Newcastle United: How Is Eddie Howe's System Doing?

Newcastle United have started their third full season with Eddie Howe as manager. I’ve now watched Howe lead the team to victory in over 50 matches. I have seen what works and what needs improvement. And while I am not a good football analyst by any means, Howe’s style, tactics, and his wear and tear on the squad are now apparent. So after 18 months of not writing about Newcastle United, it’s time for me to briefly share what I think about the Eddie Howe era.

Under Eddie Howe’s leadership, Newcastle United is a team that plays HARD. They don’t over-perform. If they truly over-performed, they would advance to the knockout state of the Champions League last season (although they nearly did). Ten years ago, we Newcastle fans were sad, just wishing for a team that tried. Now we have a team that plays very hard. Last season, I think that led to too many injuries.

Now Newcastle find themselves starting a season that demands they finish in the top four, or at least the top six. That’s a tremendous amount of pressure. Oh, and they have to do it with a rotation of defenders and right wingers because their last summer transfer window focused on regulation-mandated sales. They acquired one very good left back / center back in Lloyd Kelly. And that was it.

The results have really been all over the place, as Newcastle have displayed an unsustainable mixture of poor passing. defensive mistakes and an offence essentially led by three players, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes.

I used to think that Eddie Howe has a system, and he just forces his players to fit into that system. But in most matches this season, I don’t think Howe has been sure of who he wants to start. The system has not been fully enforced. Howe’s system demands speed, intensity and full use of the sidelines up and town the pitch. That’s not possible with a low pass completions rate, as we’ve seen in the first month of this season. It’s also not possible if the squad can’t run as fast as they did in the previous two seasons.

In order for Howe’s system to be enforced, it needs to be sustainable and the players need to be fit. We’re starting to see fitness levels rise in the last two matches against Manchester City and Wimbledon. We need to see a trend. But two objectively solid performances matches is a start.

Boston Spots Fans Are Spoiled Bitches

[Boston Spots Fans Are Spoiled Bitches, A guest post by Architype]

These spoiled bitches up here in NE have completely lost their minds over a back up QB getting cut to start the season (he's likely coming back to the practice squad since those guys can now be elevated in game days for an expanded game day roster).....ummmmm the Brady years are over people. 20 years of dominance. When that shit ends it's usually a hard road back to being good again. The Steelers were terrible for 10 years after the Bradshaw years. The 49ers did nothing for 15 years after Steve Young was done. The Cowboys have been absent from the Super Bowl for nearly 30 years. Green Bay going on 13 years (and it's going to be a while longer after the departure of Rodgers). Kansas City is new to this after a 40 year absence from those late 60s teams. The Dolphins haven't sniffed a SB since 1985. The Jets since 1969. The Bills since 1994.

What is wrong with fans?  It's not complicated. We are going to be not great for a little while. It happens to all teams after a stretch of being good. Ours was better than most.

Newcastle United Go Into The Final Stretch Of the 2022-23 Season

Newcastle United Eddie Howe had an incredibly difficult period to deal with between the World Cup and last week.

Howe had to come up with game plans to remain undefeated through at least the Arsenal match in January, while keeping his non World Cup players conditioned. At the same time, he and his men needed time for themselves and their families. The stress levels must have been intense. Howe did all that. He kept his squad undefeated until they faced Liverpool of February 18.

Now, after notching two consecutive wins, Newcastle enter the warmer Spring months to play 11 final matches over the next 8 weeks. There will be no tears shed if Newcastle fail to finish in fifth place or higher in the EPL table.

When I sip the Newcastle United Kool-Aid, I yelp “win it out!” Just win the remaining matches! Yeah! And no team in this league, except for the top two, can pull that off in April and May.

Injuries have piled up, which we Newcastle fans won’t be updated about until Sunday April 2 when the Lads host Manchester United.

