Newcastle United fans actually think these things should happen… | OneFootball

No two Newcastle United fans think the same.

Not totally anyway.

There will always be a massive range of opinions, such as when you are in the pub pre-match, pick pretty much any angle on our club and you will find somebody who will disagree!

It is the heart of being a football supporter, opinions, sharing them and arguing it out with your mates until the pubs have all closed and you have to head home.

However, I have to admit that since Saturday’s match against Watford, I have found three opinions pretty bizarre.

All a matter of opinion of course BUT my opinion is that all three of the things that (some!) Newcastle United fans would like to see happen, would be the equivalent of turning around and smashing the ball into your own net. Which is one of the very few ways this Newcastle team has not so far found, to concede a goal this season.

As I say, not all Newcastle United fans are saying these three things below, BUT a sizeable minority appear to be…

These are a sample of some of the comments I have seen online about ASM since Watford.

“Allan Saint-Maximin is a luxury player and we can’t have that at the moment.

“We need grafters who play for the team and he is neither.

“9 times out of 10 he doesn’t score that.”

“Give Miguel Almiron a chance, ASM a liability.”

“Performances and fitness need to improve, so does Saint-Maximin’s work ethic.”

“Needs benched and brought on as an impact sub. Unreliable.”

I love the way that some Newcastle United fans speak, as though there are some brilliant players / alternatives that are amazingly being overlooked.

ASM is the only player who runs with the ball, the only one who creates anything on any kind of a regular basis, whilst now with Wilson injured, he is the only goalscorer, until Wood hopefully starts firing.

Newcastle have only scored 20 goals in 22 games this season, Wilson 6, ASM 5, nobody else more than 1!

Since 20 November and the 3-3 with Brentford, apart from Wilson and ASM scoring, these last nine matches the only other goal was the one scored by Shelvey at Liverpool. Of the last six goals Newcastle have scored, ASM has three, Wilson two, plus that Shelvey one.

People seem to see Almiron as the obvious replacement and I really liked the Almiron we saw in those early days under Rafa. However, I think he has been totally ‘Bruced’ I’m afraid. The Paraguayan hasn’t got a single goal or assist this season and if he doesn’t score against Leeds on Saturday, it will stretch to over a year since Almiron’s last PL goal (3-2 win over Southampton – 6 February 2021). Of the 20 goals this season, ASM has been directly involved in 40% of them (eight), scoring five and three assists.

So a sizeable minority of Newcastle United fans want to drop the only fit player who scores and creates in this team / squad currently…

Eddie Howe should be sacked

Only nine Premier League matches in, some Newcastle United fans think this is the way to go…

“I’d sack Eddie Howe but the owners wouldn’t know how to get someone else.”

“Eddie Howe had to find a solution with these players and he can’t.”

“Eddie Howe has to go.”

I don’t care what anybody says, performances are clearly better under Howe, compared to the nonsense we witnessed under Bruce. If you can’t see that…I don’t know what you are watching.

Newcastle have lost four PL games since Howe arrived, away at Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal, home to Man City.

The other five PL matches have been a win over Burnley and draws against Brentford, Norwich, Watford and Man Utd.

Newcastle United could and should have won all four of these draws but Eddie Howe undermined by matters beyond his control. In other words, once the players go on the pitch (the players he inherited and could only choose from, apart from Trippier and Wood this past weekend), Howe can’t play the game for them.

Two goals against Brentford were down to Darlow’s mistakes and then Joelinton failed to score with a one on one right at the end, when ASM ran from the halfway line and laid it on a plate for him. Clark’s stupidity and then a goalkeeping mistake by Dubravka prevented the win over Norwich. Against Watford, shocking defending from Almiron and Lascelles gifted the late equaliser. Whilst Newcastle were far the better team against Man Utd but failed to score a host of chances, then Lascelles again with poor defending for the Cavani equaliser.

Some Newcastle United fans say change the team…these were the subs on Saturday against Watford – Gillespie, Darlow, Anderson, Lewis, Krafth, Willock, Ritchie, Murphy, Almiron.

Two goalkeepers, a teenager who has never started a PL match, Lewis who wasn’t fit enough to be involved, Krafth and Ritchie are so poor, Murphy clearly not good enough, Almiron as outlined above isn’t a credible option, whilst Willock has been woeful this season and hit a new low when coming on as a sub against Cambridge. The team picked itself on Saturday for Eddie Howe and NOT in a good way!

Bring back Rafa Benitez

Everton fans finally got their wish on Sunday. However…

“I would sack Eddie Howe and get Rafa Benitez in.

“We have failed to win 3 must win games already.”

“Bring back Rafa.”

“Now he’s free, easy decision to bring Rafa back now.”

I love Rafa, he did a great job at Newcastle under the most difficult of Mike Ashley circumstances.

However, that is now history.

If the takeover had happened in the summer, I am sure Benitez would have been the choice of the NUFC owners. I am sure with a proper summer of recruitment, Newcastle United wouldn’t be in the mess they are now in and Rafa would be still in a job, at NUFC.

Circumstances do change things though and Rafa’s possibilities with Newcastle United, at least as a manager, has now gone.

He has been very badly treat at Goodison, especially the way the Everton fans have disgracefully gone on. However, the mess they are in on the pitch has to see Rafa take a lot of the responsibility, despite the lack of money he had for new players in the summer.

Everton have won just one of their last 13 Premier League games, losing nine and three draws. It would be crazy to ditch Eddie Howe already and even worse to then replace him with somebody coming off such a nightmare time at another club.

I hope Rafa Benitez bounces back because I think he is one of the good guys and did well by us as Newcastle United fans, but that bouncing back will have to happen elsewhere, as we have all moved on.