I noticed some ‘interesting’ comments last night on The Mag commenting section and elsewhere, talking about Newcastle United and Sunderland.
It wasn’t a total surprise, as I had seen similar previously.
I do find it strange though that for some NUFC fans, there is such a desperation to use Sunderland as a bizarre stick to beat Newcastle United with.
The agenda for these United fans is along these lines.
Sunderland have been a complete success story this season and Newcastle United a total failure.
The (latest) trigger for this was the fact that Newcastle had lost at Liverpool and Sunderland won last night at home to Burnley, meaning the Mackems had moved above United.
The levels of abuse for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United, from some of our own fans, are beyond belief.
As daft as the agenda they are pushing that this is a season of total failure for NUFC.
Even dafter when so many key factors are completely and conveniently ignored.
I don’t have any issue with acknowledging Sunderland have done pretty well for themselves this season, winning nine of their 24 Premier League matches, finding themselves now eighth in the Premier League.
It has though been a very congested Premier League table this season and reality is that only three points separate Brentford in seventh and Bournemouth in twelfth. Newcastle United are eleventh but a convincing home win on Saturday against seventh placed Brentford could see United move above the Bees. Whilst any kind of a win over Brentford would automatically see Newcastle move back above Sunderland if the mackems lose at league leaders Arsenal.
Unlike some though, I am not obsessed with whether Newcastle United finish above Sunderland or not. I am lucky in that this has just been the norm for most of the decades that I have followed NUFC.
The big reason why I would be so bothered about finishing behind Sunderland this season, is that this basically would mean for sure that NUFC had achieved nothing due to their league placing. When I say achieved nothing, I don’t mean I would see finishing above the mackems as an achievement, rather, by ending up below Sunderland that would automatically mean Newcastle haven’t finished in a Champions League qualifying spot, nor Europa League indeed.
Those awkward other factors
To have any conversation about Newcastle United and Sunderland this season, you simply can’t ignore a number of key factors.
Newcastle United of course spent big in the summer but they needed to. Having been unable to bring in any new first team contenders for two years due to PSR issues and having seen Minteh, Anderson, Dubravka, Isak, Wilson, Longstaff, Almiron, Kelly all leave, the Newcastle United squad was desperately short on numbers, as well as quality in certain areas. I don’t need to remind you that the summer 2025 window went anything but smoothly, only one of the six eventual summer signings was signed in time to have any kind of pre-season with their new teammates. Whilst the two essential striker signings didn’t arrive until September and one of them was instantly injured and unable to play until December.
Sunderland were coming up to the Premier League but they weren’t paupers, their much maligned owner financed summer spending of over £160m, easily the most that any promoted side has ever spent. It was a net spend far higher than Newcastle United’s and whilst it wasn’t an amount of money that is huge in modern Premier League teams, the £160m+ spending certainly doesn’t fit the narrative that this has been a penniless Sunderland outfit performing unimaginable miracles.
A BBC Sport report two weeks ago highlighted how the 20 Premier League clubs had been affected by injury. Newcastle United were at the very top when it came to days lost through injury to first team squad players, whilst Sunderland had lost the second least number of days due to injury. Newcastle United had lost almost three times as many days due to injury as Sunderland. Things have hardly massively improved these past two weeks, as on Saturday at Anfield, Eddie Howe when picking his starting eleven was unable to call on Bruno, Joelinton, Miley, Botman, Krafth, Schar and Livramento. If you don’t have at least some sympathy for the injury issues that Eddie Howe is having to deal with this season, especially with such a busy schedule, then I am lost for words.
Speaking of which…
I mentioned busy schedule and this when paired with the injury situation this season, it has made things so tough for Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United squad.
Not impossible to win matches on a regular basis BUT only a fool would deny it makes it so much more difficult.
As things currently stand, Newcastle United have played 37 matches so far this season, as well as 24 in the Premier League, 8 in the Champions League, 4 in the Carabao Cup and 1 in the FA Cup.
In comparison, Sunderland were humiliated at home when losing to third tier Huddersfield when knocked out of the Carabao Cup in August, their only other match (on top of the PL) is their FA Cup third round match, a total of 26.
Newcastle United having played 11 more so far, 37 v 26, having to play every midweek as well as weekend. Denying this makes things so much tougher, especially when so many injuries, is beyond ridiculous.
Once we get to close of play on 24 February 2026, Newcastle will have played 44 matches this season, compared to 30 for Sunderland. Only one game off having played exactly 50% more matches than the mackems.
None of this means that Eddie Howe gets a free pass and United able to lose all their matches without any criticism.
However, that has not been the case, not by a long way.
Newcastle United are in a Carabao Cup semi-final, a play-off away from Champions League last 16, still in the FA Cup and one of a large number of clubs very close together outside the top few in the Premier League.
If you really think that is abject failure and you don’t accept how huge a challenge the injuries and sheer number of matches (and the crippling nature of the summer transfer window) have been, then there really is no hope for you.
This season hasn’t been an unqualified success but it is far from the disaster some Newcastle United fans are desperate to ‘prove’ it has been.