17th place isn’t the position Newcastle United will have wanted to have found themselves in this Christmas time, teetering dangerously on the brink of the drop-zone. However, after claiming seven points in their last three games, this begs the question; is it a Merry Christmas for Newcastle United and its fans?
The form of Georginio Wijnaldum, Ayoze Perez and Moussa Sissoko has been promising in the run up to the end of 2015 yet Newcastle are still languishing in the lower reaches of the Premier League table. Their defensive frailties all too ever-present in recent years have been addressed with the summer addition of Chancel Mbemba, yet once again that has not translated to results on the pitch.
Questions over the playing squad’s commitment have been answered with victories over Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the last month, with the side putting in a stellar performance to come from behind at White Hart Lane and record back-to-back wins for the first time in 41 league matches. Some fans would certainly have taken 17th position at Christmas only a few weeks ago when prospects were looking bleak, but is that the level of acceptance that the fanbase has come to expect: not to be in the bottom three?
Shockingly, this is Newcastle’s lowest ever position at Christmas in the Premier League era. Each of Newcastle’s previous 21 Premier League campaigns have seen them sitting higher up the table than 17th on the 25th December. Even in the relegation season of 2008/09, United were sitting pretty in 12th place, a position that many fans would snatch at in the present situation. Their previous lowest position at Christmas was 15th during the 1999/00 campaign where United would go on to finish comfortably in mid-table.
However, that should serve as encouragement to fans. The fact that other sides around them and above them, have an equal chance of dropping down a division as the season is only 17 matches old, not even at the halfway point yet. The worrying trend is that Newcastle United rarely go on to better their ‘Christmas finish’, only improving on their Christmas league standing in seven of the previous 21 seasons, meaning that The Magpies will have to push on in the tiresome second half of the season.
The second half of the 2014/15 season saw Newcastle accumulate just 13 points, as well as going on a winless run of ten matches, losing eight in a row in the process. Any repeat of that trend would see United finish this season with just 30 points, a total which no side has ever stayed up with.
With two games to go until the halfway point of the season, Newcastle need to try to pick up maximum points in those fixtures, a home game against the free-scoring Everton and an away match just two days later at The Hawthorns, home of West Bromwich Albion—a ground where Newcastle have faired rather well in recent years, including a 2-0 victory there last season.
Many Newcastle fans are divided on the premise of a ‘Merry Christmas’ as the team are not in the bottom three like rivals Sunderland, and the team are beginning to gel in a system that seems to work and compliment each other’s strengths. On the other hand, many fans are taking the glass is half empty approach and criticising the current coaching and board set up for the situation Newcastle find themselves in which is an equally strong argument.
Ultimately, Newcastle should not be in 17th place with the squad they have and the fanbase they attract every week. Being in the bottom four at Christmas is uncharted territory for United supporters but hopefully come the turn of the year, the team can buck the trend of years gone by and kick on with their promising form to secure a comfortable finish free of relegation worries in May.
