Lush Vlad

I can't see this voucher and passport thing being enforced when there is more time to sort it and a big away following expected. Imagine 5000-6000 fans at Bruges queuing 2-3 hours or more before kick off to collect tickets? It would be utter madness. How many sales windows would they have to have open? It would take forever to individually tick them all off. Same could be said if we qualified to the knockout rounds and drew a big club like Atletico or Inter. I don't even think we used this method for Atrmoitos did we? The close proximity of the game is a factor as well. I doubt they have got time to process all applicants, apply for tickets with Maritimo, get the correct amount allocated and sent over, then get them all out in the post. Or maybe I am just trying to remain positive as I am gambling on getting Bruges tickets through a mate

Not coming up as that on mine. Think I might sit toward the singing corner for this one. Vary it up. Tickets went really quickly for this. I got mine last thursday/Friday. There were no 2 seats together in the singing corner or in the middle of the Gallowgate. Even where I normally sit in the Upper Gallowgate, most the decent seats were taken. I plumped for Upper East Stand on the halfway line. Never sat there before, always been put off by the seemingly poor atmosphere. Not a huge fan of viewing a game from side on either. But I saw some views from there and they looked amazing, so thought I would go with it. £15 a ticket is really reasonable. According to a few mates, Spurs cheapest seats for the Lazio game are £37!

3-1 loss. Not expecting much from this one. Everton are a really good side at home and with it seeming like Krul and Colo will be out, I just can't even see us nicking a draw. We got murdered there last season, one of the most one sided games (not in our favour) I've been to for the last couple of seasons. We were better in the second half after a formation change. Sound familiar...

That bloke really is as thick as mince. Not that I needed twitter to confirm this mind. Just look at him! Herp the derp.

WHOOOOOSH!

Got a feeling I won't get a ticket either. Usually use my mate's ST's, as he has 4 tickets with points ranging from 50 odd to 90 odd. But if you have to give passport detials, then I'll be stumped surely? I'm on his Friends and Family link and I reckon I can defintely get one, just need 2 more ideally. If not, watching it in a bar or on a big screen somewhere will be good. Would consider the home end as well TBF.

I scrolled down the page and skim read this. I thought you were going to compare Ba's fitness to Bernard Manning's I mean I know Ba looks off the pace, but that would have been a tad harsh!

I'm doing that. Hopefully booking it this week. Just waiting on someone confirming the holiday, 3 out of 4 so far.

Assuming loyalty points work the same as always? If so, I should be fine getting tickets. If it's based on previous European tickets purchased, then I might struggle! Isn't it a right ball ache getting tickets confirmed? Have to send in all your travel and accomodation plans, with booking refs and that don't you? Sure I read something similar before the Atromitos game.

Going to go to Bruges I think. Been on about taking he missus for ages and we play them 3 days after her birthday. Another NUFC supporting mate is keen on going with his missus as well. What a result that is! Not that expensive either, heard it's pricey over there, but getting travel and accomodation seems reasonable at present. About £25 each for the Eurostar return from Folkestone and around £40 a head per night in a half decent looking hotel.

Genuinely just started chuckling to myself in the office got some odd looks! I just remembered him on MOTD totally losing the plot, running up and down the touch line and waving his hands about like a loon. That stupid 31 rugby shirt makes him look even worse. I couldn't take him seriously, it was hilarious! Mag at work found this funny.

I was watching on my laptop, so didn't have the best picture, but he seemed to go into a free role towards the end of the first half. Drifted about quite a bit in the other two games as well. I really didn't know what our formation was in the second half. But I do know Hatem looks better when he hasn't got to stick to a set position. His movement is so good and it will either mean he finds space unmarked, or he'll always have one of their players (or 2, or 3) tracking him, thus opening up space for others. Can't believe how shite our movement and 'passing' has been. If anything, it's been worse than last season. Hope it's down to fitness issues and not because we're set on playing Allardyce like tactics.

