Be upset as Newcastle United fans that NUFC lost but try and keep the toys in your pram

Newcastle United fans walked away disappointed from St James’ Park this afternoon, some a lot earlier than others.

Just over a quarter of an hour spread over a period of just before half-time and then after the break, saw a 1-0 lead suddenly, somehow, become a 3-1 deficit via a Chris Wood hat-trick.

The home defence lost their heads but it is Newcastle United fans who have been losing their minds.

I had to drive today, so it was straight into the car and not the pub, immediately after the final whistle.

Yes, I stayed until the bitter end, force of habit.

Also, I don’t like the thought of Eddie Howe and this group of players looking around at full-time, only to see an empty (apart from the away section) St James’ Park. Whatever happens, I always know for sure that all of them have given it their all. Yes, even when losing 3-1 at home to Forest, who are an average team at best.

So even though I knew were done well before that final whistle, I gave them a quick clap after the referee said it was ok for me to head home, then swiftly exited SJP.

For some Newcastle United fans though, it seems a bit of a different reaction.

The fact I am totally sober hasn’t helped, when returning home and reading what plenty of Newcastle United fans are saying.

Be upset as Newcastle United fans that our team have lost BUT try and keep the toys in your pram.

I find that when something happens like this Forest defeat, countless Newcastle United fans then use it to target individuals who they have previously made clear they don’t rate and/or simply go way over the top in their overall reaction them all.

So I see the usual suspects getting scapegoated. Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff, Miggy Almiron…

Even Eddie Howe. Eddie Howe???

Yes, all the tactical / management geniuses amongst the Newcastle United fans, saying if only Eddie had done this or that. If only he had bought these players not those players in the summer, if only he had played different players today etc etc.

Reality is that no one player was responsible for that defeat today, nor indeed a handful. The team wins together and loses together.

First of all, you have to give credit to Forest who played a pretty brave game, willing to try and get players more than most teams that come to St James’ Park. They got their reward for doing so, against a home side not at their best.

Which is pretty much what the story of today was.

I find it infuriating when any Newcastle United fans accuse any of these current players of not giving it 100 per cent. Shameful to accuse any of them of that. Any player can still be criticised for their performance in a match but scandalous to accuse any of them of not trying their best. Anybody who has played football at any level, knows that some matches it just doesn’t happen and that no matter how much your head tells you to do whatever, your body isn’t cooperating. Especially when so many of our players have played so many games. Yes, they can still play of course, just not as well!

These people, Newcastle United fans and others, in your day job. If say, you were asked to do say six hours overtime four days / nights in a row on top of your usual eight hours or whatever a day, in a job that is physically and/or mentally challenging. On the fifth day you could / would still go into work but would the quality / intensity of your work be to your usual standard? Obviously these aren’t exact hours, I am just using these as examples, choose your own number of days / hours, the principle is the same. We all have a point we reach, where our work wouldn’t be the very best we are capable of.

Similarly, you have players who have been rushed back quicker than ideal, for us as fans, for the team, for the club, for the manager. It is always going to take time to get up to speed, including getting connected with other players, especially in defence I would say. Last season in the Premier League, we had the same goalkeeper and back four playing nearly every single match. Sad to say, Dubravka is now a massive drop in levels from Nick Pope, whilst Burn and Botman have both been rushed back. Whilst (32 year old) Schar and (33 year old) Trippier have started 53 and 54 of the 55 NUFC Premier League matches last season and this one, both started all six Champions League matches, as well as both regularly heading off with their national sides in this time, including to the Qatar World Cup.

As for those that criticise the Eddie Howe tactics and/or team selection. Also laughable in my opinion.

Joelinton clearly not able to start, whilst I don’t think Wilson could / should have started either. The logic of Howe’s decisions was fine. Isak was great through the middle and by a massive distance Newcastle’s best player, won and scored the penalty and a danger throughout. Available to use as an impact sub, Callum Wilson came on at 2-1 down but then bad defending allowed it to be 3-1 only five minutes later.

The one choice Eddie Howe could have made different was starting Livramento in one of the full-back positions but does anybody really think that would have turned defeat into a draw or even a win? Plus, Livramento was the one who was furthest back when the ball was played through for the third goal, Trippier may have been playing the Forest player on as well but Tino was for sure. That is NOT to say I blame Tino for this result, just that like almost everybody else, he played a part in why NUFC lost this one.

The truth is that like pretty much every match, today was decided on the quality in decisive moments, at both ends of the pitch. Newcastle played ok in the first half, no matter what some of those who want to rewrite history would claim to back up their view that NUFC were supposedly rubbish throughout. That first half saw Forest dangerous on the break a few times but Newcastle played some good football a lot of the time and a combination of poor finishing, poor decision making with the final pass / shot, good defending, bad luck (from our point of view!) meant we only led 1-0 in the opening 45. Then of course on the stroke of half-time Newcastle actually played some great football, worked it into the Forest box with Almiron on the ball and from memory, I think another three NUFC attackers and only a couple of defenders. Instead of shooting / scoring or passing to one of his teammates to do so, Miggy had his pass cut out and seconds later it was in our net! Even then the cutback hid ridiculous luck to get past Schar and Botman leaving Wood with a tap in.

One word I have seen thrown around by a fair number of Newcastle United fans is today a ‘disgrace’ at St James’ Park.

The definition(s) of ‘disgrace’ are…

Loss of reputation or respect as the result of a dishonourable action.

and/or

Bring shame or discredit on.

The only people bringing any kind of ‘disgrace’ on our football club today, are those Newcastle United fans who have thrown all their toys out of their prams, going too far and too over the top with their comments / reaction.

Eddie Howe and these Newcastle United players have been excellent overall, they deserve better from some of our supporters today / tonight.

Stats via BBC Sport:

Newcastle 1 Nottingham Forest 3 – Tuesday 26 December 12.30pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Isak 23 pen

Forest:

Wood 45+1, 53, 60

Possession was Forest 38% Newcastle 62%

Total shots were Forest 15 Newcastle 19

Shots on target were Forest 6 Newcastle 7

Corners were Forest 2 Newcastle 10

Referee: Chris Kavanagh

Attendance: 52,207 (3,000 Forest)

Newcastle team v Forest:

Dubravka, Trippier, Schar, Botman (Hall 79), Burn (Livramento 55), Miley, Guimaraes, Longstaff (Joelinton 71), Almiron (Wilson 55), Isak, Gordon

Unused subs:

Karius, Dummett, Ritchie, Krafth, Alex Murphy

(Newcastle 1 Nottingham Forest 3 – Instant Newcastle United fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 1 Nottingham Forest 3 – Things went from bad to worse – Read HERE)

Newcastle United confirmed matches to end of February 2024:

Monday 1 January 2024 – Liverpool v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 6 January 2024 – Sunderland v Newcastle (12.45pm) ITV

Saturday 13 January 2024 – Newcastle v Man City (5.30pm) TNT Sports

Tuesday 30 January 2024 – Aston Villa v Newcastle (8.15pm) TNT Sports

Saturday 3 February 2024 – Newcastle v Luton (3pm)

Saturday 10 February 2024 – Forest v Newcastle (5.30pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 17 February 2024 – Newcastle v Bournemouth (3pm)

Saturday 24 February 2024 – Arsenal v Newcastle (8pm) TNT Sports