Ahead of the Crystal Palace match, I was already looking ahead to Bournemouth and Brighton.
With the current mood, it wasn’t difficult to see a bit of situation developing…
Every match is important BUT I felt the Crystal Palace one felt especially so, as football finally kicked off after a gap of three weeks and far too much time for things to fester due to the defeat to Sunderland that immediately preceded the international break.
It was a match of very little quality or excitement at either end but who cares when you are leading 1-0 and the clock is swiftly ticking down with minimal threat from the home side.
That all changed though when Crystal Palace subs made a difference, though in reality it was poor decision-making from Newcastle United defenders that gifted the turn around.
Having led 1-0 as we entered the 80th minute, it quickly became a 2-1 victory for Palace, Eddie Howe and his team left stunned.
Newcastle United fans less than impressed and having been set to be only three points off sixth after the weekend, instead NUFC left in 14th and bottom of a group of nine teams separated by only six points.
My thoughts instantly turned to Bournemouth and Brighton, the traps now waiting to be fallen into.
These are Newcastle United’s next two home games and with league leaders Arsenal away in between, this is going to be tough.
Far too many Newcastle United fans continually fall into the ‘likes of Bournemouth and Brighton’ lazy comments when we face them, as well as a number of others (Brentford etc).
Fans falling into the trap of playing the names and not the reality. Their belief is that anything but a convincing win over ‘the likes’ of these clubs is an absolute disgrace.
The fact is, that clubs such as Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are far closer to Newcastle United in terms of revenues, than Man U, Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
The way the Premier League is set up, there is a far more equal spread of money at the end of each season from central funds than any other major European league. So when smaller clubs like Bournemouth and Brighton stabilise in the Premier League, it helps allow them to become financially more powerful than all but a relative handful of clubs on the continent. ‘The likes of’ Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth able to outbid most European clubs on both transfer fees and wages.
At the highest end you have the half dozen clubs who have become so powerful in so many ways over many years in the Premier League, particularly when it comes to revenues.
With Newcastle United and Aston Villa, plus one or two others maybe, who are in no man’s land. ‘Bigger’ clubs than the majority but far closer to them when it comes to revenues than they are to the self-appointed elite.
None of this is to say that I will be anything but gutted if Newcastle don’t win on Saturday. However, if Bournemouth don’t lose on Saturday, it is ridiculous for any Newcastle United fan to go on like it is the most shameful thing that has ever happened in our lives.
Bournemouth won away at league leaders Arsenal last weekend and that made it 12 Premier League games unbeaten for them.
Against the ‘big six’ who have all those long established advantages, Bournemouth have won against Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham (twice), plus they have drawn against Chelsea (twice) and Man U (twice).
I naturally hope very much it isn’t the case but ahead of that Palace match, I thought that if Newcastle United didn’t win at Selhurst Park, a very real possibility that it could be followed by a failure to win any of the next three. Not a probability but certainly a possibility.
Brighton spend a lot of money on players and of course bring in a lot of money when selling them.
They seem to go through periods of winning a lot of matches, or not winning.
From the start of December 2025, Brighton spent two and a half months winning only one of 13 Premier League matches.
Then from mid-February they have lost 1-0 to Arsenal but won the other five, including defeating Liverpool. Brighton have only conceded three goals in these last six PL matches.
I think these next three matches are definitely a case of hope for the best but fear the worst.
Here’s hoping.