oldtype

if the gap in skill between us and Birmingham is actually as large as this match indicates so far, we're not only likely to go down, but we deserve to do so. Feels like Watford trying to have a go at Chelsea.

First corner of the match! Wonder how we'll waste it...

honestly starting to lose faith in Keegan. Yes we have a shit squad, yes brum is a better team, but why can't this lot be made to at least play in at least some remote semblance of competence?

fuck. Gun to head. now.

Barton gives away posession cheaply for the gigabillionth time.

playing better, passes actually making contact now. Putting brum under some pressure even though we're not shooting. Still about a half-dozen cards short of a full deck though.

we're pretty good when we can get the ball into the opposition area. It's just that we have no fucking clue how to get there.

GOAL ATTEMPT!! OWEN!

Barton to be declared legally blind. Damn.

Well they ARE playing at home. We'll have our chances. At the moment, more Newcastle passes have gone to Brum players than passes from their own team. Shocking.

agh, passing IS absolutely horrendous. Would love to see a passes completed % stat for us like you have on FM. matter of time till we concede at this rate

we're closing them down pretty hard it's the bad passing that's letting us down again. Attacks never amount to anything because we're just giving away the ball. Fuck, free kick. Odds 1-2 that we concede :/

closed my eyes when that deflection hit Beye because I was sure it was drifting in. Thank God.

COME ON!!!!!! ...please

actually feel like I'm going to throw up now. God the tension is literally unbearable. Up there with World Cup games. Random aside: Martins has a new haircut

They generally default to a 4-4-2 to be fair. I think it will be 4-3-3

I will cry tears of blood.

not bad. If we can't score with that we might as well start buying up those Championship patches now.

Jesus, I'm in serious brown pants mode here just waiting for the lineup. Feel like I've just gone all-in pre-flop and I'm waiting for the cards to fall.

that's not a bad lineup is it? I mean, assuming that it's true. EDIT: you could have added the "predicted" to the main post

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck sweating bullets here. Can't we just get this over with already?

I think I dread seeing the team selection even more than the actual match.

My Lord, the "our players get massively bigged up when they haven't played for a while" effect must be fucking gigantic if it's even working for Ramage.

Ramage is back I know he's nowhere near fit but we could do with him at the minute. He's not the best defender in the world but he doesnt make many errors and I'd prefer him over Taylor at the moment. Him and faye would be unspectacular but solid and reliable. In fairness to you its being a long time since we have seen him play so we will let you off with that!I dont think I have ever watched a match that he played in where he didnt make a complete mug of himself! You're right, Ramage is consistent in that he won't have any complete shockers. All he'll do is deliver reliable preformances that range between poor and average.

Sports scientists and psychologists eh? too bad we don't have those anymore