In this league, two consecutive wins can keep a team up in the table for weeks. Newcastle just did that. Now they will want to do it again. And at some point, once more. And so with that, here are my predictions for the remaining matches of the 2022-23 season:

Sunday April 2, Manchester United, Newcastle to win, 2-1

Wednesday April 5, at West Ham, Newcastle to win, 2-1

Saturday April 8, at Brentford, Newcastle to win, 2-0

Saturday April 15, at Aston Villa, Newcastle to win 1-0

Sunday April 23, Tottenham Hotspur, Draw 2-2

Tuesday April 27, at Everton, Newcastle to win 1-0

Sunday April 30, Southampton, Newcastle to win 2-0

Sunday May 7, Arsenal, Newcastle to lose 2-0

Saturday May 13, at Leeds, Draw 1-1

Saturday May 20, Leicester City, Newcastle to win 2-0

Sunday May 28, at Chelsea, Newcastle to win 2-1

Well, call me an irrational optimist. I have Newcastle going on a tear, earning 26 points over 11 matches. That would bring their points total to 73, and should firmly place them third in the table and qualifying for the Champions League this September.

Objectively, every club Newcastle are yet to face are beatable, even Arsenal. And Newcastle has a recent history of surging in the Spring. Since 2018, they have finished their seasons strong. Newcastle won 4 straight matches in March and April 2018 (before then ceasing to try and dropping the next four). In the immortal words of the now-indicted Donald J. Trump, “we’ll see what happens!”

Use Kyrie Irving At Your Own Risk, Dallas

All Kyrie Irving has ever done in ruin NBA teams. The Mavericks seem to know this, because they only have Irving through June 2023. So currently, he’s really being rented by the Mavs. The price the Mavs had to pay was Dorian Finney-Smith, and perhaps a lot more.

But let’s suppose the Mavericks give him a 2 or 4 year contract this summer? Well, that would blow the team up.

Mark Cuban would no longer be a repected owner. If he’s still respected.

Luka Doncic’s days in Dallas would become numbered, with Los Angeles the monied team that would likely make a move for him once LeBron James is retired.

Buckle up, fellow Mavs supporters. All Irving does is destroy clubs, on and off the bench. When we watch the Celtics make it to the finals this June, just remember they couldn't have done that with Irving on the payroll.

Dallas might have the sixth largest queer population in the US behind New York, L.A., Chicago, Miami and Houston. Hiring a bigot like Irving is an insult to respectful residents anywhere. Throw in his flirtations with flat earth theory and his blatant promotion of antisemitism, anti-science viewpoints and conspiracy theories, and the Mavericks have community relations problem on their hands. Mark Cuban is willing to damage his city to make it to the playoffs this season.

We’ll see how many weeks Irving can go before he causes serious problems for the Mavericks.

Pro Travel Tips For Idiots

Pro tips for Americans traveling abroad:

1. Don't go to authoritarian regimes (Belarus, Russia, North Korea, Hungary, Egypt, etc.)

2. If you must go to an authoritarian regime, respect the local laws. That means if there's a zero-tolerance narcotics policy, you don't have any THC or cannabis on your person or bags. This also applies to free nations with zero-tolerance narcotics policies, like Japan. Yeah. 420 + Japan = prison!

3. As a general rule, you should know and respect the laws of wherever you are. This includes US states that aren't yours or nations that aren't yours.

4. If you are a guest worker in a nation that is about to go to war, check the US State Department guidelines on whether it's safe for you to keep guest working in that country. Remember, being an American makes you liked in some countries, and hated in others (more the latter). Check to see if being a US citizen makes you a target for political imprisonment and an unbalanced prisoner swap.

5. Related to # 4 - A note about American privilege. Being a US citizen is a birthright privilege. It is not a card that gets you out of trouble abroad. If a nation beats people to death who take down propaganda posters, that rule applies to Americans as much as anyone else. Perhaps even more so. Just ask Otto. Oh, Otto! Can you comment? Otto is not available to comment.

Can Anyone Stop The Boston Bruins?

