Heron

Shite. When's Isak back?

Wolte made in Newcastle

Who need a red top for the day? You can have the god awful miami t shirt I bought from Matalan last year...

I'm not a Red. I'm not a red!!! DELICIOUS!

Aye right next to me in the Strawberry Corner. Told them to pack it in second half like and they did, which despite being told to fuck off and that I was a daft cunt, seemed to work. Only half a dozen lads.

I think the toothless up front is accurate but to me that's somewhat understandable given the last minute changes and lack of pre season for those involved to gel. For me the midfield is an over reaction and even moreso is the defence. Prior to yesterday's game we had the lowest number of shots conceded against us and lowest xG against us. Our defence is our strongest part of our squad and that's why we're gearing up the way we are.

Gordon gives it his best by and large and I respect him for that but I just feel he's become a lot more talk and a lot less walk this last 18months and rightly or wrongly he has become my personal scapegoat. Just not doing what he is capable of, I feel.

I don't like being this way, certainly to lads like Osula who are real good kids and give it their all, but he isn't of the level we require, I feel. Perhaps, in time he becomes our "early stages" player as proven versus Bradford. If he's happy to just be that. I doubt it though. If so at least that lightens the fixture load.

That's not true though. We gained CL football through 1-0s and clean sheets the first time around. We lost our star striker in the summer and arguably one of the best strikers in the world and so we need a solid foundation to get results whilst we reinvent our attack. Especially after Wissa got injured. People consider a performance bad if their team doesn't attack, that's somewhat true but not true in its entirety. You can win games 1-0 and play great and score from the one or two chances you create. Granted it doesn't feel as good, it doesn't ooze control, but it's not necessarily a bad performance. I don't think we were particularly bad today, we were just on the back foot and because of that, top, PL challenging sides will likely find a way to break you down.

Anyone else feeling cheated today?

Howes substitutions were very much short term pain for long term gain I feel. If we'd have seen it out they'd have been fab. Nearly did as well tbf, Elanga running through before being rugby tackled and the responsible party not being reprimanded. Woltemade needs protection and not running into the ground. Osula is not the desired replacement or intentioned but runs his socks off. Our defence was largely solid and Pope covered those that slipped through the ent excellently. If you sell your superstar striker and arguably best player on deadline day then it takes time to adjust. We've played Varcelona (and almost matched them) Arsenal (and almost matched them) and Liverpool with 10 men and almost matched them. Bournemouth away where a point isn't to be sniffed at and Leeds where yeah - I agree we should be winning. Performances are there where results aren't this season and last season was very much the opposite, but in time we will come good again. No doubt about it. Such is Eddie Howes capability.

People singing "stop the boats" at games need to fucking do one like

Bags the winner today.

Very bizarre stats/image this tbh. Like Palace are a really in form side so aren't an easy fixture. Man United play 3 sides that you'd expect to be in and around top 4 - so aye, kinda makes sense they're up near the top of this list but Leeds for example isn't much if any worse than Newcastle's. Likewise, difficulty is somewhat defined by the level of quality and form at existing club. It seems to suggest that teams like Aston Villa and Forest are easyish games but they are based on existing form not overall quality whereas Palace is also defined as an easy game despite being in better form. If that makes sense...

I'm not really sure how many more rolls of the dice Man United have before the spend catches up with them. Still foresee them finishing around 10th like but I did think they'd be better than they have started this season too.

Fabian Schar and Dan Burn have simply been undroppable though. Injury to Schar means this is Botmans chance.

More importantly he wears Heron t-shirts.

Referee was horse shit today. Aside from the penalty decision, stopping our players at every opportunity from taking quick free kicks and throw ins really stifled our opportunities to attack by allowing Bournemouth to get back in.

He's absolutely outstanding. We'll have a hard time keeping him if he continues as he is, unless we continue to do well. I do think he will show some degree of loyalty for us helping him out though.

Not particularly - I cannot really say too much tbh whilst it is all ongoing. Expecting an Anarchy statement tomorrow...

Zonal marking is a pet peeve of mine and also the lack of the traditional "put it in the mixer" from an offensive point of view. I'll start with Zonal Marking. Space never scored a goal like and being fixed in a position leaves you open to the opposition gathering pace and not only beating you to the ball but gaining height in their jump. The penalty spot/put it in the mixer approach is literally so, so basic and I get that professional footballers and coaches probably think they're beyond that, but we literally have like half a dozen lads over 6ft nowadays. Keepers are generally well protected so standing around him isn't likely to work and for big lads it's really difficult to make an impact with your height if your entirely static given that any contact nowadays results in fouls. There seems to be a new trend of entirely flooding the goal line and basically inswinging it as near to the bar as possible. I get why that might or does work but seems more difficult to execute tbh. You only have to look at Dan Burns cup final winning goal to see how effective it can be simply playing it long and deep and away from the keeper.

There was a moment they simultaneously shouted the same thing out the blue and I said to me Da "Shows how long they've worked together and how well they work that they both shouted the exact same thing out the blue at the same time"

Which decisions out of curiosity?

Despite Villas poor start to the season a draw away there isn't a bad result and we played well and arguably deserved to win. A home tie to Liverpool is similarly difficult and especially with 10men. We were the better team then and lost, but losing to Liverpool (last years champions who have significantly re-strengthened is somewhat acceptable. Leeds away was the most frustrating for me. Felt we should be winning that at our level even not at full strength if we want to be top 4. EDIT: *We beat Wolves as expected in a game where we first had our new striker. It was never going to be a full-blooded, free-flowing performance as a result.* Away to Bournemouth is a really tricky game for anyone in the league. I can accept a draw there after another decent performance. Arsenal at home again is difficult and you'd like us to beat them but a draw wouldn't be the end of the world. We're still coming together and gelling. It's a marathon not a sprint. Hopefully, we "click" as we get a good run of games and go on a streak. I don't think we've been poor once this season tbh, just limited because of our striker situation. I personally don't understand any worry around Howe (if there is any...) as its the club's/Isak's management of the summer that's ultimately got us here. Interestingly, 2 years ago I'd wanted us to devise a new style of play - a "control" element if you like. We've got that with Woltemade and our away performances I feel. That will see us benefit a lot across the season. Just need to reinvigorate our ruthless/intense side.

Woltemade will settle in, Wissa will regain fitness with Ramsay and around November we'll become more potent in front of goal. Possibly a little too late in the season for much impact but we'll be fine. European spots and a strong end to the season. Just gotta hope we can keep pace whilst we gel. Eddie is our king.