It’s a great feeling, two games against Everton just three days apart, this Scouse Mackems double header could be the defining season for Newcastle United.
You won’t be able to win and you’ll feel like…where is this season going?
Both earn and…
A win over the Scouse Mackems tonight and you look to beat League Two Fleetwood Town to guarantee Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup adventure extends at least until the first week of February 2027, when the semi-final second legs are played.
If this is followed up with a win over Everton at St James’ Park on Monday night, and other results go our way this weekend, Newcastle United could also move into the top five in the Premier League.
Very subtle differences, and sometimes those moments are matches that follow one another quickly (though often not against the same opposition) and where you look at them as when your club is sent in a good or bad direction.
I look ahead to the 2024-25 season and although they are three games apart, Newcastle United’s three games against Nottingham Forest have proved key.
In August 2024, we saw Newcastle United’s immediate exit from the Carabao Cup against Forest at the City Ground, with United initially losing on penalties but fighting back in the end. The rest is history, less than seven months later Newcastle United won their first trophy in 56 years.
That 2024-25 season, for many, Nottingham Forest looked certain to qualify for the Champions League, perhaps challenging for the top spot…
Forest led in both of their Premier League matches against Newcastle United that season, but lost 3–1 at the City Ground and 4–3 at St James’ Park.
Had Nottingham Forest avoided defeat in either of those two matches against United, they would have qualified for the Champions League and Newcastle finished seventh.
This double header against Scouse Mackems comes on the back of a very promising second half at Crystal Palace and coincides with Matthias Jaissle starting to see some of the many injured players return to fit and full fitness.
Towards the end of Monday’s game, I feel it will either be one of two extremes, full of hope after two wins over Everton, or double defeat and misery.
It kind of sums up what it means to be a football fan, there is rarely a middle ground. Only high and low.