Eddie Howe's side were again at their best when playing against the odds
William Osula of Newcastle United celebrates his goal against Manchester United
Will Osula of Newcastle United celebrates his goal against Manchester United(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Image)
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Having sensationally and deservedly overpowered the red half of a city, bring on the other lot and we'll see what happens. Let's make them blue!
Our United beat Manchester's United and the referee. Ten men against 11 (or was it 12). Yet Newcastle took the game to the not-so-mighty Man U throughout the second-half and put them to the buck.
I, like 50,000 Geordies inside SJP and thousands more watching on live TV, were elated by a wonder winner from flying sub Will Osula at the death - but why oh why do the Mags have to be rock bottom after a string of home losses to discover their verve, defiance, and desire? Why has the world to be against us for us to find our true identity?
Never mind United did, thank goodness, and now we march on to face Pep's City.
It was Man City who killed Newcastle's hopes of retaining the Carabao Cup stone dead, beating us home and away over the two legs of the semi-final. Now they aim to finish us off in the FA Cup. Trophy doors closed for the season. Who says?
FA Cup victory can be achieved - United have beaten City at home in the league - but another monumental effort will be required.
Newcastle are often at their best when the world and his wife seem against them rather than when they are favourites and the temperature is low. Then they can get sloppy, become passive, make mistakes, and fail. However give them a red-hot poker to the skin and the response is one of defiance not capitulation.
Here the atmosphere was raised to boiling point when referee Peter Bankes controversially sent off Jacob Ramsey to spark a chaotic extra few minutes on the stroke of half-time.
Ramsey took an early shower for a second yellow card supposedly for simulation. Honestly it wasn't Tom Daley stuff off the high dive board. He didn't mean to fall down. Really ref.
What it triggered was a Newcastle goal and, just as swiftly, a Man U equaliser. All the talk over the half-time cuppa was that the ref had spoiled the game and that the Mags were unlikely to last out the whole of the second half without buckling once. After all the Magpies went into battle having lost three successive home PL matches and six of the last seven. That didn't represent a blip. More like a complete breakdown. Embarrassing even.
However put United up against the wall, have the crowd baying at injustice, and the players become marathon runners not sprinters. They all turn out to be Duracell Bunnies.
Every one of them found more puff than the Magic Dragon and took the game to Man U. Which team had only 10 men?
From Aaron Ramsdale at the back to super sub Osula up front the challenge was accepted and overcome. I had called for Ramsdale to play in goal in my Chronicle podcast and he fully justified Eddie Howe's faith.
The winner was worthy of winning any match. Firstly it was only the blistering speed of Osula that kept the ball in on the right tramline then he gave us his full repertoire . . . a couple of step overs, a shimmy, drop of the shoulder, and a curling shot no keeper in the world would have reached. Justice done.
Now we move on to the Blues of Manchester. We owe them a smacking and up here in a one-off match they are beatable be it in 90 minutes, after extra time, or on penalties.
The FA Cup is our only hope of silverware after the Wembley joy of last season whereas it hardly stands high in their pecking order. Think of it - they would prefer to regain their PL title and they still have a chance, they could win the Champions League, and they are in the final of the Carabao Cup. That surely puts the FA Cup in bottom spot on Pep's wish list.
We have just taken a brilliant first step in facing the Super Six. Now another five whopping games to come - Man City home, Barcelona home, Chelsea away, Barca away, and Sunderland home.
May the world still be against us on Saturday night, or may it seem so. May we bottle that feeling of siege mentality and set about City under the atmospheric lights. One swallow doesn't make a summer but it is better than none at all.
Don't blow the feel good factor. Build on it - the fans, those who have stuck by you, deserve that response to continue not fade back into mediocrity.
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