Behold the Newcastle United Galacticos

The Mag

·2 February 2025

Behold the Newcastle United Galacticos

Galacticos, Newcastle United, what’s this all about?

Let me explain.

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I had a rough idea of what Galacticos were and I knew it was linked to Real Madrid.

However, I wanted to get the exact correct description, so both you and me know what I am talking about (or at least understand where I am coming from!).

The term Galacticos (Spanish for ‘Galactics’, referring to superstars) initiated in 2000 during the presidency of Florentino Perez at Real Madrid. It became in common use the word to describe expensive, world famous football players recruited year after year by the Spanish club.

So, Newcastle United Galacticos?

What are you talking about?

Which is kind of my exact point, when it comes to talking about Newcastle 1 Fulham 2.

As Newcastle United fans we all hate it when the team loses, especially at home. Kind of spoils the weekend, doesn’t it.

However, when it comes to looking at the defeat and why/how it happened, I see Newcastle fans largely splitting into two groups.

On the one hand, you have Newcastle fans who generally see it as our team were below recent levels in the second half and up against a good Fulham side who played well and were brave in their approach. That ambition paid off as they got a deflected goal and a set-piece one that Dubravka and the outfield players should have done better on. In the past two months, Fulham have won at Chelsea, defeated Brighton 3-1, drawn at champions-elect Liverpool, as well as draws against Arsenal and Bournemouth. They are also the only other club, other than Newcastle, to win away at Forest this season.

Then we have the Newcastle United fans, who seemingly see a team of Galacticos in black and white, as though we have an entire team of expensive superstars where it is inexplicable how they can lose ‘to a team like Fulham.’

It is crazy how over the top some people go.

Fulham had only lost two Premier League away games since the opening weekend of the season. In eight of their eleven PL away matches they had only conceded a total of five goals.

This was a tough match.

The bookies had Newcastle at 4/6 to win, Fulham around 4/1.

They aren’t biased, they only want to make money AND not risk giving too good odds on a likely winner.

The odds meant the bookies saw Fulham with around a one in five chance of winning. Not impossible!

Whilst as for Newcastle winning, it was around a two in three chance at best, with the combined odds on a draw and away win, making it Fulham had a better than one in three chance of avoiding defeat, according to the bookies.

Six of the Newcastle players who got on the pitch yesterday, were those who were at the club when Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce were here and United heading for relegation. Eight of the twenty man squad were here under Ashley/Bruce.

Whilst others involved yesterday were free transfer Kelly, Trippier and Burn who cost a combined £25m, Osula a £10m rookie, a couple of very inexperienced full-backs but with great potential.

As a sidenote, interesting to see that the current Real Madrid Galacticos also lost yesterday. Leading La Liga they lost to Espanyol who were in the relegation zone.

Funny old game.

Newcastle 1 Fulham 2 – Saturday 1 February 2025 3pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Murphy 36

Fulham:

Jimenez 61, Muniz 82

Possession was Newcastle 47% Fulham 53%

Total shots were Newcastle 11 Fulham 15

Shots on target were Newcastle 4 Fulham 4

Corners were Newcastle 4 Fulham 7