What constitutes a good season? To each team this is relative to their finances, their stature, their squad and their management. To Newcastle United a "good season" is always vague. European places, mid table, avoid relegation; there is almost no consistency.

For the fans this leaves a very sour taste in their mouths. In the last 360 minutes of football Newcastle United have conceded 12 goals and scored none. Every half hour the defence leaks. Every game over the past four weeks they have failed to score.

Yet if they cling on to a top ten finish, head butt friendly manager Alan Pardew will be seen as a success and may be in line for his bonus.

Inconsistency is whats drives fans insane, Manchester United supporters have felt that struggle this season, Liverpool fans have felt it for two decades and Newcastle fans have felt it on and off since the 1960s.

They have the second longest serving manager in the Premier League but fail to make the top 10 every season while the budgets and stadium let teams with less resources like Southampton and Stoke make the Toon look like pushovers.

Four games remain in a season where no major honours were challenged for and nothing was achieved once again.

On April 19th The Magpies face Swansea at home, who ironically have been more successful with a League Cup title and European pedigree than the lost giants of the North East.

A loss to this side should surely make the Toon hierarchy question the motivation if any of the team's highly paid diverse squad.

Arsenal, Cardiff and Liverpool are the final three fixtures. A healthy showing in these three, on the back of a Swansea victory would bode well moving into a summer where major changes are needed.

Hatem Ben Arfa for all his charm and skill has proven inconsistent. Shola Ameobi has been a great servant but his time has well passed. Loic Remy is also not worth the hype or the cash. Gabriel Obertan, Sylvian Marveaux and Gouffran have all shown they are not truly capable of delivering for a team that should be competing for European football yearly.

Too many players with too little passion and lacking top class ability.

A summer of fresh hope awaits, a replacement for Cabaye even a possibility. Or is optimism too much to hope for?

If all else fails the one constant will be inconsistency. It is never black or white for Newcastle supporters, it's always grey with a hint of why.