Read about Newcastle’s supporters in the news, and the likelihood is that, more often than not, you’ll find the prefix ‘long-suffering’ attached. Perhaps those journalists have just been listening to the wrong fans; although, in fairness to them, a certain undercurrent of matyr-ish stoicism seems to flow throughout our current fanbase; to be a Newcastle supporter is to be suffering!

To an extent, there is certainly something of the masochist in every supporter of this great, frustrating club of ours. How else can you explain regular full-houses to watch the at times painful fare served up under the recently-departed and non-too-missed Souness?

However, as maddening and heart-rending as following this club can be, I personally find myself a little saddened by those fans who refuse to acknowledge that there is anything worthwhile to be found in the club. Presumably they turn up to matches, on message boards, and to the pub pre- and post-game with the demeanour of penitents ready to suffer flagellation, and with the determination to ensure that no one else has any fun supporting the club either: Titus Bramble is shit and always will be.

Freddy Shepherd will never, ever do anything right by this club. We will never win anything unless we sack our entire coaching and playing staff. There is nothing even remotely enjoyable about turning up to matches.

Here’s my own take on this particular type of fan:

It’s pathetic that there are some people who refuse to see any worth in anything this club does. And it’s pathetic mainly because they get more attention from moaning like middle-aged hypochondriac women than they would from showing some optimism.

Am I claiming the club is perfect? No. Am I claiming that the club is above and immune from criticism? Of course not. Am I suggesting we repress the right to freedom of ideas and speech and opinions? No. What I am saying is that I think it’s disgusting that some so-called fans display nothing but utter destructive negativity towards this club. I bet you’re the same fuckers who stop singing and start whining the moment a pass goes astray.

Before anyone starts pontificating about what a martyr they are for sticking by the club even though it constantly lets them down- no one is forcing you to maintain your support if it causes you such mortal pain to do so. The club is bigger than the likes of you, and if you feel it doesn’t deserve your support, then withdraw it, because there are plenty of others who’d be glad of your seats.

A common retort from these ‘realists’ is that this point of view is completely unjustified and based not on facts, but on blind optimism. It’s not, but here’s a question to ponder: isn’t blind loyalty, optimism, and faith, a major part of being a football fan? Very few of us can say for sure why we support who we do. The majority of us were born Geordies; but even then, there is something greater than this that draws us to St. James’ every other week.

Part of the beauty and brilliance of being a fanatical supporter is a baseless connection with the club you love. Unfortunately, there are people who feel that the lot of being a football supporter is to suffer, to be constantly let down, to enjoy nothing. I guarantee something; if any manager or player of this club demonstrated an attitude as negative as that, they’d be hounded out of town.

When asked today whether Newcastle could finish top three next season, Glenn Roeder replied calmly, and with resolve and conviction: ‘I don’t see why not.’ Immediately, mutterings could be heard from the Puddleglum-ish fan: what? the man’s a fool! HE’ll never be the one to take us back into the Champion’s League!

Let me ask you a question- can you imagine the reaction if Roeder had said: ‘nope, I sincerely believe we’ll finish seventh. If we’re lucky.’ Eyeballs would bulge in rage. Flecks of spittle would have flown from the mouth of the more animated negative fan, whilst the more controlled version would simply have sighed, taken another sip of his pint and declared wistfully: ’shite, total shite. But I knew he would be. I said it. I told you.’

How about if, next season, during a game against Manchester United, Arsenal, or Chelsea, our team jogged around for the warm up, looked over to the other half, looked at each other, shrugged and said: ‘lads, fuck this. Let’s not bother turning up. We’ve got no chance. Especially with Shola up front.’ There would be riots for days outside St. James’.

And yet, some fans think it’s perfectly okay to display that kind of hopeless, lacklustre, profoundly, unreasonably pessimistic attitude, day in, day out. If you go to every game expecting your players to have confidence and belief, and defiance, and a will to win, then you have to have exactly the same expectation of yourself, because you are just as much a part of this club as the staff- maybe even more so.

