Never did Newcastle United fans think that they’d now be asking this question | OneFootball

A question Newcastle United fans are now asking.

Just stop yourself a minute and think about it.

Could any of us really believe this would now be the question on everybody’s lips.

Newcastle United fans constantly wondering what the eventual answer will be.

That question of course is…

Will it be Champions League or Europa League football that will be added to the trophy won at Wembley in March?

I think that as Newcastle United fans we have all got to recognise just how outstanding these past five months have been, just what an extraordinary set of results that Eddie Howe and his players have delivered.

If you go back five months and one day, you will see a very different situation.

After having won three matches in a row against Chelsea (League Cup), Arsenal (PL at SJP) and away at Forest in the Premier League, all the fine margins and luck started to go against United.

Newcastle created plenty of chances but West Ham scored with their only chance of the first half and as NUFC pressed, the Hammers got a breakaway second at St James’ Park. A battling win at Palace looked in the bag thanks to a Marc Guehi own goal, only for him to pop up at the other end and score in added time. A superb performance against Liverpool saw Newcastle leading at half-time but having had the chances to finish them off after dominating, only for things to click and luck to go their way for the visitors, meaning only a 3-3 draw and a moral victory, rather than a real one.

Then five months and a day ago, a very strange day at Brentford. Newcastle actually played well in the first half and scored two, should have had at least one or two more, only for defensive mistakes to be severely punished by two great strikes. A terrible second half, where United never really got going and a nothing long ball wasn’t dealt with, Brentford went 3-2 up and the game over, eventually 4-2 to the home side.

Back then on 7 December 2024, that left Newcastle United in 12th place in the Premier League, with the only realistic possibility of properly saving the season the League Cup. However, even with that the odds very much against United. Eleven days later having to play the side they’d just lost 4-2 against, whilst with Liverpool and Arsenal appearing to have comfortable quarter-final ties, every chance that if Eddie Howe’s side did get past Brentford, Newcastle would very likely have to beat Arsenal or Liverpool over two legs in the semi, then the other one in the final.

The rest, as they say, is history.

However, this is very much a recent history that shouldn’t be forgotten, not glossed over. What Eddie Howe and the Newcastle United players have given us in these five months is beyond belief.

It is only because of this that as Newcastle United fans we are now able to ask that question…

‘Will it be Champions League or Europa League football that will be added to the trophy won at Wembley in March?’

These past five months having seen United play 27 matches and win 20 of them! Six defeats and one draw.

Victories against Brentford, Arsenal (twice!) and Liverpool sweeping Newcastle United to eventual Wembley glory and a first major trophy in 56 years.

Whilst in the Premier League, 43 points from 20 games at an average of 2.15 points per game, taking Newcastle to four place and on the verge of Champions League or Europa League football.

In these last five months and 27 matches in all competitions, Newcastle United have scored 56 goals, averaging marginally better than two goals per game. Eddie Howe and his players delivering not just winning football but entertaining goalscoring football.

Things have changed so quickly, it is maybe easy to forget for some that only five months and a day ago, Newcastle United were 12th in the Premier League and League Cup success looking an unrealistic dream due to the two best teams in the country as well as in-form Brentford still standing in our way. These things just don’t have a happy ending for Newcastle United fans.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have every hope and confidence that this season will be topped off by Champions League qualification, but at the same time I won’t be crying on if we ‘only’ get Europa League. Whatever happens in these remaining three games, this has been an outstanding season for Newcastle United fans.

Only absolute idiots would be ‘blaming’ Eddie Howe or any of his players if Newcastle did get Europa League (Newcastle are guaranteed a minimum of Conference League but realistically all but assured Europa League as an absolute minimum) and not Champions League. They have got us to where we are by giving their absolute all, up against the odds with so many rival clubs with far greater spending on their squads and their wage bills, not least Chelsea who we’re up against on Sunday.

Winning 20 of 27 matches, three quarters of your games across five months isn’t in any way normal, it is a superhuman effort from Eddie Howe and the lads, something for which as Newcastle United fans we should be supremely grateful.