No confidence at all!
F***ing idiot!
Pardew has set the goal for his team during the 2014/15 season to be 48 points, a mid-table finish, and one fewer than where the club ended up last season.
Alan Pardew: “Well, the average for this club over the last 10 years in the Premiership is 48 points, and I think if we get that or anything above that, I think it will be a good season for us.
“But at this stage of the season, like all clubs, we dream higher than that.
"We’ll have to see where we go and we got another window to get through in the winter, which caused us damage last time and hopefully we conduct our business well in that window and strengthen again, and if we can, I think we can have a great season.”
Over the last five seasons, exactly 48 points at the end of the Premier League season would have landed a team in 11th, 9th, 10th, 9th, and 11th place.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 REAL SOCIEDAD 0
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Krul; Janmaat (Armstrong, 84), Williamson (S Taylor, 67), Coloccini (Yanga-Mbiwa, 67), Haidara (Dummett, 59); Sissoko, Anita (Abeid, 67), Colback (Obertan, 59), Gouffran (Aarons, 46); Cabella (Ferreyra, 74); Riviere Perez. Sub not used: Alnwick.
REAL SOCIEDAD: Rulli; C Martinez, Gonzalez, I Martinez, Berchiche; Granero, Bergara, Canales; Agirretxe, Prieto, Castro.
Attendance: 19,188
Moussa Sissoko
History has shown us Newcastle United's pre-season results don't mean a lot when it comes to form when the campaign starts, but it is always nice to end the friendlies with a win.
And that happened today, when French international Moussa Sissoko ensured Newcastle United’s pre-season campaign ended on a high.
Sissoko scored the only goal of this afternoon’s final friendly against Real Sociedad three minutes from time at a rain soaked St James’s Park.
Less than 20,000 made the journey, although the rain must have put many off, or those intending to pay at the gate anyway.
Those who stayed away missed NOTHING! It was one of those games when getting through the fixture without injuries was always the priority.
Entertainment was not what we got.
Newcastle’s only other real chance fell to defender Mike Williamson, but visiting goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli was equal to his second-half header.
The game saw applause in the 17th minute in memory of United fans John Alder and Liam Sweeney who lost their lives on board Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 on their way to watch Newcastle in New Zealand last month.
Pardew, without injured duo Cheik Tiote and Siem de Jong, handed full home debuts to Remy Cabella, Jack Colback, Emmanuel Riviere and Daryl Janmaat.
Neither side took the game by the scruff of the neck in the first half, which was poor (at best).
Cabella, handed a free role behind lone striker Emmanuel Riviere, was lively when he got on the ball, but he didn’t do anything with it. All fur coat and no knickers, if you get my drift.
At the other end, Imanol Agirretxe had a couple of half chances for Sociedad, but made nothing of them.
Pardew replaced Gouffran with man of the moment Rolando Aarons at the break.
Colback had a shot blocked early in the second half, and Aarons saw a weak shot deflected wide.
But Newcastle almost got a breakthrough in the 60th minute, when Williamson forced a fine save from Rulli with a header from a Cabella corner.
The game looked destined to end goalless when substitute Gabriel Obertan crossed from the right.
Sissoko was at the far post to drill a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner.
It was a very forgettable match, but the players came through it OK, and that is probably a major relief to Pardew.
Following Newcastle is what it is all about, but let's be honest ... the real winners were probably those who stayed away.
BLYTH SPARTANS 2 NEWCASTLE XI 3
It was not all plain sailing for Alan Pardew's young side yesterday as they survived a first-half battering against Blyth Spartans to take a last-gasp 3-2 win.
United opted against playing out-of-favour first-team star Hatem Ben Arfa at Croft Park, but Olivier Kemen, Gael Bigirimana and Northern Ireland international Shane Ferguson all featured.
Gael Bigirimana
A goalless first half had seen Blyth dominate as they hit the woodwork twice, but United were much better at the start of the second period.
Newcastle grabbed the lead mid-way through when Ferguson crossed from the left and striker Tom Heardman converted from close range to break the deadlock on 63 minutes.
But Blyth levelled things up with 15 minutes to go when a right-wing cross was met by Robbie Dale who sent a towering header past Woodman.
Full-back Greg Olley thought he was the hero when he headed home after a left-wing cross with 10 minutes left before the late goal rush of an entertaining game.
Jarrett Rivers scored a screamer to level the game at 2-2 with just four minutes left.
But the Magpies won it in the dying stages when Liam Smith smashed home to deny Blyth a draw.
BLYTH: Jeffries, Nicholson, Watson, Parker, Buddle, Sayer, Wearmouth, Hooks, Maguire, Robinson, Dale.
UNITED: Woodman, Olley, Ferguson, Kemen, Williams, Gillhespy, Roberts, Bigirimana, Heardman, Quinn, Smith.
