Stottie

Bruno still starts, so let's see what he can do against some of the best.

After seeing that lineup, I rescind all comments about 9-1 odds being generous and us not conceding three. Iin Eddie we trust, but many fringe players in there and not a lot of threat. It looks like this match is being written off to have a full go at Everton.

Just regarding this and the Abramovich thread, but what Saudi Arabia do is indefensible. It is also indefensible to sell them arms like the UK does. What Israel does to Palestine is also indefensible and most importantly has been going on the longest, but saying it gets you labelled an antisemite. While I do not like our owners, I think its a bit premature to be massively sounding the sportswashing siren, because they have not sunk an Abramovich/PSG/City level of spending in yet. What we've seen so far has been more akin to an attack of competence following years of mismanagement. A bit like Liverpool's new owners (world record center half and goalkeeper remember) vs. their previous ones. It may happen someday, but they have not used a money bazooka to buy shiny things that win over gullible people and make a mockery of the league as some kind of fair competition. We may have spent a good whack in January, but Aston Villa signed two players on wages we wouldn't pay. We got their reject left back. That's a big difference to how Chelsea or City started off.

I don't advocate gambling, but our chances of winning are better than that. Chelsea have played mostly away recently, but have drawn three of their last four home games. Everton (Rafa) 1-1, Brighton 1-1, Liverpool 2-2, and then Spurs 2-0 Big Dan Burn played for Brighton in that game (against Lukaku) and it sounds like they were unlucky not to win. 18 vs 11 shots and they hit the woodwork.

Watford do have winnable fixtures but cannot defend even with Hodgson.

We have passed every other previous test against better opposition, W Ham, Brighton, and Soton away, so I see no need to fear this one. I seriously can't see us conceding three or more. Chelsea have drawn three of their last four at home, and since we're second top, they must have been against teams lower than us in the form table. Maybe a draw or we may even sneak it. Can Chelsea defend set pieces? We won't have much possession, so will have to make good use of the few chances we'll get.

Big win for Brentford who look much safer now. Leeds up against Norwich today but have gone P8 W0 D1 L7 since kickoff against us. It's hard to see how, but they must win. A very hypothetical 15 points from the last 10 games from Norwich only gets them to 32 points, so they look down whatever happens today.

That one looked like a hospital pass out from Dan Burn I think it was. It forced Shelvey into trying to poke it past Romeu, which didn't come off. Just on our first goal, but credit also to Targett and Fraser for working an overload on the left side. When it came back to Shelvey, there was no pressure on him.

That was the first goal we've conceded in open play in seven league matches. I think Dubs would have clawed it away but for the touch off Big DB. That last open-play goal, Cavani's, was also the last time someone scored against us with a shot that went straight in. The other goals since have been headers, plus the Lascelles og, which was a goal-line clearance hitting him. fwiw, I don't think we'd give a forward stepping out like Cavani anything like as much space to get a clean strike away now. This is from Eddie Howe, someone who supposedly cannot organise a defence.

Yes, and the reason was that we had dropped deeper and deeper like Bruceball. It looked like Watford would score 15 minutes before they did. "Lingering smell", "ingrained losing mentality", call it what you like. This was off the back of the Cambridge defeat the week before. The big turnaround was the Shelvey goal at Leeds. That meant the lads went off to the break in Saudi on a positive note. During that break is also when the signings were made.

The power he generated on that shot man! The first thunderbastard backheel I've ever seen. Great cross to Willock too, who should have tested Forster. In a game with JWP, the two lushest laser passes were from our CMs. Shelvey's was a goal on a plate. Other than that, Bruno did quite well. I had to get up at 4:30 to watch the game and my half-asleep self felt like I was watching something on fast-forward, so high was the tempo. It'll take a while before he gets used to playing at this speed, which won't be every week. Joelinton's combativeness was also missed.

