Newcastle United players decided to construct their own narrative after being held by Brighton and Hove Albion.
They were there to help manage the mood and send the proper message ahead of the sensitive trip to Manchester United in midweek. The players’ words will be published in the media over the next 24 hours, but the club’s leadership made a wise, if not necessary, decision.
Before the game, Matt Ritchie wrote in his programme notes, “You’ve backed us with your voices to get over the line in pivotal moments.” Well, 90 minutes in, Newcastle remains at a key moment, with the mood on Tyneside a tad flat following the Brighton game.
There was undoubtedly a sense of frustration, if not deflation, after Newcastle had worked so hard to finish the season on a high note in front of 50,000 Toon fans anxious for a return to Europe. Eddie Howe’s team’s lap of appreciation fell short of last year’s Champions League celebrations, as the victory went beyond them.
Make no mistake: this was a stark difference to the last time Newcastle switched from one European competition to another. Back in 2004, when United finished the season with a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers and climbed from third to fifth in the space of a season, securing a spot in the old UEFA Cup, there was more than discontent.
Sir Bobby Robson once stated that he couldn’t control the reactions of spectators who didn’t stay for the lap of applause. They are who they are. We thanked those who remained behind. Over the past two seasons, the club has played 28 times in Europe. When is the last time this club done that? People have forgotten this. “The expectation here is extremely high.”
There are analogies between then and today, but not because the crowd did not remain behind to clap; they did so in 2024 and in large numbers. The similarity is that Newcastle has two games remaining to secure their position in Europe.
In 2004, Sir Bobby’s team eked out a 3-3 draw at Southampton with a last-minute equaliser from Lee Bowyer. Then they pulled out a 1-1 draw at Liverpool in the final to earn a point and a UEFA Cup spot.
Qualifying for Europe was scant comfort, but it would not save ex-England manager Robson’s job, as a poor start to the 2004/05 season saw him fired. Much has been learned on Tyneside since then.
Mike Ashley addressed the issue and demonstrated the negative impact of a lack of TLC at St James’ Park. If Newcastle ends up in a different competition this season, so be it.
Few will grumble, as the Magpies are ahead of plan, according to top boardroom officials. Of course, Newcastle’s Saudi-backed board has considerably higher ambitions than just finishing sixth.
However, it will serve as a starting point for the next season. Following the 1-1 draw with Brighton, a couple of senior players emerged from the dressing room to speak with reporters on a bright spring evening at St James’ Park.
Context was the keyword, but it also served as a reminder that the season is far from done and everything is still up for grabs. Most significant were Howe’s statements, as he walked out of St James’ Park and told media on the pitch that it was not time for post-season farewells, stating: “There’s two games left, the season isn’t over.”
And so on to Manchester United, then Brentford. Newcastle could have been home and hosed for Europe by now, but they have chosen a more theatrical approach.
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