Peter Crouch has been discussing Newcastle United’s survival chances in his weekly column for the Daily Mail.
The Magpies were thumped 3-0 by Brighton at the weekend leaving them up the creek with broken paddles.
Disgruntled supporters have demanded Steve Bruce is sacked but that request doesn’t look like being granted by Mike Ashley.
Newcastle have a rotten run of fixtures ahead and the chances of survival are looking bleaker as the weeks pass.
Crouch has now weighed into the predicament with his thoughts on their prospects.
He told the Daily Mail: “I’ve defended Steve in the past because I like him, to be honest (not for any other reason).
“Results and performances have been miles off where they should be and it would be ridiculous to try and put things down to luck or injuries or whatever else.
“Newcastle are miles away from where they want to be.
“Have Fulham left it too late to catch them? Possibly. But it’s going to be a close run thing about whether they stay up.
“It’s a horrible state of affairs with the players looking like they have given up and leaks continually coming out of place. The situation is very worrying.”
The clock is ticking
Newcastle’s aspirations of remaining a Premier League club are dwindling.
Their run of fixtures is pretty brutal and the ball is seemingly in the court of Fulham now.
The Cottagers are two points behind Newcastle, although Bruce’s men do hold a game in hand on their relegation rivals.
Scott Parker will surely be given hope by Newcastle’s run of fixtures though and the fact they welcome them to Craven Cottage on the final day.
The Magpies still have to play Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester City before the end of the campaign.
That run of fixtures isn’t ideal and if Newcastle show the application they did on Saturday, they’ll pick up nothing from another game this season.
These are very worrying times for the football club.
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