The only surprise with this Newcastle United team is that…anybody is surprised

I never cease to be surprised by comments on this Newcastle United team.

I am bemused.

Journalists and many Newcastle United fans bemoaning what they are watching.

I totally get the frustration with the performances recently and results.

However, I am surprised that…anybody is surprised.

What exactly were journalists and fans expecting?

Newcastle United lost an elite manager and our best players, certainly in attack and midfield.

Eddie Howe so under appreciated by a bizarre section of the Newcastle United fanbase.

Whilst Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes were four top quality players who had been key to the United success. When you realise that this quartet made up four of our six attackers and midfielders and who we now have playing instead, what exactly were you expecting?

When you then add in the fact that the best Premier League defence of the 2022/23 season are now in their twilight years (Burn, Schar, Pope, Trippier (who has obviously now left)) or hugely impacted by two big operations and injuries (Botman). This is now a very different Newcastle United team.

I would argue that the best possible Newcastle United team this season if everyone is available is an average mid-table side at best.

Whilst if hit by numerous injuries and having confidence issues…well, it doesn’t take a genius to work it out.

The booing of Matthias Jaissle and his Newcastle United team by a vocal minority of fans, what is that supposed to achieve?

A very average Newcastle United team hit by still many injuries and some playing who aren’t fully match fit as yet, they look fragile and when having a low confidence side with so few natural robust leaders. Yes, those boos are really going to help. Especially when you have so many new players, so many new young inexperienced players from weaker overseas leagues.

There are so many valid questions to be asked about how we got to this position, a position where this Newcastle United team is nowhere near the level of what we had previously, players who are simply not as good as those who are no longer here, or no longer what they once were due to advancing years and/or operations and so on.

But if we now want to give the current squad and manager the best chance of doing their best, a bit of support from the Newcastle United fans won’t do any harm.

Newcastle UNITED, will never be defeated (well, at least not quite so often, if we all stick together).

It takes a lot of time, work and getting things right to form a successful Newcastle United team, all of that can fall apart so quickly.

The Newcastle United owners and senior staff have a lot of questions to answer, for now though let’s try and help Matthias Jaissle and his players.