Who am I supposed to want to win again? | OneFootball

As I Newcastle United fan, who is it that I am supposed to want to win?

Yes, naturally I know who I want to win when NUFC are playing, it is all these other matches that are the problem.

A real balancing act in many cases.

This is especially a problem early in the season as a Newcastle United fan, who do we see as our natural rivals?

Once the season develops it then generally becomes a lot easier, as you find out kind of whereabouts roughly Newcastle are going to be hovering around, so teams within touching distance above and below you invariably want to lose. Easy. In most cases…

As well as what should be easy decisions in terms of wanting teams to lose because they appear very likely to be your competitors this season, as a Newcastle United fan you also have to deal with your petty ‘dislike’ of certain clubs and/or the behaviour of parts of their fanbases.

The opening match on Saturday was a prime example.

I actually think Brighton look as though they could well finish above Man U based on the limited matches so far. So if it isn’t a draw (the coward’s way out) I want to happen, then really I should have been cheering when Ten Hag’s team went 2-1 ahead on the south coast. Instead, I was cheering and laughing my head off when that goal was disallowed, it would have counted if only Zirkzee hadn’t given it an extra touch just as Garnacho’s shot was set to roll over the line. Even more so, surely I shouldn’t have been cheering and laughing even louder when Brighton scored their winner deep into added time, as a draw SHOULD have been what I wanted, if I was being rational. Shouldn’t I? A point would have disappeared if they’d taken only one each.

To be honest, I think Man U look really average at best and have a poor manager and ongoing shocking recruitment, as they look to sign Ten Hag’s entire back catalogue of former players for daft money. So if Newcastle United are to doing anything this season, finishing above Man U is the very bare minimum we have to do. If Eddie Howe’s side finish below them, we will have had anything but a good season.

Speaking of petty dislikes… Tottenham v Everton.

I don’t like Tottenham BUT I really dislike Everton.

This is one that I really wanted to end in a draw, even though I should have wanted Tottenham to lose, as they are very likely to be a team we are looking to compete with and finish ahead of, whilst Everton are just simply rubbish. However, it ended up that I had to admit to myself that if anybody was going to win, then it had to be Tottenham hopefully, as I dislike Everton so so much and no way do I want them to cheat relegation yet again. So once again I was cheering on all four of the Tottenham goals, especially the one that Pickford absolutely gifted.

Late afternoon and now Villa at home to Arsenal. If I am a rational Newcastle United fan and want simply the best result to help our own team’s position, who should I want to win if forced to choose?

I am no fan of Villa for sure BUT Arsenal are a whole other level thanks to Arteta, some of their payers AND a lot of their fans.

I am pretty sure that I should want Arsenal to win as I think it will be a lot tougher and unlikely that we can finish above them as opposed to ending up ahead of Aston Villa. However, still part of me also thinks that just maybe with no Europe, we could aspire to a very good season with fair luck…

With 37 minutes gone of that game at Villa Park it is still goalless and I am still not sure who I will cheer if they score a goal, if anybody.

I think this is the greatest thing with football, pretty much any Premier League match I can watch and want one team to win more than the other, or in reality, want one team to lose more than the other.

I look forward to many more mental gymnastics to come this season, as I decide in match after match who I really want to win (lose!).