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Welcome to The Toon Tavern 🍺
Your daily pour of NUFC news, opinion and crack. No PR spin. No daft agendas. Just football.

Match previews, transfer rumours, tactical takes and the odd meltdown, all served black & white brewed.

17/08/2025

⚫️⚪️ Stat Attack is here! ⚫️⚪️

We’ve launched a new weekly feature on Ketsbaia’s Corner where we strip away the emotion and let the numbers do the talking.

The first one covers our 0–0 opener at Villa Park:
✅ 1.4 xG to Villa’s 0.2
✅ 16 shots to their 3
✅ 59% possession
❌ But no goals to show for it…

So… are we missing a striker, or goals from midfield?

👇Full analysis in the comments

👍Like if you think we desperately need a new CF
🔁 Share with your mate who thinks we need more goals from midfield
🔔Follow Toon Tavern for more long-reads, analysis and reactions throughout the season

16/08/2025

⚫⚪ Villa 0–0 Newcastle: a point earned, but questions remain…

We started brightly and created three golden chances in the first half, but the finishing touch wasn’t there. Villa went down to ten men on 65 minutes and still we couldn’t break them down.

The easy line is “if Isak plays, we win”, but in truth this was always going to be a tough place to start the season. A solid point at a ground that hasn’t been kind to us, but one that also leaves a few lingering questions about cutting edge in the final third.

👇 Full reaction in the comments.
👍 Like if you’ll take a point at Villa Park
↪️ Share if you think we should have taken more
🔔 Follow for more NUFC previews & analysis

16/08/2025

It ends all square at Villa Park.

16/08/2025

⚫️⚪️Eddie Howe's season opening Mags! 💥

16/08/2025

⚫⚪ Match Preview: Aston Villa vs Newcastle United 🦁

The season opener takes us to Villa Park, scene of last season’s bruising 4-1 defeat. Eddie Howe’s men return with Champions League qualification secured, a stronger squad, and a point to prove.

Villa’s summer has been muted, their PSR troubles limiting business to just one major addition, €30m striker Evann Guessand from Nice, while speculation continues around key players. Unai Emery’s side remain dangerous, but questions linger about depth and stability.

Newcastle, meanwhile, arrive with momentum. New signings Ramsdale, Thiaw and Elanga are joined by the statement capture of Jacob Ramsey, snapped up directly from Villa. It’s a bold move that not only strengthens our midfield but also weakens a direct rival in the race for the top four.

This fixture has become symbolic of the shifting battle for Champions League spots. After Villa edged us aside last season, we snatched it back on the final day. Now it’s time to set the tone for another year in the fight.

👇 Full preview in the comments.
👍 Like if you back the lads to put last season’s defeat behind us
↪️ Share if you’re buzzing to see Ramsey in black and white
🔔 Follow for more NUFC previews, analysis & long-reads

15/08/2025

⚫⚪ Yoane Wissa to Newcastle United is edging closer.

A deal worth £35m–£40m is moving towards the finish line, with Brentford lining up a replacement and Newcastle pushing to get it done.

Wissa’s pace, directness, and ability to play across the front line make him a perfect fit for Eddie Howe’s pressing game – and crucially, he’s available now when we need attacking reinforcements most.

With the Alexander Isak situation unresolved and the striker market “as tight as I’ve ever known it” (Howe’s words), landing Wissa could be one of the most important moves of the summer.

👇 Full story in the comments.
👍 Like if you want Wissa at St James’ Park
↪️ Share if you think he’s the right signing
🔔 Follow for more NUFC transfer news and long-reads that go beyond the headlines

15/08/2025

⚫⚪ "Worry is a wasted emotion."

Eddie Howe has confirmed:
✅ Joe Willock is the only absentee for the trip to Villa Park
✅ New signing Malick Thiaw could make his debut after just two training sessions
❌ Alexander Isak’s situation remains “unchanged” – he will NOT feature this weekend

Howe says there’s “technically a way back” for Isak, but all focus is on the players who are committed right now. He also made it clear Newcastle are still pushing for another striker, calling the forward market “as tight as I’ve ever known it.”

💬 Howe’s message to fans?

“I know the character and talent of this group. We will give effort, commitment, heart and desire – and we’ll need the fans with us.”