I’ve been writing here for over 15 years, and somehow this is only my second-ever post about the NHL. Okay then!

There’s no way the Boston Bruins can’t be seen as Stanley Cup contenders for 2023.

The Bruins had a problem to solve going into this 2022-23 season. In order to challenge for a title, they had to score more goals. They have a great defense, but their offense was average to mid-range at best. In order to score more goals, they would need their veteran players -several of whom are slowly on their way out- to produce numbers closer to players in their prime. At the same time, the Bruins needed their younger players to follow the lead of the veterans and produce more. It was a huge ask but it was the only way this team could go for a Cup. Otherwise, this season would surely set the stage for a rebuilding year in 2023 as their senior players, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, retire.

Oh, and they hired a new head coach. So this would take time to figure out, right? Wrong. Everyone who wisely predicted that the Bruins would have a slow start this season while they waited for injured stars to return was mistaken.

What we have right now is a team with a roster that reads like an all star list. They have the best winger in the league in David Pastrňák. And they have one of the best defenders in the league in Charlie McAvoy. Their roster is just full of top guys. And with the exception of two games against the teams from Ottawa, the Bruins have steamrolled just about every opponent. They find ways to score goals, and therefore they find ways to win.

Here they are beating the very good Dallas Stars.

Here they are winning a thriller at Madison Square Garden.

They went to Buffalo this past weekend and got the job done. This was quite a performance. Kincaid made 30 saves. And check out Patrice Burgeron’s kick and juggle of the puck at 07:42.

And then they went back home to beat a younger Vancouver team the next evening.

When they score first they win.

If they fall behind, they usually tie the game, and then usually win.

They are unbeaten at the the TD Garden.

The Boston Bruins are a juggernaut until they stop being one. And simply for that, they are favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

Let Kylie Play...Overseas

“Let Kyrie play,” screamed the internet. “Let Kyrie play,” screamed Ted Cruz. Wait, what?

I doubt Irving will complete the rehabilitation regimen that the Nets have laid out for him. We'll see.

I think Kylie Irving is too stupid to sit through training, volunteer, meet with some flesh and blood American Jews, and then answer questions about what he learned in an oral quiz. He’s dumb.

He thinks he’s having an intellectiual conversatrion here. He isn’t. He’s confrontational and he’s dumb!

For all those who are defending Irving on the grounds that we give thousands of antisemitic, powerful white people a pass, you are partially correct. We let a lot slide, starting with Phil Knight, a man who has worked to burn the republic down and make life miserable for minorities, regardless of what religion he might have been born into.

We have given passes to living and dead antisemites like Donald Trump, Sebastian Gorka, Ted Nugent, Eric Clapton, Mel Gibson, Roald Dahl, Henry Ford, John Galliano, and so many others. But the argument that we must fully punish white antisemities before we silence Irving is not a great one. We need to silence hate speech whenever possible. And when a sports star does something this egregious, after being given pass after pass for his refusal to be a good citizen and get a damn vaccine, he needs to be silenced as soon as possible. He needs to be removed from this league. Let him play in Russia.

I'm Done With Baseball

Buck Showalter and Mets fans looked really terrible this month as their playoff dreams collapsed. So much so, I have handed in my Mets fan card. It was nice living in New York City for 27 years and have a local team to support not called the Yankees. But supporting the Mets presents its own set of awful problems and awful people. I used to describe Mets fans as friendly, knowledgeable baseball fans. More chill than Yankee psychos. Now I wonder if they are all just Yankee fans in disguise and I’ve been too kind to them for 23 times. I'm done with them after last night's stunt. And now that I’ve given it some thought, I am done with baseball.