Newcastle United Fixtures
Sunday August 17
Newcastle United v Manchester City
Saturday August 23
Aston Villa v Newcastle United
Saturday August 30
Newcastle United v Crystal Palace
Saturday September 13
Southampton v Newcastle United
Saturday September 20
Newcastle United v Hull City
Monday September 29
Stoke City v Newcastle United
Saturday October 4
Swansea City v Newcastle United
Saturday October 18
Newcastle United v Leicester City
Saturday October 25
Tottenham v Newcastle United
Saturday November 1
Newcastle United v Liverpool
Sunday November 9
West Brom v Newcastle United
Saturday November 22
Newcastle United v QPR
Saturday November 29
West Ham United v Newcastle United
Tuesday December 2
Burnley v Newcastle United
Saturday December 6
Newcastle United v Chelsea
Saturday December 13
Arsenal v Newcastle United
Saturday December 20
Newcastle United v Sunderland
Friday December 26
Man Utd v Newcastle United
Sunday December 28
Newcastle United v Everton
Thursday January 1 2015
Newcastle United v Burnley
Saturday January 10 2015
Chelsea v Newcastle United
Saturday January 17 2015
Newcastle United v Southampton
Saturday January 31 2015
Hull City v Newcastle United
Saturday February 7 2015
Newcastle United v Stoke City
Tuesday February 10 2015
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United
Saturday February 21 2015
Manchester City v Newcastle United
Saturday February 28 2015
Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Wednesday March 4 2015
Newcastle United v Man Utd
Saturday March 14 2015
Everton v Newcastle United
Saturday March 21 2015
Newcastle United v Arsenal
Saturday April 4 2015
Sunderland v Newcastle United
Saturday April 11 2015
Liverpool v Newcastle United
Saturday April 18 2015
Newcastle United v Tottenham
Saturday April 25 2015
Newcastle United v Swansea City
Saturday May 2 2015
Leicester City v Newcastle United
Saturday May 9 2015
Newcastle United v West Brom
Saturday May 16 2015
QPR v Newcastle United
Sunday May 24 2015
Newcastle United v West Ham United
SKY SPORTS GAMES
AUGUST
Sat 16: Arsenal v Crystal Palace (5.30pm)
Sun 17: Liverpool v Southampton (1.30pm)
Sun 17: Newcastle United v Manchester City (4pm)
Mon 18: Burnley v Chelsea (8pm)
Sat 23: Everton v Arsenal (5.30pm)
Sun 24: Hull City v Stoke City (1.30pm)
Sun 24: Sunderland v Manchester United (4pm)
Mon 25: Manchester City v Liverpool (8pm)
Sat 30: Everton v Chelsea (5.30pm)
Sun 31: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 31: Leicester City v Arsenal (4pm)
SEPTEMBER
Sat 13: Liverpool v Aston Villa (5.30pm)
Sun 14: Manchester United v Queens Park Rangers (4pm)
Mon 15: Hull City v West Ham United (8pm)
Sat 20: West Ham United v Liverpool (5.30pm)
Sun 21: Leicester City v Manchester United (1.30pm)
Sun 21: Manchester City v Chelsea (4pm)
Sat 27: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm)
Sun 28: West Bromwich Albion v Burnley (4pm)
Mon 29: Stoke City v Newcastle United (8pm)
OCTOBER
Sat 4: Aston Villa v Manchester City (5.30pm)
Sun 5: Chelsea v Arsenal (2.05pm)
Sun 5: West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers (4.15pm)
Sun 19: Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 19: Stoke City v Swansea City (4pm)
Mon 20: West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United (8pm)
Sat 25: Swansea City v Leicester City (5.30pm)
Sun 26: Burnley v Everton (1.30pm)
Sun 26: Manchester United v Chelsea (4pm)
Mon 27: Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa (8pm)
NOVEMBER
Sun 2: Manchester City v Manchester United (1.30pm)
Sun 2: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Mon 3: Crystal Palace v Sunderland (8pm)
Sat 8: Queens Park Rangers v Manchester City (5.30pm)
Sun 9: West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United (1.30pm)
Sun 9: Swansea City v Arsenal (4pm)
Sat 22: Arsenal v Manchester United (5.30pm)
Sun 23: Crystal Palace v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 23: Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Mon 24: Aston Villa v Southampton (8pm)
Sat 29: Sunderland v Chelsea (5.30pm)
Sun 30: Southampton v Manchester City (1.30pm)
Sun 30: Tottenham Hotspur v Everton (4pm)
BT SPORT GAMES
AUGUST
Sat 16: Manchester United v Swansea City (12.45pm)
Sat 23: Aston Villa v Newcastle United (12.45pm)
Sat 30: Burnley v Manchester United (12.45pm)
SEPTEMBER
Sat 13: Arsenal v Manchester City (12.45pm)
Sat 20: Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City (12.45pm)
Sat 27: Liverpool v Everton (12.45pm)
OCTOBER
Sun 5: Manchester United v Everton (12pm)
Sat 18: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur (12.45pm)
Sat 25: West Ham United v Manchester City (12.45pm)
NOVEMBER
Sat 1: Newcastle United v Liverpool (12.45pm)
Sat 8: Liverpool v Chelsea (12.45pm)
Sat 29: West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal (12.45pm)