Leicester 1-0 Newcastle - The 'Index 6'

There are many things that irk Newcastle fans. In recent times, it has been the calls for patience, unity, and loyalty in the face of incompetence and failure. Why, fans would often say, should they remain loyal and uncritical to a team and an organization so clearly incapable of giving fans any hope of success. In the previous relegation fights, there have been fierce debates about whether to “support the team, not the regime” – or to withdraw support entirely. Legitimate arguments on both sides dominated discussions on social media.

On the one hand – those who wanted to “support the team, not the regime” recognized the reality of relegation. They recognized that the best hope for a revived Newcastle is a Premier League Newcastle, which, sadly, means supporting the team even if they are a bunch of clowns. On the other hand, there are those who invoke their rights as a fan to say, do, anything they want. If the team is performing badly, why shouldn’t they complain? Why shouldn’t they boycott? From this perspective, what reason does Newcastle give that could make anybody want to support them?

I appreciate both sides of this argument and I have always been on the fence. That is, until now. Prior to Benitez, I would lean towards the “withdraw support” side. But that all changed when Benitez arrived. There is a new sense of optimism. We finally have a manager with experience, and experience of success. Suddenly there’s a possibility for a successful Newcastle again. In my mind – we could not have acquired a better manager. But, in order to realize all of this, we have to get there first. We cannot be relegated.

Otherwise, all hope, all promise, is gone. That is why I am absolutely on the “support the team” side. I fully appreciate all the fans’ frustration and anger. I respect their right to protest. But I implore them to stretch their patience just a little further. If we suspend our protests, suspend our critiques, and produce a positive atmosphere, then maybe this sorry group of individuals we call “players” might actually keep us up. Then, who knows what could happen? For 9 games, support the team.

On to the Index 6:

Benitez knows what he is doing:

Let’s face it, Newcastle have brutal deficiencies. They cannot score nor defend. They are also severely, and I mean severely, lacking in confidence. In my view, this is about the best performance I think Benitez could muster. There was attitude. There was fight. There was organization. There was everything missing under McClaren. In my view, there was enough to keep us up.

When Benitez speaks, people listen:

I don’t think I am the only one who tore his/her hair out listening to McClaren’s interviews and press conferences. Towards the end, nobody listened. It felt like a load of hot air. The performances on the pitch never amounted to the way they were described, leading to the very legitimate conclusion that McClaren was simply delusional. But when Benitez spoke, I, for one, listened. Not only was his assessment of the game accurate (in my opinion), but I think I was simply more inclined to listen because he has earned the right to be taken seriously. McClaren, after failures at Derby and elsewhere, never earned that right. When Benitez speaks, people listen. Let’s hope that carries through to the players.

Changes?:

Other than being more compact, there was clearly a more tactical and measured component to Newcastle’s play. Daryl Janmaat, who actually wasn’t very good, was clearly told not to bomb forward at will, but to pick his moments when Newcastle actually had possession. The changes weren’t huge, obviously, but there is a sense that Newcastle had a game plan. Makes a change.

Substitutions:

HE MADE SUBSTITUTIONS. AND NOT JUST WITH 5 MINUTES TO GO. For me, that is the sign of a competent manager. Knows when to change things. McClaren and Pardew would always live in hope that the fielded XI could do the job. Not so with Rafa.

Colback:

I’d drop him. I like the guy, but he’s weak. And so far, he has not embraced the derbies.

Doumbia:

By contrast, I’d start him. We need goal scorers. Desperately.