KaKa

On 30/12/2024 at 10:46, GeordieDazzler said:

Fonseca sacked at Meelan, Conceicao to replace him.

Wow. Missed this yesterday.

Think Concecaio is going to do really well there.

Sad for Fonseca. Just wasn't doing a good enough job.

36 minutes ago, Begbie said:

I must agree with Froggy, at the time we paid more than market value for him. Isak had 105 games and 33 goals in La Liga and had an known injury record. Howe did see something other clubs didnt see, and was willing to overpay to get his man. The «gamble» has paid off. 

It's a strange thing just looking at a players numbers/output.

Isak's size, speed, athleticism and technique have always stood out and he was really starting to have some significant showings for Sweden about a year or so before we bought him, in the Euros I think it was.

He was clearly going to be far more dangerous in a more open and faster paced league than he was in Spain, and I imagine we recognised that. 

It's a similar story with Cunha at Wolves. At Atletico he wasn't even a consistent starter, and really didn't have much to show as far as numbers go. In the Prem he looks like a star, because of how well suited he is to the higher tempo and more open style.

And now every fan base is thirsting after both Cunha and Isak!

16 minutes ago, Kanj said:

@KaKa

 

Nope. Those 2 trophies and their current shit show wouldn’t ever feel great. Their rebuild job is harder than the one Eddie has been working with and I truly believe we’re more on the up than they are. They will also have the revenues but shifting that squad + the media scrutiny is tall order. Our squad is man for man better, and that includes the likes of the players we’re trying to shift off and the ones on the bench for us. Longstaff, Barnes, Willock, Miley…all could have done a better job for them than some of the shit I have some this season from them. 

Totally agree. 

It's really great having such a good set of players and characters that make up the team.

I really think it's going to culminate with them winning things at some point too.

It's coming.

20 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Definitely not. I've never defined my support of Newcastle United on winning trophies. If one comes along in the future then great but, and I can say this hand on heart, it wouldn't massively bother me if it didn't.

 

My dad first took me to SJP as a 6 year old back in 1984. His dad took him along as a 10 year old in the early 60s. He was there when we beat Newport 13-0! It's the pride of following your club, your dad's club, his dad's club that makes football what it is.

 

Trophies should be seen as a bonus as the majority of fans of clubs outside the top ones (and it's becoming more of a closed shop) may never see their club win one. Football is about more than that and those people who've latched onto the Man Utds, Liverpools and more recently the Chelseas and Man City's will never understand this. 

 

I've got a mate who follows Blyth Spartans home and away. Him and his group of mates go everywhere with them and even though they are currently worse than shite you can see how much pleasure following his home town team around the country every week brings him. He wouldn't swap it for the world.

 

That's what football is about. Not like what we witnessed at Wembley 2 years ago when we walked back to Wembley Park tube station side by side with Man Utd fans who looked like they couldn't have cared less. I'd honestly wrap it all in if I ever became that.

Amazing. I totally get it 

The trophies are coming for this current lot though, and it's going to feel special.

1 hour ago, David Edgar said:

I really want Delap. He is legit. Would be an incredible number 9 for us if we lost Isak. In fact, we wouldn't miss Isak.

Was catching up on the highlights of their game last night.

He is an all action wrecking ball of a striker man. Proper talisman for Ipswich already.

Glad he missed our game against them. He looks like he is going to be a top top striker.

Just now, Froggy said:

 

I'd say this was the most important factor. A £34m transfer able to be spread over three seasons. Fairly low risk in this day and age and it satisfied fans who wanted support for Hojlund.

 

Turns out he's not anything close to a #9. He's slick, but hasn't got what it takes for this league.

Yeah, it was a great deal.

You'll likely get most of it back from a club in Italy I imagine, he was that good there.

You really needed a more seasoned striker ahead of Hojlund that he can rotate in for as he's still so young, and wasn't even starting at Atalanta when you got him.

Going to be interesting to see who you go for.

2 hours ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I thought Zirkee was like a 35 year-old journeyman nearing retirement with how casual he looks. Couldn’t believe he was a young lad

 

Weird signing though, hasn’t scored a lot of goals anywhere. 

 

 

 

He's more of a Firmino type of striker. He was class for Bologna last season and contributed massively to them getting Champions League. 