Most of us don’t care. Most of us are wise enough to ignore the constant sniping of the fan who sits behind them every game. Sure, it’s irritating, but we make do. But I tell you something; in some years from now, if I have kids of my own, I would be distraught if they ended up sat next to a moaner for their first match at St. James’.

Imagine buying them a new home shirt, and getting them Emre 5 emblazoned across the back because they idolize the man, only to have them sit next to someone who, whenever their hero touches the ball, declares ‘rubbish. Soft as shite. Waste of money.’ How soul-destroying for the lad or lass.

So, on to Roeder, briefly.

Would I have preferred wor Ottmar to have been unveiled today? Yes. Would I have been tantalized by the prospect of Cruyff delivering his total football philosophy to Titus Baresi? Definitely. Am I sat here now with a razorblade in one hand, bottle of vodka in the other, because it’s Glenn? No. (I couldn’t type this for a start).

Am I- whisper it- optimistic, even, about the appointment? Frankly, yes. I’m optimistic for a start because, as touched on earlier, if you can’t get excited and hopeful about a fresh start for the club, then why are you bothering? You’re soulless. Wild hope and belief are part of the poetry of being in love with Newcastle United.

But my optimism isn’t necessarily blind. I feel personally, that Roeder has done enough to merit some hope for a bright future under him. There are many well-worn pro- and anti- Roeder arguments, so I’m not going to rehash all of these. I will say a few things though.

Newcastle United is a unique football club. It has been the graveyard of some of the biggest names in football, both managerially, and in terms of the playing staff. There is simply no way on earth to predict how anyone will turn out for the club.

Herein lies one of the great ironies of the current swathe of negativity: the same people who scoff: ‘Albert Luque? I don’t care if he was good at Deportivo! What he does here is all I care about!’ are the same ones who say: ‘I don’t care what Roeder has achieved here so far! Just look at his record before us with other clubs!’

Here is why I think Roeder maybe has as good a chance as any of doing well for us. For a start, he has acheived something very important already. Under Souness, I absolutely dreaded match days. It really was difficult for me to sit through such uninspiring listless football. Roeder has, first and foremost, made matches enjoyable again.

Whereas, previously, I’d do my best to forget about the upcoming game, I now find myself once again spending most of the week looking forward to Saturday or Sunday. People talk about trophies and success, but for me, this is one of the single most vital aspects of being a fan.

He’s got the team playing with genuine width, confidence, and a darn sight more cutting edge than previously- even without Emre, Parker, Owen, and with a Shearer who was on his last legs, or absent altogether.

People will point to the results against the so-called BIG teams, and say, ‘look, this is the level we need to be competing with.’ To them I can only say that the biggest handicap in all of those matches, and subsequently at Charlton, was mistakes in the defence.

Boumsong and Ramage were both culpable, if not fully responsible. But Roeder had no other options at this point- the moment he did, he was big enough to drop both players- and we haven’t looked back since. People moan that even Spurs have overtaken us this season.

Oh? You could have fooled me, given the way they were humbled in the first 45 minutes at SJP recently. That kind of performance, as well as the solidity displayed throughout our run, culminating in a clean sheet and a win against Chelsea, is a far better barometer of our progress- and this is before Roeder’s even had a chance to bring in his own players!

Ask just about anyone which strikers they wanted to see at the club, and Kuyt and Eidur’s (I don’t trust myself with the surname) names cropped up amongst even the most dour of supporters, again and again. Roeder has confirmed he’s had Kuyt watched, and is now being linked too with EG.

There seems to be a fallacy that Roeder is too soft for this job. Nonsense. Not only did Roeder captain this very club, but he has ably demonstrated that he has the strength, determination, and balls to turn things around when they aren’t going well.

