Newcastle sit higher than two 'big six' teams in league table based on Eddie Howe's 100 games in charge

The idea of the Premier League's 'Big Six' is an annoying one at the best of times but when those six titans aren't even the best six sides in the league, it's time something is done about it.

Since Newcastle United's PIF-backed takeover in 2021 there has been a belief in the footballing world that The Magpies would upset the Premier League's 'Big Six' - Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham - by either infiltrating and making it a 'Big Seven' or imploding the whole idea.

While it hasn't exactly been that dramatic, thanks largely to spending restrictions imposed by FFP/PSR, when you look at the overall Premier League table based on Eddie Howe's first 100 games in charge at Newcastle, then you'll see that progress is definitely being made.

So, Newcastle haven't won a trophy yet, but it's still very early days. We have survived almost-certain relegation then gone on to bag a top-four finish the following year, reached a cup final and a quarter-final while mixing it with the big boys of the Champions League, two of which made it to the semi-finals and one is now in the final. On top of that, we're close to sealing another spot in Europe this season.

The Athletic

Newcastle place higher than two 'Big Six' sides over the last 100 games

Meanwhile, two of the 'Big Six' are falling away from the rest. The Athletic have posted a handy league table based on the 100 games since Eddie Howe took charge. Chelsea aren't even in the top six and Manchester United are just hanging on. Since Eddie Howe took over at Newcastle, the Magpies have bagged one more point than Man United and a whopping 25 more than Chelsea.

So these clubs who make up this 'Big Six' who have far too much sway on what goes on in the Premier League are only part of this cabal based on financial clout that, in the case of Chelsea and Man City, only came after crazy investment from their owners before spending restrictions were a thing.

Now Chelsea struggle to compete, despite making a very late surge in the league this season, and Manchester United are a shadow of their former selves. Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired the club has almost become a joke.

It's time to drop this 'Big Six' tag

Eddie Howe has got Newcastle to break into the top six in a footballing sense in his 100 games in charge, our backers have more wealth than the rest of the Premier League combined, we just can't tap into it, so how is this cabal still a thing?

It's the media. It's Sky Sports and the BBC constantly pushing the agenda of the 'Big Six', focusing more on them than any other side doing well. Case in point was our recent 4-0 win over Tottenham. All of the analysis after the game was on how poor Spurs were rather than how good Newcastle were.

We get that these companies need to get the most eyes possible on what they do so they have to aim for what they deem to be the bigger fanbase, but just because you've created this list of six elite clubs, doesn't make them the biggest. Just because they are good at bringing in revenue and generating money, doesn't make them the biggest.

Everyone knows that Newcastle's fanbase is second to none and is growing rapidly. Take a look at that 100 game league table and start throwing some respect our way.