stayed up both times.I'm assuming (dangerous territory) a new manager will come in and have a decent impact. I'm also assuming decent money will be spent in the January Transfer Window. Enough to bring in at least 3 players who can go straight into the starting eleven and make the team better.
But even assuming all that, when you look at the games the Magpies have left, you realise the size of the hole this team has dug for itself.
So I've predicted the rest of Newcastle's Premier League results this season. I've kept the glass half full.
Simon's predictions for the rest of Newcastle United's season...
Brighton (A ) DRAW. A winnable game. But Brighton will think the same. Could there be a new manager bounce? Maybe, but I don't see them winning here. NUFC up to 5 points.
Brentford (H) WIN. Not a gimme by any means, but I've got a feeling this will be the first win with a new gaffer in front of a home crowd. NUFC up to 8 points.
Arsenal (A) LOSE. The Gunners are flaky, but if they execute properly, they'll win this. NUFC stays on 8 points.
Norwich (H) WIN. Non-negotiable. The match every team has to win. NUFC up to 11 points.
Burnley (H) WIN. Why not? Two home wins in a week seems like asking a lot right now, but NUFC should win this and go up to 14 points.
Leicester (A) LOSE. A strangely happy hunting ground for the Magpies, but history doesn't always repeat itself. Leicester are good. NUFC stays on 14 points.
Liverpool (A) LOSE. Do I need to explain this? NUFC stays on 14 points.
Man City (H) LOSE. See above. NUFC stays on 14 points.
Man United (H) LOSE. Man U might have a different manager by then. But either way, they've got too many good players. Happy Christmas. NUFC stays on 14 points.
Everton (A) DRAW. The Rafa Derby. Will the away fans love him more than the home fans by then? Last game before the Transfer Window opens. NUFC up to 15 points.
Southampton (A) DRAW. Very winnable. But a draw would be acceptable here and take NUFC to 16 points.
Watford (H) WIN. Not quite Norwich levels of "well if you can't beat them, who can you beat?" But close. Also, hopefully, there'll be a couple of new signings in by now. NUFC win and climb to 19 points.
Leeds (A) DRAW. A tough game and Leeds have had Newcastle's number in the last two seasons. So this would be a decent point and take NUFC to 20.
Everton (H) DRAW. Rafa Derby 2: Rafa's Return. Emotion may cloud the issue. Up to 21 points.
Villa (H) WIN. By now Villa will be swimming in the calming waters of mid-table obscurity. NUFC win and move up to 24 points.
West Ham (A) LOSE. The Happy Hammers are a genuine surprise and genuinely good. NUFC stays on 24 points.
Brentford (A) DRAW. Really tough, but the newly-promoted shine rubs off a bit after New Year and the Bees won't have as much buzz. NUFC up to 25 points.
Brighton (H) WIN. It looks like a "must-win". It is. NUFC up to 28 points.
Chelsea (A) LOSE. Who knows what the future holds, but for now it's simply not realistic NUFC get anything here. So they stay on 28 points.
Palace (H) WIN. This could be one of those "relegation 6-pointers" everyone talks about. NUFC up to 31 points.
Spurs (A) LOSE. Spurs might have changed Manager by then. Kane might've remembered the way to goal. NUFC stays on 31 points.
Wolves (H) WIN. I've got no idea what to make of Wolves. They might struggle, they might not. But home form is the key for NUFC and they move up to 34 points.
Leicester (H) DRAW. Tough. The home-winning run ends, but you'd take a point all day here. 35 points. Nearly there.
Norwich (A) WIN. ...and this gets NUFC over the top. Norwich are long since relegated at this point. NUFC up to 38 points.
Liverpool (H) LOSE. The sort of game the SJP crowd could affect. But Liverpool are too good and could still be in the title race. NUFC stays on 38 points.
City (A) LOSE. Just be careful of the goal difference and don't dwell on it. 38 points.
Arsenal (H) LOSE. Definitely winnable, but NUFC are safe now and the Gunners will be going for Europe. 38 points.
Burnley (A) DRAW. Burnley stay up/go down after a nervy last-day draw. NUFC finish the season on 39 points.
So in my world, Newcastle United will stay up this season.
But, I'm worried I've been a bit (or possibly a lot) over-generous on the home form.
Obviously, none of us know the future, this doesn't prove anything and you'll probably predict a completely different set of results to me.
But when you go through the fixtures, you do start to realise just how much trouble Newcastle United are in.