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The anniversary photo that is worth a thousand words (and more!) after Newcastle 5 Brentford 1

1 year ago
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The scoreline read Newcastle 5 Brentford 1 at the final whistle.

To be honest, I think we have played better this season and not even won, or scored a goal!

That is how football works, or doesn’t work, if you know what I mean.

Football is truly the best and the very worst of sports because unlike any other, there are so many factors than can influence the final result. No other sport do you see so regularly a team so dominant, yet doesn’t win.

Inspired goalkeeper or simply the fates conspire, it just so often means your team doesn’t get the result their performance deserved.

I thought today was a 2-0, maybe 3-1 game, but it ends up 5-1.

I’m not apologising, as so many of our draws this season should have been wins.

Similarly, I am not apologising for revelling in today’s post-match photo.

Introduced by Eddie Howe after doing similar at Bournemouth, this brings everybody together to celebrate the latest victory, whether player or coach, whether or not they were on the pitch or not.

It is a team effort AND we are not talking just about the starting eleven.

Despite it having been a first anniversary win, the owners didn’t decide to put themselves into the photo. Which of course will confuse the sportswashing fanatics to a large degree.

Instead, this anniversary / winning photo is simply just about good old fun.

You know, enjoying the win.

Just like the thousands of fans getting absolutely mortal tonight in the Toon, or indeed wherever else you may be on the planet.

A modern day trend has seen many people look down on those celebrating after a win…do you think you have won the title / world cup / champions league?…beating Fulham / Brentford and going on like that?…etc etc.

What is football about if it isn’t celebrating wins, celebrating goals?

Yes, everybody wants to win trophies but basic maths / reality tells us that most of us won’t see this happening in any particular season, or indeed any particular lifetime for many of us!

This is where they want to drag us, the celebration police, where going mental / getting mortal is frowned upon after hammering Fulham / Brentford and going crazy whenever the ball hits the net.

It feels like they want to push us towards that soulless existence you see at so many clubs (Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool etc), where filming the players on your phone after a goal is the way to go, rather than the simple raw emotion of grabbing a total stranger…

As I finish off this article (6.25pm Saturday 8 October 2022) this is how the Premier League table currently looks, with Spurs winning at Brighton…

Live for the moment, Newcastle United are on the up, enjoy yourselves.

That is what football is all about and if Newcastle ever win things, well, I’m not sure what I will do!

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 5 Brentford 1 – Saturday 8 October 3pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Bruno 21, 56 Murphy 28, Almiron 82, Pinnock OG 90

Brentford:

Toney (Pen) 54

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Brentford 46% (39%) Newcastle 54% (61%)

Total shots were Brentford 6 (1) Newcastle 16 (7)

Shots on target were Brentford 3 (1) Newcastle 6 (4)

Corners were Brentford 5 (0) Newcastle 9 (6)

Referee: John Brooks

Attendance: 52,067

Newcastle United:

Pope, Trippier (Targett 84), Schar, Botman, Burn, Longstaff, Bruno (ASM 78), Willock, Murphy (Joelinton 66), Almiron (Anderson 84), Wilson (Wood 84)

Unused Subs:

Karius, Lascelles, Lewis, Fraser

(Newcastle 5 Brentford 1 – The instant NUFC fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)

(Only the F word would do for Alan Shearer as Newcastle United soar to Fifth in the table – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 5 Brentford 1 – Bruno the boy as he leads United to dominant victory – Read HERE)

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