Mr Logic

Nothing like a wrong football result to showcase reason being abandoned in favour of emotion like.

Funny how Hughton didn't get Aguero money or a cool 50 million to spend in their promotion season and Brighton are still doing well isn't it. Rafa is under performing, and I hope he still turns it around but, things just seem to be getting worse rather than better. They also didn't literally lose 13/14 first team players from the 2015/16 either though. We had about 10 players remaining after all those transfers so had to bring in at least the same number of players to cope with the extra 8 (or 11) league games in the Championship. Brighton's team had been geared for promotion for years and the likes of Dunk would have easily been worth £15m, Knockaert the same (in this market), Dale Stephens £10m or so, whereas the bulk of our signings ranged from £2.5m to £5.5m, bar 2 notable exceptions. Pretty much all our quality was sold to generate that £90m - £55m was put back in to sign 14 players - an average of £3.9m per player and you just need look at transfers in that league from this season to see that that figure really isn't that much - Assombolonga £15, Neves £16m, Rhodes £10m, Braithwaite £10m etc. Brighton were at least equal to us last season, if not better as they were 7 clear with 3 games to go once their bottom line of promotion was secured. Make no mistake, if 1 was promoted and the other 4 went in the playoffs rather than 2 automatically, then we wouldn't have won the league, so we were at least equal and for whatever reason, their transfers this season have been better - Ryan has made a big difference, Davy Propper. We had Atsu last year, Joselu and Manq have arguably made us worse, Murphy non existent, so you could argue we are actually even worse than we were last season as only Merino has come in and had a decent impact. Is location a problem, are we more restricted on wages (really can't see Joselu, Manquillo and Murphy being on more than £100k between them)? But I can guarantee if Rafa had his way, he wouldn't have went to Mike and said 'Mike, whatever you do, please please give me that Joselu lad who can't get a look in at Stoke, he'll make a hell of a difference". We've had a bunch of top championship / fringe Premier League players bundled together in one window and while we could have coped had 3 or 4 proven players been brought in at £15m-20m apiece to add a bit of quality to a committed but ultimately limited group, but we all know that didn't happen, so I'd argue that we are at a worse level than Brighton now. People need to realise we are literally operating on a bottom 3 to 4 budget now (far lower than the likes of Everton, Leicester, Palace, West Ham, Watford etc) and if you were born after 1980 or so (which a large chunk of us on here will be) then for the first time in your life this is the first time that has happened - forget the top 6, we are miles behind 75% of the league. Excellent post!

Every game is the same. It's what we do, surrender possession so we can try and not get beat. Funny that, we beat West Ham just the other week with 35% possession whilst apparently 'trying not to get beat' That's what we do. We go out to not get beat and if we score then brilliant. We never go out to try and take it to a team. I will never warm to this kind of football like, always detested the "not get beat" style. Just takes any kind of enjoyment out of the game of football. I was taking the p*ss, you'd have to be a bit daft to think that we went out to not get beaten in that West Ham match. I'm mainly talking about playing this way at home. It isn't right. I don't agree, Rafa's working with what he has, if you think we should take it to teams indiscriminately, godspeed. So are you happy with two banks of four in front of our box and letting a team as s*** as Brighton have all the possession? I just don't get it. It's not how it should be done at home, which is why our record is so s***. I didn't say I was happy, I said Rafa's working with what he has. He is, I agree with you, but I wish we would do it with the ball more. We set up at home like you would expect for an away game. You should never let the opposition have more of the ball than you at home like, but we set up like that. For me it is nowhere near good enough. It's been said countless times, but I can't work out why people can agree that Rafa's working with what he has and then complain that we don't dominate possession or take it to teams at home. Which one is it? Is Rafa working with what he has or should we be attacking teams? For me there's a crucial link between the two and a bit of contradiction in terms from people who keep forgetting time and time and time again that these players are nowhere near good enough. Some of these players aren't a million miles off being good enough. That's where I fundamentally disagree, for me it's comfortably the worst NUFC squad I've ever seen for the level its playing at, including both relegation squads. Lets say we replace half the team with 15-20m players, or much better if we can't agree on value, don't you think some of this lot could look a lot better in a more confident fluid side? I'm thinking Lascelles, Merino for definite - then Atsu, Murphy, Shelvey probably, and I'm not giving up on Lejuene yet, still think there could be a big player there. Core of the problem may be in that Rafa doesn't think they're good enough (as in trust) - that creates its own problems because it is difficult to hide that from the players themselves. Hmm, I don't think I've given you much of an argument.

On the bright side, we did get another point. Never know, might be real important come June.

