Lush Vlad

I was in the away end and that was bad enough. Got back level three times, didn't we? Only to concede 4 late goals

Hanging out my arse after the NFL yesterday. But I'm still on a high after this and this hangover won't kill my vibe. I only found out I was going on Thursday afternoon, as I had exhausted all other options I had tried for tickets. My mate I went with hasn't been to a home games since the Benitez days. I think it was the 3-1 against Southampton, when Perez scored a hat trick and we both went. So a long old time ago! Even though it was decent under Rafa. He couldn't believe how much better the atmosphere was and how loud it got at times. As where we sit in the Leazes has often been flat as fuck over the years. The football we play helps and Wor Flags deserve most of the credit. Really does help set the tone and get everyone buying in before kick off. Second half was pure X rated stuff. Got mates messaging me saying how good we look and they seem genuinely pleased that we are no longer utter shite Loads of Miggy fans round these parts! Most are actually pretty supportive, understand Howe is doing a great job and not just putting it down to money. Let's see how long the niceness lasts.............

Yeah. I think it does and all. But who cares. It was going in anyway

Was saying to my mate yesterday. His touch from the crossfield diagonal passes always look so effortless. It is really noticeable every game.

Races on Friday and a couple of 6/1 winners. 500 mile round trip yesterday to witness us dismantle Villa. NFL Wembley today on a corporate with work. Not sure I’ll ever have a better sporting weekend Not a great first half from either side. They maybe just shaded the first 40 mins or so. But it could have been 6-7 in the end and they couldn’t have complained. Pure domination second half. Hard to pick a MOTM. But I thought Joelinton was machine like and Wilson certainly looked like he was trying to prove a point.

Fair comment. Longstaff is terrible at shooting and should do better with some of the positions he gets in on the edge of the box. Willock gets in good areas and has missed some good chances this season. He certainly should be chipping in with more. Big Joe goes from being one of our most composed players. To Riviere on smack when he gets near the box. ASM has always been erratic and should get more goals. I guess the argument would be, if his end product was better. We never would have signed him and he would have gone to a bigger club.

Sorted tickets last minute for this. Claaaaaasssssss. Long old drive there and back in a day. But hopefully it’ll be worth it.

I can't remember which analyst/statto was going on about it. But the long pass or channel ball. Is actually a good way for us to set up our counter press, as well. I don't think it is purely 'percentage football' and just hitting an area and then resetting our shape once we have a bit of time to do so, or from a goal kick or throw or anything like that. More that we will look to exploit that space in behind with one of the front 3 and if we aren't retaining possession. It is a launchpad for us to get players in their half, press and try and win the ball back. I don't see it as some sort of sand in the corners, TURN 'EM ROUND, Allardyce type football.

I used to have a pre-match ritual. But I don't think it was superstition or anything like that. More just a habit/laziness. Always went in Greggs and got a chicken bake and steak bake. Then Ladbrokes at the bottom of the Bigg Market to put football bets on and maybe waste some money on the roulette. Followed by City Vaults for pre-match and the £2 a pint Woodpecker Luckily for me, two of those places have closed and I am now clearly a culture vulture. Oh and I don't really like cider, especially weak as piss cider that rots your teeth So I have a more varied and 'classy' routine when I'm up for a match.

Palace is a cup game.

Interesting bit on MNF just now. Carragher seemed pretty complimentary overall. The style and stats show how different Howe has us playing. Dyche seemed almost passive aggressive with his praise. Didn’t really get what he was on about. I did find it odd that they were showing how passive we were under Bruce. But then when it came to a clip to use for comparison it was ‘we have to go right back to 2017 when Rafa Benitez was manager.’ No, no we don’t. We were like that every week under Bruce FFS.

I do find the whole timewasting tedious as fuck. But it’s not like it’s only us doing it. Until they actually crack down on it with yellow cards. Or actually adding the correct amount of time on for subs, injuries, VAR, timewasting etc. Teams will continue to do it. Why wouldn’t you if you gain an advantage from doing so and the officials/governing bodies are too dense to do anything about it?

8pm KO in London, start of the new year when a lot of people will have just gone back in for their first day at work, after a bit of time off over Christmas. Class. It's fine for me, as I'm not far from the Emirates and I was planning to go and probably still will. But what an absolute ball ache for those travelling down from the NE. Not much chance of getting a train back in time the same night, is there?

I think about this on a weekly basis and is my go to saying whenever someone misses a decent change It's a work of art.

Who got the bullet?

Don't really like the magic hat song. But it's far better than this. At least we have some chants for our players, again. Could do with mixing up the songs now and then, as we do seem to get stuck on repeat a lot of away games But there was a long spell of going to games where hardly any of our squad at the time had their own song. Comes with the territory, I guess. Poorly run club and not many decent or likeable players a lot of the time.

Compare and contrast how Pope went about coming out against Son and how Lloris did against Almiron. It was great work from Miggy. But I thought it was really poor by Lloris and I'd be pissed off if we conceded a goal like that.

Reminds me of Adrian Durham, for some reason.

Jamie Redknapp seems to love him and who can blame him.

What’s Conte on?! Looks stoned as fuck and have no clue what he is whispering about

Did they keep saying he was going to get a second yellow? Somehow, he managed to avoid getting booked, didn’t he?!

Still annoying how he gets caught on the ball and always wants an extra touch. But his energy is nuts. The cunt is everywhere I don’t know what Howe will do in terms of playing someone in that deeper role. As nobody seems to play it in the current midfield 3. But his workrate for games like today is really important.

I know it’s totally hypothetical. But I think we are 2 down early on if Dubravka was in nets today. Stayed big for the Son chance when he tried to dink him. The save from Kane with his foot was top drawer. Makes a lot of them and they are never as glitzy as tipping one wide round the post or stopping one top corner. But they’re just as impressive.

Pace looked like it was back today. Looked sharp and had a go at giving all three of the centre backs a tough time. Was really good back to goal and looked to get in behind more often than he has of late.

Awwww. Thought he was gonna cry. Thought I was gonna cry. He was class again today. If a bit naughty with some of his tackling. Must have conned Bissouma about 5 times for the cheap free kick. Drew him in every time and just got his body in.