Why is it always Manchester United that ruin Newcastle's dreams as transfer aims now clear

Can you believe it? Manchester United, damn them, struck again. Red Devils they most certainly are. Dream crushers. Geordie gremlins. They are not our favourite club by a country mile.

Against all that is sane, Man U defeated the mighty blue machine that is Man City to win the FA Cup and, much more importantly to us, grab the last European place at the very last moment. Spoilt a season’s work. Killed the joy of Brentford. Halted progress in its tracks. Put a totally different complexion on the way the last nine months will be viewed.

And it always seems to be them. Just when it looked as though Newcastle were about to end a lifetime’s wait to be crowned champions of England with the Entertainers 12 points clear back in the nineties, they did a Devon Loch in the home straight and collapsed to be overtaken. By who? Man U of course. A season later the Magpies were Premier League runners-up once more . . . to Man U.

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Then there was a year ago. Under new ownership Newcastle made it all the way to Wembley and the Carabao Cup final with thoughts that a wait for silverware since way back in 1969 was about to end.

But, no. We lost our keeper Nick Pope to a freak sending-off, were unable to pick his deputy Martin Dubravka because he had already played in the competition (for Man U of course) and with our third choice between the sticks lost 2-0 to those ruddy Red Devils. Now this.

To miss out on Europe after a valiant but vain effort while making the quarter-finals of the two domestic trophies may well be deemed failure, but it must become a blip rather than a stumbling block in the road. Sure, it puts pressure on next season, but we cannot knee-jerk into depression.

Newcastle climbed into the Champions League with the sure-footed aplomb of Edmund Hillary a season ago, but this time they were asked to scramble up Everest in sandshoes and with a heavy cold.

If the first was sensational, this would have been brave and defiant. The summit was never going to be achieved, but defiance and determination was shown given a catastrophic and persistent injury list as long as the Nile, their inability to strengthen their depleted squad in January because of profit and sustainability rules, and the loss of marquee summer signing Sandro Tonali to a 10-month ban.

It is always harder second time around. Be it following up a No.1 hit record, writing another best-seller, becoming champions again, or making a hit of a second marriage. Therefore to go round the Grand National course of the Premier League once again after soaring from base to the Champions League via a Wembley cup final was going to have its pitfalls.

The huge one was unquestionably a defence which completely forgot the principles which made it so secure a year ago. Here they were so porous it was embarrassing at times and were only bailed out by an equal ability to score at will. Entertainers? Not in the way of Kevin Keegan but maybe to those not of Geordie extraction and only requiring their weekly fix of goals come what may.

Still, let us be generous. The season which has just been completed ought to be judged not through jaundiced eyes expecting further untold heights but the realism of life. At the end of the day this may still be another brick in the building wall. However, much bigger steps must now be taken. That is what is important. The last transfer window was barren because of financial restrictions. This one must not be, otherwise progress will grind to a halt.

That means not just buying but buying well as United have done so regularly with Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, and, yes, Tino Livramento. Maybe Lewis Hall too and who would have thought we would be saying that for the best part of the season!

Shrewdness is required, cuteness the order of the day. Wheeling and dealing must become a way of life. It is possible. We await our fate.

Maybe I am piling pressure upon those in charge before they have had time to relax and enjoy their summer break but then pressure comes with the territory in the upper reaches. Acceptance and gratitude is for those residing in the comfort of the lower hills. Although preparation work is of the essence, the transfer window opens officially on June 14 and closes on August 30 with another ‘soft’ deadline on June 30.

That marks the end of the financial year and is significant because it is the cut-off period for PSR calculations. In other words, some clubs will have to unload before the end of the month, which makes it temporarily a buyer’s market.

Let us, however, for now pay tribute to United’s seventh-place finish, reaching the quarter-finals of both domestic cups, and taking part in the Champions League, culminating in the swirling excitement of Paris Saint-Germain 4-1. Scattering the Big Six in two successive seasons so soon after a takeover is a statement of intent. A year ago we topped Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea. This time old foes Manchester United were banished to our slipstream.

So who joins the lengthy line ready to take the plaudits? Well, for a start those able to stand on the bridge the longest amid the twin fears of injury and suspension. They earned a mighty hand. That means Gordon, Bruno and Fabian Schar.

Then we must show immense gratitude to Isak not only for his superb haul of 25 goals but his silky-smooth, easy on the eye delights. He challenged the figures of Alan Shearer while playing like Thierry Henry. Let us also recognise the emergence of Tino Livramento into a player of immense promise, someone not for the future but for today, Lewis Hall having the guts to hang in there and then prove his worth.

And Lewis Miley, who walked amongst us aged just 17 when United were in an injury crisis, played more games than was good for him during what was really a learning process, and will come again a better player. We dreadfully missed others like Joelinton and Nick Pope who sat out an eternity, plus Joe Willock and Sven Botman.

However, being a club built upon the legendary No 9 shirt, let me pay homage to those who brought goals to Newcastle. They signed off with a whopping total of 102 in all competitions, topping a century for the first time in 63 years with a league total of 85, outstripping their previous best of 82 from their debut PL season 1993-94 when 42 matches were played instead of 38. That is serious plundering!

Isak was the ringmaster of course, with the best return since Shearer, but there were vital contributions over all competitive games from Gordon (12) and Callum Wilson with 10 from 12 starts and 14 sub appearances, plus midfield support from Sean Longstaff, eight, and Bruno, seven.

However, we must keep a sense of realism. All was far from right. An inquest must be held into why so many goals were conceded after a Scrooge-like reluctance to present presents a year ago with Schar, Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, Botman and limitedly Pope still participants, plus the same midfield shield provided by Bruno, Longstaff and Joelinton on tap most of the time.

United lost on a shocking 11 occasions away from home, which very few others did, and that is inviting big trouble.

While I admire the ability to score goals, I cannot accept it at the expense of giving them away like confetti in a high wind at a wedding. Fail to put that right this summer, Eddie, and the next campaign will be a backward step.

As a defender yourself, you must know that. Geordies love goals, but that doesn’t mean we accept conceding them. While an automatic inquest goes on, United must also look into their persistent injury problems. Simply atrocious luck? It would be naive and neglectful to dismiss them as so.

Still, we are grateful for small gains but ever anxious for bigger and better things. Who can blame us after years of bread and water!

For a bit of fun I looked at my Player Of The Year contenders and came up with this pecking order: 1 Gordon, 2 Isak, 3 Bruno, 4 Schar.

Best matches? Here we go: 1 PSG 4-1; 2 Aston Villa 5-1 opening day; 3 Arsenal 1-0, lovely to see Mikel Arteta whingeing; 4 Sunderland 3-0, solely because it was the Mackems and in their own backyard; 5 Sheffield United 8-0 away, well just look at the scoreline; 6 West Ham 4-3, because of the fightback from 1-3 down; 7 Champions Manchester City 1-0 in the League Cup; 8 Aston Villa 3-1, a double over those taking our place in the Champions League; 9 Burnley 4-1 away when Isak and Wilson were unleashed in tandem to devastating effect; 10 4-2 at Brentford because it was the last day and we really needed it to cling on to seventh.