Stottie

After a bit of Excel, last 15 away, since Jan 1st. P15 W6 D3 L6 F18 A19 Pts 21 Focusing on the "against" column, if you forget Man City and Spurs, which both involved late game collapses versus elite attacking teams, its nine goals conceded in thirteen games (plus Klopp time). Since Jan 1st home and away, we've conceded two or more in a game only four times in twenty nine games. In those other twenty five games, scoring once guaranteed us a draw or better and scoring twice was an automatic three points.

Joelinton plus ASM in, tempting to say Targett too although that would mean changing the entire left side. Give it a go, but don't get hung up if the game doesn't go our way. If we want to finish Top 6, we probably need a result. That ambition makes it a six-pointer. If the goal is 7th/8th though, we don't need to gain points ourselves and deny them to Man U. It's no big deal. Spurs away aside, we don't get battered anymore, so that's very unlikely regardless of historical experiences at OT. In away games, the best we've done under Howe is either beating Brentford last season or knocking 4 past Fulham last time out. If we do win, it will be easily the best away result post-takeover. We came close at Chelsea and Liverpool away, but both ended up as noble defeats. We were short-changed by the officials in both of those games, and there is a fair chance of that happening again.

You only sell if he's pushing really hard for the move, but yeah, 100m isn't enough. On top of the CM stats highlighted by the tv, he is also scoring nearly one in two (7 in 17x90 minutes) in the Premier League without playing out and out AM. The eyeballs test also has him hitting throughballs and flicked loopy passes (e.g., Miggy wondergoal) teams can't defend. It's like having Rodri and most of Bernardo Silva in the same package. Two elite players in one. The unknown is what his Mr. 10% is telling him, but he wasn't a goalscorer when we bought him and was well behind Fred, Casemiro, Fabinho ... for the Brazil team with the World Cup approaching. Coming to NUFC has undeniably been good for him. This should not be forgotten as pundits increasingly give it "Ooh Newcastle are so lucky to have him" and other snidey "too good for them" type comments.

Knife through butter.

Two handball goals for West Ham. Antonio one is obvious, and should be spotted off one replay.

Ideal prep for this yesterday, obviously the result and morale boost, but also a good runout for Joelinton and minutes for ASM. I had a look and a nil-nil under McClaren was the last time we got something there? With the Colback - Anita dream team double pivot?

All going to plan. Just to treat this as a stats analysis thread, our record in the first half of games is eight goals for and just two (Man City and Wolves) against. xG is 10.5 for, 3.5 against. Teams are adjusting and coming back at us second half, where it's nine goals for and seven against. xG is 10.5 for, 8.7 against. In the league as a whole, there have been 103 goals in the first half and 143 in the second. a 43/57% split.

Great result, and a fitting way to celebrate the anniversary of the takeover. We didn't play that well, but enough of our lads did the business in the moments that mattered and the system, the hard work, the planning, etc. did the rest. It looks like we're genuinely going places, and we're going there without the "billion pounds in transfer fees" that that idiot Luke Edwards says we need to get into the Top 4. Regardless of where we're heading though, we all know where we've been and it's a place that demands every big win like this is celebrated. Five fucking one! Get in!

Preseason tells no lies!

Bruno's got this!

A bit lucky with their offside goal, but great work aside from that. Deservedly ahead. Both the set piece and the mistake we forced with the high press looked like they were coming in recent games. Both earned from what we've been doing. Wilson with a rare assist too. Keep it up lads!

Brentford are decent, but fairly confident here. I'm looking forward to a great display from the flags, with it being the takeover anniversary and all, and hope they can lift the lads to a first home win in a while. The lads have been playing well, that's not the problem, but the chances just haven't been going in.

I love Wilson, he's great. Only 10 touches vs. Fulham, only one more than Mitro, but scored once and nearly scored two more times. I mention the number of touches because it may contradict certain expectations about what a forward is and should or shouldn't do. The usual stuff like "focus of the attack", "hold the ball up" etc. doesn't really apply. What he does do is find space in dangerous areas and exploit it ruthlessly when given the ball there.

The five thirty eight supercomputer thingy has finally caught up to our form in 2022 and now has us as eighth with a huge points gap to ninth. While we had more points per game in the run from January to the end of last season, aside from points per game, pretty much all of our stats are up this season. Shots, shooting distance, possession, key passes, ... We're playing in a way that is likely to win games, even if that has not been the result on the day a few times so far. Keep playing the same way and wins will come.

Thanks to Citeh letting in three today, we've conceded second fewest goals in the league. Or we have the second-best defensive record, if you prefer.

We're now joint second top in the goals against column. We would have been joint top with Everton but for that one conceded yesterday.

This makes a mockery of expressions like "Top 6". Man U look closer to a Champo club (under Bruce) than Man City.

That third was something like a three-on-seven attack and they just cut straight thru them.

Add on two points for the Palace robbed goal and I think that's a good start. Eighth most goals scored, sixth fewest conceded, with both of the top two played says its a fair position. Miggy joint top scorer!

Man City type goal.

Great job lads! It's my birthday tomorrow and it certainly feels like it.

October goal of the month!

Yep, out of control.

Bruno at #8, Trippier, and Wilson in the same team hasn't happened before, no? Whatever the formation is, Howe will have told them all what their role is, so let's see what happens. He's played unexpected formations before like Chelsea away and its gone well, so I'm still quite hopeful.

In Eddie we trust! Doesn't look like our normal 4-3-3 but good luck to whatever it is.