I just have to call it. I have already seen the greatest things to ever happen in the sport. Carlton Fisk’s homer. The 1986 and 1988 Mets. The 1988 Dodgers. The 1991 Twins. The greatest Red Sox shortstop. The greatest pitcher of my lifetime. His striking out 17 Yankees. His striking out 5 of the first 6 batters in the 1999 All Star Game. The Yankees losing the fascist, militarized 2001 championship series to an expansion team in Phoenix and their two durable pitchers. The greatest hitter of my lifetime. The 2017 Dodgers. The Red Sox in 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018. Those 2018 Red Sox capped it all. They were dominant, fearless, and executed perfectly. They went toe to toe with the Houston Astros, a team that was and still is a pennant contender in the American league, and beat them in 5 thrilling games.

So the Mets had Joe Musgrove’s ears checked for a dark sticky substance. They did it because they couldn’t accept that he was spinning the ball perfectly that night. In the aftermath, I took that as my cue to quit following this sport. I can now focus on global football and auto racing. Sure, I could make time to follow more sports. But when something ridiculous like this takes place, that’s the perfect moment to show myself out.

Newcastle United Emerge From The Ashes Of The Mike Ashley Era

I think last Monday night (May 16) was incredible, given that NUFC were up against a younger squad that had something important to play for. I will argue to my dying day that what we saw was more significant than what we saw in 2011 when Pardew's squad drew Arsenal 4-4. That match was far more entertaining, and unforgettable. But this match was a glimpse of what NUFC will do when they are a good club. Were they good in 2011? I don't think so.

Monday night was a heavyweight bout, and Newcastle bruised and battered Arsenal. They bruised Martinelli. They sprained Tomiyasu. They cut Lacazette. And our Callum Wilson nearly lost a front tooth. It was a game of pain, and Newcastle outlasted Arsenal in the ring.

Know what's amazing? Monday night wasn't even the best match of the season. I think that honor goes to the 2-1 comeback win against Leicester. No, wait, the comeback win against Everton on February 8! Ryan Frasier with the winner in that one. Trippier scored the final goal on a free kick, and he would do it again against Villa the following week (and fracture his foot).

The goals against Arsenal were not pretty, but they were earned. And man, had that Wilson lob gone in, people would have been having flashbacks to 1996 and 2002 Alan Shearer. I think everyone can agree that the score could have been 4-0 Newcastle. They bossed the Gunners. I am seriously going to miss Newcastle football this summer. 75 days without seeing this squad. At least we could see 4 new signings. And soon!

A big thank you to Wor Flags. St. James' Park is looking like the best stadium in European football these days. The display and planning is impressive. Keep those flags waving.

The Brooklyn Nets Are Insulting

I am not a Nets fan, and this is not a shitpost. At least I don’t think it is.

I hate the Knicks. Always have. They will never win a third title. That we all know. That we can raise our glasses to.

But given the decision by Ben Simmons to not play a single minute, I question why anyone would be a supporter of the Nets after this season. It seems like the Nets simply exist just to insult everyone. The insane valuation when they were purchased by a Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov. The sweetheart arena deal (which followed New Jersey building them a new arena, which they refused). Then the Irving thing. Then the Simmons thing, which still shocks me. How many times does a sports franchise have to hurt a fan before the fan walks?

And to be fair, I am there myself with Newcastle United. I went through 14 years of humiliation and pain, but now me and about 2 million fans worldwide are locked in a deal with one of the most evil and cruel nations on earth just to see our team win some trophies.

At what point does a Nets fan just say, to hell with it, I don't have an NBA team to support?

Newcastle Are Finally Going To Be Relegated, For Real This Time

After years of close calls, season after season, Newcastle are finally on their way down.

There's actually no shame in going down, considering how much time we’ve had to prepare. This club has been warned repeatedly that this was going to happen. Newcastle has been skirting the relegation zone throughout Steve Bruce's tenure. Now it's unavoidable. Amazingly, this collapse has come just as the sale of the club was finalized. If the sale had to wait until January, would it still be on at this point?

In a way, this is fair to all parties. Previous owner Mike Ashley got his asking price. The new ownership still got a good deal. They thought they were buying into the EPL at a low price. They were mistaken. They were buying into the Championship at a low price. But they will still get richer. Worry not.

