Don’t have nightmares | OneFootball

It is Newcastle v Arsenal up next.

I have a message for all Newcastle United fans.

Don’t have nightmares!

Both people I know and those I come across on the tinternet, I am seeing a lot of panic.

Newcastle United fans convincing themselves that it will all go wrong on Wednesday night.

That panic fuelled further by Newcastle United losing 2-1 at home to Fulham on Saturday AND Arsenal winning 5-1 at the Emirates against Man City.

I understand that with all football fans, at least those who aren’t supremely arrogant, there will always be a certain fear of somehow the fates conspiring to thwart us.

However, you also have to keep a grip on reality.

Put it this way.

I didn’t speak to a single Newcastle fan who before the first leg, wouldn’t have taken a 1-0 loss heading into this second leg.

So, to be going into Newcastle v Arsenal tomorrow night, three goals better off than that, then surely this is a dream and not any kind of nightmare!

It isn’t complacency, it is just cold hard facts.

Of course you have to accept that there is still a possibility of everything going wrong, that is football, there are no guarantees.

However, becoming the massive favourites to go through in this tie is a brilliant thing.

All we have to do at 8pm on Wednesday night, is to give it everything, players and fans. Create a match and atmosphere that makes it as difficult as possible for Arsenal to get any encouragement.

As well as that ‘minor’ matter of kicking off 2-0 up, there are other positives.

Not least of course the fact that United are at home in this second leg. For sure we would have all taken a 2-0 win if Newcastle had been at home first, so to have had a 2-0 away victory was stunning.

However, plenty of positive stats in NUFC’s favour, as well as of course a 2-0 lead from the first leg.

Even in Newcastle v Arsenal matches at St James’ Park where things start level, Eddie Howe has clearly had the upper hand on Mikel Arteta.

The four Newcastle v Arsenal home matches showing the following under Eddie Howe:

Newcastle 2 Arsenal 0

Newcastle 0 Arsenal 2

Newcastle 1 Arsenal 0

Newcastle 1 Arsenal 0

Even under Mike Ashley, since 2010 Newcastle had only lost by more than a one goal margin on a single occasion.

Whilst under Eddie Howe, the last seven times (home and away) the two teams have met, Newcastle have won four, one draw, two Arsenal wins.

I watched the Arsenal match on Sunday and whilst they played well, it was terrible defending and shocking individual mistakes that turned it into a 5-1, rather than a 2-1 that would probably have been a fairer reflection.

Even the fact that Newcastle ended up losing on Saturday, could arguably be seen as a positive for Wednesday night.

I don’t think there was any complacency amongst the players on Saturday but regardless of whether there was or not, in the following days Eddie Howe will be drilling into the players just how important it will be to at it from the very first whistle.