The right direction?

Joey Barton got all lovey-dovey yesterday when it emerged that the player had started contract negotiations with Newcastle.

In a speech that could almost be filled with love hearts and sparkly things, Joey announced his love for the club and the fans and said that he would be happy to end his career on Tyneside, especially now that the club is heading in the right direction.

It's that last bit I want to focus on really, as I've heard that somewhere before. In fact I've heard it several times before, and it has been coming from our very own players. Steven Taylor said it when he signed a new deal, as did Andy Carroll, and Kevin Nolan has said it a couple of times aswell in his role as club captain, but then again I guess that is his job!

Are the players right though? They are the guys that are closest to the action I guess, and if they are all happy and feel that we are moving in the right direction I guess you'd have to believe it. I've said it before, but I'm personally feeling strangely optimistic about the future of the club.

Now I know as soon as I say that there will be someone who jumps in and say that we don't have a future with Mike Ashley at the helm, which is fair enough as it's their particular opinion. However, I'm basing my opinion without even thinking about Mike Ashley and I am purely basing my optimism on what I see from the team.

This group of lads (copyright Chris Hughton) have something that is unique, in my lifetime anyway. They have a desire to actually do well for the club and want to try their best against the odds. It won't happen in every game, but on the whole they will put the effort in. Look at the Tottenham game at the weekend, and look at how our players were pretty much collapsed on the pitch at full-time because they had run their chebs off. Could you have seen Michael Owen doing that?

This team might well be lacking a bit of the glitz and glamour that a star name will bring, but it is not affecting it. They continue to do their own thing and completely embarass the likes of Michael Owen and all.

I think the talk of moving in the right direction could be a little premature if I'm being honest as I'd like to see more of it over a longer period of time before I make a judgement, but it is good that the players are feeling this way. Positive thinking is a good thing, and it's something the team has on display on a regular basis.

What do you think? Are you with the players and feel that the club is moving in the right direction? Do you think we aren't moving forward? Or are you like me and would like to give it more time (sit on the fence) before making a judgement?

As ever, your thoughts please.