The day the music died

Yet another 1-0 defeat, another 3rd round defeat in the FA Cup, another sub par performance and over 400 minutes of action since we last scored a goal. However, something significant changed today for Newcastle United, something they have ironically not lost this season, today they lost the fans.

I said a few weeks in to this season that despite Newcastle United not playing well and not gaining many points, Steve McClaren still had the backing of the fans and this is a huge deal for a Newcastle United manager. Most (I accept not all) fans were glad to see the back of Alan Pardew and despite Steve McClaren being a relatively underwhelming appointment, he was no Joe Kinnear so we’ll take him. Alan Pardew, in my opinion, lost the fans when he started to lie. He started to blame others, anyone but himself, he blamed the fans for giving away late goals. It was never his fault.

Steve McClaren came in with a different views. He handled the press differently, he saw himself as one of the fans; he feels our pain, he is one of us. Steve McClaren has said some daft things; judge me after 10 games, consistency is the key. Well Steve, we were in the bottom 3 after 10 games and if you want consistency, that’s four 1-0 defeats in a row.

I pride myself in being fairly un-reactive and tend not to make knee jerk reactions to defeats. Defeats hurt and boy have we have plenty of experience of them in recent years but I am not one to immediately call for the sacking of a manager or for the owner to sell up. I am aware of the problems in the club and there is only one person to blame for this and we all know who that is. I think this feeling is echoed by most Newcastle United fans and certainly by the 4000 who travelled to see the defeat against Watford today. There wasn’t a song in unison calling for the removal of McClaren; after-all, we know even if he was sacked we’re not exactly going to get a forward thinking manager in, the main criteria for any potential Newcastle United manager is to play along to the “Mike Ashley Blueprint”; and this is the problem, the very problem that is causing our club to die a long slow death.

No, the songs today seemed to hit a number of areas from individual players, the manager, the board, the owner and quite simply the club.

“We want our club back”

“You’re not fit to wear the shirt”

“You’re nothing special, we lose every week”

“We’re sh*t, and we’re sick of it”

This might well be a short article but I think these chants sum up most Newcastle United fans’ feelings right now. This wasn’t a reaction to losing a football game; most fans I know, myself included, expected to lose today.

No, today was not about the game of football, it was something much bigger than that, it was the day the most loyal fans the club have, the fans that spend hundreds of pounds every single week supporting the club they love finally voiced their disapproval. Quite simply we have had enough.