Tyne Time - Occasional musings on Newcastle United

It has been over four years since I last wrote a post on here. It marked the the departure of Rafa Benitez as Newcastle United manager. The club was a sad state of affairs, bereft of direction, derelect by owner. Fast forward over 1500 days and Newcastle United are preparing to line out against European giants AC Milan in a UEFA Champions League affair. After an …

Monday, June 24th 2019 is a day that will live long in the memory of Newcastle United supporters, for all the wrong reasons. It marked the announcement of Rafa Benitez's departure from NUFC, after three classy years on Tyneside. Mike Ashley decided to pull the plug on negotiations after the Spaniard all but confirmed his intentions to turn down the contract renewal on …

As each day passes, the contract of Rafa Benitez ticks down little by little. Three years after taking the reins at St. James’ Park, Newcastle United as a club has felt a renewed sense of energy, a feeling of pride in their team, and a unusual sense of hope that has been vacant for quite some time. Yet, despite all that, as NUFC fans, we are brought back to …

There was nothing unusual to the start of week at Newcastle United. It followed the same pattern as most others this season, constant rumours that Rafa Benitez was close to the exit door, and the trickle of transfer talk as January came to a conclusion. Murmurs of Benitez's departure intensified as he gave the strongest indicator to date that he could walk away before …

Almost exactly a year ago today, I wrote about a possible takeover of Newcastle United. It was all over the news. Amanda Staveley was apparently closing in on the purchase of NUFC. As we know, it all fell through. Staveley didn't have the financial backing, and Ashley lost patience. The Spaniard at the centre of it all, Rafa Benitez, managed to overachieve with a 10th …

When Ki Sung-yueng arrived on Tyneside in the summer, not too many folks were screaming with enthusiasm. The Korean had severed ties with recently relegated Swansea following an abysmal season in Wales. It ended and perhaps maybe even soured what was a very decent stint with the Swans overall. He followed in the footsteps of quite a few players under Benitez who …

It has been a strange start to the new Premier League campaign at Newcastle United, and by strange, I mean completely predictable. A new season usually brings about a sense of optimism - whether blind or not - and the hope for a year of excitement. One wishes that those cold winter fixtures will have meaning other than merely existing around the lower half of the …

There are three guarantees in life; taxes, death, and the annual criticism of Newcastle United striker Ayoze Perez. The slick-haired Spaniard arrived from the beautiful Tenerifé in 2014, with the plan of being introduced to the NUFC development squad. He was a highly sought after talent, with FC Porto and even Barcelona admitting to interest in signing him. Perez …

Another predictably underwhelming transfer window for Rafa Benitez & Newcastle United - who would have thought? Despite the handful of defensive arrivals, and of Salomon Rondon, the squad is nowhere near the standards required by Rafa and his staff. In fact, if you were to hand this squad to any of our former managers, I think they'd likely struggle to keep us …

Every summer over the past 10 years has produced nothing but frustration as a Newcastle United supporter. Mike Ashley's ownership has numbed any real expectation of big-name signings, or the dare to dream. His tenure has been nothing short of a disaster, yet somehow, he finds himself with the most decorated manager the club will likely ever appoint - you'd think it'd …

Rafa Benitez and Lee Charnley have spent the summer so far trying to flog a number of Newcastle United fringe players, to no avail. Chancel Mbemba, Matz Sels and Henri Saivet are three names that make up the brunt of the headlines across local media & abroad. Mbemba seemed set for a move to FC Porto only for it to stall, while Sels is subject to tight Belgian …

It almost seems a bi-monthly occurrence at this stage, but Mikel Merino has once again been linked with move away from Newcastle United. A much-talked about return to Spain has grabbed headlines since the start of the New Year, fueled by his lack of playing time at St. James’ Park. In truth, Merino has been battling a string of injuries suffered before Christmas …

Newcastle United all but secured Premier League safety with a fantastic 2-1 victory over Arsenal at a sunny St. James’ Park last weekend and it was game that embodied the team spirit of the current squad. Hard graft, defensive solidity for majority of the game, and a sprinkling of quality to tip the scales in our favour. Ayoze Perez's classy finish set the tone …

Before the turn of the New Year, I wrote about how I felt the future of Newcastle United was hanging delicately in the balance. With just 8 games remaining and threat of relegation still looming large, never has it been more true. As many will know, this season isn't entirely just about confirming what division of football we'll be playing next campaign, but rather …

There have been few Premier League relegation battles as tight as what has begun to unravel since the New Year. Just seven points separate 11th from 17th in the table at the time of writing, whilst the magic number of 40pts would have you sitting in 7th place. Huge sums of money have been spent by a number of clubs in the league this season, and like every other …

First of all..I apologise to absolutely no-one for my headline.. A lot has happened since my last post, rather, a lot has NOT happened since my December scribbles. Back then it looked like Amanda Staveley and PCP Partners were edging towards a deal to buy Newcastle United with grand ambitions. Talks of huge transfer budgets to come deceived but a few. Then, the …