Rate the 2025/2026 season

[Tsunami]

3, chaotic summer transfer business, got to knock out stages of CL and SF of League Cup. Failed to qualify for Europe, lost too many games, dropped most points from winning positions, 1 or 2 players guilty of jacking the season in. 
 

In hindsight, the absolute shit show that was our summer transfer business made what followed understandable. We simply didn’t replace Isak with anything like the quality required. As for the Elanga transfer I’m still completely non plussed why we wanted him so badly. 

[RS]

The league has been stinking. The stench of Ashley/Bruce.  Thats how bad the league has been.  Something stinks at the club. Definitely something wrong. 

[Zero]

1. Double by the scums, that alone makes it 1 already.

[Guillaume]

Most (27) points dropped from winning positions

Least (3) points gained from losing positions

Most (20) goals conceded in last 15 minutes

Most (17) defeats outside the relegation places. 

 

Horrible statistics, and to think we only ended up 11 points off Champions League and 4 points off Europe. 

 

Shouldn't be difficult to improve on...

[Andy]

It depends what you're comparing it to, as we've obviously had more depressing and abject seasons in the past. But compared to expectations and where the club wants to be, it was obviously disappointing.

 

We hit par in the champions league, reached a cup semi final (albeit without pulling up any trees), but massively underperformed in the league. I actually think our final position flattered us a bit, 13th-15th would've felt more in line with our performances I reckon. 

 

All of that combined with the mess of the summer, the mackems getting Europe, Arsenal winning the league, Villa winning the Europa, and Spurs beating the drop, it's hard to look at anything beyond a 3/10 when taken as a whole.  

[M4]

Really strange season, as on a personal level I have moments and memories I'll always cherish. This is the first full season since my eldest son has properly caught the football bug - so managed to get to a few games with him, the last of which just last week for West Ham. Also got to to go to the Marseille and PSG games which was fantastic.

 

Sportingly though... still a 3

 

From the Isak Summer, the quick realisation that some of the signings were not all that, the rapid death of the blue kit, our insistence on keeping a hold of as few points as possible... It's frustrating that we still could not get a run at one of the so called lesser European competitions.

 

For the first time, I'm a little worried on the damage this season might have on the next. Player departures and our potential failure to attract transformative players. I still fancy Howe to stay but there's a massive job to be done that started yesterday evening, really.

[Leemond]

Highs
- Man City home win
- Everton away
- PSG away
- Beating the farmers 6-1
- Barnes last minute winner VS Leeds
- Osula goal VS Man Utd

Lows
- Summer/January transfer nonsense
- Liverpool last minute winner
- Arsenal sending off/pen which never was
- Brentford/West Ham away
- Marseille away
- Derby defeat x2
- Man City over two legs
- Losing to worst Man Utd team of all time

- Barcelona 

- Eddie Howe 

 

 

Edited May 25 by Leemond

[80]

Logged in just to see who voted 5 and 6 and it's a private vote FFS...

[Miggys First Goal]

3 minutes ago, 80 said:

Logged in just to see who voted 5 and 6 and it's a private vote FFS...

Look again  

[80]

3 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

Look again  

That's more like it

[The Bonk]

1 hour ago, Leemond said:

Highs
- Man City home win
- Everton away
- PSG away
- Beating the farmers 6-1
- Barnes last minute winner VS Leeds
- Osula goal VS Man Utd

Lows
- Summer/January transfer nonsense
- Liverpool last minute winner
- Arsenal sending off/pen which never was
- Brentford/West Ham away
- Marseille away
- Derby defeat x2
- Man City over two legs
- Losing to worst Man Utd team of all time

- Barcelona 

- Eddie Howe 

 

 

 

 

Think Eddie is more Mids than Lows

[bobbydazzla]

This season was a negative.

 

And right now I need two positives. You know, one to cancel out the negative and another one just so I can have a positive.