I was very surprised that Man Utd signed him. It really didn't make sense as a fit. It's since been mentioned that Ashworth recommended him based on the scouting report we had for him at Newcastle. He also had a low release clause.

1 hour ago, Roids said:

ofc we would, we've been in far worse situations with nothing to show for it 

 

 

 

Wrong answer!

Be assured. The trophies are coming for this team.

If not this season, for sure next season, once we sort that right wing out.

6 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

Which we can't do without sales. That'll be fun position to be in when negotiating.

2 minutes ago, KingArthur said:

Amorim said yesterday that no moves will be made in January (maybe he meant without someone leaving)

Think they will figure something out.

The situation is quite bad, I just can't see them not doing anything.

Just now, Myleftboot said:

4 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

It needs a new LWB at an absolute minimum and a new #10 as soon as possible.

 

Amorim will get the two windows and the rest of the season to implement this idea, but I don't think he'll get as long as Ten Hag if it doesn't work.

Yeah, going to need to make some key moves in January in those positions.

The trophies thing is interesting in these circumstances.

Here's a question ...

Would anyone take those two Man Utd trophies under ten Hag, if it meant we had the current Man Utd squad and league position, while they had the current Newcastle squad and league position instead?

2 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

Yeah I think Garnacho would be even worse. Garnacho is an out and out winger. He runs but he doesn't know how to press or defend.

 

Antony as our #10 is just scary.  That's a clear indication of how bad it is.

The thing about Antony is he has a great shot on him, and Amad overlapping might open up space for him to get that off?

I don't know man. It seems very difficult making these players work in Amorim's setup.

Too many headaches.

6 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

I think fans are understandably biased and also back their own players. We don’t watch other teams every week and vice versa. 
 

Odegaard and Rice are both absolutely quality. They manage to rotate their midfield 3, too. Havertz, Partey, Jorginho, Merino and the alleged *redacted*  

 

Gravenberch (sp) has been a revelation this season and my Liverpool supporting mates suggest Mac Allister is their most important midfielder. Szob has a great engine, plays off both feet, hell of a strike on him. Perhaps a bit inconsistent and should contribute more. Jones is very good and another who is up and down all game. A real all rounder with great feet and has started weighing in with important goals. 
 

I’m not meaning to diminish the efforts of our 3 and the qualities they have. They are absolutely class. But I’d imagine fans on other forums have similar discussions all the time and are often biased in the favour of their players. 

Yeah, I know. That's fair.

I just think it's great that it's a legitimate discussion we can have without being completely off the mark.

Our 3 have only just got going too, so watch this space!

1 minute ago, Froggy said:

 

I don't think Dalot nor Mazraoui have the quality to play wing back in that system. Dalot is potentially capable on the right but is badly exposed on the left. There's just nobody else.

 

There's some stupid stat that we haven't not scored a goal when those two are wing backs, but when it's been Amad or Antony we've scored 9.

 

At the same time, he can't play Amad there as we don't have good enough #10's if Amad was to drop deeper, especially with Fernandes out.

 

Another fun stat: the last 4 games we've not had Fernandes - 0 goals.

 

Has he tried Anthony in that 10 spot instead? With Amad at wing back? Anthony doesn't seem able to take people on which he can probably get away with more in the 10 with Amad overlapping?

I feel like he needs to try some different combinations in those positions as that appears to be the main issue.

Even Garnacho in the wing back spots I don't think he has tried yet. Could he really be much worse than Dalot has been there?

5 minutes ago, Heron said:

He wasn't - that's not necessarily his fault. Howe has managed him perfectly and managed the midfield perfectly to mould it to its current form. That takes time and did take time.

 

It wouldn't have served Tonali's confidence or the confidence in Tonali well to simply continue without him performing to the levels he obviously can. So utilising Longstaff at times was the right thing to do. To take Tonali out of the light.

 

We're now seeing the benefits of how he has managed the individuals and the collective.

 

 

 

I agree he wasn't, but it was under ridiculous circumstances, when the whole team was already floundering and a raft of changes had disrupted the shape.

It was really annoying seeing that used as a reason he wasn't doing enough to get in the team.

Thankfully that whole awful period is over.

Just now, Froggy said:

 

We had control of the midfield against Wolves, so it did. It was 0-0 until we went down to 10 men. Obviously your midfield is a different kettle of fish to the Wolves one, but to say it didn't make a difference is off the mark. 