This club is going down. I have accepted this already. I suggest we all do. If Newcastle were to earn 35 points starting after the November international break, it would be a historic season save. A surge in points that would be remembered for years. But that's not happening.

What we should be passionate about is the rebuilding of the club and the plan to get it back into the EPL as a strong contender for cups. We won't just come back. We will dominate the lower half of the table and get back into the Europa League.

The next 20 months and beyond are going to be entertaining and very enjoyable compared to the Ashley era. Enjoy it, Lads. We will fall and rise together. Enjoy the ride. Alan Shearer will, despite his slightly intoxicated gaffe, below:.

Newcastle Stay Afloat Again

Fuck this fucking club. Fuck Steve Bruce.

Name another FIFA-licensed manager in any professional league who has his squad play like this up two goals and with an extra man on the pitch? Name another manager who wouldn't start Joe Willock, one of the best players on the roster?

Enough. I have had enough. I want the murderous Saudis to buy this club now. Yes, I resisted. I don't care about human rights anymore. I want new ownership yesterday.

Do not step inside the stadium until there are new owners. This is not football. This is not a normal club. A normal club with this roster would be comfortably finishing 12th.

And I know what you Geordies say. I respect you. You know this sport better than any other city in the UK. You will say, 'piss off, we know, we've heard it all before.' But you need to hear it again. Your country invented professional sports. But here in the States, even the worst-run MLB, NBA and NFL teams have a faint level of normalcy in their front offices. Even the Washington Department of Football and the New York Knicks. Newcastle are not normal.

How many more times must a club this big, with a giant fan base, barely stay afloat in the English Premier League? Why does there have to be a relegation scare every December through April? Because the owner, that’s why. The owner and his transfer policy. The owner and his neglect of the youth academy. The owner and his neglect of the training facilities. And that all led to a once great club unable to attract a competent coach to mange it. Rafael Benitiez was a saint. He tried in vain to make Newcastle normal. But it can’t be normal until it is sold. It’s time to sell the club and give this city a normal sports franchise.

Screaming Crying And Whimpering

Watching Trump this fall has been fucking beautiful. He is not taking his political death well. He never learned how to do the damn job. He’s dumb. He got caught trying to force one or more countries to believe an insane conspiracy and assist him in discouraging Democrats from voting in 2020. And he couldn’t enjoy one good day because of his own ineptitude and inability to stop talking. This has been amazing. It would be a little more amazing if he was paranoid, drinking and trashing the White House. But it’s still amazing.

He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. No one does.

Newcastle Rescue Themselves

Newcastle have rescued themselves from relegation for the second consecutive year. Last year it was an improbable home win against Manchester United. This year it was an even more improbable win against a red hot Manchester City. In both matches, Matt Ritchie scored the winner.

Newcastle are too good to be relegated this season. I didn’t believe that a few months ago, but it is apparent now. Even when they were failing to win points, their defense was holding together. Their back four have helped keep their goals allowed total one of the lowest in the league. And they were unlucky. They’ve lost points due to final conceded goals in injury time. They have drawn matches that they should have easily won. They’s been an odd team, finding more success on the road than at home.

They practically got a new midfield in January. Issac Hayden, who repeatedly asked to be transferred, accepted his situation and decided to focus on his football. He got selected to start more as a result. Back in September, their best passer was arguably Jonjo Shelvey. Now, with Shelvey on the injured list, their most expensive signing ever, Miguel Almirón is in charge of counter-attacking. Together with wonderkid Sean Longstaff, Issac Hayden and Matt Ritchie, the Newcastle midfield is getting balls closer to goal, and is driving wins.

Before Almirón joined the club, Newcastle whupped Cardiff on their home pitch. Another big step towards safety.

Then with Almirón, Newcastle pulled themselves within 6 points of safety with back to back wins over Huddersfield and Burnley on just 2 days rest.

