Stottie

I think it is unfair to assume they were "trying to be clever". They had very large constraints on what they could do, from FFP and potential approprium from selling players to Saudi. We could not sell two or more players like media darlings Liverpool and Chelsea did. The irony is that Israel has since killed dozens more journalists than Jamal Khashoggi, but this has been met with almost universal media silence. Our owners also inherited a lot of long-contract Ashley deadwood that is messing up FFP on the wages front.

We're running out of steam faster and earlier than the other teams near the top are supposed to run out of steam.

Clearly worse of late. Doesn't look fit.

Ferk it, I'm going to work it out Darwin Nunez: 2 goals in 13 mins vs. NUFC, 2 goals in 958 minutes vs everyone else Ewan Ferguson: 3 goals in 81 mins vs. NUFC, 3 goals in 838 minutes vs everyone else Richarlison: : 2 goals in 73 mins vs. NUFC, 3 goals in 700 minutes vs. everyone else Chris Wood: 3 goals in 90 mins vs. NUFC, 4 goals in 549 minutes vs. everyone else Wood is actually the most prolific, though mostly thanks to two against Luton. There seems to be a pattern there of us struggling against the big man, the big man who other teams deal with comfortably.

We took the lead and even looked likely to get another. They equalized from our attack. After that it was like the wheels falling off a clown car. Chris Wood scoring three and even rounding the keeper is serious WTF territory. Our center halves should be ashamed of themselves. Fuck whatever happens at Liverpool but we have to regroup before Wearyside. Play like this and they'll beat us too.

Lordy dordy. Terrible stuff. We really need a reaction here.

Deserved, but WTF?

Yeah, that about sums it up. A lot of good, but the little bad there was was enough to cancel it out. We need to come back and win it now though. We've not be resilient enough this season, losing points from winning positions and falling behind and staying there.

curse of the former player

A soft penna but hey, we need some luck. He waited to see the keeper go one way, so his movement in the other direction would then be very limited.

Strong team, options from the bench too. I feel quite confident now.

Getting knocked out of Europe and the Carabao has at least solved one of our problems, which was fixture congestion. Obviously its the busy festive period that we first have to navigate, but the lads will have more time to prepare for games in the second half of the season. Fate kicking us in the knackers again this season means these fixtures begin with City, Liverpool, and Villa, along with a must-not-lose on Wearyside. However, the cup runs ending does mean things will get easier. I suppose the concern is that our down-to-the-bones team will put us so far behind that we won't be able to catch up. We beat Arsenal, so we're not mugs. Our team is really really good when it is firing. Remember that and a Merry Christmas to you all.

Going back to the draw at Wolves, 9 games ago, we've underperformed xG by over five goals. Our record in those games has been P9 W4 D1 L4. Fourth top in xG, but bottom half in goals scored. Isak himself hasn't played so much in these fixtures so it's not so much him, but our problems with fitness and energy levels have been compounded by missing chances. We had very clear chances to take the lead in several of the games, yesterday and at Spurs for certain. Taking the lead changes the game state and how the opponent likely plays. fwiw, in the 9 games before Wolves, we lead the league in xG and overperformed it by 1.5. We were also top scorers, one ahead of Villa. xG is not everything, just failing to meet a cross with the goal gaping is 0 xG, but its a rough guide to chance creation.

Very disappointing again. Intensity is way way off. Lots of players look knackered. Dunno what the Miley thing was. I thought he was tidy enough and looked okay. Need more fit bodies not called Matt Ritchie.

Could easily have been two or three. C'mon lads!

Meh, shit happens. Lots of time left. Howay the Lads!

Great finish but weak defending.

That newspaper licks Liverpool's arse so badly. Mac Allister and Szobo better than Bruno G? Aye, if you're as blind as a bat.

Not going to happen, but when one team has way more injuries than the other, could referees be a little bit stricter? If not, the team with the much better bench can just kick the other one off the park, knowing they have no fresh players to bring on.

I was amazed Bruno scored after that runup. Horrible memories of the last time. Just on 10 man Liverpool, but so long as Salah is on the pitch, they have a fast-break cheat code. You cannot commit fully forward against them. Salah is why they rarely get beat with 10 men (or 11). It took an own goal to beat them when they were down to 9 at Spurs. I would dwell on that as a failing. Still gutted about the result. We got gifted our goal but defended it resolutely until that blunder. We'd coped with their pressure and possession admirably.

He made errors last season too, or got done for pace, but this is a weirdly obvious drop in form, suggesting an injury or possibly some off-field thing affecting him mentally. He was sent home from England, after all. He's hit something like 400 crosses since August 2022, 150 than anyone else in the Premier League. With only Almiron available, he pretty much has to play. Thanks to the emergence of Miley, maybe against soft touch teams, we could play Joelinton LW and switch Gordon to the right. I can't see our right side being effective with Miggy but no Trippier. Murphy can get to the line and would place less creative responsibility on our RB, but he's not available.

Gutted! So near! That's football I suppose.

Easy come, easy go. If he has links with Ineos/Sky, Brailsford etc., then it can't be helped. He was appointed at NUFC by non-clowns, who are likely to employ another competent person. Just be happy we got Gordon and Livramento during his tenure.

If Juventus actually want Kalvin Phillips, that's a vote of confidence. My association with Italian midfielders is technically competent, good engine, and a bit radgie.

Gerrard's assistant at Villa? Nice one Kyril, nice one son.