clear, theyve clarified it, and Im happy about it.Fernando Alonso, who this weekend passed the unenviable 10-year anniversary of his last championship, said the rule has always been the same ev

Stats, quotes and expert opinion on Newcastles 2015/16 Premier League season, which saw them relegated...Finishing position: 18th (-3)Total points: 37 (-2) FA Cup: Third roundCapital One Cup: Third roundTop scorer: Georginio Wijnaldum (11)WhoScored top rating: Andros Townsend (7.35) Steve McClaren shows the strain Season reviewJonas Gutierrez joyously stripped off his shirt as Newcastle saved themselves on the final afternoon of last term. But one soul-destroying season has been followed by another and this time there was no fumbled escape - despite a shock last-day thrashing of Spurs. The Championship awaits; the Toon Army must squeeze into Burtons 6,900-capacity stadium.In the cruellest twist, Sunderland rubber-stamped relegation but Newcastle fans will know their fate was sealed not on Wearside but rather in their own boardroom; a demise long set in motion by calamitous decisions, erratic recruitment and misplaced priorities.Steve McClaren - ominously named on the clubs football board - had talked up his dream job and his top-eight target. But Newcastle did not win until October and despite eye-catching victories against Liverpool and Norwich, still languished in the bottom three at the turn of the year. Defeats at Sunderland, West Ham and Crystal Palace - where a shambolic-looking side shipped five goals - were particularly damaging. Cup exits at the first hurdle felt familiarly depressing. Newcastle spent 206 days in the relegation zone After summers spree on players who looked good on paper, January brought more big-money arrivals. But while Andros Townsend offered rare hope for optimism until the end, defensive reinforcements that were desperately needed never came. McClaren clung on through February and into March but a home defeat to Bournemouth, the air thick with mutiny, finally prompted action from above. Rafa Benitez, swayed by the rush of the Premier League and struck by the clubs potential, took on a 10-game gamble and it so nearly paid off. But though the man who had started the campaign managing Real Madrid egos guided Newcastle to their best run since November 2014, this was like 2009 again: too little, too late.Newcastle are back in the second tier for the second time in maligned owner Mike Ashleys nine-year tenure. How they hope Benitez - hailed by fans throughout the final fixture - will get the assurances he needs to revive the club he pertinently noted needs to wake up. Rafael Benitez was unable to inspire a late surge to safety Quotes of the seasonJudge me after 10 games … judge me after 12 games … judge me at the end of the season. - McClaren, laying down one marker and then another…Listen, Ill put my house on it that Newcastle will not go down, - former chairman Freddy Shepherd in February.This is the most frustrating team Ive worked with. We see fantastic performances from individuals one week and we look capable of beating anyone, then the next week its the polar opposite and we can lose by five or six goals, - beleaguered Steve McClaren speaking after a 5-1 thrashing at Chelsea pushed his side back into the drop zone. We look at where it went wrong for McClaren at Newcastle in his own words Many of you have expressed strong views about what we could have done differently. I respect those views but I would like to reiterate that it has always been my intention to try to achieve the very best for Newcastle United, - owner Mike Ashley in a statement after relegation.My heart is obviously telling me yes. Its a fantastic opportunity, a fantastic atmosphere. My heart is very clear - but at the same time you have to use the brain. - Rafa Benitez, speaking to Sky Sports after a final-day rout of Tottenham. We take a look back at some of the most memorable quotes from the 2015/16 Premier League season Stats of the seasonNewcastles failure to find a victory in their first eight matches of the campaign made it their worst start to a season since 1898/99.Steve McClarens win ratio at Newcastle was just 22.6 per cent - the lowest of his career.Newcastle spent 206 days in the relegation zone - beaten only by Aston Villa and Sunderland.Only Manchester City had a bigger net spend than Newcastles £75m. £29m was splashed in January on Shelvey, Townsend and Henri Saviet - who played just 148 minutes of first team football.Phil Thompsons view Maybe if Rafael Benitez had come in earlier they might have stayed up but it was too little, too late. Phil Thompson Steve McClaren always had a difficult job. Theres more politics to it than we know, with player recruitment especially, and while Mike Ashley may have dug deep this season you have to look at whether theyve had the desire. McClaren was under massive pressure and didnt succeed because they were defensively dreadful. Maybe if Rafael Benitez had come in earlier they might have stayed up but it was too little, too late. Also See:Newcastle videoNewcastle fixturesNewcastle statsGet a ￡10 free bet!Jevon Carter Suns Jersey . