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A Man United view on NUFC

This ‘Outside Perspective’ is brought to you by Man United fan Jon-David Herbert. Huge thanks to him for taking the time to answer the following questions. What does he make of the trials and tribulations of NUFC this season? Find out below:


What memories do you have of your team’s matches against Newcastle United over the years, do any particular games stand out?

Loads! Too many to think of! That 5-0 defeat back in 1996 was a bit of a shock to the system - especially that chip! The 2-6 to Man United in 2003 was an absolute banger, Toon were 1-0 up but we scored four in quick succession before halftime, everything we hit went in! The 3 games of the season I always looked forward to was Liverpool, Arsenal and the Toon. Id say that’s still the case to be honest.


Can you think of any players who have played for both teams, what kind of impression did they make?

*Andy Cole- who I loved- played in a great United side. Loved watching him and Yorke. The complement of Ole, Teddy, Dwight and Cole may be up there with any bank of attacking players in premiership history. Cole and Yorke were the perfect strike partnership but any combination of the above could terrorise defences!

*Keith Gillespie didn’t have too much of an inspiration on me as a kid.

*Gabrial Obertan… It’s a no from me, Jeff!

*Nicky Butt. A United great in my mind who maybe went to the Toon during the wrong era. Allardyce, Ashley, and a relegation happened all around him.


Have you ever visited St James’ Park and/or the city of Newcastle, what did you make of your time there? 

I’ve enjoyed every visit I’ve had to St James’ Park. I’ve been about a dozen times to a mix of league, cup and European games. Saw a few great European nights- including a world class Juve side. Always a good atmosphere. Never heard anything racist or Homophobic which appears to blight a lot of current venues. Apart from the odd chant about Sunderland, it’s a great venue for fans with families in terms of quality of football, atmosphere and facilities


Hypothetically, if your team’s next match was at home to Newcastle in the league, would you be quietly confident of three points? 

No. Manchester United are very inconsistent- don’t appear to know their best 11- and have players with mistakes in them through the team.


Newcastle fans have often been referred to as ‘deluded’ by some sections of the media, unfair and untrue, entirely justified or somewhere in the middle? 

All fans have an element of delusion. My pick for the title last season was Manchester united. My pick for the title this season is…. Manchester United!


‘Newcastle United is not a big club’ How would you respond to this statement? 

Newcastle bring a lot to the premier league and the North East in general. For fan base and reputation, they are a big club. In terms of success- if you want to measure them like that- it’s more of a difficult one to discuss. There must be an expectation to help drive these things though. The reason Liverpool- even through some average seasons- always competed in cups is because the fans expect them too. They won’t accept ‘glorious defeat’. Because the club has not won anything in so long, the fans don’t expect to perhaps? They probably have the same standing as a club like Everton albeit Everton’s successes have been a bit more recent than Newcastle’s in terms of trophies. I don’t think Everton start the season with any great expectations on them and the same is true for Newcastle. Obviously, the fans hope and demand for honours but if you look at the top six say last season or historically the top 4- each of those clubs- the fans expect them to win every competition they played in. Newcastle are a big club but to be fair there are bigger clubs in both England and Scotland.

What does Mike Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle look like from the outside? 

Awful! But in truth I’d say that there are not a lot of good owners out there. Not getting the deal done with Rafa was truly awful. Rafa conducted himself well, I think he wanted to stay. He deffo could of but if the opportunity isn’t there to work without the constraints, you can see why he would go. The men he is working for in China will let him get on with his job with the resources he needs.


Would you swap the current owner of your club for Mike Ashley?

No. The Glazers are awful owners as well though!


In this day and age of massive TV revenue, do you believe supporter led protests such as boycotts etc still have the power to bring about positive change?

Not really, unless there is something drastic. Why on earth would Ashley sell? He’s making a load of money so he won’t care less about what the fans think, he’s made that perfectly clear. The only way to get to him is to make his product not viable.


Where do you think Newcastle will finish in the league this season and why?

They will be in the relegation mix. They have lost arguably their two best players and they had a manager who was probably one of the top five in the league. Looking at the positives: they have an experienced squad and the manager is used to a scrap at the bottom and getting a club through a season. I’d think Sheffield United are doomed before the season starts but the rest of the places in the relegation zone are up for grabs


Do you think the manager’s job at Newcastle has become something of a poisoned chalice? 

No. When Bruce first signed I thought ‘who in their right mind would take that job?!’ but actually if you can separate the ownership from the playing side of things, there is nothing stopping you having a great relationship with fans and doing a solid job. Steve Bruce is in as an Ashley stooge though so in that regard its poison. If someone was brought in after a proper recruitment process then they wouldn’t be doing a job with half an arm tied behind their back. Under the current constraints, any manager would decide enough was enough eventually. Rafa did a great job.


What would represent ‘achievement’ for Steve Bruce in his first season as manager of NUFC?

Mid table and a challenge in one of the cups.


If you could choose one current NUFC player to sign for your team this summer, who (if any) would you choose and why? 

I would have said Rondon before he went. He was a Top five striker in the premier league last year. Seen good things from Longstaff but not sure if signing him too early would be good for his own development.


Are there any former NUFC players that you wish had played for your team rather than the Toon?

Shearer. Ginola. Ben Afra all play in the ‘United way’ in some way shape or form. I always had a big soft spot for Andy Carroll too (has subsequently resigned for the Toon). I hated that rat Michael Owen mind, I wish we never signed him!

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