Today’s equivalent the Mackems signing Harry Kane instead of Bayern Munich | OneFootball

Newcastle United fans have just seen the 2024/25 Premier League season come to its end.

A season that has proved to be quite magnificent.

As one season ends though, thoughts immediately turn to what comes next, only 11 weeks to go until the 2025/26 Premier League kicks off.

An ideal time to get a snapshot of views from Newcastle United fans on their thoughts, both on the season that has just ended AND what is to now follow.

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

Next up answering the questions we have Tony Mallabar:

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

Roll on Celtic…

Well that’s 24/25 over and already a trip to Celtic for the pre-season has been booked, train sorted and matches tickets bought.

I actually toyed with the idea of going to the Arsenal game in Singapore. But with long domestic and Champions League campaigns coming up, best keep my powder dry. Also the fact that Phil T went pre-season to Japan away last year and long haul flying isn’t for me after his trip last pre-season.

Three words to describe Newcastle United now?

Waiting to see.

Well after having our wings clipped for the last three transfer windows, is this the summer when nice guy Eddie gets lots of new shiny toys to play with.

Does 2024/25 now rank as your favourite ever Newcastle United season?

Which are your three favourite previous NUFC seasons (before 2024/25) and why?

Obviously winning the League Cup and Champions League qualification have been absolutely brilliant, something that I’ve dreamed of ever since my first game in 1978.

However, I am going for the period 1982-84 as my favourite time supporting us.

From King Kev signing (probably today’s equivalent would be the mackems signing Harry Kane when he left Spurs instead of going to Bayern Munich).

Added to the fact that as a 14 year old lad I had started going away regularly.

It was a totally different experience than going away today. We literally took over opposition towns with sometimes 8k to 15k Geordies hitting the road, mental times. No 3k allocation, away match pubs or loyalty points. Ok, it often got a bit (a lot) dodgy in the 80s, but character building times.

Talk us through how it was for you, on the last day of the 2024/25 season (Your emotions, how it all played out, where you were watching it (at SJP or wherever), who you shared it with?

Last day of the season was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

Before the Arsenal game we had more than a puncher’s chance of runners up but after defeat to the scouse mackems we just scraped Champions League. With special mention in dispatches to every mackem’s favourite Manc, the sweet prince himself, Amad Diallo. So thanks mackems for giving him a run out the previous season, getting him up to speed for the Premier League, tiptoe.

In order, which eight players have been most influential across the 2024/25 season?

Not one for picking out individual players, especially in today’s modern squad based game.

But if I had to (in no particular order).

Pope for that save in the cup final. Kieran Trippier for showing he’s more than worth a new contract. Ice cold Alex Isak with his goals. Tino and Lewis Hall surely England’s full-back pairing for the next decade. Bruno, Tonali and big Joe, our midfield base, plus of course Jacob Murphy – living every fan’s dream and that smile man.

Have you at any point during his time at Newcastle United, thought that Eddie Howe’s position should be under question?

After the Bournemouth home game, it was yours truly shouting for nice guy Eddie’s head.

Why?? Because like most fans I am fickle and think I know better than people who are paid by our club to represent us.

To put that in context, I have to pay to get in, so in hindsight they might know a tadge more than muggins.

My excuse for wanting nice guy Eddie out after the Bournemouth game? I’d come out the East Stand after the game only to find the cheeseburger van had been moved and I was starving, so that had put me in a mood. There, told you I was fickle (Yes, I know other fast food vans operate in and around SJP, but it was something of a tradition to hit the lucky cheeseburger stand after the game).

Your favourite three moments in NUFC Premier League matches this past season?

Man Utd 4-1 at home. It shows how far they have dropped that the 4-1 defeat actually flattered them, as opposed to us playing well.

Ice cold Alex’s goal in the 3-3 draw against unluckypool.

Plus putting the “sob on the Bullring” mob in their place on Boxing Day.

Sunderland are now back in the same division as NUFC, your thoughts?

Well in today’s modern society where offence is taken, not given, I think you could describe me as a mackemphobe.

Now I know a lot of wor lot won’t have their game on if it’s on TV. Whereas I am happy to watch them and happily admit to cheering on any opponents they play. I saw all three of their play-off games and they totally spawned getting promoted, although in fairness, after they equalised against Sheffield United there was only going to be one winner.