You only have to look at the team’s reaction following the defeat at Charlton, and then the turn-around after half time at Sunderland- both occasions on which Roeder and the players later explained that had involved stern words- to see evidence of this.At the very very least, Roeder isn’t going to let down fans in terms of the commitment of his teams, and the style of football they play.

I’m caught between annoyance and pity that, on the day we appoint a manager with a real feel for the club, a manager who has said he wants to move the club forward, a manager who has said that Champion’s League is our aim, a minority- and it is a minority- feel fit to, rather than get behind him, and try and support this goal of moving the club forward, criticise everything about the appointment, from the man to the press conference itself.

I have no problem with people who have reservations about Roeder, I have no problem with realists or pragmatists, but I have a huge problem with people who exist only to bring everyone else down, to criticise everything anyone does, even if it’s with positive intent. If our manager and players ever displayed the same attitude as some of you, we might as well pack up and go home.

I’m not simply referring to today’s appointment. This has been festering away for quite some time. I’m talking about those who will never acknowledge a good performance from a player simply because they don’t like said player. I’m talking about those who think that Shepherd has never done a single positive thing for this club, despite the money he has happily released for his managers. I’m talking about those who boast proudly that they have the right to boo any of our players for misplacing a pass, because they pay their money to watch the team.

Listen, when Alan Shearer (possibly in his new role) comes round your house, twists your arm behind your back, and frog-marches you to the game, then you might have grounds for complaint. But if you only want to show up and spoil it for everyone else- your fellow fans, the manager, the team, then don’t bother turning up at all. Criticise the players, if you want, and if they deserve it, on here, or to your friends. No one denies you that right.

This is the chance for the club, the players, the fans, everyone, to start to move forward. I feel that some of you wouldn’t be happy even if we won the treble, played total football, and the player’s wives came around to give you a blowjob after every game.

And why wouldn’t you be happy? Because it’s easier to pick holes and complain and whimper about how bad things are than it is to stand up against negativity and show some passion and hope and desire. Incessant complaining demonstrates nothing but a pathetic defeatist attitude and the conviction that nothing will ever be right.

I’m not writing this behind rose-tinted glasses. I’m not trying to say that every player performed to Champion’s League standard last year. I began to dread watching the side under Souness, and I fully accept all criticism levelled at him. But so far Roeder has done nothing to provoke such dislike. T

here is a message board who have tagged him ‘Roedent’ and seem to have developed a personal dislike for him based on nothing more than the fact he wasn’t their choice for the manager’s job. If and when Roeder’s team starts churning out insipid, uninspiring performances, the way that Souness’ did, then you have grounds for tossing yourself from the Tyne Bridge. Until that moment, and for as long as the team continues to play positive, entertaining football, and getting results, then such griping and contempt is nothing more than childish stubbornness.

No one is demanding starry-eyed la la land acceptance of someone who doesn’t deserve it. But Roeder has shown enough to deserve at least a chance.

The negative fan will say that Roeder won’t win us the Premiership. Well, listen, people who say that success and enjoyment can only be determined by major trophies:

by that reckoning, Keegan’s years weren’t the least bit enjoyable, and neither was that night in Rotterdam under SBR. Tino’s Barca hat-trick? Albert’s chip to complete a 5-0 hammering of Manchester United? 50,000 scarves whirling in the evening air for Shearer’s testimonial?

Those are the moments, those are the glorious parts of being a fan. I want to win a trophy as much as anyone, but I will never, ever be disappointed in my club when they can continue to deliver such beautiful, emotional moments- and I feel that we have had as many of those in the last decade as anyone. Just ask Shearer about how much trophies compare to the unique entity that is Newcastle United Football Club.

Long-suffering? Only if you choose to impose suffering, misery and negativity on yourselves. But, please, don’t spoil it for the rest of us, who are hoping for more of those glorious nights under Roeder- and confident he can deliver a few more indelible memories.

Sent in by Newcastle-Online.com reader Ben Brown