ChrisMcQuillan

39 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

We spent all (not 'the bulk') of our budget on reinforcing centre-midfield and full-back with CL quality, and replacing Saint-Maximin. Because that's what we could afford to do. How is it 'one hell of a failure'? What should we have done differently? Choose differently because we should've expected a ten-month gambling ban, and an apparently rare long-term foot injury suffered by a player with an exemplary injury record?

 

The transfer window wrought some excellent signings, by your own argument, we've just been stupidly unlucky. 

I’m not arguing that they weren’t sensible transfers given what we knew. And whats transpired is unlucky, no doubt. 
 

Every transfer is a gamble in football. We gambled and lost. 
 

We are happy to call transfers successful, these haven’t been for this season, therefore they’re a failure, surely?

I’m not necessarily ascribing blame to anyone in this, but I would argue it’s been a failure of a window for this season. 
 

A couple of good seasons out of those players and they might turn out to be successful long-term. 

I think a 10th placed finish is pretty realistic at this moment in time - particularly if we don't sign anyone meaningful.

Would be a bit of a kick in the teeth. As others have said, whether you consider it a failure is probably down to your personal take.

FFP has us hamstrung, and injuries have been horrific.

But we ultimately spent the bulk of our transfer budget on:

• Tonali
• Barnes
• Livramento
• Hall (loan fee/future fee/potentially)

Bar Livramento, who's been excellent when on the pitch, that's one hell of a failure of a window. Assuming we don't do much this window, this season's transfer business will be looked back on as very poor, at least in the short term.

It doesn't feel like what we wanted to do this year has come off, therefore, IMO, the season will have been a failure.

The real question is who will we end up losing through regression of that scale? You might got another season out of most of them, but would be a miracle not to lose a star or two from that outcome.

1 minute ago, Amir_9 said:

What can you even say, the injuries have absolutely finished this season. Be happy if we finish 7th at this rate.

We won’t get anywhere near 7th. 

Rodri hassling the ref on the way off...

27 minutes ago, huss9 said:

me and the bairn were among those handing out the red cards - i think they were red - got a lot of abuse outside and inside the ground.

one of the reasons we moved our seats to the gallowgate.

I was handing flyers out (I think that day).

Got some absolutely vile abuse outside the ground.

4 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Let’s not push Our best striker to the flanks. 

Okay, cool, let's have Gordon break down instead. 

41 minutes ago, St1pe said:

I’m not sure a striker even changes much for us at the moment. Isak is clearly first pick with Wilson backup. Assuming Wilson isn’t out too long any striker is either going to be 2nd or 3rd choice. Seems pointless this window. 

Depends. Allows you to push Isak out on the left and rest Gordon, who we're really in dire straits without should he get injured.

3 hours ago, Tisd09 said:

The inconsistency with dissent is really irritating, everyone could see what Jorginho says to the ref, the ref even calls him over for a chat and yet gets nothing and of course a perfect example was the Liverpool v Man Utd game and Dalot gets sent off yet Nunez gets sod all ?

Watching it like that, it's outrageous.

1 minute ago, MrRaspberryJam said:

It’s not just Newcastle players that do it Chris everyone does?

Okay, I'll outline it if you're struggling.

1. We're discussing players in the Arsenal v Liverpool match having holes cut in their socks.
2. @OoOGazOoO asked why Arsenal players had holes cut in their socks.
3. I explained the rationale behind it, and highlighted that some Newcastle players do it as well.
4. As demonstrated above, given the context of the thread, I am aware that not only Newcastle players do it.

Hopefully this helps. 

Just now, MrRaspberryJam said:

All players do it not just ours. Connor Gallagher cuts loads in 

Yeah, I know. That's why I said do it too.

Just now, OoOGazOoO said:

Those random ovals on the back of the Arsenal socks, are they part of the design or random holes? They look awfu!

There's a bit of a trend with players cutting holes in their socks to relieve pressure on the calf muscles if the socks are tight.

Bruno and a few of ours do it too.

43 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

That DCL red is diabolical. 

Absolute joke. 

3 minutes ago, FloydianMag said:

Surely the £200 million would remain in the clubs accounts until they decided to spend it, whenever that may be.

My understanding is that it would be lost.

Whole thing is a farce.

Neville's excitement there.  

Just now, The College Dropout said:

This is as bad as under our previous managers. 

Unfortunately, yes.

Just now, nemtizz said:

Pleased for him tbf

Quite a likeable chap. A rarity for that team. 

Howe’s under pressure now. 

Just now, LionOfGosforth said:

It wasn't good today, and the away form is poor but it doesn't take much critical thinking to see why it's like this. I've seen "woeful, clueless and pathetic" and "disgusting, lazy and a disgrace" hoyed around in here. Fuck me people, do you even think for a moment before posting

I don't think they were lazy in any other game this season until today. 

Turned it off.

Howe isn't under any pressure, but the performance today was as poor as we've seen under him. And he's had more players absent than he's had today for a number of matches where we've performed a lot better.

Howe frequently says about how his players give everything. I don't think they did today, and to me that's unacceptable.

Just now, Sima said:

There’s absolutely no chance of top 4/5.

Long gone, unfortunately. 7th should be the aim now.

Just now, geordie_b said:

Did Lascelles and Miley go off in the same game break?

Yeah

Worst we've been on the pitch since Bruce, unfortunately.

5 minutes ago, ohmelads said:

 

Is there a link to a graph for this season so far? 

I don't think so. Think the data's purchased by the papers/agencies through Premier Injuries.

Also, this isn't a new thing.

Last season was bad, despite not being in European competition.

1 minute ago, Decky said:

No midweek games after Christmas until the end of Jan, then none again for ages after that. We'll be able to take a bit of pressure off of the squad and get players back to being 100%. 

Which makes a total mockery of why there's so many rounds of matches in December.

You squeeze in nonsense international friendlies, then play:

• 25th November
• 28th November
• 2nd December
• 7th December
• 10th December
• 13th December
• 16th December
• 19th December
• 23rd December
• 26th December

Ten fixtures in 31 days is a total joke. I appreciate there's Champions League in that, and we can't buy what we've needed due to FFP, but it's another example of how FFP is designed to keep the proles in their place.