How do you currently feel as a Newcastle United fan? ‘I’m feeling gutted’ | OneFootball

The 2024/25 Premier League season is fast approaching for every Newcastle United fan.

Only five days now until United host Southampton and it all kicks off again.

An ideal time to get a snapshot of views from Newcastle United fans on how they think things are going.

So we sent out various sets of questions to a number of regular/irregular contributors to The Mag.

First up we have Tony Mallabar:

Three words to describe how you currently feel as a Newcastle fan?

Am feeling gutted.

Went to the game on Friday night and saw Phil T who I go to all the away games with.

Phil went to Japan for our two friendlies and if truth be told, I just didn’t fancy it.

So he told me what a belting trip it was, cheap pints, everyone was super friendly and how hot it was, trip of a lifetime.

So yup, am gutted at the minute that I missed Japan away.

Three words to describe Newcastle United now?

One word – crossroads.

With England now appointing a temporary manager. It gives us a big dilemma. Make an indifferent start and do we stick with nice guy Eddie, or does Eddie jump ship say at Christmas and take the England job?

From his point of view he’s probably six bad results away from the sack, or take the England job where he will get the World Cup and the Euros after that.

Me personally, I can see him being in the England dugout by Christmas. Hopefully not, because I would love it if he brought us our first silverware in yonks.

A must win game and the whole current squad available (not injured or suspended), which 11 would you select?

it’s a squad game now but the big question is where does Tonali fit in all of this?

If we’re off to a flyer then how do we reintegrate him back in the team, surely little Joe has got to start if fit.

What do you see as the minimum to achieve this coming season?

Well since we’ve won nowt in my lifetime, a nice shiny trophy wouldn’t go amiss.

Predict the top five in the Premier League (in order).

1 Newcastle 2 Man City 3 Luckypool 4 Arsenal 5 Tottenham

Name a Newcastle player who you think could be a massive surprise success this season, doing far better than most fans expect.

Alex Isak.

Ok, we know how good the lad is.

Maybe this season he becomes the global superstar his talent deserves. Mention for Harvey Barnes, as the lad had a terrible time with his injuries last year.

Hand on heart, where do you think Newcastle will finish in the 2024/25 Premier League?

Dunno, am terrible with predictions just ask Anthony Gordon.

What would be your ideal future stadium if these two were the options – St James’ Park increased to 60,000, or brand new 80,000 stadium just a few hundred yards up the road where Leazes Park and/or Castle Leazes is?

I made clear last season that we needed a new shiny 80,000 seater stadium to accommodate the thousands of younguns who cannot currently watch us live. Mind, they hardly made a case for an upgrade with 20,000 empty seats on Friday.

As well as a new ground, maybe the club could buy Raffles and put it next to the new ground, along with bringing back Keegans hamburger stands.

Were you ever seriously worried that Newcastle might lose one of their key players (Isak, Bruno, Gordon etc) this summer?

I was really surprised to see Elliot Anderson go as I really felt this could be his big push through season.

Once you see a Gazza or Beardsley walk out the front door, am not really that bothered about coming and goings, although I was gutted when Andy Carroll went to Luckypool, as my best mate is a season ticket holder at Anfield and gave it to me big time when we sold him.

Saying that, I must be the only toon fan who was delighted when judas Owen signed.

Issue 1 – August 1988

Which Newcastle United player sale would have hurt the most if they’d gone this summer?

Players come and go it’s all part of football. Unless you are Chelsea, where players just tend to arrive and errr, arrive.

Compared to how you felt just after last season ended, are you more or less optimistic now about the season ahead, taking into account all the pre-season matches have now been played and the transfers in and out so far?

Just win something please.

How worried are you about PSR/FFP affecting Newcastle United over the course of the next decade?

If am truthful about FFP/ PSR, it hurts my noggin just trying to work out how it operates.

Am genuinely baffled why the Saudis just didn’t buy the Premier League like they did with the golf.

Newcastle start the season with Southampton (Home), Bournemouth (Away), Spurs (Home), Wolves (Away) and Fulham (Away), what do you predict will happen in these opening five Premier League matches?

Our opening rounds of games look canny on paper but football doesn’t get played on paper.

What am pi..ed off about is our game at Bournemouth being changed, which now means a two-night stopover because of train railworks, or the alternative, going on Monk’s coach, doesn’t bear thinking about. Only joking Simon, I’ve got them sticks of diet Evostik you were after.

Manchester City are set to have the case heard on their longstanding 115 alleged breaches, what punishment do you predict they will get, if any?

Well as a person I don’t have much of a moral compass, so if we’d done what Man City had done, I’d have had absolutely no hesitation taking all the trophies they have won, every day of the week.

I mean, you could deduct Man City 50 points next season and they’d still stay up. Plus of course, they should be in the Premier League as they do a cracking cheese pasty.

When did you begin actively supporting Newcastle United/realise you were an NUFC fan? How would you describe the differences between now and then? Do you think it is better supporting Newcastle United now (and being a football fan in general), or was it better back when it all started for you?

Started going to games in 1978 and back then football was a totally different experience. You had thugs, racists and some proper wrong uns at the match and that was just the police.

At the minute our support is second to none, but mark my words, any future success will see SJP full of tourist fans, just look at Man City or Luckypool.

Which player from your early days supporting Newcastle United would you most like to see in the NUFC 2024/25 team?

Peter Beardsley. Imagine him supplying Isak.

On a slightly different theme. I put out the other day that with me going since 1978, using that time frame, could you name one mackem who would get into our current starting 11…?