I expect for a few of them it's just bluster. I cannot fathom anyone thinking of us as anything other than the more relevant(?) of the two clubs, all but the most blinkered would surely concede that? Which is why you'll hear them use indefinite qualities like "classier", "proper" and the like.
For some there's a reliance on twisting the facts to create a reality where; all Newcastle players are shit, all Newcastle managers are shit, all ex-Newcastle players are shit unless they do well at another club at which point it was the aforementioned shit managers that did for them, all ex-Newcastle managers are better than the incumbent, all points are lucky, all losses thoroughly deserved, all penalties are soft, all red cards are blatant.
Our Championship team was both utterly shit and way too good for that league. But only because we spent more than anyone else (we didn't) and kept our best players (we didn't). Our c£30m surplus is irrelevant to our expenditure. Also the number of players brought in for that £55m is irrelevant. Players must be bought for the 1st team, if that's not the case they're a waste of money. We were shit at home (we weren't), were too defensive (we scored plenty), while also looking shaky at the back (we didn't). Only a few of that title winning side would get in their team that is currently around 20th? Grayson was a better option than Benitez because the former is experienced in that league and the latter isn't.
Oh by the way, Benitez' managerial ability wasn't responsible for any of his many trophies, all were due to inheriting good sides, luck, or spending a fortune because he's a chequebook manager.
It's bizarre. There are plenty of real, actual, truthful things to have a dig at Newcastle United (and some of our fans) about, I cannot for the life of me understand why they'd try to take positions that are so simple to demonstrate hold no water?