5. Too Many Cooks Spoil The Broth
Newcastle's
complicated player-acquisition system has frustrated manager Alan Pardew's attempts at strengthening his weak side, after a 16th place finish last time out. With owner Mike Ashley, director of football Joe Kinnear, and chief scout Graham Carr all seemingly in a position of vetoing any potential purchase, the man in charge has only managed to sneak one new player into the side all summer; forward Loic Rémy
coming on loan from relegated Queens Park Rangers. With 9 players having left, including James Perch, Shane Ferguson, Steve Harper, and Danny Simpson, the squad is looking threadbare, and could be seriously lacking in depth come the first game at Manchester City. The complicated workings of the Newcastle United bank account will have to start ticking over soon, as the squad will be both too weak and too thin to have a realistic chance of staying up this time come May.