The Qatar World Cup break interrupts Newcastle United’s season.
An ideal time to get a snapshot of the views of NUFC fans on how they think things are going.
So we sent several questions to various regular and irregular contributors to The Mag.
Next we have Bazoox:
Would you rather win the League Cup or finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League?
I’d rather win the League Cup, although obviously the financial rewards of being in the Champions League are pretty amazing.
As Newcastle United fans, we need to get this monkey off our backs quickly so that some of us seniors can enjoy some glory.
Three words to describe Eddie Howe?
Inspirational, honest, modest.
The best (realistic) signing Newcastle United could make in January?
I would love Newcastle United to break our transfer record again and sign James Maddison. He would be a star up here, but I don’t know if the deal will be possible in January.
I have a feeling that Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth will look to bring in Moussa Diaby or Mykhalo Mudryk.
What do you think of the job Newcastle United’s owners have done since taking over in October 2021?
If anyone who regularly reads The Mag and has noticed my articles doesn’t already know my feelings about our new owners, they haven’t been paying attention.
They have been absolutely brilliant in supporting the coach, while the likes of Amanda Staveley, Mehrad Ghodoussi and Jamie Reuben have come forward and embraced the fan base.
If anyone has any doubts about the fact that we are in the best hands with the PIF of Saudi Arabia, President Yasir Al Rumayyan on YouTube. This man is warm, friendly and intelligently vibrant.
Newcastle United third in the table, how do you feel?
With Newcastle United sitting third in the table, I really feel robbed that we are not second. Isak’s second goal disallowed at Anfield was an outrageous VAR decision and I’m not forgetting the ‘goal that never was’ against Palace (another VAR shocker) either.
It’s still great to be in the Champions League places even if it’s Christmas.
And to think that some of the jealous supporters of other EPL teams and even smaller clubs elsewhere thought we’d be in the lower/mid table just goes to show you shouldn’t listen to the pundits … lol
Player of the season so far (first choice and then second and third)?
For me there can only be one player of the season so far and that is Miguel Almiron. It has been quite a revelation.
Bruno Guimaraes has also been exceptional and Sven Botman plays like he’s been here all his life. Both were bought as long-term acquisitions and we’re already looking at a cut of what we paid.
The three most improved players this season (in order)?
Apart from Miguel Almiron, I think my fellow North Shields man Sean Longstaff has resurrected his career at Newcastle United. Sean is fitter and more alert, but still needs to work on his general awareness.
I’m also very happy that Joe Willock has hit a rich vein of form, as I hold him in high esteem.
A must-win game and the entire squad fit and available, which 11 would you pick?
Of the current staff, my strongest team would be:
dad, father
Trippier Schar Botman Burn
Guimaraes, Willock, Joelinton
Almiron, Wilson, Isak
Although we’ve only seen a glimpse of Alexander Isak, the man is what Joe Harvey used to call a ‘Rolls-Royce of a footballer’ and it’s a testament to how well the team performed that Allan Saint-Maximin didn’t it is there .
The best atmosphere at a game this season?
I was a committee member of the Mike Ashley Out campaign and boycotted from 2008-2021.
My mate Tony Mallabar sends me photos during and after every home and away game, the atmosphere always looks delightful.
World Cup break: Has it come at a bad time (potentially breaks momentum, etc.) or at a good time (players needed rest, injuries cleared up, etc.)?
As I said in a recent article, I think the World Cup break has come at an excellent time for us.
Eddie Howe had the team playing at full speed to put us third and I think that was his plan with the break in mind.
If you’re being honest, before the start of the season, if you had to put your mortgage, rent… energy bill on it, where would you have predicted Newcastle to finish this season?
At the start of the season, when the editor asked us for our predictions, I said it would be a toss-up between us, Manchester United and West Ham for the 6th to 8th positions.
Same as above, but where do you now predict Newcastle to finish this season?
I strongly believe that we can now finish in the top five and with a January reinforcement added, possibly a place in the Champions League.
If the new owners of NUFC had decided to keep Steve Bruce no matter what, what do you predict would have happened these last 13 months and where would Newcastle United be now?
If the owners had stuck with ‘He Who Shall Not Be Named’ we would certainly have been relegated and the owners would have quickly become disillusioned.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you for England at the World Cup?
I’m not an England fan and have little time for international football.
As a child and youth, I enjoyed the World Cups of the 1970s and 1980s watching Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Kempes, Zico, Rossi and Maradona.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how interested are you in this World Cup in Qatar?
In 2010, when Qatar won this World Cup, I was absolutely blown away.
I’m back in Glasgow at the moment and a taxi driver was telling me about a new documentary on Netflix about FIFA corruption and the awarding of the competition.
Source: As Newcastle United fans we need to quickly get this monkey off our backs
