afar

How aren't Fulham higher up the table, truly outplayed us at SJP, a bit fortunate to win also at their place but they've also spanked a few other good teams this season. They must have the same problem we have had it putting away the lesser lights.

Looking back at history is slightly comforting: We've won every single meeting with Preston since they took a point at SJP from us in 1979. That's 7 wins on the bounce. In the exact same time frame we've played Cardiff 14 times they've one just one league game against us in the whole period, we've won 11 of those games. Surprisingly we've played Barnsley 27 times during that same time period and won 14, drawn 9 and lost only 4 . Their last win at SJP was back in 1982 and the last win of any kind back in 1992. Source: http://www.11v11.com/teams/newcastle-united/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Barnsley/ These are 3 teams we've got excellent records against with absolutely nothing to play for if we can't beat at least one of them we don't deserve to go up at all.

Really it should have been an easy three points no matter what, we are at home playing a team we beat comfortably at their place early season who've got absolutely nothing to play for and without looking back at the records probably haven't won at SJP in a very long time. It's as good a last fixture as we could ask for at this stage, problem is we don't look like winning another game this season.

He's taking the bulk of the stick, thread title is awful. Think personally he's just hit a rocky patch, clearly more comfortable with Clark alongside. Still young, convinced he's still going to have a good career.

You have to expect injuries at some point though. We have four strikers on the books which is probably more than most in this division. The problems have been in more than one area. of course you have to look at injuries - but our Brighton's top 2 leading scoring players are Glen Murray and Knockaert. Both with over 40 appearances between them , Dwight Gayle has some 30+ appearances. I know injuries happen and you can't jut blame that because you'd expect Perez, Mitro, and Murphy to make up the difference but where would Brighton be if Murray played 8-10 less matches? I assume you mean't each. Between them would not be alot. They've certainly been helped by keeping their best players fit most of the season, while we have had the problem we always seem to have at the club of persistent injuries to key players. It is what it is I supposed, lets hope we can get back to a near clean bill of health for the remaining games.

For me he has moved from a player I actively hated last season to someone who hopefully if common sense prevails leaves this summer with my best wishes. Whatever division we are playing in Gouf's time with us needs to come to an end.

I tend to agree it's bigger than one player however the shape of the team is so focused on Gayle being the man up top, the replacements Mitro and Murphy are totally different players and that requires a different way of playing, hell he's even tried playing Gouf up there in the hope that he is more similar to Gayle. Personally I am more worried about the lack of impact from whomever has been given the number 10 role, his system is dependent so much on having quality in both those roles, we've lacked it badly.

Gayle started in the away game: http://www.nufc.com/2016-17html/2017-01-02blackburn-rovers-a.html You were right he didn't start the home game, maybe I miss read that stat they may had said games in which he played because he came on in the home game: http://www.nufc.com/2016-17html/2016-11-26blackburn-rovers-h.html

They put up an interesting stat prior to the Leeds game, we hadn't lost a game when Gayle hadn't started. Obviously the Ipswich disaster changed that stat, but it was a little shocking.

One win will do it, or 3 draws, IMO. I don't think what we have right now is enough to hold of both Reading and Huddersfield, Reading would be able to overtake us with 2 wins and a draw, Huddersfield 2 wins and 2 draws. In all practicality it'll be very hard for Huddersfield to catch us if they lose another game, they would then need to win all their other three. I said not long after the final whistle that we would get another 2 points this season, draws with Preston and Barnsley as our away form seems to have fallen off the cliff, not confident about Cardiff at all. That might well be enough now, Reading would have to win all 3 of their games while Huddersfield would have to win 3 and draw the other, not impossible for either side but tough when the pressure is on. One extra point for us though makes such a big difference, that eliminates Reading from the equation and requires Huddersfield to win all 4.

I don't think my nerves could stand it, thankfully I have my son's footie practice at regular kick off times on a Saturday.

Why would any club give Zola another job, it was a stupid appointment especially when he replaced a man who was doing an excellent job on limited resources, I would prefer to see Forest drop but the owners at Brum deserve it too.

Not sure what to make out of these Wagner quotes: Huddersfield head coach David Wagner: "If we secure a play-off spot then we will be very happy. We are humble and we know how difficult it is to get points in this division. "We are Huddersfield Town and to have this points total is an unbelievable achievement. We have to focus on ourselves and not Newcastle. "We are in a wonderful position but we do not have enough points yet. We would like to have more points and we would like more good performances." Is he saying they are focused on getting into the playoffs or chasing us ? Whatever, I think it's in our best interests that they still have to look over their shoulders, Leeds are 5 points behind them, if they win their game in hand that gap opens up to 8 meaning they are as good as there and the pressure lift. If they get beat at the weekend and Leeds win, that'll be great for us of course and get them very much in squeaky bum time.

I guess last year when 2 out of the 3 and the last time we were in the division when 2 out of 3 again went up were the exceptions.

Brassler made a couple if starts mid season, I think had armstrong not been loaned out he too would have played a few and of course if Aarons wasn't made of glass we may have seen a little less of Gouf this season.

Usually at least one relegated club bounces straight back up, I have no idea of the stats on that but it must be pretty that all three fail to make it.

Very true and another reason why promotion is so important to us. Without it the likes of Colback will continue to be picked week in, week out, like he has been by 4 managers now. We need to get out of this division and be ruthless with our squad shaping. In a sense just sneaking over the line as runners up may help, clears the thought that only small changes are required, we need a major rework, that's evident now.

The aspect of our season, whether we go up or not, that I have been most disappointed with, is the area I thought we had a significant edge on our competition. The strength of squad. We've been hit with a lot of injuries to key players throughout the season, our leading scorer hasn't been able to stay fit since Christmas, Hayden for me has been a huge loss recently and of course we now see how much we miss Clark. But you have to expect injuries and suspension for a 46 game season, the problem has been that while earlier in the campaign we were coping really well with them, in the 2nd half we've struggled badly. I'm sure the other teams including the champions elect have had injury problems, I just expected us with the resources available to us to cope better than them, obvious the squad is a lot weaker than we all thought and Rafa's rigid adherence to his formation along with some baffling team selections on occasion haven't helped.

If we fail to go up it's a huge failure, especially from the position we were in, not sure it's a great achievement at all if we do go up, it's job done and move on, that's all.

True, but while our rivals are loaning players in to do a job for them, we were loaning players out !

He scored a couple if really important goals but you would expect a few from the position he plays, huge disappointment in the whole scheme of things, I would have rather we had not let De Jong go out on loan and rolled with him in that role. Actually if you look at the players we have out on loan we could have used them here right now, Thauvin, De Jong, even Saivet could do better than a few in our squad.

Good we need all the help we can get right now. 3-1 defeat at home to Norwich is not good, especially as they have been so good at home all season. Hopefully we get the Preston team that played us in the League Cup as opposed to the one that we were lucky in the end to beat at their place earlier in the season.

He said today that he didn't understand how we can perform so differently from Friday, but he changed half the bloody team, I'm sure that had some effect.

That wouldn't surprise me, but I I do feel we still need at least 3 points to hold off both Huddersfield and Reading.

Reading made hard work of beating already relegated Rotherham today at home, they have three relatively comfortable games left, but all three are fighting for their lives in Burton, Wigan and Forest. Hopefully one can spring a surprise and get something from their game, then we'll need just one point from the last three games to stay ahead of Reading. If Huddersfield don't beat Fulham which is entirely possible then the same will be true for them if they slip up again after that tough game.