One thing can be guaranteed: if Newcastle United lose a game, Anthony Gordon will point the finger at him.
Sometimes even when he hasn’t played!
On Saturday, Anthony Gordon started the match and Newcastle United lost to Everton.
I can’t believe the abuse that the lunatic fringe Anthony Gordon is throwing his way, both online and even some of the characters at St James’ Park doing it.
Pretty disgusting in my opinion.
It’s like Pavlov’s Dog, it’s like they’ve been conditioned to blame Anthony Gordon no matter what, AND think it’s okay to ignore the most shocking abuse.
Anthony Gordon turned out not to be the annoying fat scouse charva we thought he was (wished him to be?) when we were at Everton, in fact, not at all.
I think he has proven anything but that. Anthony Gordon carries himself well off the field and has proven to be a great asset.
Yet, like Pavlov’s Dog, some Newcastle United fans are incapable of rational, independent thinking and the ‘annoying fat scouse charva’ button is activated when NUFC lose a match.
Yes, Anthony Gordon was caught in possession, leading to the winning goal for Everton. Overall, though, he played well on Saturday considering the team as a whole. When I ranked the players, he was definitely not in the bottom half when judged on performance.
As always, he played without complaint where he was asked and did his best. Anthony Gordon started in the middle and then moved to the left wing, then to the right.
I’ll tell you what: if Newcastle United had three Anthony Gordons to play on the front line, we’d be fine. He works hard, he sprints again and again, I just wish some of our other players could keep up with him…, both in terms of thinking speed and movement.
The self-fulfilling prophecy
For many Newcastle United fans, Anthony Gordon has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, or rather, there is a real danger that it will become so.
Just to be clear: this is a definition of self-fulfilling prophecy: ‘A sociological term used to describe a prediction that causes it to become reality. Therefore, the process by which one’s expectations about someone can lead one to behave in a way that confirms the expectations.’
So with the Anthony Gordon haters within the Newcastle United fanbase they repeatedly claim he doesn’t want to be at the club, is desperate to get away and isn’t trying. There were even some die-hard conspiracy theorists who claimed that Gordon was sent off against Brighton on purpose last year so that Liverpool could win the League Cup final and ease his then (supposedly) impending move to Liverpool.
But here he is: Anthony Gordon has been at Newcastle United for over three years now and has never agitated to leave, quite the opposite. Always speak positively about our club and city.
Ironically, the only time there was any possibility of Anthony Gordon leaving St James’ Park was when Darren Eales and Amanda Staveley were running the club, they allowed such a disorderly situation to develop. By June 2024, the club had to generate more than £50 million in immediate profits through player sales or exceed the three-year rolling PSR limit. There was talk of those in charge of the club having to force the sale of Anthony Gordon or another key first-team player. Instead, they forced the sale of two of our most promising young players, Anderson and Minteh, to get us within the PSR limits.
But now I think we are in danger of losing Anthony Gordon and the crazy fringe of the NUFC fanbase would be a big part of that.
The self-fulfilling prophecy, where these fans are always putting Gordon down, claiming he’s desperate to leave, and then doing everything they can to make that happen. And if so, they will turn around and claim after three and a half years (or more that he has been at NUFC) that this PROVES he always wanted to leave!
Three years and counting
Anthony Gordon’s first full season saw an impressive 21 direct goals in 34 PL starts, the impressive 2023/24 performance of double figures for Anthony Gordon on both PL goals (11) and assists (10), plus being named Newcastle United’s player of the season.
Despite a season hit by injuries and fitness issues, Anthony Gordon still managed to score fifteen direct goals in all competitions in the 2024/25 season. His nine goals and six assists saw him help Newcastle United win the League Cup and qualify for the Champions League for the second time in three years.
But even then, I still felt for a vocal minority of Newcastle United fans that any praise for Anthony Gordon was begrudged.
In my opinion, Anthony Gordon does not get the same treatment as other Newcastle United players.
As he and Newcastle United fly, it feels like the praise for Anthony Gordon is being received grudgingly by many fans.
Whenever Newcastle United aren’t doing so well, I get the feeling that Anthony Gordon is invariably at the front of the queue for the fans to blame.
This season, Anthony Gordon has had a number of challenges, with injuries, fitness issues, an early three-match suspension and so on.
I’d say he’s done more than well, a bit up and down, perhaps summarizing Newcastle United in the opening months of the season. But to other Newcastle United fans he has been shocking and useless. Never play against him again, sell him etc etc etc. Selling him is the real extremely crazy edge of the fan base, but they are there.
The reality is that Anthony Gordon has appeared in 31 games in all competitions so far this season and has scored 19 direct goals, scoring 14 and providing five assists.
The big remaining positives this season are that Newcastle United are now in the last 16 of the Champions League and just two wins away from a Wembley FA Cup semi-final.
Without Anthony Gordon, in my opinion, Newcastle would no longer be present in both competitions.
Against Bournemouth in the FA Cup in the third round. Gordon came off the bench and scored from the penalty spot five minutes into extra time to equalise, who after his pass released Tonali to win that penalty. Deep into extra time, Anthony Gordon put in an excellent cross for Harvey Barnes to score. Before that, Gordon also smashed home his penalty in the shootout to see United through. At Aston Villa he then came off the bench when the score was 1-1 and played a key role in the eventual 3-1 away win.
In the Champions League, Anthony Gordon has started eight games and scored ten goals, plus two assists.
If Newcastle United are to taste success this season, Anthony Gordon will certainly be a big part of that.
He is by far Newcastle’s best attacking player and one of United’s five best players overall along with Hall, Bruno, Livramento and Tonali.
Anthony Gordon should get all our support, he is a real asset to Newcastle United and even the crazy fringe will surely realize how good he is if he ends up playing for another club.
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