Their dominance over Burnley was notable. The first half brought the goals, and the second half closed the clean sheet.

There are nine matches remaining in Newcastle’s season. They ought win four of them. I think they only need to win two and draw some others. I will see half of one of their future matches in the Toon next month.

Newcastle’s talent and growing English Premier League experience have gotten them through another season in the top league. The question remaining is whether Rafael Benítez will give the club another year to find a new owner. Newcastle never do anything the easy way under Mike Ashley.

Welp. Newcastle Will Be Relegated

Newcastle United are too far behind to pull themselves out of the relegation zone. It’s too late to catch the bus. The bus is gone. They are going down next spring.

How quickly Newcastle have failed this season. And how accurate was manager Rafael Benítez, when he warned everyone this would happen.

Today’s performance in Southampton was emblematic of Newcastle’s hopeless season. There was no attack. There wasn’t a single shot on target.

I’m not sure if Rafael Benítez will be allowed to finish his contract, which expires at the end of May, 2019. Indications are that he will, as the candidate to replace him, Brendan Rodgers, is poised to complete a somewhat disappointing season at Celtic. Also, the Newcastle ownership and board have no desire to stay up in the Premiership, despite the extra revenue for doing so They seem perfectly content to watch this club go down.

Boston Is A Professional Sports Town. It's What They Do.

The Red Sox are going to sweep the Dodgers. They have been simply incredible this October, particularly their three wins in Houston. Their pitching has been inconsistent, but their defense has been stunning, and their bats have been relentless. Who’s to say that the Red Sox won’t overtake the Cardinals for second most MLB titles?

A Deadspin article yesterday proclaimed that it “blows” that a Boston club is going to win another title. Excuse me?

Boston is a professional sports town. It has been a pro sports town since around 1912. It doesn’t care about the four NCAA hockey teams (yeah, the Beanpot is a thing, but not a big thing). It doesn’t care about Boston College football or basketball. It didn’t care about my U Mass and Marcus Camby making it to the Final Four in 1996. It’s pro sports all the way. Only Los Angeles comes close in terms of league championship diversity and frequency. And that’s pretty amazing, given how small Boston is compared to L.A.

What does “a pro sports town” mean? It means that each decade since the 1950s, at least one of its pro-sports teams has won a title (hmm, aside from the 90s, so my argument has a weak spot there, but moving on). The Celtics were unbelievably dominant in the late 1950s and through almost all of the 1960s. In 1967, the Red Sox awakened, ushering in a new era of fan support, revenue, and the quest to be the best team in baseball. They went from less than 4,000 tickets sold per game at Fenway to sellouts for over fifty years. What we’re seeing is the fulfillment of that 1967 dream. The Red Sox are about to add a ninth title to their trophy case - the same number that the Cardinals had at the end of 1982. The Red Sox now have the third most number of titles of any MLB team.

That 1967 Red Sox team didn’t just motivate the Sox. It motivated the other three pro sports clubs. And what we’ve seen since 2001 is a synchronization of their efforts. Boston has celebrated ten titles this century, soon to be eleven. That doesn’t blow. That’s what Boston is good at. Pro sports titles are its thing. 

Some cities are great at being financial hubs. Some have a great music, restaurant, cocktail or coffee scene. Some are known as tech hubs. Boston is at least three things: a great higher learning town, a great medicine and biotech town, and the leading pro sports town in the US. Back in the 90s, when I had to describe Boston, I talked about 1967, 1972 and 1975, but I also had to stretch a bit and say that it produced a lot of FBI agents (it still does), and was the Mutual Fund capital of of the US (Fidelity). It had the best hospitals of course, but it couldn’t boast anything in pro sports besides Pedro Martinez being the best MLB pitcher since Sandy Koufax.

