Unbelievable

Sake

All over them

That win percentage calculation

Started brightly, come on!

Fuck, Almiron close

Cunts. Let’s be having them

Fuck, that was a hard watch seeing Atsu’s wife and kids

Great article on him here at the time he left us: https://theathletic.com/2703992/2021/07/14/christian-atsu-disagreeing-with-bruce-being-shoved-by-benitez-howes-tough-training-and-nearly-joining-liverpool/?amp=1 Such a positive outlook and seemed to have developed a genuine affinity for Newcaste. Will be dearly missed

Urgh, just read that he was due to fly out to France a few hours before the earthquake to find himself a new club, after being granted permission from Hatayspor. Decided to stay after scoring the winner the evening before. A proper sliding doors moment. Absolutely gutted for all the victims in Turkey and Syria, but this just adds another layer of sadness. Rest in peace Christian.

Ah man, gutted even if it was almost inevitable by now. RIP Christian.

Which young potentials have we got waiting to tear up the league? Our academy needs an influx of quality as much as the first team, if not more so.

We miss Bruno badly

‘sake

What’s this about? Maybe some description in the OP would be helpful..?

Dan Burn giving the ball away so cheaply.

What a start this is

Yes, fuck off!!

Robbed

Massive game this. Need to keep momentum going without Bruno here. Howay the lads

Presenter read some tweet from a Dutch nitwit saying he was shit and didn’t deserve to be called up for the WC squad anyway.

The presenter is JayJay Boske by the way, a former rugby player who was at Newcastle Falcons for a few years some 20 years ago.

Ok, part II: Gets asked about some of the trophies on display in his house, and how it feels to win trophies. Says it’s addictive, but not really different to a normal mindset. Only in the final few rounds of winning Ligue 1 he felt a bit of tension waking up in the morning realising the game that day needed to be won or the whole season would be lost. Says playing Messi was only akward before the game, but once out on the pitch it’s like playing anybody else. Gets asked how his mentality is different to other players’. Answers that at Ajax youth every year players get dropped, and at the time he thought it was because they were simply not good enough, but now he realises it was because they couldn’t get the basics right of giving everything all the time, arriving on time for training, etc. He says from a young age he got thaught to put the extra effort in. For him as a defender this means doing everything in his power to stop the team conceding or losing. Because he cannot accept these things he says he “automatically” succeeds at preventing it. Says it’s a combination of hard work and a strong desire to reach your targets and a bit of luck. Says the 6 months leading up to his transfer were very stressful. Luckily managed to stay focused on his football, but was chaotic off the pitch because of the realisation that everything was going to change in life, wanting it so bad, but not being in control of the situation. Says it was his choice between Milan and us, and a difficult decision, but the fact he had always dreamt of playing in the PL was the deciding factor. Confirms that the owners of our club contacted him directly. Looking at his Sunday roast says: “this is not a great meal for a professional sports person” Says he was obviously disappointed to miss out on the World Cup as he felt he was in contention, but he found it quite easy to move on because he’s only just starting and there were strong alternatives for his position. Says it helps he’s happy being in the PL and how the club is performing, so there was no reason to be downbeat about it. Says if he keeps doing well these things will happen eventually. As a boy he dreamt of playing for the national team, same as playing in the PL, so he’s halfway there. Asked about criticism on social media, he shrugs it off and says he doesn’t know these people so why should he care? Says he doesn’t know if Koeman will give him a chance, but he will just continue to work hard and hope for the best. Gets asked where the dream ends? Answers to have played in a World Cup and winning the Champions League (since he’s already played in it with Lille).

Says Newcastle upon Tyne as a city is a little more basic than Lille was, which he describes as a bit more colourful. Says the people are crazy friendly, easy going and treat the players like they are Gods. Interview was taken the day after a game. He has been given the day off, but says he’ll go into the training ground to recuperate with some upper body training and an ice bath. Mentions it’s a bit of a superstition that he needs to recover well or else he will feel he’s not done everything he can. Says he’s developed this superstition because he cannot stand losing or conceding. Says his mentality was formed by Winston Bogarde under him as a youth trainer at Ajax. WB was super demanding and brutally honest. His feedback made Botman realise he needed to step up his game if he was going to make it as a pro. Prepares breakfast as per the diet prescribed by club’s dietist’s schema. Describes the club as a very warm place, like a family. Surprised by the new owners and how involved they are. Says they come and see them at training at least once every two weeks, bringing their kids and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Describes trip to SA where they visited the other two (?) owners in their castle. Says it’s like a completely different world. During workout says that in France and especially PL he’s found he needed to bulk up in order to get the better of attackers. Physically the thoughest opponents he’s played are Mitrovic and Brobby (Ajax). Will add more later.

May have a stab at it later.

Yes!!