After the exhilarating Newcastle United 3-3 draw with Liverpool, it was Brentford next.
The midweek performance made me confident that we would not get beat by Brentford and could hopefully bag all three points.
It was not to be.
Why am I not surprised?
Well supporting Newcastle United over the years is the answer.
We have a quarter-final coming up against Brentford but it will not be the end of the world if we do not beat them.
Maybe people will see this season as another like we endured in the Mike Ashley years, mid-table and avoiding relegation seen as a success.
But I honestly believe that we have suffered fine margin moments going against us, VAR decisions that are unfathomable, as well as just the luck of the green. Did the referee need to blow for full-time at that moment against Liverpool?
Our next game is Leicester and a full week to prepare.
Should we fail to win, which I doubt, but you never know. My faith in Eddie Howe will remain.
I have stated in a previous article that I believe Eddie Howe got the job because he had the track record of promotions and the club when he took over mid-season appeared to be doomed to the Championship.
With a cash injection that Ashley would never have contemplated, Howe bought Chris Wood and others and we managed to stay in the Premier League in mid-table, only Man City and Liverpool with better results in the final 19 matches of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
A year later we finish fourth. Champions League football awaited us.
The following season Man U beat Man City against all odds at Wembley and we miss out on European competition. Talk about fine margins.
And of course we have the farce that is PSR.
How many more times am I going to go into my London workplace and see colleagues who claim to be Man U/Liverpool supporters (Though having never been to a live game) saying “richest club in the world and you couldn’t beat…”
Clueless people who have no idea how our club has been hamstrung by made-up rules that Man City and Chelsea escaped.
Blackburn Rovers won the league thanks to the money of Jack Walker.
Back in the Eighties, Man U were a disjointed struggling team with a certain Scottish manager.
Newcastle United have not played that quarter-final game or completed the festive Premier League programme yet.
To all those people who are doubting Eddie Howe, I offer you this quote, “3 Years of excuses and it’s still cr.p Tara Fergie.”
Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 – Saturday 7 December 3pm
(Stats via BBC Sport)
Goals:
Newcastle United :
Isak 11, Barnes 32
Brentford:
Mbeumo 8, Wissa 28, Collins 56. Schade 90
(Half-time stats in brackets)
Possession was Newcastle 56% (53%) Brentford 44% (47%)
Total shots were Newcastle 16 (9) Brentford 11 (4)
Shots on target were Newcastle 3 (2) Brentford 8 (3)
Corners were Newcastle 4 (2) Brentford 3 (1)
Touches in the box Newcastle 40 (19) Brentford 26 (12)
Newcastle team v Brentford:
Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall (Trippier 83), Joelinton (Tonali 60), Bruno, Longstaff (Wilson 73), Barnes (Almiron 74), Isak, Jacob Murphy (Gordon 60)
Unused Subs:
Dubravka, Targett, Osula, Kelly
(3 Positives and 3 Negatives to take from Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 – Read HERE)
(Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction – Read HERE)
(The wrong kind of six goal thriller this time – Brentford 4 Newcastle 2 – Read HERE)
Newcastle United upcoming matches confirmed to end of January 2025:
Saturday 14 December – Newcastle v Leicester (3pm)
Wednesday 18 December – Newcastle v Brentford (7.45pm) Sky Sports+ (Carabao Cup)
Saturday 21 December – Ipswich v Newcastle (3pm)
Thursday 26 December – Newcastle v Villa (3pm) Amazon
Monday 30 December – Man U v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports
Saturday 4 January – Tottenham v Newcastle (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Sunday 12 January – Newcastle v Bromley (3pm) BBC iPlayer (FA Cup)
Wednesday 15 January – Newcastle v Wolves (7.30pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 18 January – Newcastle v Bournemouth (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 25 January – Southampton v Newcastle (3pm)