In January I was ridiculed by some but thanks to the outstanding win at Chelsea cancelling out the dire defeat at Wigan, Newcastle United are 1 point ahead of Champions League schedule.
If ever you had any doubts as to how big the boost of Champions League football would be to Newcastle United/Mike Ashley, have a look at the Chelsea’s rewards this year.
I’ll never forget the ‘Who’s your next Messiah, Ant or Dec?’ and ‘Sob on the Tyne’ banners, not to mention the numerous ‘relegation parties’ that Villa fans held.
The most exciting thing for me is not whether we qualify or not for the Champions League, it is that the players and manager could re-establish Newcastle United back in the top six every season.
In January I was ridiculed by some but 12 matches into this sequence and with only 4 remaining, thanks to the outclassing of Stoke, Newcastle United are 1 point ahead of schedule.
Pardew reassures any doubts about the knock Cabaye took on his ankle, the manager expressing his delight that he was in a position to take off both Cabaye & Cisse early to protect them for next match at Wigan.
This season has been magnificent, stupendous and consistently exhilarating and there isn’t enough credit in the pubs of Tyneside to do Alan Pardew justice.
To think, they used to have this mad complicated arrangement where the club that won the league in each country went into a knockout competition and the team that won that competition was the champion of champions.
In last season’s Champions League; Arsenal £24.5m, Chelsea £36.4m, Manchester United £43.3m, Spurs £25.34m. While by comparison in the Europa League, Manchester City and Liverpool were paid €6m each.