It is fair to say things aren’t quite going to plan for Newcastle United in the Premier League so far this season.
After 16 games, they find themselves down in 15th place, eight points clear of the relegation zone, though that could go down to five if other clubs win their games in hand.
They hit the FA Cup weekend on the back of five games without a win, and while some of those were against the best this league has to offer, The Toon have dropped points at home to Fulham and been hit for five away at Leeds.
2021 could be a new beginning, but it could also be much of the same, and if that is the case, is this team staring down the barrel of a relegation fight to end the campaign?
A Lack of Ideas
The biggest issue so far this season for Newcastle has been a genuine lack of ideas. On occasions it has been their forward play, looking like they would not score if the game was played all day. On others, like the game mentioned against Leeds above, it is their defending that lets them down.
This team doesn’t have a specific weakness, it changes from game to game, showing that there are many issues within the squad that need fixing.
This is not an easy job, and much of the criticism has been pointing towards manager Steve Bruce, who is not seen as the best possible option by fans right now.
Anyone who keeps up to date with the latest sports news from the North East will know that fans of Newcastle United are passionate and have strong beliefs, could they eventually push Bruce out of the door if things don’t improve?
Saved by the Quality of Opposition?
If there is one thing going in Newcastle’s favour this season then it is the quality of opposition against them. This could be the worst Premier League for the past few years, which could be what saves Newcastle.
Rather than being good enough to stay up, Newcastle could simply find that they have three teams in the league who are worse than them.
Sheffield United already look destined for the Championship, while newcomers Fulham and West Brom are still finding the Premier League tough. The likes of Brighton and Burnley follow, before we think about Newcastle.
Of the five teams mentioned, three would need to outperform Newcastle for them to be relegated. Regardless of how bad Newcastle are, is it possible that these teams are good enough to trouble them?
What do the Betting Markets Say?
Outright football betting markets are always fascinating to look at when comparing teams, and it seems that the bookmakers have a solid view on this already.
It is always worth comparing odds when betting, such as a William Hill vs bet365 comparison to find the best deal you possibly can.
The bookmakers think that Sheffield United are as good as relegated already, and West Brom are not too far behind them.
Fulham are next in the betting and these three teams are all odds-on, meaning it is more likely they will go down than they won’t.
Next up, we have Brighton and Burnley, who are currently below Newcastle in the league, followed by The Magpies, so the betting is currently following the current team standings for the time being.
That may change in the coming weeks and months, but providing the bottom clubs remain at their level, although Newcastle look set for a poor season, it would have to turn very sour for them to be relegated.