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Deandre Ayton Jersey . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. https://www.thesunslockerroom.com/Jalen-Lecque-City-Edition-Jersey/ . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Leandro Barbosa Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. Ray Spalding Jersey . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday.Lewis Hamilton and the Formula One grids other world champions agree the FIAs clampdown on moving under braking is simply clarification of a rule which has always been unwritten.Max Verstappens driving has been brilliant and controversial in equal measure this season, with the Dutch teenager earning criticism for moving his car in the braking zone when defending position from other cars. After complaints from both Ferrari drivers earlier in the season, Verstappen used the same tactic on Hamilton in Japan, forcing the reigning world champion into evasive action.The issue was raised in Fridays drivers briefing in Austin, where Charlie Whiting clarified that it is now an offence to change direction under braking. Hamilton said it has only become an issue this season because younger drivers do not understand it is a dangerous tactic to employ.For the ten years Ive been in Formula One its been the same rule that all us drivers understand, the reigning world champion said. Its only newcomers that have come in and potentially not abided by that same rule weve all shared for many, many years.Racing with Michael [Schumacher] had the same rule, and then as Ive gone on... It will be interesting to see if new drivers have come in and have a different route and have a different opinion. But it is about the respect we have for one another. Were travelling at serious speeds so you commit to your defence but you dont do it whilst in braking, so I think its great Charlie has understood the majority of drivers opinions.Hamilton thinks clarification was important to prevent F1 drivers adopting a new dangerous approach to wheel-to-wheel racing.The rules have to be very strict and clear because otherwise if they say youre allowed to move under braking, everyone will do it and well all start a new way of driving which is dangerous. You look at IndyCar, for example, one twitch and the car goes flying, so I think its definitely the right way.Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel reiterated Hamiltons viewpoint, saying the FIAs leniency with earlier cases has spread the message that it is a fair tactic to use.I think its very simple, Vettel said. The day I joined Formula One it was clear and an unwritten law and in recent times we have had situations and got away with it, so for sure the message is that everyone is starting to do it.I think thats the wrong thing, because in the end we spoke abbout it yesterday and we were just waiting for something to happen.ddddddddddddTherefore I think it is a good action to look into these things.McLarens world champion line-up concurred, with Jenson Button denying that the clampdown was proof F1 had become over-regulated.I think this is the correct ruling, the 2009 world champion said. We started a long time ago in this sport and theres always been an understanding its incorrect to move in the braking zone when someone is trying to overtake, because when so youre trying to overtake everything is on the limit. Youre pushing the limit, pushing the boundaries, on the edge of being out of control.And as soon as somebody takes the line in front of you, and takes the line you were aiming for, the space youre aiming for, youre screwed. Youre either going to go over the top of them or miss them and go into the barriers. Its common sense more than anything else. For 15 years of racing I havent really had any issues, just in the last couple of years we have. Now its clear, theyve clarified it, and Im happy about it.Fernando Alonso, who this weekend passed the unenviable 10-year anniversary of his last championship, said the rule has always been the same even if consistency over penalties has not.Not really much to comment, the Spaniard said. It was clear before and its clear now. In football when you take the ball with the hand inside the area, its a penalty. Sometimes the ref gives you the penalty and sometimes they dont. This it was clear before: but sometimes they gave a penalty and sometimes they dont give anything.Kimi Raikkonen, who has been at odds with Verstappen on numerous occasions this season, was happy to see the rule clarified.Obviously you need some rules, sometimes it feels there are some unclear situations and they make a rule for that. It feels like we probably have too many rules but thats how it is. If there were no rules we could do everything, so we need to have some guidelines of what we can do. It sounds a bit stupid sometimes but thats sometimes its beneficial for everybody.Between them, the drivers above account for every F1 world championship since Alonsos first in 2005. Verstappen seemed unmoved by the clarification in Austin, commenting that: Maybe they can get past now ' ' '