👇 Full press conference summary in the comments.
👍 Like if you’re backing Howe’s leadership
↪️ Share to spread the word ahead of the opener
🔔 Follow for more NUFC updates and long-reads that go beyond the headlines

14/08/2025

⚫⚪ “Jacob Ramsey is a Newcastle United player!”

Newcastle United have completed the £40m signing of Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa – a dynamic, ball-carrying No. 8 who could transform our midfield.

At just 24, Ramsey is Premier League-proven, technically sharp, and excels at driving through the thirds, linking play, and arriving in the box at the perfect moment. Under Gerrard and Emery he developed tactical flexibility, making him an ideal fit for Howe’s high-intensity system.

It’s a big fee, but in a midfield that’s lacked variety and pe*******on against deep blocks, Ramsey could be the injection of unpredictability we’ve been missing.

👇 How big a signing is this for NUFC?
👍 Like to welcome Ramsey to the Toon
↪️ Share if you think he’ll be a star
🔔 Follow for long-reads that go beyond the headlines

14/08/2025

⚫⚪ From 3-1 down to 4-3 winners!

NUFC U21s showed huge character in the National League Cup, with Fitzgerald’s stunner, Neave’s pressure for the equaliser, and Heffernan’s injury-time header from Shahar’s free-kick sealing a dramatic win over Gateshead.

💪 Fight.
🎯 Quality.
🔥 Perfect start.

12/08/2025

⚫⚪ "He’s burned his bridges, and we all know how much Geordies love bridges."

Alexander Isak has played his last game for Newcastle United. This isn’t a transfer saga – it’s a calculated act of betrayal.

Training away from the squad. Flying to Spain without permission. Refusing to wear the shirt again while Liverpool circle. The bond with the fans, the city, and the club? Gone.

No £150m? 💰 Then let him rot. Dock his wages. Stand firm, not just for Newcastle, but for football, that no player and no agent is bigger than the badge.

Yes, it’ll be a season-long soap opera. Every missed chance will be replayed. Every bad run will be linked to his absence. But we ride it out… and hope his replacement makes us forget he ever existed.

Players come and go. The shirt, the city, and the supporters remain.

👇 Full article in the comments.
👍 Like if you think NUFC should stand firm
↪️ Share to show we won’t be held hostage by player power
🔔 Follow for more long-reads that tell it as it is

11/08/2025

⚫⚪ “He still has a future, but only when the time is right.”

Eddie Howe’s handling of the Alexander Isak situation has been nothing short of elite.

A record signing unsettled by another club, missing the entire pre-season, training alone, and even told to stay away from the squad’s “friends and family” day and yet Howe has dealt with it with calm authority, absolute professionalism, and complete control of the message.

No public bust-ups. No rash decisions. Just a clear, consistent standard: if you’re not fully committed to the group, you don’t get to be part of it. And yet, the door remains open for when the time is right.

In an era where so many managers either lose the dressing room or blow situations up in the media, Howe has kept the squad focused, protected the culture he’s built, and removed the risk of this saga derailing the start of our season.

Moments like this are a reminder: players come and go, but the standards and stability Howe has brought are priceless. We are lucky to have him.

👇 Full article in the comments.
👍 Like if you back Howe’s leadership
↪️ Share if you agree we’re lucky to have him
🔔 Follow for more long-reads that go beyond the headlines

11/08/2025

🧐 Ashby in midfield: eccentric gamble or inspired move?

Harrison Ashby started in central midfield during pre-season, despite being a full‑back by trade. And while some saw it as desperation, Eddie Howe’s response suggests it might be a clever bit of tactical inventiveness:

“I liked his attitude. He attacked the position… it’s a sign of our squad depth… we ARE stretched in midfield.”

The context is stark: with Longstaff gone and midfield depth dangerously thin, Howe is testing whether Ashby could be his sixth midfielder. It’s a role that may not offer glory, but he’ll get minutes especially if the window remains quiet.

Is this a smart move or just a sign of how stretched our engine room has become?

👇 What do you think? Is Ashby an odd fit or the surprise wildcard Newcastle need?
👍 Like if you back Howe’s creativity
↪️ Share if you're worried about midfield shortages
🔔 Follow us for long-reads that examine the gaps, and the genius, behind the headlines

Full article in the comments.

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