Every game is the same. It's what we do, surrender possession so we can try and not get beat. Funny that, we beat West Ham just the other week with 35% possession whilst apparently 'trying not to get beat' That's what we do. We go out to not get beat and if we score then brilliant. We never go out to try and take it to a team. I will never warm to this kind of football like, always detested the "not get beat" style. Just takes any kind of enjoyment out of the game of football. I was taking the p*ss, you'd have to be a bit daft to think that we went out to not get beaten in that West Ham match. I'm mainly talking about playing this way at home. It isn't right. I don't agree, Rafa's working with what he has, if you think we should take it to teams indiscriminately, godspeed. So are you happy with two banks of four in front of our box and letting a team as s*** as Brighton have all the possession? I just don't get it. It's not how it should be done at home, which is why our record is so s***. I didn't say I was happy, I said Rafa's working with what he has. He is, I agree with you, but I wish we would do it with the ball more. We set up at home like you would expect for an away game. You should never let the opposition have more of the ball than you at home like, but we set up like that. For me it is nowhere near good enough. It's been said countless times, but I can't work out why people can agree that Rafa's working with what he has and then complain that we don't dominate possession or take it to teams at home. Which one is it? Is Rafa working with what he has or should we be attacking teams? For me there's a crucial link between the two and a bit of contradiction in terms from people who keep forgetting time and time and time again that these players are nowhere near good enough. Some of these players aren't a million miles off being good enough. Merino needs to be in a midfield three so he has less work to do and can direct play more. We do need a 4-2-3-1 with this squad imo and if that means playing Joselu every game so be it. We need to know how to switch, quickly, to a 4-3-3 and also become a 4-5-1 when necessary. Brighton moved the ball around quicker and with more confidence than we did today, we were so slow getting forward. And Rafa, please fuck off with the keeper kicking long - its shit!

Garbage, the Man City game was better and I ain't even kidding. Took 6 points of Brighton last season, 1 point this time.

Like most of your posts then.

I'd waded through all of it with my head, metaphorically, in my hands, so thanks for breaking the spell.

There's no getting past the first 30 odd minutes were, at the very least, disconcerting. We didn't have the benefit of knowing the game plan and it was hard to see there was any sense at all in playing that way. It wasn't particularly well executed, or was it, I don't know what Rafa told them. I think there was a certain amount of nerves and the three players who had the responsibility as outlets struggled in that period. Maybe Rafa considered pressing the ball might open us up even more considering the quality of some of their passing. I think there are three ways to look at it. We were lucky not to be 3 down at half-time. My god , we could have won that. Aarons and Gayle (twice). Both of those are perspectives, equally valid depending on how you choose to view it. The truth is it could have ended either way. The third way, and imo the balanced perspective, we lost 1-0 to a team that have been turning over pretty much everyone they played. Not bad. Viewing the first 30m in isolation is horrible, but the whole game? I think we did alright and the players may even have increased in confidence a little despite the loss, hopefully that is what the backroom team are telling them.

Fully agree with this. I don't know why it's hard for people to understand, he had outlets ready to break but they didn't get the ball or squandered it. Everyone's been jizzing over city and they've been destroying everyone....we've just come off a bad run and the players were probably sh1tting it. Got to half time only 1-0, they settled down and made a reasonable go of it.

I had an intense dislike of the man whenever I saw him, to the point it made me feel a bit ill. These days though that has mellowed, and a bit like Rich its getting to be more humorous to hear the shit he comes out with when it is not us he's fucking over. Better for my own health to laugh at him anyway.

Christ, you're not on the train again are you?

Thought he did alright, that Masuako (sp?) is a bag of tricks. Should've had an assist when Gayle missed too. Aye fair comment, I forgot about that. Too many crosses came in from both Masuaku and Cresswell for my liking though. As a team we show Premier League teams too much respect. We need to get a bit tighter all across the pitch for me. Especially vs Man City. I seem to remember the same complaint in the Championship, we gave loads of teams way too much respect. It costs us points.

Yeah the things I despised him for here are amusing when he's managing someone else Got to echo this, its weirdly entertaining listening to the stupid fuck now he's elsewhere.

Got to be worth a tenner - not to lose. Just the kind of thing we historically do.

:lol: I was thinking when we were 3-1 up in particular like, the way people had us written off for today was absolutely absurd. Forum's got more than its fair share of 'half empties' like.

Just thought, this gets our confidence right up to go and hammer City now. :biggrin:

Hope Lascelles is going to be alright.

Thank fuck for that, well deserved though imo.

I'd have preferred Murphy too for this game.

It was ridiculous the run Carrol got for their goal, considering that's how Lascelles got his two goals we should know how to deal with it.

Favourite player, Atsu. Did I ever mention that before.

Carrol's never scored against us has he?

Commentator's a dick.. "Really poor penalty from Ayew, look at that hesitation" - He was trying to force the keeper.

We've turned a corner... get in!