Lush Vlad

What a thoroughly depressing, myopic view on life you must go through life just thinking you and almost everyone else you know are failures then? You should be kinder to yourself and others, man To each their own and all that. Just seems incredibly baffling to me to think like that. Basically no context or viewing success as something that is relative. Must mean about less than 0.1% of the world’s population are successes then?

Yeah. Big Sulzeer Jeremiah was rapid and a very good defender. Just a weapons grade nobhead.

Doesn't sound like he is anywhere near close?! Off the official Twitter: Like someone else said. Feels like they're going to bring him back very slowly and close to the AFCON, to perhaps make him not going a bit more palatable.

Does this success/failure thing apply to other parts of life, as well? Like your job? Unless you make it to the top of company you’re a failure? Or if you’re self-employed and you don’t have the most successful business in that field in the area. Then you’ve failed?

The NUFC Hall of Fame would be a bit light on numbers if we were excluding all the so called failures.

I quite like it. The chimneys look good in some of the images and not so much in others. But makes it slightly different from the generic bowls we keep seeing, at least.

I remember it with Sterling. It was blatantly obvious he was getting unfair criticism from the media and it definitely seemed to be due to the colour of his skin. Can't say I've read much about Bellingham or Hope's article(s). But I don't get that vibe with people I talk to when it comes to Bellingham. This is only my opinion on this and obviously I can't speak from lived experiences like Wrighty. But my criticisms of him are mainly because he comes across as a bellend, he appears to have a huffy shit attitude, he plays like he wants the game to be all about him and I also think England are a better side all round without him in it. I'm not doubting his ability, I just don't like him in the 10 almost every time he has played there for England. Didn't Beckham and Rooney get loads of unfair abuse from the media when they were our biggest stars and best players? Not sure I agree at all with what he is saying in relation to Bellingham. But like I say, I can't speak from a personal experience like he can. Nor have I closely followed the media reporting on him.

Well yeah. If you made it far enough through my incoherent waffling. I basically reference that in my last paragraph.

I sort of agree with the wider point. But a lot of extremes and assumptions here. How do you know what they focus on in training? Do you not think part of our issue has been us trying to adapt to a new style. Whilst not having the players for it and having a few key players missing who would make us much better on the ball. Along with the fact we have had a system that has been very successful and hasn’t relied on long spells of possession. Are they really two of the best midfielders in Europe? Not at ball retention they’re not, surely? Bruno often gets caught hanging onto it too long and plays low percentage attacking passes. The latter I don’t mind. Tonali is a brilliant all rounder. But even he can be a bit loose with the ball and it was mentioned before he came here. As for Woltemade. Bit early to be crowning him one of the best in Europe and to be honest, he doesn’t fit our setup as it is currently. Huge change to go from an Isak or even a Wilson type, to him. I’m sure Howe would have loved a full pre-season with him and more time on the training ground. I’d imagine he would also want two athletic full backs in the side to assist. Along with wide men who suit better. They are perfectly suited to how we have played before. But not so much now. On that last point. That is sort of on Howe. As he certainly seems to have a type of player he prefers. The squad has too many players where the physical attributes seem a lot stronger than the technical. But then the recruitment team, the amount of power he seemingly has in who we sign and the level above him has mostly been amateur since he has been here. So there is some shared responsibility there. But I think you are now moving into a different argument entirely.

As I say. She has got a cock. So you have been warned.

Not sure if I hate it or it’s one of our nicest kits ever…..

I’d still not start Gordon and I think Ramsdale may as well get a shot now. But expect Pope and Gordon to start.

Can they not practice passing in training?

Scenes. The co-commentator there just shouting SHOOT SHOOT

I want the return to the Howe 4-2-3-1. Would that mean Woltemade is Josh King as a support striker. Wissa is Wilson? No idea if those two actually played together like that. Seems like forever ago. But I’m sure he used to play with more of a 10/attacking mid/supporting striker.

Fucking hell. What a terrible 5 a side team. Teams tend to get their big hitters in for the kit launch, don’t they?! Nice reminder of how far we’ve come.

The absolute cheek in calling our ground a shit tip. When theirs is basically a landfill site, with rubbish blowing all over the pitch every week Self-awareness not a thing on wearside?!

Blind optimism. But I reckon he's coming back as he's starting on Saturday and he wants to work hard to try and find some form and be part of the gameplan. Not saying his performances have warranted a start or a prolonged run in the team. None of the wide men really have done anywhere near enough this season. But coming into a new team which currently has a bit of an identity crisis and then being in and out the side so much. With mainly a few cameos here and there of late and in games that wouldn't have suited. Can't be easy for him. That's not to make excuses for him, as he has been miles below what most have expected. I'm just trying to look for some reasons behind it. It's a fairly damming comparison. But he reminds me of Obertan at the minute. All the pace and trickery to actually beat players. But seems to be playing scared all the while, his touch is off, regularly has a man beat and wants to stop and then pass it backwards/to the opposition. It's like he's in his own head and he isn't playing with any fluidity, confidence or instinct. Unlike Obertan, he has actually put up numbers and shown in this league that he is a massive threat in the right system. So there is still hope there. I can't say I've watched him enough to know if his basic skillset is usually this poor or not. But I don't remember seeing him at Forest and thinking his passing and first touch was terrible. Still hoping it is as much of a mental block as his fundamentals being crap at best.

You find the Prem exciting this year? I'm sure Arsenal fans and sunderland in particular don't care, based on the league table. But it's awful stuff. Every game it seems like the ball is barely in play, everyone playing for set pieces, long throws, going quite direct (not always a bad thing). For all the money and talent, I've watched some turgid stuff. I posted in another thread how everyone seemed desperate to try Pepball for years. Despite not having the players to do it and it not necessarily being he way to go. Well, it seems buying big strong fuckers, employing set piece coaches and finding some cunt with a long throw. Is a lot simpler to implement than trying to get players similar to Nick Pope and Mike Williamson, to start playing it around at the back, to play round a press and retain possession in dangerous areas. Arsenal do have a good blend of skill and power, yes. They also rarely have the ball in play, they are often boring as fuck to watch, they're snide shithouse cunts, whilst moaning about everyone else doing it. They've spent more than enough money in Arteta's time and from a good base, that they should be challenging and winning silverware every season. Not the one FA Cup or whatever it is. Like I say, their fans won't give a shit and fair play to them for finding a system that works. But the shift from everyone else in trying to emulate what they're doing seems very recent and I find the football in the league by and large to be a lot worse than previous seasons. So far, outside of Arsenal, it has made it more competitive, at least. But the quality isn't there.

I would normally put this one in the ‘free hit’ category. But I’m not sure our league position allows us that. Bit of pressure on the game due to our awful away form and patchy performances.

We‘ve got 6 games between now and playing them. They have 4. Plenty of time for us to get better (or worse) between now and then.

I think he is a great player. I just find for England that he gets in the way. Always wants an extra touch, to always be the main man, to try and do it on his own etc. He also comes across like a prick on the pitch. But then that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Bellingham is a thoroughly unlikeable character.

I blame Arteta. Everyone trying and mostly failing to copy Arsenal. The league is poorer for it. So many shit, low quality games this season already. To think them and their fans used to moan about Stoke