Andy

I think the problem is that we've stopped doing it tbh. The intense high press was non existent in a lot of games last season (put down to injuries), and has been pretty much non-existent this season too. We aren't very good at developing play from the back, so without the turnovers we struggle.

It's not just to do with favours but also convincing players to go there. Not many of our deadwood strike me as the kind of guys that would up and move their families to Saudi.

Agree with this mostly. History should have no bearing on a football match. If you suddenly whacked a World XI in a Newcastle kit you wouldn't think "ooo but it's Bournemouth though, they usually do us". I think it's more that the teams they've recently had counteract our squad, style and system.

He was good against PSG in the CL too iirc.

Aye. He's okay as a backup, but he shouldn't still be starting games for us in 2024. I don't think there are many other teams in the league he starts regularly for, if any tbh. Certainly not in the top 10.

Aye. I'd rather lob money at him than Guehi personally. He would improve us massively.

He was as bad this week as he was good last week. Hopefully a one off.

Aye, I said similar in the match thread. Tino is really reluctant to overlap, he stays so deep. Kelly obviously the same on the other side too. So important in modern football for at least one of your fullbacks to be pushing the opposition back.

Did well today, I still think Howe will stick with Kelly though

Always liked VAR

Much better since the subs.

Tino needs to be more brave going forward, for me. Trippier came on and immediately sprinted beyond his winger, the entire team is further up the pitch straight away.

It got written off as being caused by the injuries, but this was the standard away performance all last season, from the start. No structure, massive gaps between attack and defence, no intensity. There is no excuse for the latter now. Where has our press gone? Where are the bodies driving up the pitch when we turn the ball over? Nobody is breaking their neck to run beyond the ball, it's all static and lethargic. When Joelinton lost the ball for the goal, aye it was shite by him, but he had no one to pass to. No full back bombing on, Gordon jogging himself into being marked, midfield stood static. If you play with no bravery as a team, you'll lose the ball like that time and time again. Big changes needed in the second half and in away games going forward.

Defensively fine but he is reluctant to cross the halfway line for some reason.

Aye. Easy to jump on him as it was his error, but the lack of options in front of him in that position was staggering. He should never have had to turn back.

Poor by Joelinton but he had absolutely nobody showing for it like, Gordon just jogging in front of him

He'll get his chance, but I think Kelly has been brought in as first choice tbh. 19 is incredibly young for a fullback, there are obviously exceptions but most don't become good until mid to late 20s.

Aye, it doesn't take a genius to work out why his form suddenly fell off a cliff last year. There's obviously been a lot going on in his personal life that has transferred on to the pitch, and that has ultimately led to him wanting a change of scenery.

Aye he was poor last week, I said immediately after the game that Howe would start Kelly going forward. Some of his decision making with his passing was very poor considering the circumstances. His time will come but he has a lot to learn at fullback.

Bet you've got a better right foot than Miggy

Aye. Workplace romances are obviously going to be common, when you're potentially spending 8+ hours a day with someone that you have common ground with. I doubt they've sacked him for that though.

I think top 4 will be difficult if we sign nobody. Most of the teams competing for those positions have strengthened (or are already strong enough). You have the top 8 from last season who will be there or there abouts, then Brighton look like they can potentially be in the mix too. Lack of Europe will help, but it still doesn't guarantee an injury free season. We are already scraping at the barrel defensively and we've played one game. I think the big thing for me is how impotent our right hand side looks going forward if Trippier leaves. We have relied so much on him over the past two seasons to create chances, Livramento doesn't have anywhere near the same effectiveness at the moment. That's an area of his game that will develop of course, but he's quite a way off. It leaves us looking lopsided, when we've all been screaming for a RW for a few windows now. Still plenty of time, but I don't think it's unreasonable to say it will have been a disappointing summer if we get to next week and our squad looks the same as it does at the moment.

Howe will start Murphy on the right if he's fit, the Gordon/Barnes thing is a backup option to him at best.

It's a shame but it was clear something changed in him in December/January last year, his sudden drop off in form was almost as seismic as Joelinton's improvement. His contribution to our attack will be very difficult to replace. I like Tino but he's not as consistently effective going forward, so this leaves our right hand side looking pretty impotent.

Does the article really say anything new? Seems to me like a repeat of what was being reported 7 days ago