Newcastle surrendered tamely at the London Stadium against West Ham
Newcastle players and manager Eddie Howe look glum as they applaud the fans
Newcastle players and manager Eddie Howe look glum as they applaud the fans
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What is it with Newcastle United and the Premier League? Is it just not glamorous enough? Is there not the excitement, the buzz, that the Champions League and defending the Carabao Cup brings with Wembley on the horizon?
Really it beggars belief and is simply not acceptable. Get a grip or we'll not be back next season enjoying gorging ourselves at Europe's elite table. Qualification will be beyond us.
I ask you, we gifted West Ham their first Premier League home win in eight months dating way back to February 27. A club that has been beaten and broken having made their worst start to a campaign in 52 years.
The Hammers had been getting hammered. They had lost every game on their own turf to spark mutiny on the terraces. The owner was getting it in the neck.
So jittery were they that they handed Newcastle the sort of dream start they dole out like candy to virtually every team they play. When Jacob Murphy scored in the fourth minute it was unbelievably the seventh time West Ham have conceded in the opening five minutes.
However did United build on it to gain their first PL away win of the season at long last? No way!
There was no intensity in their play from start to finish. No desire, no energy. No will to win. They went 50 minutes from just before half-time to the 90th minute without an effort on target and when they managed one it was a tame header from sub Will Osula down the keeper's throat.
United were a mess. Eddie Howe made three changes to his team at half-time and continued throwing on players willy nilly. We ended up fielding four different players at right-back over an hour and a half - Emil Krafth, Jacob Murphy, Malick Thiaw and Sandro Tonali. Our only hope Murphy, the only player of occasional urgency and optimism, was subbed with quarter of an hour to go.
Nick Pope had a nightmare on West Ham's first and third goals. It looked as though he couldn't catch a cold as he repeatedly punched the ball anywhere and when he did it again the ball was recycled to Lucas Paqueta who opened the scoring with a shot Pope ought to have saved. Then to compound a dreadful afternoon in injury time he allowed the ball to squirm under his body for Thomas Soucek to bundle in.
While West Ham gained their first PL win in eight months a dreadful Newcastle were left still searching for their first league away victory since April 7. This was a perfect occasion to nail that embarrassment and heap more on their hosts. They blew it spectacularly.
What is happening on bread and butter days is beyond acceptance. United are supposed to have a bunch of leaders in the dressing-room. Let them do just that - lead. Because right now no one is taking responsibility.
Brentford is next up in the PL before another international break. What can we expect after a glam night out at SJP in the Champions League on Wednesday? Our first away three points or another abject surrender? Does Eddie know?
Honestly, I cannot let things pass without paying fulsome tribute to Gateshead, the little bothers on the Tyne who play within the considerable shadow cast by NUFC across the water.
If we needed reassurance of the romance of the FA Cup they produced it this weekend. Non-league hemmed in the middle ground of the National League and desperately short of cash, they were drawn away to AFC Wimbledon in the first round.
This is the Wimbledon who are sixth top of League One a whopping two tiers and 57 places above the Heed in football's pyramid and the same club which was only beaten 1-0 at St James Park last season by a Fabian Schar penalty when they played Newcastle on their way to winning the Carabao Cup.
Yet Gateshead went down there, dug in, and sensationally won 2-0. Wow, it gained them not just national glory and recognition but a treasure trove of £47,750 in prize money which is literally life saving.
As life president of Gateshead to see them win a double prize of second round entry and lashings of lolly is beyond joy. It was the first time Gateshead have beaten Football League opposition in 25 years and 11 attempts since November of 2000 when I was chairman and we went away to Paul Bracewell's Halifax Town two divisions above us and won by the same 2-0 scoreline. Honestly it gladdens an old heart.