Those were Bruceball numbers! I only have access to free stats like FBRef, but on the left are stats for Fabien Schar in 2018/19 playing under Rafa Benitez. On the right is Fabien Schar in 2020/21 playing under Steve Bruce. I'll have to hit up that Kev guy from Statsbomb on Twitter to see if he'll do some Bruce vs. Howe numbers for this season.

Lots of sharp incisive play in that video. It's not anything anyone would have said four months ago, but the lad is quick footed. Now he's up to PL speed, which he clearly wasn't when he played up front for Bruce, I wonder if there is a press-from-the-front #10 in there. Like the way Rafa used Mo Diame. I accept that this may not be a position Howe's tactics use much, but just as a Plan B or in-game adjustment. As another issue, Joe Willock also looks like he could play there and contribute more goals. Anyway, with our midfield and defence solidifying, we have increasing scope for playing a #10. Especially at times when ASM is not on the pitch and his replacement is tackling back.

It's a very reasonable fee, but perhaps more than that, the ball is in our court. We can sign him up quickly if desired (I'm sure it will be) and focus our recruitment elsewhere. We'll be looking for players higher up the food chain, and that usually means more work to get the deals done.

There was another howler from Tarkowski at the weekend, so I hope that interest is now dead and buried. You'd think it would be after Big Dan Burn's majestic start, but just in case.

Pogba and on a much lower level Lingard walk away this summer. Rashford is currently scheduled to walk in summer 2023, after Pogba has already shown how its done. Man U are lucky in that Rashford's a local and would face death threats if he went to City on a free like Tevez. The fact that this is even remotely possible shows how ineptly Man U are run.

That all makes sense and may well be what happened. However, its not the simple narrative the press grabbed hold of and ran with. As we know ourselves, a slide into relegation is stressful and its easy to start blaming any players you think could do more. In our case, a player we thought could do more went onto become an integral part of Liverpool's midfield.

The "they spent a fortune" excuse is ready-made for all the pundits who were jizzing and declaring game over with the "no team with no wins in the first 14 has ever stayed up" stat. Which is probably only Prem era and ignores the fact that a single win in game 15 took us level with 18th and only three points behind 17th. "Spent a fortune" also gets their good mate Steve Cabbage Bruce off the hook, of course.

Brighton only managed six shots in the second half, which they started 0-2 down. That's 6 shots, three on target and three blocked, from 70% possession for 45 minutes in a game they were losing. Even Jamie Vardy, about as good as you get, needs more than six shots on average to score two. Their delivery from corners was excellent, I'll give them that.

I feared the ones on the pitch were a distraction for the players. I remembered that time the Mackems conceded to a shot that deflected off a balloon. The ref should have disallowed it, but didn't know the rules.

The displays are magnficent. Just a little gripe, but was that a couple of sheets from the displays on the pitch during the match? If so, they should be removed at a break in play. Our last 8 at home, which I think is back to the Norwich game with the sending off. Newcastle Utd P8 W4 D3 L1 F10 A9 GD+1 Pts 15. That's sixth best in the league, over what is getting on for half (42%) of the season at home.

Almost as big a redemption as Joelinton. Which is about as big a turnaround as you get. The stuff about him not playing (for Howe) in the Bournemouth relegation season just adds another level of intrigue.

Another lead turned into a win, pretty much without any risk of an equalizer. No saves by Dubs, shots off the post, folk tripping up when clear through etc. Up to the dizzy heights of 1.6 points a game where we take the lead. Still comfortably bottom three, but now above Burnley and Leeds. I didn't notice before the game, but Brighton have won 7 out of 8 when taking the lead, so it was important to get that first goal. https://www.transfermarkt.com/premier-league/punktenachfuehrung/wettbewerb/GB1/saison_id/2021/spiele/alle/plus/1

No goals conceded in open play for six matches.

Got bossed second half, but some good last-ditch defending kept them out. I wouldn't say Brighton got close enough to say we were lucky or they were unlucky. For a team who does pass and move so well, it's funny to see Brighton excel at orcball corners. They're really good at them. In open play, Welbeck seemed to offer no threat at all. A great three points. Onwards and upwards.