Yohan Cabaye didn't want to be cup-tied in the FA Cup, because he had suiters in the Premier League, but PSG were always going to be his No 1 target.
So Alan Pardew let him return to France to sort out future plans with PSG in Paris, and we went into the Last Chance Saloon hoping for a good FA Cup run to save our season.
We lost to Cardiff City at home, and that was the end of the 2013/14 campaign.
Was it worse than the "shock" exits to Stevenage and twice to Brighton, under Pardew? Well I would say "yes" because it was another cup defeat with a heartless performance with reserve players filling in for those who fancied a shift off.
Never mind the excuses, the season ended that day, halfway through the season with a limp effort in a competition we had a half-decent chance of winning.
What was left? Stuffing the Mackems!
For the third derby game in a row, Pardew sent out a team looking bereft of confidence, no organisation, no commitment, no passion and no game plan ... and he stood by the dugout wishing the ground would swallow him up.
Unlike him, he was stuck for words. He didn't shout, point, bawl or gesticulate ... he knew it was a lost cause.
So why did the players go out there and freeze? Why weren't they pumped up for the derby like they used to be under Sir Bobby or even Chris Hughton?
Well I have a theory.
OK, it's tongue-in-cheek, but it's a fact.
During the Bill Shankly era at Liverpool there was (and still is) that Liverpool crest above the tunnel that says: "THIS IS ANFIELD", that was supposed to (and certainly did) frighten the life out of the visiting players.
We have one at St James' Park, as shown up above in this article. And Sir Bobby made sure all the Newcastle players touched it before they went onto the pitch.
It was a show of comradeship - a unity.
So what happened to that sign?
THIS IS IT NOW .... F***ING 'SPORTS DIRECT.COM'!
Ashley you nobhead!
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HELP FOR HEROES EVENING!
Come and join us (NU-Mad) at Framwellgate Moor WMC, near Durham
Friday February 28th
Tickets £3 (or on the door)
MYSTIFIED
'Mysified' and support act, plus disco and top prizes in raffle.
Please, come support our troops!
Tickets from: Kevnumad@fsmail.net
Or phone Kev 0191 6822357
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Saturday February 8
12:45 Liverpool v Arsenal
15:00 Aston Villa v West Ham United
15:00 Chelsea v Newcastle United
15:00 Crystal Palace v West Brom
15:00 Norwich City v Manchester City
15:00 Southampton v Stoke City
15:00 Sunderland v Hull City
17:30 Swansea City v Cardiff City
Sunday February 9
13:30 Tottenham v Everton
16:00 Man Utd v Fulham
Tuesday February 11
19:45 Cardiff City v Aston Villa
19:45 Hull City v Southampton
19:45 West Ham United v Norwich City
20:00 West Brom v Chelsea
Wednesday February 12
19:45 Arsenal v Man Utd
19:45 Everton v Crystal Palace
19:45 Manchester City v Sunderland
19:45 Newcastle United v Tottenham
19:45 Stoke City v Swansea City
20:00 Fulham v Liverpool
Newcastle United Fixtures
Saturday February 8
15:00
Chelsea v Newcastle United
Wednesday February 12
19:45
Newcastle United v Tottenham
Sunday February 23
13:30
Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Saturday March 1
15:00
Hull City v Newcastle United
Sunday March 9
16:00
Newcastle United v Everton
Saturday March 15
15:00
Fulham v Newcastle United
Saturday March 22
15:00
Newcastle United v Crystal Palace
Saturday March 29
15:00
Southampton v Newcastle United
Saturday April 5
15:00
Newcastle United v Man Utd
Saturday April 12
15:00
Stoke City v Newcastle United
Saturday April 19
15:00
Newcastle United v Swansea City
Saturday April 26
15:00
Arsenal v Newcastle United
Saturday May 3
15:00
Newcastle United v Cardiff City
Sunday May 11
15:00
Liverpool v Newcastle United
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2013/14
PREMIER LEAGUE
NEWCASTLE 0 SUNDERLAND 3
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, S Taylor, Santon (64' Dummett), Anita (74' Marveaux), Tiote, Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Sammy Ameobi (45' de Jong), Shola Ameobi.
Subs: Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara, Elliot, Armstrong
NORWICH 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, S Taylor, Santon, Anita, Tiote, Ben Arfa (75' Shola Ameobi), Sissoko, Sammy Ameobi (87' Haidara), Remy
Subs: Yanga-Mbiwa, Gosling, Elliot, Dummett, Armstrong
WEST HAM 1 NEWCASTLE 3 (Cabaye 2, Remy)
Krul, Yanga-Mbiwa, Williamson, S Taylor, Santon (74' Dummett), Tiote, Anita (60' Shola Ameobi), Sissoko, Cabaye, Gouffran, Remy (78' Ben Arfa)
Subs: Cisse, Haidara, Elliot, Obertan
NEWCASTLE 0 MAN CITY 2
Krul, Yanga-Mbiwa (82' Ben Arfa), Williamson, S Taylor, Santon, Anita (73' Cisse), Tiote, Sissoko, Cabaye, Gouffran (82' Haidara), Remy
Subs: Gosling, Elliot, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi
WEST BROM 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini (65' Yanga-Mbiwa), Santon, Cabaye, Tiote, Gouffran (45' Ben Arfa), Sissoko, Remy, Shola Ameobi (76' Haidara).
