Welcome back to Newcastle, New King.
Last time, Newcastle had begun the season in sensational form. Five wins from their opening seven games left them top of the league. With Mike Ashley considering selling the club, confidence among Newcastle’s fans was at a level not seen since before that infamous Kevin Keegan “love it” meltdown in 1996.
Could manager Carl Potter guide his team to continue this form into another month? Let’s find out…
Sunday, October 1
“Well, after a sensational month for Newcastle United, Carl Potter has picked up the Premier League Manager of the Month award” began David Craig. “This won’t come as much of a surprise after he guided his side to four wins out of four, even though they were knocked out of the League Cup. Potter’s side scored 15 goals in the league last month, conceding just two. Their excellent performances have also seen Mikel Merino take home the Player of the Month award. Merino scored twice and set up another to cap an impressive month for his club.”
Sunday, October 15
Saturday, October 21
Monday, October 23
“It was a poor game” began Gary Neville. Neither side made the most of their opportunities, although Newcastle probably deserved it in the end. Issa Diop was excellent in defence, he stopped everything Brighton tried to do. They couldn’t get the ball up to Hemed, because Diop blocked everything. He really had him in his pocket.”
“Jamie, Newcastle had the better chances, didn’t they?” asked David Jones.
“They did – there were three or four times they could have put the game to bed, but the finishing was poor. Dwight Gayle, I think, got man of the match, but he could have had a hat-trick. It wasn’t the best game to watch” added Carragher.
“Nevertheless, Newcastle picked up an important win after their disappointment last weekend. That victory leaves the side third in the Premier League and extends their unbeaten run. Next up, they take on Chelsea, live on Sky Sports in Saturday’s early kick off. It should be an intriguing game, with Newcastle defying all expectations.”
Saturday, October 28
“We’re delighted to welcome Ken and his team to the club” began Potter. “The fans have been crying out for this for a long time. I think we’re all excited about the future of the club” he continued, responding to Sky Sports’ Nick Collins.
“Have your discussions with Mr. Hodcroft been productive?” asked talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams.
“Yes. We’ve spoken about how he sees the future of the club, how I see the future of the club. I think we both want the same things, so I’m excited about that. But I don’t want to talk too much about the takeover right now” replied Potter. “There’s obviously a lot going on right now and I’m sure some of our plans will be laid out in the next few days. My attention is fixed on our game this afternoon” he concluded.
“Do today’s events disrupt your preparations for Chelsea?” asked Abrahams.
“It’s not ideal, but we’re a professional bunch. The timing could be better, but it shouldn’t cause too much of a problem for us” concluded Potter.
And so another exciting month comes to an end… Results on the pitch have faltered somewhat, but off the field, Newcastle United are looking towards a bright future. The change in ownership presents new opportunities for the club. Potter’s press conference was optimistic; confident that the new owner shared a similar vision.
But does he? Find out next time…