Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham - The 'Index 6'

I’m sat here writing this, wondering what the hell has happened in the last twenty-four hours. Relegated, 10-man Newcastle United beat Champions League qualified, title-chasing Tottenham Hotspur. 5-1. I’ll say that again. 5-1. Whittling this down to just 6 points isn’t going to be easy, but here goes…

The ‘Shop Window’ Effect

It’s been largely debated how the players would perform today, with the confirmation of relegation, a lot of them aren’t going to be able to show their national managers what they can do in the Championship. They would surely be trying their hardest to show teams in Europe’s top league what they can do. After watching the game, it’s clear to see that a few of them have done exactly that. Wijnaldum, Janmaat, and Sissoko, had much better attacking performances than they’ve had for a long time. Does that mean they’re heading out? Probably. Is it a bad thing? If they aren’t arsed about performing consistently for this football club, I’m not arsed about them being here.

The Few

To say that they were all just playing to make themselves appear appealing to other clubs would be unfair. Players such as Townsend, Mbemba, Mitrovic, and Darlow, have played with their hearts on their sleeves week in, week out. They deserve our utmost respect regardless of what happens with them in the summer. I hope all three stay and fight with us, but if for whatever reason they don’t, their efforts have been appreciated.

What Could Have Been

The most annoying thing about today, it just shows what this squad is actually capable of. Don’t get me wrong, Tottenham had a shocker, and just weren’t challenging at all, but we put 5 past them. 3 of them with only 10 men on the pitch. That’s impressive by anyone’s standards. No one expects a team to play like that every game of a 38 game season, it’s near on impossible to be at that level for that amount of time, but what could have been if we’d played like that just a little more often? Games like Norwich, Sunderland (twice), and Villa (twice) come to mind. We win those games and we’re 12 points better off than we were. We’d be safe.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again, I absolutely love this lad. What happened today though, I can’t excuse. He was a problem for Spurs’ defence the whole time, he laid-off Wijnaldum’s goal perfectly, and took his diving header sublimely. However, he then proceeded to almost snap Kyle Walker’s leg in two, and faked being injured himself to try to get himself out of it. The tackle was disgusting, the red card was more than deserved. His temperament is a problem, and I hope Rafa stays and buffs away the hard edges. He truly showed the Good, Bad, and the Ugly today. I hope he learns from it and cuts those sort of tackles from his game in the future.

The Fans

I’ve been in awe of our fan base ever since I started supporting Newcastle as a kid. The passion, the undying loyalty, the pain we go through every season. Yet what were we doing after relegation is confirmed, and our team has been a disappointment for most of the season? Filling more than 52,000 St. James Park seats, and not letting there be a single quiet second for the entire 90 minutes. All this, not for a team that is winning trophies, not for a club that is on the verge of something extraordinary. No. All of this, to convince a manager to stay with us while we play our football in the second tier of English football. If Rafa does decide to stay, it’s thanks to the fans. Incredible.

Rafa Benitez

There aren’t enough words in the world to describe this man. Hero, legend, genius are a few that come to mind. The change there has been under his stewardship is remarkable. He’s got a team that were all but statistically the worst in the league, to be unbeaten in their last 6 games, winning 3 of them, and earning draws from Liverpool and Manchester City. To say it’s obvious we need him to stay with us is the understatement of the decade, and if by some miracle he happens upon this article;

Rafa, take us through this Championship season and back into the Premier League. You’re the best chance we’ve had of success in as long as I can remember. There’s no doubt in my mind that you are the person to take us to levels we can only dream of. We all already love you, and you’ll be immortalised by this fan base and club. I completely understand if your decision is to leave us, and your work and effort here is more than appreciated, but I’m willing you to stay, and make us great again.

It’s a long shot, but you never know do you!