So too did some Crystal Palace players as they endured a torrid afternoon, outclassed in every single department.
Crystal Palace captain, Joel Ward, decided to swap ends before kick off to prevent Newcastle – as they prefer – attacking downhill, towards the Gallowgate End, in the second half.
It was presumably designed as a subtle mind game and to deny the home side momentum after half time, but all it led to was a first over battering.
Palace had one chance, a header wide by Jean Philippe-Anderson, that bounced off target from a corner as Newcastle poured forward.
They took the lead in fortuitous circumstances, a lovely cushioned, first time ball from Kieran Trippier, finding Jacob Murphy unmarked inside the area. It was a piece of sublime skill from the right back, to take all the pace out of the ball and get it to his winger.
From there, though, it was good old fashioned luck, as Murphy, tried to hook the ball back across his head to the far post. It was an attempted cross, but instead of finding a teammate, it dropped perfectly over the leap of goalkeeper Sam Johnston and dropped neatly into the far corner.