Stottie

Just another stat, but we lead the league in hitting the woodwork. 11 times so far. Third top scorers, but it could have been even more. https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/hit_woodwork

Normally I would say focus on getting into the Top 4, not least because of FFP. Its also Top 4 teams that normally win the Cups now. However, the other fixtures in this round include Man U-Villa, Arsenal-Brighton, and Man City-Chelsea. With other PL teams heading out, the prospect of winning this year becomes stronger. It's a cliched thing to say, but given our recent history, what a nice dilemma to have! Usually it's pie in the sky glimmer of a cup run vs. inevitably desparate battle against relegation.

I want to see Maxi, for him to get minutes before potentially starting against Chelsea. We didn't play midweek last week and both these remaining pre-break games are at home, so no disruption from travelling. We may see Howe go with a stronger team as a result.

Well, four shots on target in 90 minutes probably is "nowhere near our best". Just as well they all went in! Lots of errant passing too, even from Bruno and Trips. Botman also has his first complete howler that wasn't punished. Southampton had good energy, so give them some credit. Whatever, it was a win. Onwards and upwards!

Maybe the two of them just needed a shower.

Miggy again! WTF Nice energy from Southampton, who should have levelled it there. Serves me right for just thinking we'd got another first half shut out. Only two first half goals conceded all season (three if you include Tranmere). Hope Trippier is okay. Just see it out lads!

You wouldn't blame someone for brushing their teeth watching this.

"Employment abuse"

I thought this was bogey fixture, but that was their old ground where they stopped playing twenty years ago (old man emoji). We've had better results at St. Mary's, two wins out of the last three games. Presumably results from the distant past will have involved the players sitting on a bus for hours and hours.

A door-opening AM like Maddison certainly offers something we don't have. If we are increasingly looking at playing against 10 men behind the ball, then yes, he could be very useful. (still salivating at the prospect of Maxi, Isak, and Trippier at RM at the same time to be honest)

I wrote the same thing earlier this week, but yes, the number of pre-takeover players now performing well is a huge black mark against Bruce. However, I think this is a point for internet forums and opinion pieces. It should not be a indirectly leading question to be put to Eddie Howe himself. Let him use his energy on the team. fwiw, I don't like questions about the Grealish comments either. I can't see any good coming from them. Once again, there is no need to dwell on bad stuff from the past.

Hmm, a spending chart that omits Forest....righto.

While Howe obviously deserves a ton of praise, doesn't the "Schar, Wilson, Joelinton, WIllock, Miggy, Murphy, ... were here already" argument, basically what people say to counter the "big spending Newcastle" dismissal of Howe's achievement, actually mean we had the basis of a probably mid-table team to start with? Some readers may be worried where I'm going with this, but our recent results only emphasize that we were second bottom a year ago not because we had an underfunded team of shit players but because Steve Bruce is a lazy and inept fraud of a manager. Ashley main failing was not in starving the team of resources but in employing such a yes-man plank in the most important position.

One of them scouting things had Isak with a 2:1 ratio for goals from stronger foot:weaker foot. This means he can play anywhere in the front three. So can ASM. I don't like him playing down the middle, but he scored the Wolves volley the last time it was tried. Murphy seems to be improving, so I'd keep him, certainly over Fraser. I think Howe could make a player out of him. With Trippier playing a TAA-like hybrid midfield playmaker role with TAA level production, that strikes me as the biggest vulnerability/lack of cover. I doubt anyone else could do it. Bruno would leave a Bruno sized hole elsewhere. Shelvey has the passing and crossing but not much else. This means we'd probably need to play a more conventional 4-3-3 and need more production from midfield. So instead of our current 3-4-3 thing, we'd play 4-3-3 with a Maddison level AM. On the form he's on, I suppose we could try Miggy CAM and stick Isak RW. The Brazlians could play double pivot, or Bruno as Xavi and a new DM as Busquets.

JLA referring to Trippier holding the width and Miggy playing as "effectively a center forward". I hadn't thought of it in those terms, and was expecting him to say "inside right". Maybe that's me showing my age. Anyway, over the years, its often been said on here that Miggy is best at #10. With the lopsided formation we have now, perhaps he's ended up doing something very close to that. In the first half against Villa, he noticably roamed over to the left a couple of times. It's a subject for another thread, but if Miggy is producing, it does affect the priorities for any spending in January. High level DM to free Bruno?

Best SBR season for points was 01/02 which was fourth with P38 W21 D8 L9 F74 A52 GD22 Pts 71 Howe NUFC in 2022 P32 W18 D8 L6 F48 A31 GD17 Pts 62 As the starting point, on Jan 1 2022 we were 19th place in the league with a record of P19 W1 D8 L10 F19 A42 GD-23 Pts 11

Man U have 11 points out of six games against the Top 6 plus us. That's better than anyone. They are unconvincing to the eye, but are good enough to get results. That said, if Joelinton scores the second header or, by some miracle, the Wilson penalty actually gets given, I think we win that game. Us playing on the transition a goal up would rip through them.

Great result for Man U, but contrast with us defending, even against Man City and Liverpool. Lots of desparate last ditch stuff on display here.

Hilarious goal. As renaissances go, we're now into Godfather (Joelinton) vs. Godfather Pt. II (Almiron) territory. Which to do you choose, the original or the sequel? That's our seventh goal this season from outside the box, by the way.

I don't see Wilson holding the ball up much or bringing others into play. That's not how we play. Wilson hardly touches the ball, which the strikers of old did. What Wilson does do is occupy two center halves and still make incisive runs that evade them. When he does, his finishing is usually top notch. To finish with a stat, his xG90 this season is higher than Kane, Mitro, and Jesus. In the little we saw, which included a penalty, Isak was very high too.

It could be worse. The most expensive signing ever by a non-Top 6 team is an A.N. Other While I do want to see much more of Isak, I'll go with Maxi. We are so solid across the entire pitch that it's even easier to root for the non-weight-puller capable of league leading brilliance. That's what cult players are made of. (if there is a key man, it's Trippier)

Does anyone seriously think we'll just finish "in the top half?" Great result yesterday, but nothing that hasn't been coming. Rewatch the Palace highlights and they are the same, just without the ball going in the net. We even hit the post twice against Bournemouth. The fivethirtyeight supercomputer now has us three points of Champions League (four points off third) with a probabilty of 31% of getting in. If Brighton are going to help take points off people, it'll just get easier. All the stats have us solidly Top 4, but blah blah some people hate stats. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/premier-league/

Villa and Everton put to the sword with a combined xG against of about 0.4 in 180 minutes. Zero shots on target conceded.

Miggy holy fucking wow!

Wow, unstoppable.