LionOfGosforth

Anyone has the right to feel how they feel and put forth opinions but the tedious reduction of everything to basically a stat or line on a spreadsheet by a few is getting fucking old like. I didn't go to my first Newcastle game worrying about wages and revenue and although I accept it's a big part of the game and how fans analyze things now, it's not for me like. Players aren't terminators, you can't say "he gets this much a week, he should be an 8/10 every week" or "our wage bill is x amount, that automatically equals 7th place or the manager gets the boot" and we start the same chop and change cycle that other clubs have tried and failed with, with no guarantees of anything at all. I know what I see with my eyes. That's a brilliant coach and club ambassador doing his best starting at 6am every day of the week, wringing the best out of a committed and wholehearted group of players. They don't always play as well as they can and I get as frustrated as anyone when they don't. I don't agree with every single thing he does, his stubbornness with certain players, the reactiveness mid-game at times, especially when we're losing, does my nut in. But I know I enjoy watching this team, have done since day 1, and when they're 1-0 up, they want and will try to get to 2-0, then 3-0, then 4. They don't stop trying to score goals and putting in a shift every game and that's enough for me at the end of a shite week.

Could argue if Eddie had eased him in slightly slower, he'd have played a bit better at Chelsea in October, lessons to be learned

The Danish sex tourist in the mud

Maybe because we finished 7th with the worst injury crisis many have ever seen and despite that, played some great stuff and scored loads of goals? Then a travesty of a summer, boardroom upheaval, shocking transfers (or lack of) are all massively contributing factors. Would love to know which managerial wizard could wade through all that and have us top 5 without a hitch like. This season is a mess aye, but Eddie getting it in the neck from all angles is harsh in the extreme. He takes some blame no doubt but we're a bit of an incoherent mess on a few levels.

I admittedly haven't enjoyed this season, a few moments aside. The summer activity was a travesty. I find our ability to turn up regularly against the best but play so badly against the rest, really frustrating. Wednesday night felt good, today feels really bad. Some of this is on Eddie, but a lot isn't. Ultimately though, we know how these things tend to turn out. The question being asked mainly seems to be, is now the time? I think it would backfire but we'll see.

Could well be the case. Only they know. Ultimately, if enough of them don't buy in anymore, the outcome is always the same.

He was rested and that was a crap decision. Expecting him to come on and save the day, with predictable results.

Disagree. We absolutely dominated them in the first half. We showed in 22' and in bits last season we have the ability to be a top 7 side. This season has been a mess from the start but it's the first period in 3 years where we've been unable to break the midtable-feel of things. I just don't think it's a permanent thing and I blame the crap summer, boardroom upheaval, plus a really bad transfer window. The momentum has gone. Is that all Eddie's fault? If the players have stopped playing for him, then it's a short road and we know the outcome. Only they know why they can't get it together consistently. It's fucking maddening.

The performance midweek, mistakes aside, was not that of a side that will remain in a slump. There's so much guts and ability in that squad, the problem has been getting it consistently. I back Eddie and still do. Mainly because I just don't see an alternative at this point in a busy season. If we finish below mid-table and the right option in the summer becomes available, whomever that might be, i'd be sad but would understand. Sacking a manager mid-season rarely works out and can backfire badly. I tend to doubt anyone saying today that it's the end of the road, felt that way 4 days ago. I may be wrong.

Few random thoughts I backed Eddie from day 1, still do. I still think he'll get us out of this. I'm an optimist I suppose. However, that all depends on the players being up for it and still buying in, and only they know if that is the case. This job may have got the best out of him, like all the others before him. He's a streaky manager. I thought when we beat Chelsea and Arsenal a month back, that was the corner turned and we'd go on a run. It's not happening. I don't know why and I get the feeling he doesn't know either. How much of the chopping and changing the side is down to Bunce? I honestly think that historically to my mind, EH rarely changes the side and we have relied on momentum so much in the past, makes me think there are other forces at work. We don't want a repeat of last season injury-wise but I can't see how we couldn't have remained largely unchanged today. We can't seem to get that momentum and changing the side like today just doesn't ever seem to work, or rarely. I don't think a change will be made until the summer. I doubt our owners are as reactive and emotional as the average supporter. That said, this season has been a mess. I honestly thought we'd make a run at top 3. No Europe to add games, fit squad etc. I feel daft, we're nowhere near that level. We can be on our day, we always give the top 6 a game which makes today galling and frustrating. Dunno. Frustrated, disappointed, mostly in the players, some of it is Eddie and his stubborn and reactive style. Still love the bloke, hope he turns it around.

Love this man. From the minute he came in the door and I saw the first training session and heard him say "You're standing still, that's no good. You have to move", I loved him. Such a simple thing for him to say but it felt like a sea change in mentality immediately. And it was. I don't know if the players have stopped playing for him or not, it certainly wasn't the case 4 days ago. But if they have mentally checked out and lack motivation and focus against ALL teams, then the results suffer and it becomes a short road for the manager. Gutted today.

At least all the years we were totally shit, it was easy to ignore. Hate caring again sometimes.

Delap would have buried that

Notice Turnbull has disappeared since we started scoring

two disallowed goals for them and loads of near misses. Remains 2-0. Palace look like relegation candidates to me, shame

State of Palace man, missing some good attacking players but Fulham should have scored 5 or 6 here

3-0 Fulham

Fulham finally get their second, really nice goal by Wilson tbf. They should be out of sight, loads of chances.

Missing some good players tbf, straight red for Kamada as I type

Palace have been crap

Fulham 2 up, Smith Rowe again

This may be true but i've yet to see us function any better under EH than we did in the 22/23 season when Longstaff played much of it. I see the arguments against him and they usually revolve around how he is on the ball. His skills and vision on the ball are basic. He doesn't shoot well, doesn't create very much. Off the ball, he clearly brings things that EH doesn't trust others to deliver (yet). Whether the critics of him will see those qualities and agree it justifies his inclusion, I tend to doubt.

He has the look of a player that knows he will always be on the field and played where he wants to be, regardless of the needs of the side. Playing centrally doesn't suit him or them, no idea why he does. He hasn't added to their mix much that i've seen.

I genuinely wonder if the analysis would be something Eddie would nod sagely at in private and smile coyly. It's incredibly intricate and smart tactically to have a midfielder make those sorts of movements at specific times of games in specific parts of the field to trick specific players and allow space for certain passing patterns. And there are plenty on here that say he's not tactically well-versed. Howay man

Watched that earlier. Good stuff. Depends on how you feel about the player, this won't change the minds of those that dislike him but it definitely is the details that makes him important to this team and how he functions in it.