Bigger clubs will have their eye on him… | OneFootball

Whilst watching on TV our merry men running rampage at Turf Moor yesterday (obviously, er I’m on holiday and haven’t got a hooky box, your Honour), I listened to the two commentators spout their usual bias and slanted mutterings.

It is irksome to anyone of our tribe to witness the sheer antipathy towards Newcastle United from the septic six and various media outlets.

Part of me looks upon it in a positive light, telling myself that its because of the fear factor, that they know we have the financial clout and an outstanding team in the real sense of the word.

The other side of me, devil on the shoulder if you like, just gets piqued at the arrogance and indeed ignorance at some of the comments.

The commentator in question was talking about Bruno Guimaraes as the camera was on him chewing his gum and focused as always in the zone, and actually said, “They’ll do well to keep him, as bigger clubs will have their eye on him.”

Bigger clubs?

Like who?

Why would he want to leave to go elsewhere when we are on the cusp of great things; enviable ownership, and a great manager who believes in him and the greatest support on the planet who incidentally adore the ground he walks on?

This muppet obviously either wasn’t aware of the new contract just signed and Bruno’s own position – which we all take at face value his commitment to United, not to mention his flag salute and general all-round obvious love for our club.

Leaving that particular individual example aside, there does seem to be an undercurrent of dislike – or maybe it actually is envy towards Newcastle United.

The FFP farce that is now going to be changed to accommodate the ‘haves’ and widen the gap of the ‘have nots’ is a case in point.

Must not upset the so called ‘big’ six.

The other annoyance is lazy journalism which has repeatedly blamed Champions league football and our supposed lack of depth in our squad in our falling out of the top four.

I’m only permitted to say politely, what a load of rubbish.

Does anyone really think that if Man City lost De Bruyne, Haaland, and Foden from their squad and maybe Kyle Walker for most of the season, would they be at their best?

How would their squad cover those cracks?

Van Dijk, Salah and Nunez at Liverpool the same?

Rashford, Maguire? Well, yes I’ll give you that, they probably might be better, but you get my drift.

This season has proved one thing, we are United as one and the injury crisis (‘unprecedented’ is a word that has been used often, and it is most apt, as never before has a squad been so ravaged by medical ailments to our players, some have been bizarre and freakish in nature), has galvanised the bond in the dressing room.

The positive outcome out of all of this is we will be stronger than ever and with the return to our ranks of the recovered troops and the prospect of Tonali returning to the fore next season, the future looks exciting.

I truly believe, wait for it, if we had our full squad with ‘normal’ injuries this season, we would have been challenging not just for Champions League qualification, but for the league itself.

There, I’ve said it, and I mean it.

Home and away we hammered Villa who sit above us, we beat Lego man as his team sit at the top of the league as I write, and we beat Man City, albeit in the League Cup, and gave them a good run for their money even with a depleted team in the league, and we played Klippety Klopp’s team off the park only for two breakaway goals to give them a thoroughly undeserved victory.

By the way, I haven’t forgotten about Lego man’s pathetic protestations when we beat them fair and square, and the subsequent vomit inducing let off when he claimed that when he said the decisions were a ‘disgrace’, it meant something different in Spanish.

It would be funny if it wasn’t so annoying, the blatant one-sidedness from the FA, as we are not in Spain, he was speaking English and not Spanish, and everybody knows fine well what he meant and what he should have been punished for.

If ever Eddie needed ammunition to rile the lads before each and every game, this siege mentality has reasonable justification, they really don’t want us to succeed, that much is obvious to all.

European qualification looms on the horizon, an outstanding prospect considering the aforementioned injuries to our personnel in a torrid season, and a tribute to all of the coaching staff, the many players who played through the pain whilst clearly not fully fit, and to our magnificent and unequalled support who dragged the battered and fatigued to the final whistle at each and every turn.

There’s only one United and they play in black n white.

HTL

Burnley 1 Newcastle 4 – Saturday 4 May 3pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Wilson 19, Longstaff 35, Bruno 40, Isak 55

Burnley:

O’Shea 86

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Burnley 46% (52%) Newcastle 54% (48%)

Total shots were Burnley 17 (8) Newcastle 23 (15)

Shots on target were Burnley 5 (3) Newcastle 11 (6)

Corners were Burnley 4 (3) Newcastle 11 (5)

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Newcastle team v Burnley:

Dubravka, Livramento, Krafth, Burn, Hall, Longstaff (Joelinton 77), Bruno, J Murphy (Anderson 69), Gordon (Ritchie 85), Isak (Almiron 77), Wilson (Barnes 69)

Unused subs:

Pope, Dummett, White, A Murphy

(Match Report – An early train over to Burnley and a confession… Read HERE)

(Embarrassing – BBC Sport pundit comments before AND then on the Burnley 1 Newcastle 4 reality – Read HERE)

(This is excellent from Vincent Kompany after Burnley 1 Newcastle 4 thrashing – Read HERE)

(Burnley 1 Newcastle 4 – Instant Newcastle fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)

(Newcastle United class blows the Clarets away – Burnley 1 Newcastle 4 – Read HERE)

Newcastle United matches now confirmed for rest of the season:

Saturday 11 May 2024 – Newcastle v Brighton (3pm)

Wednesday 15 May 2024 – Man U v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports

Sunday 19 May 2024 – Brentford v Newcastle (4pm)

(The final day of the season live TV matches will be selected closer to the day but all 10 PL games will be same time same day)

Wednesday 22 May 2024 – Tottenham v Newcastle (at MCG – Melbourne Cricket Ground)