Chicken Dancer

Quite comfortably my favourite NUFC player in a long time - maybe of my lifetime tbh. Really hope he’s not out for a prolonged period, he’s our heartbeat.

I don’t think it was particularly great mind. Started and ended well, but I honestly think the format of the competition is to blame more than out else. It was fine btw, just didn’t think it was out special.

Back to his best for me.

There can’t be many left backs in Europe better than him surely? Must start for England in the summer which = must be tied down to a new deal. He’s arguably our best player.

Not meaning to be a dick here but why would we - as NUFC fans - give a shit about the rest of the managers in the league? Howe is amazing and should be immortalised here when he eventually leaves (hopefully in many, many years). But just because other teams are underperforming doesn't mean we should just accept it or put our heads in the sand, surely? People pay their money to go so should surely be allowed to have an opinion on what they're seeing on the pitch? It's been poor for most of the season and that's my opinion. It doesn't mean I want him out or want to clean house, I have complete faith that eventually it will click again. But up until now it's been poor - certainly on the eye. There's numerous reasons why that is the case which can be factored into to any argument, but it can't be denied at this point.

Yeah I said yesterday that football has became dull across the board, it's not exclusive to us. But we still have been dull though. I genuinely think we have performed poorly in most of our league games, I don't really think it's up for debate. Even the wins against Burnley x 2, Fulham, Wolves and large parts of the Leeds game we were poor to OK. The draws away to Wolves, Leeds and Bournemouth and obviously away at Sunderland were all pretty crap and could still be playing now and not scored. Liverpool, Man City, Everton and half of Arsenal, Villa and Chelsea I'd say we were really good. We were OK against Spurs at home, but I wouldn't say it was us at our best. I think we played well at OT on Boxing Day too, though again didn't look like scoring.

Howe is a brilliant coach and has performed miracles at Bournemouth and at Newcastle. What he achieved in a 4 year spell, given where we were when he took the job, is beyond anything any of us could ever have dreamed of. I hope he's here for a long time. We've also performed poorly in most of our games this season, became very dull to watch and the business in the summer window looks to be very poor (so far). All of that can be true surely?

That's the problem though, isn't it? You are referring to a half a game against Chelsea 4 weeks ago, but apart from that where's it been? Even in that game as soon as we stopped we allowed them back into the game and to take a point, despite leading by two. Naturally we can't press all game every game, and there's probably the PTSD of 23/24 when we were riddled with injuries. I'm pretty sure our Sports Science minds will have been in Howe's ear about it, but that was our identity. Over time, you will have to adapt in some ways but you should really be sticking to the principles that got you there. We are absolutely at our best when we are playing on the front foot and in the faces of the opposition, but he vast majority of games we've been piss poor to watch and we've quite quickly became a very dull team. In defence of the dullness, most teams seem very dull and boring now.

Sorry let me rephrase to suit you; 'some of my pals in me group chat and some who I sit around in SJP have been absolutely rinsing this lad lately'. Was more to highlight the huge shift in people's view on him, which doesn't seem to be restricted to my mates either. He couldn't do wrong in the Autumn.

Some pretty damning comments on this lad amongst my group at the minute. I still think he's an absolutely glorious footballer (though not a striker) who will thrive in the right system. We haven't changed for him and we can barely get him involved in the game. I certainly wouldn't write him off just yet but there has to be a way where we can get him and Wissa on the pitch without Wissa being pushed out left.

It was pretty similar to Leeds, Bournemouth, Sunderland and probably more that I can't remember right now. Created next to nothing and didn't deserve to win the game. I can understand losing games/dropping points but it's the manner of them now for me. The performances are so poor - even in some of our wins - that they aren't even that much of a shock anymore. Wolves have definitely picked up but to go there and put in a performance like that against a team that's been bottom all season is crap like.

I'm sure in the summer of 2024 was that we wanted to offer Dummett & Ritchie new deals, so I wouldn't put it past those two at least being offered some sort of contract.

I am genuinely starting to worry it’s starting to fizzle out. Crazy to say when we’re so close to the top 4, but the performances just aren’t there and haven’t been for a long time, save for the odd exception. It would be a crying shame when he eventually goes but I’m finding it harder to defend him given the amount of money that’s been spent on a team that barely created anything against the worst team in the league (twice).

3/10 and that’s probably being generous. It’ll be a real sliding doors moment I reckon - we had a chance to really kick on and we ended up blowing a lot of money on a bunch of players that don’t move the needle at all. Was always going to be difficult to replace Isak mind, but you’d expect a lot more from £250m than what we’ve got so far.

