This time, it is another United in the English Premier League. My team, Newcastle United.

The 2011-12 Premier League season is only nine games in, yet this season could be a special one for my team. Amongst the big contenders like Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City, sit Newcastle in 4th: A big club in the past, but has not won a major trophy since their UEFA Cup win in 1969, who were relegated only two seasons ago and who supposedly have sold most of their big players in the past two transfer windows.

They have sold Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton and Jose Enrique. All are big names and supposedly sold for big money. Yet, fans (including myself) were criticizing the owner Mike Ashley for not letting Alan Pardew spend all of the money. But as it now shows, we didn’t need too. Pardew used his smarts to sign up Demba Ba on a free transfer, and also added Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux and Davide Santon.

And here we sit in the last week of October. Undefeated.

I have nothing but praise for Alan Pardew for his handling of the limited amount of money his has to use. I still don’t like Mike Ashley, neither do the rest of the fans, but thats a matter for another time.

There has been talk, even from Pardew himself, that we may qualify for the Europa League for next season. This could well happen, but in the chances that it won’t (fingers crossed it will) I think a Top 8 finish will class this season as a success.

But you never know, there is a long way too go in the season and Newcastle could not win one more game! Okay, yes that won’t happen (at least I hope not!). But anyway, the League is not the be-all and end-all, there is still the FA and Carling Cups which we could use to win and then qualify!

What do you think of Newcastle’s rise?