Of course, we have every right to demand our team doesn’t squander a 1-0 lead to 10 men with 10 mins to play, every football fan does. However, sometimes football is so nonsensical, that’s what makes it magic, and we’ve all been on the good and bad ends of that spectrum.
As I stewed away in a half cut trance like state on Sunday night, I found myself wondering how Everton fans must have felt surrendering a 2 goal lead in injury time to a team as bad as we were on that fateful night.
Thursday’s sizzling Champions League draw has reminded us all, and some definitely needed it that life as a Newcastle United fan is pretty sweet at the moment.
That said, the hysterical reaction to last Sunday’s gut-wrenching defeat to Liverpool was quite a sad thing to behold.
According to the vocal minority on social media, Eddie Howe, is suddenly now not good enough, not tactically flexible enough, and a “by numbers” manager. Miguel Almiron has seemingly replaced Allan Saint Maximin as the de facto scapegoat for some. As for our beloved Bruno, he’s “been ***** recently”, needs a rest, has been found out, again according to some.
The clubs transfer strategy, which has been rightly lauded for its sensibility and succession planning, is now flawed because players like Dan Burn, Miguel Almiron and Sean Longstaff, all crucial in last season’s exceptional top finish btw, are still seeing game time. It’s enough to give you a headache.
Of course no one is above criticism, and on the opposite side of the argument, the “look where we were 18 months ago”, “would you rather we still had Bruce/Ashley” narrative has surely ran its course. PIF and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United are a different animal and should be judged accordingly. The reality is the club’s rise since that glorious October day in 2021 has been relentless and meteoric, almost too perfect. We find ourselves already dining at the top table of the game, having used a fraction of the financial resources that it’s taken our peers to sustain, and with the commercial revenue and infrastructure set to grow and improve, we’re only just getting started.
(Side note: if anyone should encounter any over zealous LFC fans in the coming days and weeks, remind them their squad cost over twice as much as ours, and they should be beating us. We have no right to be even challenging them. That’s the line they peddle as an reason why Man City kept beating them and therefore also applies here. Say it loud, proud, and watch them fume. Small wins are needed at this point.)
In all seriousness though, bumps in the road, however painful, should keep us humble and focused, not trigger a frankly unnecessary dissecting of the qualities of an outstanding manager and football team that currently represent us.
We were uncharacteristically poor with the ball at Man City and still gave the best team in the world more of a game than most. The last 10/15 minutes of the Liverpool game could be replayed a 1000 times again and you could probably count that outcome happening again on one hand, the game was an absolute anomaly.
Success breeds expectation. It’s the same at every football club, in the fan base, in the boardroom, in the dressing room.
It’s also the same in every business and enterprise the world over, but Eddie Howe and this squad of players deserve far more respect than some of the fair weather nonsense that has been peddled since the weekend.
In the last 18 months they have responded to every question, doubt and piece of criticism by simply coming back and winning football matches, and they will do again.
Whilst not putting Liverpool way and throwing away 3 points is definitely a missed opportunity, it doesn’t drastically alter this season’s ambitions of qualification for next year’s Champions League. Even the most pessimistic of Newcastle fans can’t have watched Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool so far this season and been overly concerned by any of them.
So let’s all look forward to the Champions League group which is frankly mouthwatering, and what should be a cracker of a game this afternoon at Brighton.
HTFL!
💯% correct
AMEN
Kenneth Waugh(Quote)
Let’s try to remember that we had these exact same ‘bumps in the road’ last season. That is, we have gotten the same results in the same fixtures. A win at home vs. Villa, a loss to City in Manchester and a loss to Liverpool at home. I, for one, do not feel it’s time to panic, criticize or capitulate.
Brian K.(Quote)
100% correct. I’m sure the players will have worked out that the vocal ‘Twatterati’ are not the true representative of the majority of sensible and realistic NUFC supporters and will ignore their hissy fits accordingly. Nobody is above criticism, as you rightly say, but it has to be measured and based on fact, not emotion. Players’ form dip and peak, and at the highest level with camera angles and endless re-runs by so-called experts in the studio, it is understandable that some fold get sucked in and carried away with it all. Bruno is a world class player. Bruno also makes mistakes, and Bruno will learn to ignore the haters and continue to improve both individually and collectively in our growing squad of players under Eddie and his team.
Stevie L(Quote)
Hardly an ‘anomaly’ We played against 10 men for 70 mins, at home, and couldn’t finish them off.
Bruno giving the ball away in midfield for their 2nd was a totally unforced and uneccessary error.
sickntired(Quote)
I had 3 points from the first 3 before we kicked a ball, I think in some ways, absolutely battering villa was a catalyst for the negative lot. I think if we’re honest villa was supposed to be (and the 1st half was) a close affair but the score line seems to have blew expectations out of line, so much so that a 1 niller against the best team in the world at their ground drew criticism and blame.
It’s like signing Xisco on the basis of a YouTube video, such a small sample size would make mystic meg sweat making a prediction. Does anybody think west ham are going to be in the top four come Christmas? No. should you think Howe, Bruno, BDB, Botman etc are suddenly terrible at their jobs based off 2 games? Providing you can’t see daylight when you look through your ears the answer should be no.
HWTL
Sean(Quote)
Well, the articles condemning those who weren’t content to silently sit and lap up a home defeat by ten man liverpool continues. The noise made by articles calling out those with opinions that refuse to accept that performance appear to have in fact created a bigger platform than necessary. It’s becoming a bit like walking on eggshells supporting the club since the takeover. How many different factions of the fan base are going to be labelled as makems, arm chair or new fans for expressing an opinion. It seems that if you’re over optimistic…..give ya heed a wobble, not optimistic enough….heed a wobble, get excited at transfer windows and dream of worldies coming in…..another heed wobble. Jeez, when did this fan stuff become so complicated. It’s nearly as if a type of wokenesss is creeping into supporting the club. Tow the sensible line or suffer ridicule or be cancelled, the amount of time I’ve read opinions being responded to with go and support someone else down the road if you’re not happy with every facet of the club, every decision, every result, every performance. Surely this has to change soon? How can the fan base be so antagonistic towards each other when things are going so well? How is it more difficult to offer an opinion in the good times than it was under the previous regime.
Mart(Quote)
We had a few cold streaks last season where we failed to score. We haven’t exactly remedied this apart from signing Barnes and playing Gordon. We were solid last season but started conceding more towards the end. We looked very ordinary against 10men v Liverpool. Definitely a little blip but I can’t see us finishing top 4 this season playing the same team as last.
Eddy has his favourites. No need to make subs each game on 70mins. Play your strongest and trust the young ones. Livemento should of came on v Liverpool to keep track of nunez
Sean(Quote)
When you watch the top teams play and see how their managers react to different situations on the pitch they are not afraid to bring on an additional midfielder or defender at the expense of an attacker, they all have a plan B or C where necessary.
We do not seem to have that ability or wish to play negatively in order to protect what have depending on the situation.
We could and should have choked the midfield if the manager thought we were losing momentum against 10 players and made them work even harder.
Joseph(Quote)
Fact. Bruno has not been 100% for a while now. Too long on the ball, slack passing and getting frustrated and fouling. Eddie made poor substitutions taking off Gordon and Tonali. As someone mentioned on here, you are having to walk on egg shells since the take over and any constructive criticism is piled on with cries of “you’re not a proper fan”
I believe Bruno is more focused on his contract negotiations and comments on Twitter than focusing on his game. I would rest him today.
LA Toon(Quote)