Chicken Dancer

It’s just fucking class being so invested in it all again, to be honest. July 2019 - 6/10/21 I barely gave a fuck that we played, let alone won. Games like yesterday happen at least once a season to 99% of teams, you just have to hold your hands up and accept you took a hiding. Fair play to Villa, they look a quality side. But I think everyone - especially Howe - would have taken 15 points from the 18 available in our last 6. We are no worse off than we were at 12:29 Saturday thanks to Bournemouth. Write it off and move on. 5/8 games at home. 3 away to Everton, Leeds and a shit Chelsea. It’s very much in our hands and I trust the lads to get the job done. As I’ve said in previous posts, the biggest match I can remember at that sexy cunt of a stadium is 7 days away. Beat them and go 6 clear of 5th with a game in hand, with 7 games to go. If someone had told me this in September 2021 I’d have asked for a couple off of whatever they were smoking. Howay the fucking lads.

It shouldn’t matter but it always does at St James’ in my experience.

Sadly 2pm which will likely have an impact on the atmosphere too. But you are right.

I wouldn’t forget Liverpool just yet. If they win their next 2 (Leeds away, Forest home) they’ll be 6 behind us prior to the Spurs game, granted having played a game more. After that they have; West Ham (A), Spurs (H) ,Fulham (H), Brentford (H), Leicester (A), Villa (H), Southampton (A) Couldn’t ask for better fixtures than that imo, especially the week where they play Spurs, Fulham and Brentford at home in 7 days. Obviously a long shot as they’ve been shite all season but they always say it’s better to do the hunting rather than be the hunted. They have experience of this as well. Find it harsh on Brighton but their fixtures make it incredibly difficult to see them finishing Top 4. If they do then fair fucking play. Spurs are terrible and we should actually be grateful to them and VAR for robbing Brighton last week. Man Utd will finish top 4 despite injuries, mainly due to favourable fixture list. However they are still in 3 competitions. Dodgy game for them today though. If we get 7 points from Spurs, Everton and Southampton we are laughing, but it’s not done at that point.

Definitely, but if offered it would be point tomorrow and 3 next week. Biggest game at St James' for years next Sunday.

If Botman and/or Bruno get injured this weekend I’m blaming you lot.

They’re like a magnet to that trophy.

It’s mint how they’re all on that side of the draw (Napoli + Benfica too). Think Napoli will overturn it mind, obviously Inter look like they’re through.

Loves a yella card the boy. Also a bit of an FM23 legend. Only seen him play 3 times, looked decent against Spurs & Arsenal.

@magvicar he had a Villa team with Grealish, Abraham et al lingering mid-table in the Championship. More recently, he took a West Brom team from pushing for the playoffs to bottom half. He's got jobs for 20 years for having a decent playing career and being a relative big name in English football. Nothing to do with tactics, shape, philosophy or identity (none of these exist). He's a charlatan who quite frankly is completely finished at any capacity in football, at least at a decent level. You might see him wheeled out as Huddersfield manager in a year or two or something, but that's if he's lucky. He's probably a decent enough fella to have a pint with (not for me personally) but he's pretty much despised at NUFC, SAFC, Villa & both Sheffield clubs. I'm sure there is more. The only places he's probably held in any sort of regard from his managerial career is Hull and Wigan - places where football isn't even their primary sport. Nowt against them at all but they're small clubs he had them punching above their weight, granted. He should never in a million years - Ashley or not - been given the NUFC job in 2019. He's fucking shit and you know it, you just won't admit it because you've went too far and you will die on this hill now, which is fair enough. Anyways, I don't want to win this battle. I'm outty. Tell these people something they don't know about me.

I'm still annoyed the cunts beat us twice. Be hilarious watching Klopp if they don't make Top 4.

Yeah, the amount they're carved open does give me confidence. I suppose I'm more worried about us imploding, which I know isn't exactly to type this season or in fact since Jan 2022.

Thank you for making me feel a tad better. However memories of that Alisson 95th minute winner at WBA in 2021 still has me absolutely bricking it.

Come on mate, I think others have tried to reason with you and I completely respect your right to a different opinion, but he is and always was shit. I'm starting to think you might be baiting here, and fair play if so. Hull? Wigan? Maybe a season at Sunderland? That's where he's done OK in recent memory. Let's not pretend there was a queue to get him from Sheff Wed when he came here. As for mixed-opinions? If by mixed you mean you against everyone else then fair enough. He was pretty much universally seen as a shit, cheap, rank appointment symbolic of our owner at the time. I'd guess 95% of the people I know support NUFC - 0% of them were in favour of the appointment. It was a shocking decision, but I don't begrudge him taking the job.

This is my worry too. Surely 12 points is enough to see them off with 9 left? I know they've been shite all season but if the gap is down to 5/6 points with 5 games left I'd be fucking bricking it. Their fixtures seem to be very kind. I'd be ill for weeks if we missed out to them by a point or so - that 90 + 8 winner back in August. That being said if we can get 4 from the next 2 I'd be very confident, would push Spurs further back and keep Liverpool to a 10pt gap with 7 left.

So sorry for your loss, mate. Sadly quite experienced in loss if you ever need someone to chat to - I'm all ears. I'm sure he'd understand that we have pressing matters to attend to for Champions League!

Where can you find a price on us not to make the top 4? Or are you just considering backing Spurs?

It's just great to have 2 strikers both equally capable of scoring. I do think that international break done him the world of good, coupled with the fact he's watching Isak completely rip it up. They'll both score important goals between now and the end of the season.

I think it's definitely worth a go at 66/1. You could actually be within touching distance (or even in the playoffs) this time next week if you win your 2 very favourable home games whilst others play each other. I know your home form is shite, but if you can get 4pts + going into the West Brom game you have a hell of a chance, which deserves huge credit given you've not got a striker. Hell, yous deserve credit for being this close despite not having a striker for so long.

I can't take the credit sadly. Somebody else in this thread spotted it the other day. No doubt the cunts at SkyBet will try tell you that it was priced incorrectly if it wins like

Since it's been debated a fair bit on social media since the weekend, are we buying into the assessment from Carragher that VVD is the best CB in Premier League history? Definitely not for me. Had a fantastic few years and I know stats don't always tell the full story, but there's at least a few I'd have ahead of him.

You can get 66/1 on Skybet for them to 'win the playoffs' (someone else pointed it out the other day). Either a mistake or stupidity on their part!

This needs to stick. Simple and effective. Hopefully @SteV can get it started at Villa on Saturday, assuming he's going!

Mark Lawrenson is a senile dinosaur who's opinion means nought. Clearly hasn't watched us much, just going off when we wasted a bit time at his beloved Liverpool back in August. Fuck him.