Can lightning strike twice for battle scarred Toon fans?
The scars of 1996 will never go away for anybody who lived through the rollercoaster campaign of 14 years ago - but despite the loss of a Premier League title triumph that Kevin Keegan claimed would have "changed football as we know it", for many failure to win promotion this season has even bigger implications.
Back then finishing second in the top flight just four points behind Manchester United was deemed as a catastrophic failure.
However, should Newcastle somehow surrender control of the Coca-Cola Championship this season then the future would rightly be deemed even bleaker.
Back then Newcastle didn't win the title because the pressure and incredible run of decades on end without silverware met head on and Man United spotted the cracks early enough to put together a superb run to steal the trophy.
I've already commented this season that this is an entirely different scenario but it is also a campaign that could still provide the same outcome.
There are no Man Uniteds in this division nor are there any Eric Cantonas.
But this is Newcastle United, and when one player commented "we need just 12 more wins" recently it all seemed a bit too straight forward.
Since that player said that we haven't won a game.
Leeds United have consistently been used as a comparable model to the black and whites this season and spookily enough a close run thing in their first season back in the second tier after relegation in 2004.
Failure to win promotion was only the start of their appalling fall from grace.
Today in his media briefing to the Chronicle, Chris Hughton feels that the capitulation in 1996 can be a useful reminder to the current crop of players which hopefully means that nobody takes anything for granted until a top flight return is secured.
Let's hope so.
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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To be honest with you Lee , from what I've seen I think there's every likelihood we won't make it . I think the football we've played has been abysmal, if we can't beat Derby who then get stuffed off Scunny be realistic , Are really capable of going up . Not on what I've seen in recent weeks. No pace or creativity , get the ball knock it back to Harps who belts it up front and lets hope somebody gets a flick on . Where's the wing play , attacking down the flanks with a creative midfielder spraying the passes making our opponents run themselves ragged chasing the ball . ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE. We've a manager who looks like he wouldn't say boo to a goose and the two men in charge are off on a jolly at the most important time of the season. Mark my words we will not get Automatic promotion without adding to the squad . Both WBA and Forest look more dangerous going forward and yes we are safe at the back , but please tell me will another 20 draws be enough?.
There is no creative play in the centre of midfield. Jonas gets the ball decides to switch it by passing to Smith (or Butt or Nolan), who then takes an age to play it out to the right and nine times out of ten, passes to Simpson, behind the play, rather than Guthrie, who's found space OR they delay in passing to Guthrie who by then has two men on him OR Nolan or Butt or caught napping on the ball and the defence get blamed in the press or by the crowd for not being alert to their midfielder's faults.
I understand the frustration of the lads above, and agree with their take on the football we've played lately. However, I'm not sure it's all that bleak. Before game one at West Brom I doubt you'd find anyone who wouldn't have taken a five point lead over second place going into the New Year, so we must try and maintain perspective. I think the midfield selections have been questionable lately, as have some key substitutions, but aside from that - I don't care if we kick and scratch our way to promotion to be honest.
I think a Beckford-type striker would be good for us, we're too one dimensional with our current strikers and if Jonas is marked out of a game, the front line becomes too detached resulting in the long ball game. We need a bit of pace up there, ideally someone who can create himself a shooting chance.
As for transfers, I'd settle for Beckford (at a reasonable price), Simpson extending his loan and then one or two more loan signings.
Hopefully the break we've had between games has given the squad a chance to regroup and refocus, and we can press on from here. West Brom is a key game though - must win that one.
P.S. I see this bloody captcha still doesn't work properly, by the way.
Hughton is OK by me - I don't think many others would have done as well as he has. Agree with the comments above: there is no way we are good enough. Not good enough for the Premiership that is; easily good enough for the poor league we're in. What the future holds depends on what happens in the close season, assuming we're up. First, how much money will Ashley (or whoever) make available? And second, who will Hughton buy with it? They had better be good, and we need several of them, but no prima donnas please. No Championship journeymen either. Supporters need to take the long view and be realistic - 1995 will never come again: Albert, Ginola, Beardsley et al are only memories. The reality for now is Nolan, Smith and Butt.
As I say I like Hughton, but he is fast becoming the master of the absolutely meaningless or blindingly obvious comment. Take today's gem (as attributed: "I think as a coach or a manager you judge your players on what effect they can have on the game.” Genius. Bet Brian Clough never thought of that one.
I thought we didn't win the 96 Premier title because despite playing Man Utd off the park in the first half we lost 0-1 at SJP. Tht was when we lost the title!