Despite everything that has been happening at Newcastle United recently, I’m going into the new season with a quiet sense of optimism and renewed hope.
The awful death of King Kev was a shock, I mean we all knew he was unwell, but it seemed to happen a lot quicker than we all thought and he never got his final farewell as he’d hoped. That loss hurt a lot and understandably cast a huge shadow over the club.
Losing Eddie Howe as Manager/Head Coach was another blow to most, some are happy with it, but we all have our own thoughts on that which are completely valid.
At the minute there is plenty going on behind the scenes and a feeling of uncertainty for most about what the coming months might bring.
I for one am more than happy for us not to be rushing to put things out there and keeping a bit of privacy within the camp for now. Time to reset and build a bit of togetherness after some big-name losses to the team. If anyone else wants away, quite simply get rid – we don’t need to be carrying passengers, we’re building for the future.
As Newcastle supporters, we support whoever is wearing the shirt and whoever is standing in the dugout. That doesn’t mean we have to agree with every decision, but when the whistle goes we need to get behind the team and make St James’ a fortress again and for away days make sure our away section is bouncing. That’s what supporting Newcastle is all about, none of this booing malarky.
We all know football has a funny way of moving forward and perhaps this season could bring a fresh opportunity for others to step up and really make their mark. Players such as Elanga, Woltemade, Osula and Barnes could benefit from having greater responsibility and hopefully we’ll see a more positive and direct style of football that plays to their strengths. Sometimes change is exactly what a team needs and many people had said we had become too predictable and stagnant.
There’s also the small matter of not having European football to distract us. A full week between matches, fewer games and more time on the training ground could be a significant advantage. Our squad with something to prove could surprise a few people and that might be the biggest reason for my mild optimism.
There seems to be an expectation from some quarters that Newcastle United will struggle, and a lot are expecting us (and hoping) we fail and that we won’t be good enough. Maybe they’re right, maybe they’re not and we can surprise them. I’m not expecting miracles and I’m certainly not getting carried away (okay, maybe I am a bit) but I’m also hopeful.
Bring on the new season and another season of the complete rollercoaster that Newcastle United is and always has been!
(First submission (to The Mag) by me, a season ticket holder and away dayer since 1985.)