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 video Newcastle fixtures Newcastle stats Get a £10 free bet! Ken Giles Blue Jays Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Joe Carter Jersey .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week. http://www.bluejaysonline.com/blue-jays-paul-molitor-jersey/ . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Freddy Galvis Blue Jays Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Custom Toronto Blue Jays .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer attended team meetings Tuesday morning as he continued to recover from a concussion he suffered in Sundays loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but the possibility he plays Thursday at San Francisco is still up in the air.Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Palmer was going through the offense mentally; the quarterback missed his second straight day of practice on Tuesday. Arians told Bay Area reporters that Palmer looked good after meeting with him on Tuesday morning. After practice, Arians said Palmer is still in the concussion protocol and continues to take tests.Arians was asked if theres enough time for Palmer to get cleared through the NFLs concussion protocol in time for Thursdays game.I think theres a chance, Arians said.Arians wont be the one deciding if Palmer can fly to the Bay Area on Wednesday, when the team leaves Arizona. Thatll be decided by team doctors, Arians said.But on Tuesday, the Cardinals made a move that signals a good possibility that Palmer may not play: Quarterbaack Zac Dysert was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.dddddddddddd. Arians described Dysert as very accurate and said he picked up the offense really quick.The Cardinals now have three quarterbacks on their roster, with Drew Stanton as Palmers backup.Palmer suffered the concussion on a hit late in the fourth quarter. He made strides Sunday night, Arians said, but didnt practice Monday.Arizona put safety Tyvon Branch and running back Chris Johnson on injured reserve Tuesday after both suffered groin injuries in Sundays loss.Arians said both players will undergo hernia surgery, but he wasnt sure when those procedures will take place. Arizona also waived punter Drew Butler, who has been dealing with a severely sprained ankle; Butler received an injury settlement. In corresponding moves, Arizona promoted wide receiver Brittan Golden to the active roster and re-signed running back Kerwynn Williams. ' ' '