Newcastle United may have ridden a wave of luck as wide as the Tyne on Saturday, as they defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 on the latter’s home patch, but as this was the first time the Magpies had not pecked out the eyes of Wolves in the Midlands while in the top-flight since 1957, it was probably needed to end the Molineux hoodoo. Anyway, in those 54 years, I’m sure the Old Gold have had their fair share of good fortune, remembering a few occasions in the last decade that went against the form book (and Newcastle).
This result made it United’s best start to the season since the near-glory days of 1995-96. Still, it must be put in perspective. Though fifteen points have been accrued in the first seven games, of the teams that finished in the top seven last season, the black-and-whites have only had to face one of them so far and that was an out-of-sorts Arsenal. A real test will come at Gallowgate when Tottenham Hotspur come to visit. Moreover, the Mapies’ pretty perch at fourth in the table is precarious. Spurs have a game in hand to go with their own twelve points and Liverpool are close behind the top four. I remember Wigan was second in the table at roughly this point in the season back in 2005 and at the end of the season they had suffered eight league place degradations. Were Newcastle to suffer the same, they would finish in the same place as last season (given the summer turmoil, maybe not such a bad result). There is an element of banking points early so as to survive after tougher moments in the season which might expose a small squad.
But, for the time being, to go into the international break on an unbeaten twelve match league and cup run stretching back to last season, it feels good to enjoy these warm times while they last.

On Match of the Day 2, we had some classic Colin Murray-isms – “If you been avoiding the TV to take in the sun and missed yesterday’s games, we’ve got them all here” – referencing the Indian Summer distinctly locates Britain as the area people watched Match of the Day and 10.30 pm was long after the sun had gone down, so why miss TV to soak it up, if it wasn’t there?!? And then claiming Rio Ferdinand was in the England list before Lee Dixon corrected it him by the simple expedient of reading the screen instead of making assumptions. What happens Colin when you assume? In your case, the only ass made is you.