The New York-centric media didn’t groan when the Yankees won three consecutive titles (1998-2000). New York has two clubs that will never win another championship -the Jets and the Knicks. It has a National League team that should be making the playoffs more often given its revenues and my support (ha!). It has two NFL clubs that are really New Jersey clubs. One of them has four Super Bowl wins and the city doesn’t seem to care (although they are popular on Wall Street and outside the city). And New York has a decent Original Six hockey club. I would argue that New York is a two club town -the Yankees and the Rangers. Boston is all-in with its four leagues. And that’s what makes Boston the premier pro sports town in America.

Did anyone ever say, “We found another great rock band from Seattle. That blows.” Did a food critic ever write, “Well, Los Angeles has another amazing restaurant. That blows.” No. Boston is about to produce its 11th professional sports title this century. That’s what Boston does. People who complain about Boston winning follow teams that don’t win.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to sob about my Newcastle United, and how its disgusting owner is content to let them fall out of the top league for a third time in nine years. That blows.

Update, October 29 2018: The Red Sox nearly did it. They fell a couple of bad plays short of sweeping the Dodgers. Meanwhile, the crying and moaning from the New York-centric press continues.

Is Jackie Bradley Jr. The Best Defensive MLB Player This Century?

I'd say yes.

He may be, along with a certain Giant known as Willie Mays, the greatest defensive center fielder in the history of the game. He's not a great hitter, it's true, but he saves runs and games, and his contribution to the Red Sox is almost incalculable!

Newcastle United's Summer Was A Success

Last season ended with a bang, but the Summer 2018 transfer window was silent for Newcastle, until the final stages of the FIFA World Cup. 

Last season, Newcastle over-performed, winning most home matches from February onward, and finishing 10th in the table. Pundits credit manager Rafael Benítez for that surge, and predict that Newcastle will finish around 13th - closer to where they should have finished last season.

The manager and the supporters knew that the Summer 2018 transfer window would be similar to last summer, with more players being sold than being brought in. But I think that had to happen, as there were players of low quality or who didn't have the trust of Benítez. No one wanted Jack Colback on the payroll anymore.

In the summer window, which closed last week, Newcastle sold the following players:

• Aleksandar Mitrović (striker)
• Mikel Merino (midfielder)
• Chancel M'Bemba (center back)
• Adam Armstrong (midfielder)
• Ivan Toney (reserve striker)
• The club declined to renew contracts for Massadio Haïdara (left back), Curtis Good (center back), Jesús Gámez (right back) and Stuart Findlay (center back).
• They also loaned out Jack Colback (midfielder) and Dwight Gale (striker) to serve out their contracts with other clubs. 

Newcastle brought in the following players:

• Martin Dúbravka (keeper)
• Sung-yueng Ki (midfielder)
• Kenedy (left winger, on-loan)
• Yoshimori Muto (striker)
• Fabian Schär (center back)
• Jose Salomón Rondón (striker, on-loan)

The loanees in particular are crucial signings, considering their talent and crucial roles. Kenedy, since joining the club on-loan in January, has proven himself to be the best left winger at the club since Jonas Gutierrez. Rondón was signed as part of a rare player swap. Newcastle loaned Dwight Gayle to West Brom, and they loaned Rondón to Newcastle. It is the hope of both clubs that the strikers will find more success with the change. I liked Gayle. But he wasn't the Number 9 striker Benítez needed. The manager is looking for a guy who can get over 10 goals per season. For a club that doesn't score often, that would be a start.

For the second consecutive summer, Newcastle sold or released more players than were brought-in. But the quality of this year's arrivals are higher than last year's, at least on paper. Newcastle have a star goalkeeper, a star winger (if temporary), a deeper midfield and two new strikers, who have replaced the ones the manager did not trust.  

However, it's not all good news on Tyneside. Benítez is in the final season of his contract, and will not renew under the current ownership and board. The club needs to be sold, but it can't if the owner keeps "loaning" cash to the club and refuses all offers under £400 Million. The key loanees, Kenedy and Rondón, are bound to leave unless a new owner can come in and put the big money down to sign them to contracts. If someone is going to buy Newcastle united this season, they will have to pay more than the club is currently worth, approve some big contracts, and accept that it will take a while for the club to climb to a £500M valuation. It's going to take a new owner, a new board, and more patience - the kind of patience that Benítez has shown with this current regime.