Subs: Anita, Cisse, Elliot, S Taylor
NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 1
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Anita (74' Shola Ameobi), Tiote, Sissoko (79' Haidara), Cabaye, Gouffran (62' Ben Arfa), Remy
Subs: Cisse, Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi
NEWCASTLE 5 STOKE CITY 1 (Remy 2, Gouffran, Cabaye, Cisse pen)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon (61' Haidara), Anita (45' Shola Ameobi), Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Gouffran (72' Cisse), Remy
Subs: Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Obertan, S Taylor
CRYSTAL PALACE 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Cabaye, Gabbidon og, Ben Arfa pen)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Anita, Tiote, Sissoko, Cabaye (79' Ben Arfa), Gouffran, Remy (75' Shola Ameobi).
Subs: Cisse, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara, Elliot, Obertan
NEWCASTLE 1 SOUTHAMPTON 1 (Gouffran)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon (78' Haidara), Sissoko, Anita, Tiote, Gouffran (73' Ben Arfa), Shola Ameobi (61' Cisse), Remy
Subs: Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi
MAN UTD 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Cabaye)
Krul, Debuchy (83' Yanga-Mbiwa), Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Cabaye (78' Shola Ameobi), Tiote, Anita, Sissoko, Remy, Gouffran (57' Ben Arfa).
Subs: Cisse, Gutierrez, Elliot, Obertan
SWANSEA 3 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson (77' Yanga-Mbiwa), Coloccini, Santon (56' Haidara), Sissoko, Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran, Shola Ameobi (67' Obertan), Remy
Subs: Anita, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 2 WBA 1 (Gouffran, Sissoko)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Sissoko (90+5' Cisse), Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran, Shola Ameobi, Remy (84' Anita)
Subs: Ben Arfa, Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi
NEWCASTLE 2 NORWICH CITY 1 (Remy, Gouffran)
Krul, Yanga-Mbiwa, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Sissoko, Tiote, Cabaye (68' Anita), Gouffran (83' Ben Arfa), Shola Ameobi (74' Cisse), Remy.
Subs: Haidara, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi
TOTTENHAM 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Remy)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote, Gouffran (85' Obertan), Remy (75' Cisse), Shola Ameobi (60' Anita).
Subs: Coloccini, Ben Arfa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 CHELSEA 0 (Gouffran, Remy)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote (53' Anita), Gouffran (85' Obertan), Shola Ameobi (62' Cisse).
Subs: Ben Arfa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Tavernier.
SUNDERLAND 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Debuchy)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Dummett, Santon, Sissoko (45' Cisse), Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran (86' Sammy Ameobi), Ben Arfa, Remy (70' Shola Ameobi).
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Elliot, Obertan.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 LIVERPOOL 2 (Cabaye, Dummett)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Cabaye (78' Sammy Ameobi), Tiote, Gouffran, Sissoko (45' Dummett), Remy, Ben Arfa (78' Anita).
Subs: Cisse, Elliot, Obertan, Dummett.
CARDIFF CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Remy 2)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Tiote, Cabaye (86' Ben Arfa), Gouffran, Sissoko, Remy (71' Gutierrez), Cisse
Subs: Anita, Yanga-Mbiwa, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
EVERTON 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (Cabaye, Remy)
Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa (46' Williamson), Coloccini, Santon, Tiote, Anita (69' Cisse), Ben Arfa (46' Cabaye), Sissoko, Gouffran, Remy
Subs: Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 2 HULL CITY 3 (Remy 2)
Krul, Debuchy (86' Tiote), Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Cabaye (62' Gouffran), Anita, Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Cisse (73' Marveaux), Remy
Subs: Williamson, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
ASTON VILLA 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ben Arfra, Gouffran)
Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon, Anita (74' Tiote), Cabaye (88' Sammy Ameobi), Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Remy (63' Gouffran), Cisse
Subs: Elliot, Marveaux, S Taylor, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 1 FULHAM 0 (Ben Arfa)
Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita 65' (Cabaye), Marveaux 74' (Remy), Shola Ameobi 65' (Gouffran), Cisse
Subs: Gosling, Elliot, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett
NEWCASTLE 0 WEST HAM 0
Krul, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Coloccini, Santon, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Anita, Marveaux 66' (Sammy Ameobi), Shola Ameobi, Cisse 72'
Subs: Gosling, Bigirimana, Elliot, Vuckic, Dummett
MAN CITY 4 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, S Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Sissoko, Tiote, Gouffran 45+4' (Dummett), Ben Arfa 65' (Sammy Ameobi), Gutierrez 44' (Anita), Cisse
Subs: Elliot, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi, Obertan
LEAGUE CUP
NEWCASTLE 0 MAN CITY 2 (AET)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara (45 Dummett, 80 Ben Arfa), Anita, Tiote, Gouffran, Sissoko, Shola Ameobi (66 Cabaye), Cisse
Subs: Remy, Elliot, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi
NEWCASTLE 2 LEEDS UTD 0 (Cisse, Gouffran)
Krul, Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Gouffran (90' Vuckic), Anita (80' Gosling), Tiote, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Cisse (71' Obertan).
Subs: Ben Arfa, Yanga-Mbiwa, Bigirimana, Alnwick
MORECAMBE 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi)
Elliot, Debuchy, Yanga-Mbiwa, Good, Dummett, Bigirimana, Gosling, Marveaux 88' (Sissoko), Vuckic 46' (Shola Ameobi), Sammy Ameobi, Gouffran 71' (Ben Arfa)
Subs: Santon, Anita, Alnwick, Streete
FA CUP
NEWCASTLE 1 CARDIFF CITY 2 (Cisse)
Elliot, Santon, S Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara, Sissoko (85' Shola Ameobi), Tiote, Anita, Gouffran (63' Obertan), Ben Arfa, Cisse (85' Remy).
Subs: Williamson, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett, Alnwick