NUFC: 8 Reasons Pardew Can Defy Expectations This Year

5. The Wounded Animal Mentality

If there's anything that Newcastle United fans should take positives from it is that the club generally does well with its back against a wall. When the side was relegated in 2008/09, there were some who foresaw another Leeds United style capitulation, rather than the impressive turn-around in fortunes that saw the club win the division at a canter. That revival can be traced back to a difficult period in that year's pre-season that saw senior players clubbing together to drag the team out of the ditch it had fallen into, proving critics wrong who had rubbed their hands with glee at one particular friendly mauling. The closest the side came to relegation before that was prior to the appointment of Glenn Roeder, when significant problems with the squad and the club were brushed aside as the former captain lead his side to the most unlikely of European qualifications. As a club, Newcastle, like Sunderland down the road, are an island club, who often thrive on the siege mentality, and expectations couldn't have been lower heading into this season. If history repeats itself, that can only play into the club's hands.