Newcastle United fans have responded after Eddie Howe denied Anthony Gordon the chance to play in their final home game of the season.
Given Gordon is widely expected to leave Newcastle this summer, that is potentially significant.
Howe said before Newcastle’s win over West Ham that he’d have one eye on the future when it came to his team selection and that certainly appeared to be the case on Sunday.
Gordon was left on the bench and may never get the chance to say goodbye to Newcastle supporters properly, assuming the England international does leave. Reports from Ben Jacobs suggest that he’s got a “broad” agreement with Bayern Munich over a potential summer move.
After what could surely be considered a snub, Geordie Boot Boys asked their readers and subscribers a very simple question.
Newcastle fans not bothered after Howe snubs Gordon
Across our Facebook and TalkingPoints platforms, we asked fans what they made about the situation.
The responses were fairly unanimous. Indeed, the bulk of the replies talked of a fanbase who did not particularly care that Gordon was snubbed.
“It was the right thing to do,” said one subscriber. “We don’t owe Gordon anything, it’s not like he’s Bruno [Guimaraes]. In fact, he’s been quite poor for us over the past 2 seasons. It’s been obvious he hasn’t wanted to play for us.”
Another added: “It’s not just a Newcastle thing but a football thing in general that people are far too sentimental over players. Yeah, he did a grand job and has played well but he’s not even been at Newcastle that long. He doesn’t need a grand departure.”
“Good”, read one response.
“Nobody is bigger than the club,” added another supporter.
“He was lucky he made the bench,” claimed one fan.
One supporter said: “The toon need to start showing that we ain’t a stepping stone club!”
You can join the debate by following us on Facebook and signing up to TalkingPoints – a free and non-toxic platform to discuss everything about the club with fellow fans. Sign up for free here.
Though undoubtedly a successful signing, Gordon has proven a divisive figure among Newcastle fans in recent seasons.
Things have rarely seemed the same for him since he almost joined Liverpool in the summer of 2024. That is not to doubt his professionalism and being so close to signing for your childhood team must be a difficult thing to compute.
Still, Gordon’s Premier League output has declined since his stunning first full season for the club back in 2023/24. While he has scored goals in the Champions League, consistency has sometimes been an issue.
It will be fascinating to see the response if he does leave this summer…