greydos

You’re absolutely right. It’s like those England cricket fans who loved Kevin Pietersen’s centuries in India or against the Aussies but used to cry that he’s not a team player because he dared try hit a spinner for 6 (usually when on 90-odd, so he’d already contributed). ASM is about the only good thing we have got (with Trippier). Of course he’s got to dribble on half way, how else will we get our slow, no mobility pass-shy team up the pitch? Hoof it to Wood and see if it’ll stick, with no-one having legs in and around him? This team has fundamental issues. All the best teams have players who can rotate positions or be dynamic. In the 2000s under SBR we had Dyer, a central midfielder who could break position to run behind the last man onto one of Nobby’s through balls. He could do it as he had the legs to get back in position and he could trust the whole team to keep a highish line and slow play down til he could get back. This team has nobody who is dynamic and can exploit other areas of the pitch from their starting position. That’s the noticeable thing about Ryan Fraser. His Bournemouth play showed him interchanging with Wilson, getting in behind the last man and running the shoulder of the CB in the half space. He clearly hasn’t got the legs to do that now. Nobody in midfield has the legs or ability to move up the pitch quickly (Willock did it a bit last year). If we kept drawing 0-0 because we couldn’t score I’d accept some complaint about ASM. The fact is, you can fix 142 problems with this newcastle team, and only *then* would you need to fix ASM.

Where I question Howe is in his judgment of the merits of players relative to one another. Our squad is terrible but a manager has to make the most of the assets he’s got available. From day 1 he should have prioritised playing Fernandez and Schär as our best centre backs/defenders. Quite how he didn’t know Fede defends better than Clarke and Lascelles is beyond me. He should have had the balls to choose a new captain (Wilson probably, or Fede) so he wasn’t hamstrung by playing Lascelles. Perhaps that would have given everyone a hunger to work harder knowing it’s a truly new regime with a clean slate. He should have got Ritchie out of left back for Lewis. At least with Lewis his natural instincts would be correct at full back. Howe should also have prioritised ability to cover ground and play short passes competently in CM. Options aren’t great but at the least don’t get overrun by putting Hayden, Willock, and one other with legs in there (we now know it’s Joe). Overall, he’s been too friendly. He talks about not wanting to hurt the squad’s egos far too much. Being a soft patsy-manager doesn’t work with these players, it’s what Bruce did. Just with high intensity interval football training. The players clearly need to know new high standards are being set. Don’t ask players to play your new system Eddie, tell them To play it!

but he is a very impotent person?

He’s not great aerially but other than that, I want this guy.

It’s like asking Floyd Mayweather “couldn’t you have beaten Manny Pacquiao 5 years earlier” or asking Lennox Lewis “why didn’t you fight Tyson in 1995?” Tyson Fury thanked Deontay Wilder as you need a “good dance partner” to get a good boxing match on. Transfer negotiations between two teams seems similar to me. There’s little point criticising the club as though it is solely responsible for the timing of deals. The club’s doing its best, which is better than the last regime would have done. Let’s be patient but support the new regime.

And Pardew. There’s no discretion either with the King. You see him: you do it

I gag every time I see Hendrick in that position. In the team is bad enough. Out on the right flank is the vilest form of perverse!

If he can shift all of our deadwood to the likes of Celtic and Reading he’ll be worth his weight in gold! Part of a successful January will be finding takers for our garbage. So a “Transfers Out Director” could be ideal

When your dog craps on the carpet you rub his nose on it? Brutal lol

I think we’ll win fairly comfortably, 2-0 or 3-1. Pundits and media saying the players are a disgrace and asking where that performance was under Bruce. They’ll be annoyingly saying Eddie’s not had time to embed new tactics yet so that’s still a Bruce system and should be credited as a Bruce result. Me to be so angry I throw my tv through my lounge window 3 well needed points though

My heart is literally bursting with love and respect. I need a long sit down. Wow ?

Brutal ?

Ruel Fox? Sir Les? Tino? Or am I being whooshed?

On reflection I think Howe is perfect for where we are right now. He seems to like forging an "us against them" mentality which is what he had at Bournemouth, with outside perceptions saying they had a ceiling of League One or Championship and the points deduction. He also feels it is important to have a club where the fans will be patient and still support the team through a run of bad results where the team continue to try and take the attack to the opposition. You couldn't ask for a more "us verses them" club at the moment than us. Everyone hates us or wants us to fail or wants us to stay a small club and go down. Plus, the stadium will always support the team, particularly if they're trying to play football in the right way. I think he's got real room to grow as a manager. He needs to learn to delegate a bit more so he doesn't get burnt out. I think my 2 biggest concerns are around tactics and signings. Re tactics, his coaches voice video was not as impressive as that of Xavi. Xavi's was full of detailed patterns of play in each third of the pitch. Howe's was more generalised, more basic. Still a million times better than what Bruce would do (anything is better than nothing), but lacking compared with Xavi or even Fonseca on patterns of play. The thing about Xavi and Fonseca in particular was their patterns of play worked irrespective of formation. They both talked about a philosophy of football that worked no matter what the formation. Howe seems a little stuck in needing a back 4 with full backs and wingers to create side of the pitch overlaps to retain possession. Regarding transfers, i don't think he's going to be the kind of manager that players abroad will sign because they want to play for him. Maybe in 2-3 years that perception will change when he's taken us into Europe and had a bit of premier league success. So in January we're basically signing players who are convinced by the "project", which really means can we show players we will spend sufficient money to get other good players to come to us, and then be coached into a coherent package by Howe? I hope so. Hopefully my observations on his tactical acumen are incorrect. I'll be firmly behind Howe. If he is a success, i can realistically see him being as goods Rogers, if not better. Exciting times!

I want to see if he gets Schar, Fernandez and Almiron in the team, with Maxi and Wilson obviously. Hope he has the stones to bin Lascelles. If we still have Ritchie LB, Krafth in the team, I’ll be well glum!

yes, please! Oh the tears of joy watching a newcastle midfielder on the ball not have a fit when an opposition player is within 5m of him. Actually stay calm, emerge with the ball having dropped a shoulder and played it into the half spaces? Too lush I just want this. I don’t need to win the league. Just mature possession and a cup run and I’m satisfied. ... well actually I want to win everything. But still, I’d be overjoyed before winning anything if we played properly

Thanks so much for this I’ve just signed up for the £1 per month for 6 months subscription. They’re long articles on there but seem great so far.

I’m all in for Fonseca. Improving ball retention can take the pressure off of our defence for long periods in games. Buy him a new spine of the team in January and he keeps us up no problem.

What the fuck I agree with the rest of the post. As a black man I can tell you College Dropout is right: Saint Maximan is black!

Great work! And Bruce is always talking about “having a crack.” Is he trying to send a message??

‘M’lud I refer the court to exhibit A - the floated set penis chart. The defense also calls Mike Williamson to the stand...’ No successful Defence ever calls on Mike Williamson!

Lascelles doing his “ghost of Steven Taylor past” impression was what killed us. Shocking defending. Step out and block the man. At least show him the outside and make him dribble towards touch.

“The Magpie Group” needs to go back in the title of this thread, for those causal visitors/guests who wander along and don’t know what “TMG” means. The group needs awareness and publication at all times in all mediums

I was at the game on that side of the pitch. This is right