Baby steps to safety must be taken – now
HERE is a question: when did Newcastle United last win two successive home matches, bearing in mind home form is normally the bedrock of a decent season?
The answer is 14 months ago! United have an opportunity to do it again when Wolves come to SJP tonight - and it needs to be taken.
Ironically, the last time the Mags managed such a small achievement it was started by victory over Southampton.
On December 8, 2019, United beat the Saints 2-1 and on the 21st defeated Crystal Palace 1-0.
Having done Southampton 3-2 last time out up here, can Newcastle ease to a single-goal victory over Wolves?
That must be the aim because safety from relegation will begin with a baby step and this is it.
Fulham have to be sickened before they go to Palace tomorrow because they are growing in confidence, while 12 defeats in their last 16 matches have sapped Newcastle’s self-belief.
Three points are so vital to the mentality of the players.
They come more often than not at home and United have to take full advantage.
I remember when I signed for Luton, who had just been promoted from Division Four.
We turned Kenilworth Road into a fortress and won promotion again.
We went unbeaten for 38 home matches over my first season and the next and that was all built one baby step after another.
Wolves offer an opportunity to build upon that stirring victory over Southampton and it has to happen for the sake of everyone’s health.
I have been sickened by a lot of what I have seen recently both on the field and by the dugout but if we are to survive talk about ‘taking positives out of defeat and moving on’ has to end.
That is ridiculous and insulting to fans.
Action is needed now instead of always talking about the next game.
It is no good doing well for a portion of a match yet still losing.
Newcastle started aggressively on the front foot, pressing high against a rag-bag of a Manchester United performance but failed to score the goals they needed and were cuffed in the second half when they eventually gave up.
What it boils down to is that teams gain results because of the quality – or lack of it – of their centre-forward. United are OK with Callum Wilson, desperate without him. Wolves are OK with Raul Jiminez, not so good without him. Fulham and Brighton are playing good stuff but struggling goals-wise because they do not have a decent centre-forward.
My aim used to be to finish off the good play of others and make everything worthwhile. That is a centre-forward’s job in a team game.
It is a funny old feeling for me watching two of my old clubs, Newcastle and Fulham, fighting one another to avoid going down.
My best years were playing for the Magpies when I won all my England caps while I was a Fulham supporter as a kid, played for them and then managed them.
I would love to see both clubs survive and another, be it Brighton or Burnley, go down but I don’t think it will happen.
It will be one from either the Tyne or Thames.
Heaven forbid everything is riding on the very last match of the season when Newcastle play Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Two years ago I was a guest of Fulham on the final day.
They were already down and United beat them 4-0 but it would be torture to sit within Craven Cottage again if the result mattered to both sides.
United need to get the job done and the sooner the better.
Which means starting with a victory against Wolves in any way it takes.
What it boils down to is that teams gain results because of the quality – or lack of it – of their centreforward