 

To say we wouldn't have been better with a midfield 3 of Ugarte, Mainoo and Fernandes instead of a midfield 3 of Eriksen, Casemiro and Zirkzee is disingenuous.

 

I'm in absolutely no way saying we would have got something from the game, as you were that good in the opening 30. Result would have been the same IMO, just maybe not as embarassing as it was early on.

Fair enough. I think that's reasonable.

One thing I have noticed. Early on Amorim was playing Amad at wing back, and I think you looked more dangerous then. I'm surprised he hasn't gone back to that.

Playing both Dalot and Mazaroui at the wing back spots seems to be stifling your play going forward.

Just now, Lush Vlad said:

Liverpool and Arsenal clearly have more depth and I think starting options, too. But the 3 that have been playing complement each other so well. 
 

Helped that Man U basically had a 2 that went MIA last night for half an hour. It won us the game. After Mainoo came on, we were nowhere near as dominant and barely created anything. Not that we particularly needed to, TBF. 
 

I don’t think I’ll anoint them as the best just yet. 

Starting 11 midfield. Not including subs and depth.

I'm really not certain I'm taking any over our current 3.

Mainoo started with Ugarte against both Wolves and Bournemouth and we saw the result. I almost wish those two had started yesterday again because that is the cope I keep hearing from Man Utd fans after the match.

Hopefully for the home game they both come ready to play, then we will see.

4 minutes ago, Thumbheed said:

I had it in my mind that he'd struggle in the 6 role based on the fact he's not really press proof and can't evade pressure in the same way that Bruno can, but his first touch passes and vision are exceptional enough for him to release pressure before he's even relieved. 

 

What an exceptional talent. 

He has exceptional awareness of who is around him. Both team mates and opposition.

It's actually very hard for the opposition to press him, because he moves the ball so quickly and then moves into space to receive it again.

Just so happy he's now in the team and showing what he can do.

I remember when he was getting thrown on when we were chasing games, when Longstaff was starting and we kept falling behind, and some were saying he wasn't doing or showing enough to usurp Longstaff! Was so frustrating man!

5 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

Like he said in his interview last night, he's there because the team was losing and the previous manager was sacked. Now people want him to go back to that system that got the previous manager sacked? He needs to stick to his idea and see who's going to be playing for him next season.

 

Eriksen and Casemiro are fourth and fifth choice midfielders for us. They never really had any hope against a strong midfield that was bang in form, and the formation wouldn't really have mattered. Game shifted when Mainoo came on, but the damage was already done.

Mainoo started alongside Ugarte against both Bournemouth and Wolves though, and it didn't make a difference.

I think we had taken our foot of the gas by the time Mainoo came on. He really wasn't some sort of game changer.

Pretty outrageous the extent to which he has transformed the team.

The difference he has made defensively is a joke. That midfield gap is rarely present anymore.

Big reason why we have not conceded in the last 4 games.

Do we have the best midfield in the league?

40 minutes ago, Miercoles said:

Such a Joelinton goal, comes flying in at the ball, off his shoulder, off the defenders face, and in, meanwhile Joe has clattered the defender and ended up sprawled out inside the goal himself.

 

In other words, an absolute clusterfuck. Classic Joe. There's a world, you know, where the shot off his own face ends up in the net. 

I loved it 

He just needs to keep crashing the box like that. His size and physicality will create chaos.

On that goal he scored he was right up there with Isak almost like a front two and it gets us the second.

He's looking more of a goal threat from midfield since Tonali came in. Long may it continue.

If Tonali scored just then it would have emptied the stadium. They were so quiet and in shock at that point, it would have broken them 

Was so annoyed it didn't go in!

Had some dodgy moments dwelling on the ball, but thankfully didn't cost us.

Was robbed of a great assist, with Isak fluffing that one on one. Fantastic tackle to win the ball before playing it over the top to Isak straight away, and he should have scored.

Just now, GeordieDazzler said:

Hojlund and Zirkzee are players who needed another two three seasons where they were. Not dropped into the toxic mess of a superclub. 

I'll never understand why they went for two strikers in such an early stage of their development, when they had no established first team striker at the club.

I was so sure they were going to sign Toney this past summer but they didn't.