Dr Venkman

What's your point, Jackie?

We limited them to poor quality chances, that’s the game plan along with hitting them on the break. They only score from two consecutive individual errors. That was a textbook ‘how to beat Spurs’ set up today.

You know we intentionally didn’t press them today, don’t you?

Nailed it, again.

Howay smash these.

Gonna miss the start of the game someone please post the Sandro display.

Agreed. An ill thought through overspend would have been a worse start.

I thought that said a lot about Sean, taking last pen, given how much stick he gets.

I think Sandro starts as long as he isn’t feeling any effect of his first competitive run out for ages earlier in the week. If he’d been a sub and had 30 mins on Wed I’d be leaning sub today, but he started and got (I think) an hour. That suggests a start today IMO.

Thank fuck for this game of football. Sandro to have a stormer and an Isak hat trick.

I don't think any sensible transfer strategy can be conducted on the basis of 'if we don't buy player x, player y may want to leave'. It seems to be based on principle but is far too nebulous a concept because we're dealing with individuals with their own motivation, not robots.

Textbook definition of glass half empty, this. I saw our players react more professionally to a high pressure situation.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/07/16/newcastle-united-eddie-howe-hands-off-england-southgate/

I suppose so? I think they do need to be working together. I have just always sensed that EH doesn't see himself as a head coach (constantly refers to himself as the manager) and those comments from Eales stuck out massively. EH will not have appreciated them at all, IMO. Whether that does mean some bad shit is going on behind the scenes, who knows. But add that to the lack of progress on the first team and it's not a great look IMO. I'm not feeling downhearted about this season, we've got a good squad with some excellent players in some positions and a fantastic head coach. It's all a bit weird transfer wise though. MG will probably sign tomorrow and that will be that.

Wouldn't be the biggest shock to see a compromise reached tomorrow.

I don't feel too emo about the state of the squad if we do no more business. I think retaining our stars has been a massive win, TBH. However, Eales comments about EH being told to focus on coaching the team got on my radar immediately, and I am concerned about what the lack of progress on developing the first team says about what's happening with power dynamics behind the scenes. By all accounts we have the money and are able to spend it, but we haven't. That's #worrying.

If only we’d forced him to give all his wages to nuns

Over the wall!

Fuck’s gan on in here? 4 points from 6.

I think by the end of this season he is talked about as part of the small group of players you want to keep hold of at all costs.

We do a lot of our transfer business based on opportunity rather than short-term need.