Wullie

There's no way we were lucky on Saturday like. You can't possibly say "we were lucky that Chelsea were absolute turd", that's not luck anymore than to say after a hopeless defeat "we were unlucky today that we were utter garbage". You can't have it both ways. I didn't think we were good (in the first half, we were very poor and conceded possession almost instantly every time we had it) but with the talent they had out, they were worse, did absolutely nothing with the ball, and we showed far more in the last twenty than they did in the entire game. We fully deserved to win the game, but not because we were superb, and not because we were lucky, we were just better than an atrocious (on the day) Chelsea.

That Hull game was absolutely ridiculous - the team had very clearly been told to go with what was working in the previous two games, i.e. "give it to Ben Arfa and he'll cut in and shoot, the rest of you feel free to stand still" Hull proceeded to put at least three men at him at all times whilst the other players did indeed stand still. And Ben Arfa got the blame.

He changes the formation/philosophy/system week to week, game to game, even multiple times within games. He simply isn't going to settle on a system, ever and we will continue to lurch from game to game being wildly inconsistent hoping his ingenius gameday management can pay off. That's just the way its always going to be, we simply don't and won't ever have a set style of play like Swansea or Arsenal or Man Utd do as long as Pardew is in charge. He manages each game individually, look at all the work we put into preparing what the opposition have to offer and setting up to counter it. That happens every week, it's all about trying to get the result on the day rather than anything long term. The system on Saturday worked in keeping it tight with two banks of four and knicking the goal later in the game, but Gouffran and Sissoko wide in a 4-4-2 is an absolute nonsense long term and will be scrapped the moment we look like a mess. Probably at home to one of the weaker sides we have after Spurs.

In the league this season, I make it 6 Gallowgate, 1 Leazes.

Half time hero.

Was absolutely convinced with five minutes to go that that was going to happen today. They've been fairly crap whenever I've seen them, albeit solid.

What's with the weird kick off time? TV typically considerate of the travelling support.

Depends what you mean by 'physically'. The bloke's a wreck. Got to be the only man in football who could apparently do his hamstring walloping Sergio Aguero round the back of the head.

Fulham - Man United.

Will we be on GOS or are Sky not allowed to show it?

Bumping this thread without news of a coronary is extremely cruel.

Arsenal's title to lose, so much better than everybody else.

As soon as it left his boot you could tell it was different to his usual deliveries, flatter and quicker.

I'm speechless to be honest. Really struggling to believe it. He repeated it in the post match interview too, but it wasn't so urgh. ---- 'The win is for Mike and all Newcastle fans, Mike is a fan after all.' Not as bad but still... It's wretched. He sounds like Smithers.

:lol: This, man. How does he do that? Not a clue where the ball is, but times a perfect defensive header. Was amazing.

Same.

We have several outstanding players imo (I have always said that) and once in a while, they'll prove that, as they did today in the second half. The manager's job is to get the consistent best out of them and he's still shown no signs of doing so. You could put a tramp in charge of Barcelona's players and they'd still occasionally blitz someone. It's not proof of anything when the evidence against is so consistent and overwhelming. He's certainly making a better fist of it than last season but having personally set the bar so low himself, that in itself is not worth any congratulation whatsoever.

Hull have been absolutely awful.

Harps with a great save.

Nah, served it midweek.

Hope Arsenal fucking crucify them.

He was the difference today, we move the ball far quicker and more positively when he's on the field.

Did not see that coming.

What did he say? Stelling said "Newcastle have been ravaged by injuries" again, Nicholas wasn't having it. "I'm tired of hearing it from Newcastle, every club have injuries but they've always got an excuse ready. Remy hardly got a kick against sunderland because they were set up to worry about what the opposition was doing instead of attacking themselves and they've set up the same today"

Charlie Nicholas absolutely spot on on SSN.