Newcastle United are canny good at the moment, aren’t they?
Eddie Howe’s top four mags are flying after a tricky start to the season saw us robbed of a few results. Realistically, we should be unbeaten.
The Spurs result was one of our biggest statements under Howe and a clear sign that we mean business.
We’re no strangers to winning at Tottenham away. Joelinton scored his first goal there. Ayoze Perez bagged a stoppage time winner back in 2015. We love beating them at home too – we’re a bit of a bogey team for them. But the manner of this victory was totally different.
We tactically mastered Spurs and put in one of our best performances in years against a regular Champions League side. It was full of intent. From the moment the first goal went in, I had a smile as wide as Almiron’s and it didn’t go away even as the heavens opened and the fatigue kicked in on the train home.
There was much more than just the result to enjoy too. So here are six magical moments I experienced from the away end last Sunday.
The performance
Strangely, we’re used to seeing good performances from Newcastle United at the minute. We gave the current champions a run for their money recently and realistically deserved a win, we ran riot against Fulham and Brentford and we destroyed Arsenal, the team currently at the top of the table, only a few months ago.
This one felt extra special though. We rinsed a team full of international superstars helmed by one of the highest-regarded managers in the world right now. This was a Spurs side who’d won ALL of their home games so far this season. We played the free-flowing, attacking football we’re quickly becoming known for, while the best defence in the league kept it tight at the back.
We played against a Champions League side like a team that is capable of achieving the Champions League. Which brings me nicely onto my next point…
Our league position
Champions League mags. Feels almost alien to say and see, doesn’t it?
I’m under no illusion that this means we’ll be there at the end of the season, but what a marked transformation from a year ago. We were pinned to the bottom of the table and getting further and further away from safety. Now, we’re muscling our way in with the big boys.
For a team that’s been cheated out of a couple of results, it’s hugely impressive. And what’s flying under the radar a touch is the fact we’re only seven points behind the league leaders. That gap will absolutely widen, but I never thought I’d see this two-and-a-half months into our first full season without Ashley or Bruce.
The human form of serotonin
I’m a professional writer and yet I’m struggling to put into words how seeing a smiling Miggy Almiron makes me feel. The man is the human form of serotonin, a pure ray of sunshine and joy. Even in our darkest times last season, he kept on smiling and giving his all. But it’s all the more sweeter when he’s leading us to victory week in, week out. The individual work for his goal was, as a friend said to me this morning, Messi-esque. The celebrations, adorable.
I could have cried when he was asked about his goal celebration on Sunday and he replied “I was looking for a teammate to hug”. MY DANG HEART. When the players came to applaud us in the away end, he was joyous. I’d like to think that I was one of the people he pointed out and gave a thumbs up to in the crowd – don’t take that away from me.
The celebrations
Celebrating any Newcastle goal comes with a warning risk of injury. But they’re getting better (and arguably more painful). Standing on the stairs at an away game when we score is a risky move. Proof: the 20-odd people that piled on top of me when I hit the deck celebrating Miggy’s goal!
I feel like I’ve been doing weights in the gym (lol) for days straight after that. My hammys hurt, my arms knack, I’m still croaking – but I wouldn’t have it any other way. At this point, being a supporter is more of an injury risk than being a player. The away end in full voice after the final whistle never gets old, either. Note to self: book later trains home, because you don’t want to miss that.
The lads
I’ve singled Miggy out here, but christ, do we have a loveable, talented and committed bunch. Bruno travelled to the game alone and put in a cracking shift after two nights of no sleep because he wouldn’t miss the game for the world. He’s knackered, celebrating the birth of his Geordie bairn, and still insistent on playing. Luxury players often go in the opposite direction knowing they can get away with murder, but not Bruno in the middle.
Callum Wilson scored a blinding finish having fought off Lloris (because let’s face it, if anyone was fouling, it was the goalkeeper) and lit up in his interview at the mention of Miggy’s goal. Trippier continues to be one of the best leaders I’ve ever seen. Pope pulled off some physics-defying saves. The defence is immovable. Sean Longstaff continues a quiet redemption. We have this incredible blend of world-class new signings and dramatically improved long-term players who know the club. And as Wilson said, everyone to a man emptied their tanks. You love to see it.
The atmosphere
For a long time, I went to Newcastle matches out of a sense of duty and the need to drink my body weight in beer. Even when results were poor, you’d cheer up at the pub or with tinnies on the train home; the match was the worst part of the day and we always pulled ourselves around.
But now that the football is good and the club is fighting, the atmosphere is consistently euphoric. We’re on a high constantly. On the train to the game. During the match. After the final whistle. On the tube back to Kings Cross. On the long journey home that has an arrival time of 00:39 when you’re full of drink and you’ve got work the next morning. It’s constant. And I love it.
With all of that, it’s no wonder I’m smiling like Miggy.
