Mattoon

Every year we think they'll do it (as do they) and every year they make an absolute mess of it when the chips are down.

The rank hypocrisy online the past few days is nothing short of astounding. I get how it looks with ASM and Wilson getting crocked, but the real fume is the fact everyone expects us to spend a gazillion pounds in January and 2 extra games is a potential 6 points with new players. Most other teams have gotten games postponed so screw them.

Not the same player since he came back from injury, he seems to have lost some confidence, still by far the best keeper on our books but his form is worrying.

I've stayed with a 6 through some rough times and I'm remaining there, still plenty of the season to play and we're still within striking distance of safety, but we're still in the relegation zone. We aren't, however, playing like a relegated team, keep up this effort and performance level and its a matter of time before we climb out, not "if".

Bruce absolutely wrecked his progress, but he looked solid today, hopefully he can find some of that Rafa form in the second half of the season. There's definitely a better player in there than the last 2 years have shown, he just needs pointing in the right direction. Ideally the midfield is replaced in January but he may have a part to play and hopefully he keeps improving again.

As much as Man u didn't play well I think its important to acknowledge our game plan was much to do with that, we pressed high, hassled them all game, broke with speed and never let them settle. Their best period in the game was when we lost some of that momentum and players were clearly getting jaded and allowed them to play a bit more as we started to play deeper.

I noticed that too, it was an absolute whiffed shot that clipped the outside of his right boot and took a deflection on its way through, complete spawny goal and undeserved

Definitely feels like Howe's philosophy is starting to click, the players have regained the lost fitness under Bruce and the energy levels are rising. We're taking the game to teams and we're pressing high and with energy, Joelinton definitely the outstanding improvement, tireless and uncompromising, always nipping at heels to get the ball back and always looking forward to bring the ball into attack. Very promising signs in comparison to 3 or 4 games ago. It was always going to take time to fumigate the Steve's out, I'm hoping this is it now, but very promising signs in the last few games against some very tough competition (Leicester apart).

I think the Schar one was maybe to hide his embarrassment of a pass.

His box to box play today was immense, he bullied and harassed their players all game, he was everywhere again. Who thought when we bought him he was going to be a £5m forward but an £80m central midfield destroyer??

Would have bitten your hand off for a draw before the game, feel massively aggrieved we didn't win that now, better side, ran them ragged at times. That application to every game would see us safe with a few more quality signings in January. Best performance all season.

Man u can't handle our pace up top and high press, how long can we keep it up is the only question to which the result is the answer. Excellent first half, bodies on the line and the players deserve something from this.

Too late to start praying for a Christmas miracle?

Gini is a classy player but even Liverpool supporters noticed how he was anonymous some games, you'd forget he was there and he'd pop up and do something silky and then vanish again. He also struggled in away matches for some reason. I'd take him back under Howe 100% though, still he's and shoulders above what we have currently.

I think some of what's been written about him on social media has been pretty disgusting, but that's what I've come to expect on Twitter, too many idiots with voices but that's a conversation for another day. Most of what has been said is fair criticism though. Is he our best player? Probably. Is he our best chance of winning games? Almost definitely. Is he above criticism? Definitely not. He has probably the hardest job at the moment, cut adrift a lonely figure up front with the burden of creating everything on the break pretty much on his own. It's a huge burden to bare and it must be highly frustrating for him watching the game pass by and having to take on the world when he finally sees the ball. He's definitely let it get to him, he looks frustrated, at times he's looked disinterested, I can't blame him for that but as a professional he can't allow that to happen. It'll be interesting to see how he plays when he has some new signings around him and the sole ownership of attacking intent is not at his door alone. Take some of the onus away from him and hopefully we see the old ASM with a bit more freedom and less opposition players to worry about.

Completely agree RE: ASM I'm losing a lot of love for him recently, seems to fade out of games quickly if it's not going his way. I know it must be frustrating for him, but we need him most right now, we need fight not quitters. Also agree we need a new spine down the centre of the team, CB is useless without some steel in the middle and for Howes system to work we need the ability to move the ball right up the field but none of our lot can string 2 passes together without 30 seconds on the ball.

Yeah I don't buy this way of thinking anymore, this isn't Ashley's NUFC now, we don't need to go down to start again we can stay up and have a refresh.

6 or 7 players needed in January to stand a chance and then we've got to hope they hit the ground running. You can see what Howe is trying to do but the quality is letting him down.

Frustrating that, wasn't the walkover I was expecting, poor individual mistakes cost us in the end.

I'm not sure I can even bring myself to watch the carnage ensue and I've watched every game from Howe so far. I think we'll make a good first of it, might even be the best we've played all season as players step up their game against a demonstrably top side, but they've just got too much in every department vs us.

Fwiw I'd take Trippier any day of the week, who gives a shite how much he costs, that's not an issue to us anymore and if he helps keep us in the PL, he's paid for himself anyway! Way, way better than anything we have right now and if it's a choice of spending 25m or sticking with what we've got then it's a no brainer and if you're questioning that you've got no brain.

We need a new spine tbh, defence is a priority but no good unless we get 1 or 2 quality midfielders to link up play and protect the back 4 and if something happens to Wilson, he doesn't have the best track record in injuries, then we need backup or we won't be scoring. January is a mammoth task, excitement, fear and trepidation.

I wouldn't go that far, we were there...

Our GD is going to take a negative double figures nose dive after those games too. December is going to be miserable to be an NUFC supporter. We can only hope we're still only a couple of wins from safety and not taken an absolute hammering in the moral department by the time we get to winnable games and new recruits.

These lot will struggle to score on an empty pitch, completely impotent again today, our best chance came from one of their players ffs