We did meet them at the worst time but I just think we should be putting teams like that to the sword. I seen nothing that was particularly different to most of the away performances this year. All balls and no cock.

Genuinely admire the optimistic viewpoint and your overall positive attitude. Wish it was me. Personally - regardless of them picking up or whatever - I think a point against a team with 7 points in mid January is a shocking result. The performance was as toothless as ever.

More or less identical to every away game this season if we’re being completely honest. Huff, puff and not much else. Absolutely toothless at the minute and I genuinely can’t believe we’re as close as we are to 4th/5th. We have no cutting edge away from home (or at home in many cases). Recent wins have masked (nearly) as poor performances against mediocre sides too. But let’s be positive - only 3pts off 4th, though I have no idea how.

Don’t think we will win this. 1-1.

What's changed though? In 21/22 and 22/23 the atmosphere was banging in the big games. Like all stadiums, it's never as good for a standard Saturday 3pm (and has always been the case since I've been going) but I remember playing a poor Southampton in April 23, 0-1 down at HT and we sucked the ball into the Gallowgate second half. A lot of it is down to the success we've had IMO. Even Barca compared to PSG was night and day - totally get that was our first home game back in the CL for ages, but I remember being in my seat about 15 minutes before kick off and the ground was full, the display was already happening and Three Little Birds was being blasted. The concourses were banging and town was electric beforehand, you could actually feel it when you arrived in the City. Liverpool this year was actually really good and had the same feel when I got off the metro, but apart from that (and City in the league, ish) it's been piss poor all season. Last night was really bad and as others have said, I could tell it was going to be the case the minute I got to town.

Yeah was harsh wording from the poster, I’d remove braindead and just use ‘awful footballer’. He can barely control the ball based on the evidence I’ve seen. Does seem like a decent kid though, so don’t hate him or that. Certainly no ego.

Yep that’s all I used to get. People didn’t really know what to say when I told them I’d sat through 2 seasons in the Championship though. I’ve been quite vocal on there that I’m fully in favour of reforming ticketing (home and away), safe standing and having a designated singing section. Apart from 2/3 seasons in leazes L7 corner, and when I was a member getting dotted about, I’ve sat in the Gallowgate for probably 85% of games I’ve been too. And I’ve been going since 97. The atmosphere in the Gallowgate has got worse and worse over the last 2/3 seasons, no doubt about it. Where I sit towards the back near the Milburn, there’s a group of lads at the back row who try their best to keep it going, but by and large it gets worse by the week. I was ashamed last night - a cup semi final and that’s th best we can muster. Embarrassing.

I don’t think his good season at Forest is at all relevant tbh. Players thrive/shrink in different systems or environments. He suited their style under Nuno, he doesn’t suit us and probably never will. He has good athletic attributes but he has no technical ability whatsoever. I’d be very tempted to cut our losses if we could get half the money back. In the summer like, he deserves the next 5 months to show us anything at all.

Ahh 100% agree with you there. I almost feel like a scab for having a ST now. Seriously. When I packed in my ticket, I was fucking gutted when I seen there was only about 10k of us that done it, then Ashley just giving them out for nowt and filling our seats. It made me absolutely hate the fans and thought that he’d be here forever. After the takeover I rather selfishly thought the new owners would just come in, listen to NUST (LOL, jokers) and I’d get my ticket back with all my points to boot. Daft in hindsight. After that though, the us v them mentality I seen on social media and experienced at the ground with ST holders and members was enough to put me off going for a bit. Just pure entitlement when in reality, people who packed in their ST under Ashley should have been welcomed back with open arms. It certainly didn’t make you a better fan by sticking around, that’s for sure.

Aye the fans do seem desperate for him to make a mistake so they can sigh, but at the end of the day he’s a £55m () player and has shown absolutely nothing in 7 months to suggest he’s been anything but a massive waste of money. Concerning we were trying for him for 2 windows tbh, and don’t get me started on someone sanctioning £50m + bid for JSL. That person needs peddled yesterday. Hopefully Wilson and this Sudds can help us in the market and change to a more data driven recruitment policy.

As a ST holder myself I can confirm that the vast majority of ST holders look down on members and the like. It’s fucking shit and does my head in tbh. I packed in when Rafa left, but was fortunate enough to basically get gifted a ST (with a load of points too) a couple of years back. I know how lucky I am. I’ve been a member so I know how it is, but the entitlement from ST holders - especially those with loads of points - is fucking lifting like. Can’t be blaming members for how shite the atmosphere has become when the vast majority of match goers are ST holders who just like to sit on on their arse until 35/85 minutes.