Mind, the one narrative I hate is our fans saying, “well six easy points.” Yes, maybe on paper. But can’t you imagine if they even get a point at SJP next season. The roads from Pennywell international airport would be closed for the ensuing open top bus parade as the lads fans’ heroes return.

On a boarder note, I hope Jordan Henderson doesn’t sign again for them, as the Fulwell branch of Amnesty International couldn’t take such a massive drop in membership.

And on a final note, imagine if we had come up with a song about one of our players, only to crowbar a line into it about a famous mackem pop star, currently trying to think of something to rhythm with Dave Stewart/ Toys Dolls.

Also, I get it they call us deluded and we say we live rent free in their heads and yes I get the irony that I’ve just done a long rant about them. Nothing could be finer.

What would represent success in the 2025/26 season for Newcastle United?

After my previous rant in the last question, six points off the Panda Pop Rovers.

What are your thoughts on Newcastle United Sporting Director Paul Mitchell leaving?

Truthfully, I couldn’t tell you what Paul Mitchell’s job description was.

This new breed of people coming into our club and in football generally, I have absolutely no connection with.

As much as I loved wor Mandy, her and hundreds, if not thousands of fans, have match day experiences that are miles different to mine.

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

Being a regular in the away end nowadays, takes weeks and sometimes a couple of months planning, so had a bit crack with Chrissy Numbers the other day and hotel is booked for next season’s Champions League final in Budapest. Retain the League Cup and finally beat Brighton in next season’s FA Cup final, to make up for last season’s 5th round defeat.

Or alternatively, just be glad we’ve got our club back from FCB and are competing again.

Predict the top six in the Premier League (in order) and which three clubs will be relegated.

Too early to predict top and who gets relegated along with sunlun, but if Man Utd do flog Bruno Fernandes, then they could be at risk of flirting with the bottom three more than they would admit to.

Who do you see as the six most important current Newcastle players (in order) for next (2025/26) season?

With Champions League football next season, maybe our six more important players are not at the club yet…

With NUFC now having won a trophy…Next three seasons, would you rather finish top four all three seasons BUT win nothing, or finish mid-table all three seasons AND win the League Cup in one of the three?

Would rather win another cup.

Considering it took us 56 years ago to win our last one, does anyone think it’s a bit weird the general outsider consensus that it’s 70 years since we won a major trophy, playing down our Fairs Cup win? To put it in context, Leeds won the Fairs Cup the season before and nobody downplays their achievement.

What do you think was the key moment in the 2024/25 season, the turning point maybe, which then set us eventually on track to success?

Brentford away and losing 2-4. Although we didn’t play too badly, it was obvious that a players mindset change was needed.

If Newcastle United had ended up outside the Champions League places on the final day, would this last season have had a bit of failure attached to it?

Fiscally, finishing outside the Champions League spots wouldn’t have been good.

However, being able to attend all the away games, I wouldn’t have been averse to the Conference League. Two of my favourite European trips have been to Latvia (Ventspils) and Lucchese in Italy for an Anglo-Italian game.

Which players do you think would be ideal (and realistic) signings this summer (don’t feel limited to only players who have been linked to Newcastle United in the media)?

Yes we need players in to give our 25 man squad a more first team feel.

Personally, get in super Greg Olley, Gateshead’s number ten, as a back up for Tonali. You might think I am kidding (ok, joshing) but this lad can play at a lot higher level.

Obviously we need a back up striker so how about Mayenda from sunlun, he looks sharp and he’d finally get to meet Sam Fender.

Any Newcastle players you would be ok with leaving, that might surprise other NUFC fans (Including any where you think the money received for them and the extra PSR flexibility it would give, could then lead to an overall better team/squad)

Part of football is players leave, players arrive.

Am sad wor Callum is leaving as he’s the most natural finisher I’ve seen since Imre Varadi.

I know it’s a theoretical question but the days of our best players leaving are now gone, once you’ve seen a Gascoigne or Beardsley leave then whatever happens next doesn’t really bother me. Although big Viv leaving the East Stand kiosk didn’t go down too well in the 2019/20 season.