[ffs]

 yes, we lost all those points from winning positions and finished 12th in a season when all the european places were up for grabs. but the thing i liked least was that i never felt like i understood what we were *trying* to be. intensity's clearly no longer our identity, but what is? what's the intention? just no clue. i'm howe in-out (on the fence, no confidence in my view) but, like, not wanting to bring in too many players doesn't make me think we're going to end up with a clear identity next season either. but this is about last season... so, 3/10. worst season since the takeover by far, obviously. very rarely an easy watch.

 

(also, arsenal winning the league and jesus quite possibly the champions' league, spurs not going down, sunderland getting europa (and, way worse than that, kindof feeling *better run* than us (sorry)), man utd resurgent, refs and var feeling possibly worse than ever, that fucking hearts-celtic stitch-up)

 

silver linings (making it 3/10 and not lower):

 

for us: the lewises, osula maybe just maybe being something, that first half in azerbaijan, barca first leg, the atmosphere before mackems at sjp, woltemade's early purple patch, the end of the leeds game (legit out of body experience), the vanishingly brief window in which wissa looked like a poacher, everyone getting behind elanga (for all the good it did us, and him), lewis m getting the armband vs psv, tripps' classy ending (pipe down), making the lc semis i guess - altho that whole competition felt like such a grind this season and we were never in the semi at all, bruno scoring that corner and then trying unsuccessfully to score lots more corners.

 

elsewhere: the porn twats at west ham going down with their terrible stadium, wrexham missing out on promotion (fuck you, netflix club), chelsea fucking it up in general and with linkedin liam in particular, the disappointingly brief, wonderful reign of igor tudor, southampton fucking up the playoffs and then boro fucking up the redemption arc, leeds & forest staying up (proper clubs), salford losing in the playoffs.

 

3/10, must try harder

 

 

 

Edited May 25 by ffs
typos.....

[madras]

For us about a 4.

 

For the Premier league in general about a 2.

 

 

Edited May 25 by madras

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I know we had some good moments and any time you hear the CL anthem at SJP is a brilliant moment. 
 

But generally I can’t remember much other than the grind. Particularly the disappointment of the signings not working out. 

 

 

Edited May 25 by AyeDubbleYoo

[black_n_white]

On 24/05/2026 at 19:18, black_n_white said:

That’s what I went. Very good in cups, shocking in league.

Actually, somehow it totally slipped my mind that we signed Wissa in the summer despite my relentless amount of posts warning us not to do it, so I’m lowering it to a 4.

[r0cafella]

Generous from Waugh as expected. 

 

Spoiler

Newcastle

 

Grade: C-

An overall grade is very difficult (and many may view my choice as generous…).

 

In cup competitions, Newcastle warrant a B, given they reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals during a good defence of that trophy, and qualified for the Champions League’s knockout phase for the first time. Barcelona and Manchester City (in both domestic cups) were their elite conquerors in those competitions, though the 7-2 scoreline of the second leg at Camp Nou was embarrassing.

 

The Premier League, however, has been a different story. Newcastle lost more games (17) than they won (14) and finished in the bottom half of the table. Mostly, they stuttered through matches and also suffered disastrous home-and-away defeats to newly promoted arch-rivals Sunderland.

 

Chris Waugh

 

[Boo Boy]

Some great European trips but overall crap.

[Minhosa]

1 hour ago, r0cafella said:

Generous from Waugh as expected. 

 

  Hide contents

Newcastle

 

Grade: C-

An overall grade is very difficult (and many may view my choice as generous…).

 

In cup competitions, Newcastle warrant a B, given they reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals during a good defence of that trophy, and qualified for the Champions League’s knockout phase for the first time. Barcelona and Manchester City (in both domestic cups) were their elite conquerors in those competitions, though the 7-2 scoreline of the second leg at Camp Nou was embarrassing.

 

The Premier League, however, has been a different story. Newcastle lost more games (17) than they won (14) and finished in the bottom half of the table. Mostly, they stuttered through matches and also suffered disastrous home-and-away defeats to newly promoted arch-rivals Sunderland.

 

Chris Waugh

 

No surprise that sap has graded it generously. 

[Dokko]

2. We didn't go down. Our biggest achievement this season. 

[LFEE]

6 hours ago, r0cafella said:

Generous from Waugh as expected. 