Despite a frustrating loss to begin the 2018-19 season, the squad is positive and is poised to get their first win soon. They go to Cardiff next. 

They and we are United.

Mike Piazza Made His Mets Debut 20 Years Ago Today

I can't say much about Mike Piazza, because his story is known, and as far as I know, he is a good guy. No women have accused him of abuse yet. 

Twenty years ago yesterday, the Mets acquired him in a trade, and twenty years ago today, Mike Piazza played his first game for the Mets. His arrival signaled the start of a big money era for the Mets. For the Mets to make it to the playoffs going forward, they were going to have to be a bigger club, like their bully next door neighbors. He got them there. And he was easily the best cacher the Mets ever had. 

But I want to write this next point, finally, after 17 years. The worst thing Piazza ever did was deciding not to beat the living hell out of Roger Clemens in game 2 of the 2000 MLB championship (I don't use the W word). He had foreseen it. He knows he should have. I still wonder "what if" Piazza had not been classy, and instead tried to kill Roger. Could this championship series had gone longer? Would it have slowed down the Yankee dynasty, which ended the following year in Phoenix? Would it have helped the other Yankee haters, the Red Sox? What if?

What if, Mike?

Newcastle United: The Slowest Start

The story of Newcastle United's 2017-2018 season is that it took months to get in gear. That was, until February 11, when they stunned Manchester United at home. Newcastle’s season finally began this week.  

This season had stalled a couple of times. The first stall nearly killed their season, when Newcastle failed to win between October 21 and December 23. Then a less severe stall occured after Christmas, when Newcastle could only draw against Brighton, Swansea, Burnley, and Crystal Palace. During that time, they also beat Stoke. But 7 points out of a possible 15 was a massive missed opportunity to achieve safety. Of course you have to take whatever points you can get, and 7 points is not insignificant. But had Newcastle won 2 of those 4 draws, they would probably be safe today.

And bad luck happens to teams that are in a slump. Newcastle had victory taken away at Palace due to a very soft penalty.

But sports karma is a funny thing. The Jets helped create the Patriots dynasty when Mo Lewis injured Drew Bledsoe and forced the debut of one Tom Brady. While not nearly as dramatic, Newcastle put all those frustrating draws behind them when Chris Smalling dove in front of Jonjo Shelvey and the referee. Newcastle were awarded a free kick. Shelvey and Lejune delivered the ball to Ritchie’s feet, and he calmly put the ball in the bottom right corner for the only goal of the night. Luck had nothing to do with it. The Lads had done it. They beat Manchester United all by themselves. Man U lacked creativity and sustained attacking. Still, Man U could have scored four goals with their swift counterattacks. But the Newcastle defenders and new keeper, Slovakian International, Martin Dúbravka, held the line.

Watch full highlights of the match (minus Smalling's dive) here.

No one on the home side had a bad game. Florian Lejeune was heroic in his long-awaited return from injury. Paul Dummett was a hero. Dwight Gayle made a goal line block with his legs. Twice. Mo Diamé’s fine recent form continued. Jonjo Shelvey was brilliant. And Jamal Lascelles showed us again why he is the captain - the best team captain in many years.

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Jose couldn't complain

And with this win, their most thrilling since 2015 or so, Newcastle’s season has begun. There are 11 games left. They only really need to win 2 of them. But look at the table now:

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A general rule in football is that a team needs to draw or win against teams that are beneath them in the table. Newcastle have upcoming matches against Huddersfield, Southampton and West Brom. If they win those 3, they will be fine. If they win just 2, I think they are still fine. What they cannot do is lose to any of those teams. They are not out of the woods yet.

But their season has just begun. And Islam Slimani makes his debut on February 25 at Bournemouth.