Nobody on here saw the Leazes Terrace discussion/debate about Ben Arfa yesterday then? Like his stuff and almost exclusively agree with most his tweets regarding formation, players etc. But failed to see his angle here? We need him to drift about, as the long ball game with a rigid, flat 4-4-2 is creating fuck all. Hatem's presence alone draws players all over the shop and keeps opposition defenders guessing all the while. So far, he's been our go to guy and looks like the only player capable of scoring or fashioning a chance for himself or for others. He even got in a decent header yesterday FFS Apparently formation wasn't on the agenda in this debate, but if we played HBA in a free role, or wide in a front 3, with less defensive responsibilities. He'd be the third name on the teamsheet for every game IMO (after Krul and Colo). I know he's actually advocating keeping him in the lineup, but the thought of dropping our best player never even entered my mind TBH?

Ba and Cisse really don't work as a pair. The midfield is void of creativity and sit far too deep in a flat midfield 4. Jonas doesn't offer much going forward as a winger, his workrate seems wasted there. We don't look after the ball particularly well in a 4-4-2 and bar HBA and Santon, we're so rigid and slow when in possession it's unreal! All that said, I didn't expect much. Thought maybe we could get a draw if Tiote was fit and we went 4-3-3. We gifted them two soft ish goals and never looked like getting back on terms. Second half was a bit of a non-event, but credit is due I suppose for not conceding any more. Got a horrible feeling this 4-4-2 is going to be our formation of choice. Not sure why mind, doesn't really suit any of our players, we play far better with the 4-3-3 and everyone seems to whinge when we play it

Hope we don't go 4-4-2. That is all.

I would be mortified Yeah maybe disappointed wasn't a strong enough adjective. Suicidal would be more appropriate

Didn't they have a worryingly high wages to turnover ratio when their accounts were published? They're hardly going to decrease that with MON in charge, making his usual overpriced, overpaid signings! Think Johnson will be a top signing for them. Fletcher is half decent but is very 'meh' to me. Would be disappointed if we forked out 14 million quid for him. Then again, he's streets ahead of anything else they have up top, so beggars can't be choosers.

Say WHAAAAAAAATTTTT? Even on my shite stream, you could clearly see it was set up as a 4-2-3-1. When we weren't in possession or waiting for a goal kick, you could see the way we were lined up Football Manager style.

In talks to sign Adam Johnson according to Sky. Supposedly had a bid accepted days ago though, so not even sure it's news.

Any news on the 'knocks' to Ba, Colo and Tiote? .com has Colo down as playing, but Tiote out? If we have them 3 fit, I can see us sneaking a draw. I don't see why we should go thear fearing the worst. Reading were 2-1 up for a long while and only went behind through an offside goal. We've got matchwinners going the other way, so it's a tough one to call. So long as we put in a performance and can take plenty of positives I'm not too arsed. I would have took 3 points across the two opening fixtures, plus our next game looks very winnable. Will be nice to get two difficult matches out the way so early in the season.

Did I miss something? Did he say suggest this in an interview? Anita has only been here 5 minutes!

I'd go along with that. I've said for a while now I think his best position could be wide left of a front three. He could cause problems more by mistake than design. As you mention, just his pace going infield could potenitally cause a full back to panic and he could maybe even mix it up and go on the outside. I still think his biggest problem is his decision making. His touch isn't too bad, he has the odd bit of skill and he normally works quite hard. Just seems really isolated and confused when stuck out in the wide right position.

Good on the counter, never backs himself for some reason. He should just use his pace to commit the full back, then burn past him. Especially against a team like Atromitos. He is lightening quick when he opens up, just never seems to have the confidence to do so. Waste

Still don't understand how his technique is so great for dead balls, yet so shit under the slightest bit of pressure

Amalfitano was far better when he came on. Actually understands the concept of movement, looks classy on the ball and seems quicker than Gosling (although he's not fast by any means). Gosling must be well down the pecking order. Abeid has shown more in the middle and Vuckic has more to his game in the attacking mid role. Then you have young Bigi who's doing well and we've just got Anita in. Yet to see Gosling do owt for us, seems a nothing player to me.