The disconnect for me is that the people running the club talk about becoming one of the biggest clubs in world football, while supporters are sat here just wanting us to not have every fan base in the country taking the piss out of us. They just want to see a club that acts with competence, authority and ambition. A club that isn’t constantly losing out on targets, getting dragged through public sagas or finding itself at the centre of ridicule. Fans have been asked to pay more through memberships, ticket increases, shirts and merchandise. That’s fine if the football operation is moving forward too. But right now it feels like supporters are being sold a vision of what Newcastle might become while repeatedly being asked to ignore what’s happening in front of them. Nobody expects perfection. They just expect better than this. And the reality is that perception matters. Players, agents and clubs all see the same headlines and hear the same narratives. At some point Newcastle need a genuine breakthrough moment that changes how the club is viewed across football. Not another promise, not another five-year plan. A statement that shows we’re becoming what we’re told we’re aspiring to be.