Siding with a man who walked at a time that left the club in the clarts is ridiculous…

Here at The Mag we invited a number of regular/irregular contributors to give us their Newcastle United heroes and villains.

Our thanks to Jamie Smith (you can hear Jamie every week on The Mag Podcast, along with Simon and Hutch, discussing all things NUFC) for taking up the challenge.

Jamie has focused on the Newcastle United heroes and villains of the current decade, the 2020s.

Newcastle United hero of the 2020s

I like that this is a hard one to answer.

Other decades (coming soon fans) might vary between the obvious and those who stuck with a flailing club. For the 2020s it’s multiple choice from those who did a fine job between 2022-25 saving a relegation bound side and turning them into double UCL qualifiers, culminating in the cup win that was my greatest day as a fan. Isak has blotted his copybook, Bruno less so but it feels impossible now he’s in an Arsenal shirt. Eddie Howe was the architect of it all and deserves far more love and respect than some are giving after an underwhelming final season and Kieran Trippier runs close for being the signing that started it all.

All things considered though, I’m going with Dan Burn.

The story of his rise is magnificent and he’s been the star of so many moments but that cup final goal is the most incredible memory of the lot and for one of our own to deliver it was fairytale stuff. He also has the advantage of still being here and having the opportunity to build on his reputation. I can’t shake the feeling there’s one more special BDB moment to come in the season ahead…

Newcastle United Cult hero of the 2020s

It’s not the most niche choice but I have to go Joelinton.

Coming into this decade, he was a contender for worst signing in our history (I vividly remember his shocker at Rochdale in what may have been the first game of the decade). From misfiring striker to the beast in midfield is a story that is already ingrained in club lore, but even then I’m not sure he gets the credit he deserves. The difference in the past few years between a Newcastle side with a fully fit Joelinton and a team with him missing or struggling with injury is enormous and I wonder what role he might yet play in Jaissleball. The injuries may even have ended that possibility, but the memory of Big Joe clotheslining and body slamming opponents during United’s “dark arts” era will live with me forever.

Newcastle United villain of the 2020s

I’m taking inspiration here from my mate Hutch but I have to go with Paul Mitchell.

My view is that United did well to appoint him into the void created by Dan Ashworth. His major contribution in his 12 months here seems to be giving it the big one when Isak raised the issue of a (deserved) new contract. I’d like to hear Isak’s side of this one day as if that contract had staved off his desire to leave, a lot of the destruction of the last 18 months would have been avoided. There is an element of the fan base bizarrely given to defending Mitchell, saying Eddie Howe forced him out in a power struggle, but Howe had more than earned his colours here by this point, so siding with a man who oversaw zero signings then walked at a time that left the club in the clarts is ridiculous.

Not so obvious Newcastle United villain of the 2020s

On similar lines, I think Dan Ashworth gets forgotten.

His departure was the first to show that Newcastle United weren’t immune to being pillaged by wealthier clubs and created the void that led to the above. Ashworth deserves some credit for the positive progress during his time here but his departure led to chaos at NUFC that almost matched the situation at the rolling bin fire that is Manchester United, where Ashworth did not last long despite having ideas that would have almost certainly served them better than their latest series of appalling choices.

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