Quite extraordinary Manchester United moment incoming – Newcastle United the beneficiaries | OneFootball

Newcastle United meet Manchester United on Sunday.

Really looking forward to this one.

Eddie Howe has totally transformed things at Newcastle United, with Manchester United a perfect illustration of this.

Before the great man arrived at St James’ Park, the previous 38 matches between the two clubs had produced these results over the course of the next 20 years.

Following a 4-3 win under Sir Bobby Robson on 15 September 2001, then ending with a Steve Bruce 4-1 capitulation at Old Trafford on 11 September 2021…

Played 38 Newcastle United 4 wins 7 Draws Manchester United 27 wins

If Newcastle United win on Sunday, it will make it five wins for Newcastle in the last six meetings with Man U.

However, that isn’t even the quite extraordinary thing that I want to talk about.

What about this:

1972/73 Newcastle United finish 9th in the top tier, Manchester United 18th

1973/74 Newcastle United finish 15th in the top tier, Manchester United 21st

1974/75 Newcastle United finish 15th in the top tier, Manchester United 1st in the second tier

Three seasons in a row Newcastle United finished above Manchester United, though it wasn’t such a great achievement back then, you only had to finish higher than 18th!

1976/77 Newcastle United finish 5th in the top tier, Manchester United 6th

As you can see, only two years later Newcastle United were at it again, the 1976/77 season seeing United finish one place and two points ahead of Man U.

Imagine going back and telling the Newcastle United fans of that era, it would be another 47 years before this would happen again.

2023/24 Newcastle United finish 7th in the top tier, Manchester United 8th

As you can see, the two clubs level on points and only goal difference seeing Newcastle United ahead of Manchester United.

Sunday’s match at St James’ Park comes exactly four weeks after Wembley.

Winning a trophy at long last was of course huge. However, the fact it was a first win over Liverpool in ten years AND especially because NUFC absolutely dominated, outclassed and battered them, made it feel like far more than ‘just’ a trophy victory, it felt like something had really been put to bed in terms of any kind of inferiority complex with Liverpool.

Which brings me back to Manchester United and this Sunday.

This is the current Premier League table:

As you can see, Newcastle United in fifth on 53 points, Manchester United are thirteenth on 38 points.

If/when Newcastle United win on Sunday, it would mean that despite Eddie Howe’s team still having seven matches left to play, it would no longer be possible for Manchester United to overtake them, 18 points behind and only six games left for Man U to play.

It was a positive to finish above Manchester United for the first time in 47 years back in May 2024, however, only a small one when you are talking about goal difference and seventh v eighth.

If indeed Newcastle United do it on Sunday, confirm they will finish above Man U despite NUFC still having 21 points to play for, with Eddie Howe’s team hopefully destined for Champions League and Manchester United condemned to a bottom half finish, this would be extraordinary and a bit of a rites of passage, similar to how that Wembley win was achieved against Liverpool last month.

All of the advantages Man U hold over Newcastle United, in terms of how much more their squad cost to build, how much bigger their wage bill is, yet to be not within a million miles of NUFC on the pitch…

Just imagine what Eddie Howe and Newcastle United could achieve once they are on a more level financial playing field when it comes to competing with what Man U are allowed to spend in comparison currently.