Sounds to me as though some Newcastle fans are starting to get a bit of a chip on their shoulders
People are just calling it as they see it, if somebody comes out and says "I'm a bit surprised that everyone still assumes we are going to falter when it comes to playing the other big 4"
Then it stands to reason that people are going to give some reasons why they think along those lines. As for "no easy games in the Premier League" even if that is the case that doesn't change the fact that some games are tougher than others.
I think sometimes people underestimate the impact of fixtures, I remember a couple of years back Arsenal got off to a flyer and people were jizzing all over them I said hang on a minute lads look at the games they've had and now look at this nightmare run of fixtures they are lining up later in the season.
In fact I've just dug up the thread: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sh...light=fixtures+username_HangTime#post11499718
So it's got nothing to do with having a pop at Newcastle and everything to do with just looking at past history and making predictions on what will happen, just as I did about my own team 4 years ago, I could see we'd had an easy run compared to what was lying in store later on, people are entitled to do that providing they aren't making direct derogatory comments.
The difference is a team looking for top spot, faltering when playing the top teams will usually cost them any chance at the title. A team with almost no chance of the top 4 and not a great chance at the top 6, who goes into playing 3 tough games sitting in 3rd, with every chance of coming out after the next 4 games still in a very strong position, with 3-4 tough games down isn't a bad thing.
Do you usually win the title if you lose to the top 4, no, do the 4th-8th team's often lose to the top 4, yes. If you're 5th, or 15th, you expect to lose to City and Utd, so its not the same as Utd losing to Chelsea/City/Everton, infact, its completely different because the targets for Utd and Newcastle are so completely different. Losing to City is a huge blow to Utd, losing to City is thoroughly expected, and won't prevent them getting 5th-6th.
The "big" games this season for Newcastle in terms of getting 5th-8th somewhere, will be the teams you expect to be fighting for those spots. Spurs, Arsenal, Villa, Liverpool, maybe Fulham. So far they've drawn with three of those, and beaten one. That's a pretty good start, had they lost those games, they'd be 6 points worse off, and all those teams would be 3 points ahead of where they are.
Do you usually win the title if you lose to the top 4, no, do the 4th-8th team's often lose to the top 4, yes. If you're 5th, or 15th, you expect to lose to City and Utd
The way people are talking about the Manu/city/Chelsea is stupid.
The "big" games this season for Newcastle in terms of getting 5th-8th somewhere, will be the teams you expect to be fighting for those spots. Spurs, Arsenal, Villa, Liverpool, maybe Fulham. So far they've drawn with three of those, and beaten one. That's a pretty good start, had they lost those games, they'd be 6 points worse off, and all those teams would be 3 points ahead of where they are.