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A return to the Premier League has meant a return to the spotlight for Newcastle United, who made headlines during the season – and not always for the right reasons.

The division’s profile has never been higher and the number of ex-players and managers employed to comment on it has ballooned, even since the last time United were in the top flight.

With Sky pouring billions into the game they now employ an army of pundits who have played the game, and sometimes they seem to court controversy when they talk about the Magpies.

Well Newcastle United certainly confounded their critics this season as they stayed up with something to spare.

After a tough summer the Magpies were tipped to struggle by many – especially those who probably misinterpreted a close season of running battles between Rafa Benitez and the hierarchy as a sign that the manager had ‘lost’ his squad.

As it turned out United were able to secure safety with five matches to spare – an impressive feat given the fact that they spent less than the two clubs who were promoted alongside them.

So here’s seven times the pundits got it wrong – thankfully.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

1. Rafa Benitez has ruined the atmosphere at Newcastle with his “negativity”

This was Jamie Carragher before Newcastle’s second game of the season at Huddersfield. “His negativity, I think, is rubbing off on the whole club,” he told Sky Sports.

“What he’s basically saying is the players he’s got aren’t good enough. But 80-90 per cent of that squad, those are who you are going to need to keep you up.

“You need to somehow lift them as well. It’s far too negative and it has to change.”

Benitez brushed off the criticism of his former player and he was right to. Although Carragher’s insights are always worth your time of day, he got this one wrong. The players did not see Benitez’s public agitation as a show of discontent with them, rather they appreciated that it was on their behalf that he was appealing for more resources.

Maybe it was different at Liverpool – Steven Gerrard has branded Benitez “cold” – but there is a warmth in the relationship between manager and this squad. He is a perfectionist who implores this young group to improve but he also takes them with him – and he has thrown a protective arm around the core group that he believes in.

While Tim Krul and Jack Colback would attest to his ruthless side, Benitez did not lose the dressing room or create a negative atmosphere. Instead he inspired a siege mentality that powered Newcastle – players and fans – for most of the season.

2. Rafa Benitez is being unreasonable

This was Graeme Souness, a former Newcastle manager, after the January transfer window closed. “I’ve been at Newcastle, it’s a very hard job for the manager. The players are under enormous pressure and you have to be a big player to cope with that. 56,000 – it’s difficult to play when you’re under pressure. So the players have to stand up and be counted.

“What I find difficult to understand is that Rafa is not an inexperienced manager. When he took the job I’m sure he was sat down I’m sure it was explained to him where they were going.

“One of the first questions you ask is ‘How much have you got for new players?’ Unless someone is reneging on their word, which I very much doubt, he must have known the situation he was walking into.”

It’s not quite accurate to say that Benitez “knew the situation he was walking into”. When the club were relegated the mantra was that “What Rafa wants, Rafa gets”. But since then it has been a battle to convince the club’s power brokers that his decisions should be followed through.

A bit more research into Newcastle’s internal politics would have told you that.

3. The January transfer window was “a mess”

Again, this was Sky. Here is Carragher on Kenedy: “Newcastle are getting a squad player from Chelsea, not even a squad player really. He’s surplus to requirements at Chelsea.”

Branding January a “mess” – there was scepticism about Islam Slimani too – was perhaps an accurate summary of Newcastle’s approach to a month when they left it too late, didn’t spend enough and again disappointed Benitez.

But it was their approach rather than the calibre of player targeted that was the problem. Little was known about Martin Dubravka and Kenedy was seen as a reserve at Chelsea, but both added an extra dimension to a side that improved after they joined.

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4. Newcastle’s approach to Man City was “a joke”

United’s defensive approach to Manchester City at Christmas was hammered by Sky’s pundits. Here’s Gary Neville: “It is becoming an embarrassment - the Premier League, is now becoming a bit of a joke. The teams at the top are so far ahead that the teams at the bottom are accepting they’re going to lose the game and long as its by one or two - they’re not going to give it a go,” he said.

But others followed Newcastle’s lead with little of the criticism that was levelled at United. Huddersfield had 21% possession in their game against City (1% less than Newcastle) but were not criticised. And with goal difference a key metric in the relegation battle it appeared obvious that Benitez was simply adjusting expectations and approach to the task in hand.

As it turned out, goal difference could have been key.

5. “Expectations” will be a problem

Jermaine Jenas, ladies and gentlemen: “I know from experience that Newcastle is a club that expects so much.

“When Newcastle play at home, as a newly promoted team they will need to dig in, play the percentages and grind out results, but the fans won’t want that. They will demand more from the team… they want goals and they want to win games 5-4, or 4-3 and right now, with the players they have got, they aren’t good enough to do that.

“You might find that Rafa Benitez gets his best results for the team away from home because there won’t be the same pressure. Benitez is at his best when he is able to be pragmatic, set up a team to nullify the opposition and get results against the odds. He won’t be able to do that at home.

“If the Newcastle fans can accept that, if they can support the team when they don’t have possession and be satisfied with nicking results, then it might be a different story. But if they start getting frustrated that the team aren’t playing attacking, free-flowing football and they put more pressure on the team it could be disastrous.”

If there was a prize for worst take, this might win it. It is a lazy stereotype that Newcastle’s fans are the problem or that the players would be suffocated by expectation. Instead the opposite happened: the crowd stuck with Newcastle through their low moments in the campaign, not turning on players or the manager.

And that understanding – which Benitez had worked hard to cultivate – stood United in good stead.

6. Brighton will finish above Newcastle

Another variation on the expectancy theme from Danny Murphy – who felt Brighton would finish above the Magpies.

“The expectancy level at Newcastle and Brighton is very different and that does come on top of the players at some time,” he said before the season started.

“I’m not saying that will definitely happen but there is a chance – because these young lads, sprinkled with a few additions, which I am sure they will (buy). They are going to have that intense pressure, which you don’t normally get when you come out of the Championship.

“Burnley didn’t have it, Bournemouth didn’t have it, Hull didn’t have it – Newcastle have got it.

“So, we will see how they cope, I’m not so sure Newcastle are going to do as well as everybody thinks.”

Expectancy was not a problem with survival very much the priority for most Newcastle fans.

7. Mike Ashley’s priority is finding someone who takes Newcastle forward

Dennis Wise was wheeled out by Sky to talk about Newcastle’s failed takeover saga and said that Mike Ashley was interested in making sure the club was looked after by new owners.

“He could probably do a deal with someone really cheaply and get rid of it and get rid of the hassle that he gets time after time or he can make sure that it goes to someone who he thinks will move that football club forward and I think that’s Mike for you, he’s that type of person,” he said.

It ignored what went before, what went on during January and the fact that he has bumped the price up to £400million this summer. Ashley’s priority in selling is to get the biggest price he can get – which is fair enough, but not the benevolent approach Wise claims.