This isn’t over yet, but it gives the feeling that we are entering a crucial phase of the endgame

What a mood swing, huh?

It’s been a bit slow, but the promising start to 2026 has given way to disappointment, dissatisfaction and no little hysteria.

The (expected) defeat at Anfield was devastating in the way it surrendered a promising start.

The (expected) exit from the league cup at the Etihad was crushing in the way it accelerated a terrible start. Losing our grip on the trophy that has meant so much is a reality check. even though we all knew this was likely after the first leg defeat.

Online in particular, responses ranged from the understandable demands of a tired-looking crew to outright demands for immediate change. Today may well be looked back on as a turning point in the balance of this argument.

I’m not going to report on this match piece by piece. It’s not good for anyone’s mental state to relive it in depth, so apologies to those who want an extreme autopsy.

Suffice it to say that after a series of menacing corners that Bruno has become quite good at, Botman headed Newcastle into the lead on his 100th appearance for the club, scoring that elusive first goal at SJP.

Of course, you all know by now that another clue has been wasted. This wretched habit has now cost us 20 points in the Premier League, five points in the Champions League (and a ticket to the last 16) and sent us to penalties in our only FA Cup match. It’s more than a mistake or a whim; it is a miserable shortcoming that needs to be addressed and has not yet been implemented.

The waste started when Brentford broke from a sloppy Tonali pass. Brentford’s counter was just as effective as ours and Ouattara crossed for Janelt to get inside.

There was some bad luck on the next goal as again we were awarded a handball penalty on the boundary after Thiaw was penalized for pushing the ball and messing things up in Paris last week. Murphy punished hard this time and Thiago ensured that for the second week in a row we had turned a 1-0 lead with ten minutes before half time into a 1-2 deficit at half time. Are we crazy that 45 minutes is too much?

The penalties were eventually compensated when a lengthy VAR check confirmed Bruno had tripped and despite Woltemade’s interest, it was the skipper who caused palpitations with his nervous run-up before scoring the equaliser. Then there are ten minutes left to find a winner.

The winner was of course found by Brentford. Once again United floundered in the break and Ouattara provided the finish. It feels like every time someone responds, it’s like one of the back four has been sent packing, as a desperate call to pick people up inevitably ends with someone in the room. I honestly think hindsight will show exactly how great Joelinton’s contribution to this team has been over the last four years. His presence, aggression and willingness to make strategic mistakes are the only factors preventing the midfield from being a clear path for opponents. Joe’s ongoing injuries of late have coincided with shockers like this, especially at home, and the fact that his body appears to be declining means a replacement beast must be high on the agenda. Easier said than done.

In the context of a generally difficult season, today feels crucial. It is well remembered as the moment Olympus fell, as the boos that greeted both half-time and the full match contrasted with the outpouring of support for the manager at the start of the match, with St James showing unrest for the first notable occasion. My own interactions with friends in WhatsApp groups and scans of the dreaded social media revealed a sense of the last straw. Previous observations that we were competitive on four fronts are blown away by the exit from the League Cup, combined with a league campaign that seems more focused on a solid 40-point margin of safety than an assault on the European places.

As for the other competitions, it looks like the Qarabag activities will worsen our struggles with the extended travel, combined with even more gruesome domestic matches. There must be more than a sense of concern that the inability to outdo the Azerbaijanis will only increase the mockery of our relative demise.

Some statistics are damning. That habit of throwing away leads, that shocking record, the inability to build a coherent attack (more lateral passing today) and the subsequent underperformance of our attacking acquisitions in the summer. Wissa’s poor performance was rightly laughed at by the Brentford fans, who gained hugely from the high fee and the signing of the electric Thiago as a replacement. Annoyingly, their director of football is a Geordie.

Woltemade has potential and needs patience, but he once again seemed lost in a strange series of formations, perhaps playing as a 10? I hope that every summer refreshment will be to his advantage.

These summer innovations are the big demand. Will they be with Eddie Howe, or will the manager be part of the rejig? My biggest concern is that Howe remains the sole factor in our recent success at the club. The ambitious recruitment led by Staveley and Ghodoussi has failed since their departure. Hopkinson and Wilson talk about a good game, but neither have had time to prove their worth. If a new manager is appointed, he will still have to combat the PSR/SCR restrictions and build a team that can challenge £40-50m players, who will always be susceptible to the higher wages offered by the septic six.

Those who think a replacement for Eddie Howe is a silver bullet to rocket back into the top four need to look at the reality of the situation, as failure to get the next move right could mean a multi-year decline. Beware of Souness’s ideas. If anyone has any confidence in the PIF taking Newcastle United to its stated aim of becoming number one, I’d like to know what evidence you base that on from the pedestrian over the past few years. The inability to build infrastructure and the apparent unwillingness to combat the limitations of APT and PSR does not seem like all the stops are being pulled out, as LIV wave and Riyadh Season are much higher on the priority list.

In the short term, I will point to a sense of perspective. The only way I think this season can be saved is through the FA Cup. Based on recent performances, I have little confidence in anything other than a comfortable exit at Villa Park, but Howe’s challenge is to keep the season alive by picking up an ace in Birmingham. If he can do this, then there is something to hold on to. Another exit is likely to be followed by another unpleasant trip to the Etihad and the situation could be almost toxic in two weeks’ time, without even mentioning Qarabag. Then there is the matter of a derby coming our way next month which could be an unimaginable breaking point.

We are at a new crossroads in our history. While I urge everyone to keep their feet on the ground, days like this generally feel extremely miserable, not least with the manager himself looking extremely vacant in a presser where he at least claimed responsibility, which I found infinitely preferable to the previous examples of ‘out of character’ and the focus on the minimal positives.

This isn’t over yet, but it gives the feeling that we are entering a crucial phase of the endgame.

Newcastle 2 Brentford 3 – Saturday 7 February 2026 5.30pm

Match statistics

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Botman 24, Bruno pen 79

Brentford:

Janelt 37, Thiago 45+2 pens, Ouattara 85

Possess was Newcastle 54% Brentford 46%

Total shots were Newcastle 16 Brentford 11

Shots on target were Newcastle 4 Brentford 5

Corners were Newcastle 9 Brentford 3

Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 24 Brentford 21

Newcastle team vs Brentford:

Pope, Trippier (Burn 87), Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Tonali (Ramsey 87), Bruno, Willock (Elanga 46), Barnes, Jacob Murphy (Woltemade 46), Wissa (Osula 65)

subtitles:

Ramsdale, Alex Murphy, Neave, Shahar

You can follow the author on BlueSky @bigjimwinsalot.bsky.social