 

  Hide contents

Newcastle

 

Grade: C-

An overall grade is very difficult (and many may view my choice as generous…).

 

In cup competitions, Newcastle warrant a B, given they reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals during a good defence of that trophy, and qualified for the Champions League’s knockout phase for the first time. Barcelona and Manchester City (in both domestic cups) were their elite conquerors in those competitions, though the 7-2 scoreline of the second leg at Camp Nou was embarrassing.

 

The Premier League, however, has been a different story. Newcastle lost more games (17) than they won (14) and finished in the bottom half of the table. Mostly, they stuttered through matches and also suffered disastrous home-and-away defeats to newly promoted arch-rivals Sunderland.

 

Chris Waugh

 

I’d argue fair and balanced…

 

Anyone scoring a season below 6 when you get to last 16 in the UCL, SF of the league cup getting KO’d by the winners and likewise in the 5th round of the FA Cup after the summer we had and the draws we were given and the injuries we suffered is showing some real entitlement vibes IMO.

 

Not oblivious to the performances so maybe that is where some are clouding their judgements.

 

Some of these marks you’d think we’d been relegated and not been in Europe or any cup runs 

[TRon]

2 minutes ago, LFEE said:

I’d argue fair and balanced…

 

Anyone scoring a season below 6 when you get to last 16 in the UCL, SF of the league cup getting KO’d by the winners and likewise in the 5th round of the FA Cup after the summer we had and the draws we were given and the injuries we suffered is showing some real entitlement vibes IMO.

 

Not oblivious to the performances so maybe that is where some are clouding their judgements.

 

Some of these marks you’d think we’d been relegated and not been in Europe or any cup runs 

 

 

I always use the league as a true marker of the season, as cup competitions are a bit like World Cup qualification groups. There are some hard games along the way, but a lot of dross where you can pad the numbers.

 

The league has been disastrous as far as I'm concerned. The results have been bad and the performances have matched them. Players look to have lost belief in the project and we have the better ones looking for a way out. 

[TheInfiniteOdyssey]

The NUFC Athletic reporters are a bunch of flannels. I would unsubscribe from the platform, but the journalism elsewhere on there is really decent, particularly on world football coverage.
 

The Newcastle beat desperately needs someone more detached from the club and wider city imo. Waugh and Caulkin are just incapable of providing a thorough, ruthless dissection of everything that’s gone wrong, even if I do think the latter is a great writer. 

[Minhosa]

7 minutes ago, TheInfiniteOdyssey said:

The NUFC Athletic reporters are a bunch of flannels. I would unsubscribe from the platform, but the journalism elsewhere on there is really decent, particularly on world football coverage.
 

The Newcastle beat desperately needs someone more detached from the club and wider city imo. Waugh and Caulkin are just incapable of providing a thorough, ruthless dissection of everything that’s gone wrong, even if I do think the latter is a great writer. 

At least they’ve got Wheezer Payne though….

[Andy]

21 minutes ago, LFEE said:

I’d argue fair and balanced…

 

Anyone scoring a season below 6 when you get to last 16 in the UCL, SF of the league cup getting KO’d by the winners and likewise in the 5th round of the FA Cup after the summer we had and the draws we were given and the injuries we suffered is showing some real entitlement vibes IMO.

 

Not oblivious to the performances so maybe that is where some are clouding their judgements.

 

Some of these marks you’d think we’d been relegated and not been in Europe or any cup runs 

 

It depends if you're judging the season purely on our own outcome, or if you're reviewing the season as a whole. The 2025/26 campaign was easily a 3/10 if you factor in the whole shebang beyond our own results and performances; Arsenal winning the league, mackems getting Europe, Villa winning EL, Spurs beating the drop, Celtic winning the SPL, etc. 

 

Even just taking into account our own season though, I'm not sure hitting par in the CL (par for any PL club) and reaching a league cup semi really offsets the disaster that was the summer and the subsequent results and performances in the league that have followed. You can critique it as a poor season relative to expectations without it being "entitlement". Everyone knows this wasn't a Mike Ashley campaign.