HawK

I called him not going to Athletic but I'd imagine Chelsea would throw money at him to go there.

Yep I said the same about Kelleher, we should have been all over that when the rumors came out he was agitating for a move

I've had a fractured tibia before brought on by shin splints. Might have some similarities maybe... plenty of rest, some ultrasound therapy and knee/ankle tendon flexibility and strength training helped a lot. Hopefully with the right medical team he'll be back fit and raring to go for preseason.

We sold him to forest

Can only hope he has a barnstorming WC up front for Germany, prompting questions to Howe of 'why doesn't he do that at Newcastle'. And the answer can only be how Howe chooses us to play. So he'll probably say something like 'That's something we need to work on, it's my job to get the best out of him, he's had a great world cup playing in a different system'. 'Will you change your system to accommodate him Eddie?' 'No'.

Cheers all I'm definitely losing it

I thought final league games all played at the same time or am I an old fart?

Not sure if this is another thread https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clypwjeydnjo Stones leaving City end of season

Thread is a bit disingenuous - I think there are certain periods he had a lot less or more control than others, e.g. when Ashworth was here.

He's never changing the system, has said as much previously in interviews. If he remains for next season we'll probably be fine because his system works when we're not in Europe. The decision is, are you happy with being a European yo-yo club. It's tough because we always want to be better than we are, but being a club that every other season makes Europe is a world away from we are as a club normally in the PL.

So a new manager comes in and goes 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 without any training time and gets results, happens all the time, Carrick at Man Utd most recently. It's not rocket science to go to those formations. Howe's just doubling down on the only way he wants to play.

Except we all know what Plan B is... There isn't one

Great work Osula, if only you could be on an area of the pitch you could regularly receive the ball into space trying to beat a man one on one.. where could that position on the pitch possibly be

Anyone else thought that Madueke effort along the floor was going to bobble over Pope, Ian Walker style, with our current form

Ok that'd be fair if I saw him with his bottle in the winter months too

Decent attempt Willock

Why the fk does Eddie Howe need a water bottle on the touchline. Have a drink before the match starts, you're not exactly running about

Burn and Osula making the same run as Ramsey tries to find space, wondrous

Almost..

Ironically we're trying to play a high line to play through them and we don't put our best player in those sorts of positions on the pitch

Good we got Pope back in goal for his big frame and shot stopping

Quite like Bentancur

Can imagine the training ground routines where Wolte has been stuck in LCM and is just wondering wtf he's done to deserve it and now getting called out publically by his manager. You just know if any other manager comes in, the very next game Wolte's starting up top.

Nigerian team player liaison to Osula : Why are you Dane

Yeah it was me - thanks for the tag. For what it's worth, I don't think 4-3-3 is the best system for the players we have any more, it was previously but it's miles way now imho. We're crying out for a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1. Gordon for me would be the right-sided attacker in either of those but as an inverted winger, you need to be absolutely dominant for it to work well or it just narrows the pitch and make it easier for the opponents to defend.