When has it ever been as bad as this under Saudi Arabia PIF ownership? Well actually… | OneFootball

Saturday marked the first Newcastle United match played since the third anniversary of the Saudi Arabia PIF led takeover.

As you will be aware, Eddie Howe’s side losing 1-0 to Brighton.

Not the perfect anniversary present.

A stunned St James’ Park crowd witnessing their first home defeat in over nine months.

When has it ever been as bad as this under Saudi Arabia PIF ownership? Well actually…

The problem for me now is, for a lot of Newcastle United fans, everything is either terrible or brilliant.

There is no middle ground.

There is no Newcastle United missing out by fine margins, as was the case yesterday.

There is no Newcastle United playing generally ok this season, which for me has been the reality.

Instead, an insistence of how rubbish things are, for a sizeable vocal minority.

As other of the more rational Newcastle United fans have commented, these last three performances have hinted at much better to come.

Eddie Howe himself saying a lot of good stuff in the first 60+ minutes against Brighton but things just not clicking at key moments.

I think that things could be set to click, for results to catch up with these recent performances, the goals to flow and Newcastle United to be back on track.

That is why I want to take you back two seasons, the first full one under Eddie Howe and the Saudi Arabia PIF ownership.

You know, the one where United finished top four and qualified for the Champions League.

This was the opening to the 2022/23 Premier League season…

Newcastle 2 Forest 0

Brighton 0 Newcastle 0

Newcastle 3 Man City 3

Wolves 1 Newcastle 1

Liverpool 2 Newcastle 1

Newcastle 0 Palace o

Newcastle 1 Bournemouth 1

As you can see, Eddie Howe’s side won one, had five draws, plus one defeat.

As well as a goalless draw in the second match of the season against Brighton, we then had matches four to seven, where Newcastle United didn’t win any of the four, scored only three goals in that quarter of matches, couldn’t beat Palace or Bournemouth at St James’ Park.

I remember at the time, in my opinion Newcastle weren’t playing poorly, the performances were decent, just we couldn’t put goals on the end of things and no luck with balls falling our way in the box, or similar.

The rest, as they say is history.

Newcastle United went to West London and won 4-1. That victory at Fulham starting a run of eight wins and a draw in the nine games.

Actually, Eddie Howe’s side were on a run where they didn’t lose in the Premier League between a 2-1 defeat at Anfield (when Newcastle were robbed on Isak’s debut, a dodgy offside ruling out his second that would have put NUFC 2-0 up) on 31 August 2022 and 18 February 2023, when… Liverpool won 2-0 at St James’ Park.

This season, Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United team are heading to West London for their ninth Premier League match of the 2024/25 season. Now I am not saying that NUFC are going to smash Chelsea 4-1 and win eight of our next nine matches, however, surely Eddie Howe and his players have done more than enough these past three years to have banked plenty trust and belief that they can improve as this season goes on, haven’t they?

When things do click AND I believe they will do.

I reckon that Isak, Gordon, Bruno, Tonali and Joelinton will be a match for any team. With the kind of back up that the likes of Barnes, Willock and Wilson can give as well. I know we have a problem on the right side, Murphy just isn’t good enough, whilst Almiron is no longer the answer either. However, money is there to be spent in January and I can see a new signing there and in central defence, plus of course hopefully Sven Botman back playing ahead of that.

I think one or two big results can really spark thinks into life and Newcastle United are capable of doing so against Chelsea and/or Arsenal.

It is not a case of blind faith, it is just good old fashioned staying behind Eddie Howe and the Newcastle United players, you know, SUPPORTING them.