OPINION
Newcastle United wide man Matt Ritchie has spoken out against the Magpies’ critics, suggesting that everybody at the club deserves credit, but his comments are well wide of the mark.
Let’s clarify that. As quoted in the Chronicle, Ritchie has been quick to suggest that his teammates have done more than enough to earn a little bit of praise for the way that they have managed to turn their season around after a truly dreadful start.
He said: “I think everyone involved at this club deserves credit. I understand the glory days of Keegan and Robson, I understand that everyone keeps looking back.
“You want to finish as high as you possibly can, individually and as a team, but you can’t take anything for granted in the Premier League.
“We didn’t win a game for the first ten games of the season and everyone wrote us off. Everyone had us relegated, no chance, but now, all of a sudden, we look like a good side.”
The thing is though, everybody at the club is getting credit for this transformation.
Admittedly, when the Toon Army couldn’t buy a win at the start of the season, everybody piled in on them, and rightly so.
Teams, regardless of the financial restraints being placed on the manager or the lack of quality they might have in certain areas, have to be held accountable for their dire form.
But equally, when a side manages to turn it around and throw together a decent run, they should be praised, and Newcastle have been.
You would struggle to find a pundit or a fan in the country who wouldn’t attest to the minor miracle Rafa Benitez has overseen on Tyneside, or to the stellar work of Salomon Rondon or Ayoze Perez in recent weeks.
Even Mike Ashley, pubic enemy number one and pantomime villain extraordinaire, has received some love for finally putting his hand in his pocket and signing Miguel Almiron.
Ritchie is absolutely spot on, the Magpies do deserve credit, but the truth is, they’re already getting it.
