Newcastle United are undoubtedly a big club, even in spite of their recent inability to win, well, pretty much anything of note. Naturally, playing at a big club brings with it some serious pressure, especially for younger players arriving with hefty price tags around their still tender necks. Another case where players have seemed to struggle at St James' Park is upon coming in from abroad, usually where they've been playing in front of significantly inferior crowds at an arguably inferior standard. After all, the Premier League has been and often still is regarded as the elite platform in world football. A proud club with a strong tradition of bringing through (and bringing in) great talent, put simply, Newcastle expects. With the likes of Alan Shearer, Andy Cole and Gary Speed all gracing the club within the last couple of decades real warriors and fantastic footballers Toon fans have the right to yearn for quality. But playing for Newcastle means big pressure, and the inevitable possibility of talented players falling short of the mark, and not every player can be a hero, no matter how gifted they are. Sadly, those players are surprisingly numerous...
