“We don’t demand a team that wins, we demand a team that tries” - Really? 

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!