Social media .
For an increasing majority of people, life without the web never existed, while even for those of us of a more mature age, it’s been 30 years or so since we were playing Donkey Kong and using dial-up internet to “access stuff” .
Of course, our life is now easier and probably better for its existence, but we all know the down side of letting people like you and me being able to rattle off our thoughts and share them with the world within seconds.
Those thoughts are out there forever. Did I really say that?
Sunday’s Newcastle v Everton match thread was a good example of emotions getting to people in the heat of the moment.
Eddie Howe got his tactics wrong, I think that’s a fair statement. But to call for his head? That’s the same Eddie Howe whose tactics won us the League Cup only weeks ago….
Its my belief that Eddie Howe is the best manager we have had in decades. I base that comment on “the best” being the most successful.
Sadly, there isn’t much competition. Of course, Kevin Keegan and Bobby Robson gave us great times, but there are only six winning years in the past 98!
God, that’s a depressing statistic.
It’s easy to say it now, basking in Champions League qualification, but I admit that I came very close to saying something very different about Eddie How, back in December.
It’s hard to comprehend that back then, just six months ago, his future was being discussed on social media.
Our abject Premier League display at Brentford, which saw us drop to 12th, seemed to ignite the topic on socials and especially in the mainstream media. Lovely people like Samuel, Holt and Jordan seemed to take great delight in his “failures”, while my memories are of a minority of our fans also starting to question his future.
I don’t think I ever got to the stage where I called for his head, (someone will tell me if I did, because it will be out there) but you have to wonder what may have happened, if we had lost the Brentford League Cup game 11 days later and had lost one or both of the banker league games either side of that cup win over the Bees, against Leicester or Ipswich.
Would the Newcastle United owners have panicked and made a change?
Only the club’s owners know the answer to that but the thought of Eddie being moved on and seeing him replaced by someone like Ten Hag, doesn’t bear thinking.
Was the Brentford cup win a huge sliding doors moment?
So despite Everton, let’s remember, we have just completed the most successful season in living memory.
How can we not be grateful to the manager and team for what they achieved?
I actually think Sunday may be a huge help to Eddie for next season. He has managed GREAT things with this small squad, which let’s remember, has not been added to for the last three windows.
But it’s ran its race. Our first team squad of about 17 just isn’t big enough.
There has been lots of talk about Sean, little Joe, Callum and Kieran moving on, which would mean we will need at least seven new faces.
So I come to the monster elephant over there in the corner. How much money have we got to spend?
Not enough for seven £30m players that’s for sure. Therefore, one or more big name will have to go.
How big of a big name departure? That is the question.
Personally, I have a horrible feeling that Alexander Isak could be sacrificed. I hope I’m wrong.
This summer is going to be massive. It’s time to rebuild the team.
But if Eddie Howe can create a second squad with the same togetherness and spirit as his first, then bring on Madrid and Milan.
These are exciting times.