Chicken Dancer

I don’t mind him whatsoever and actually think he’s a decent player. Will score a few over a season. The signing and cost of it still makes no sense to me, especially since he’s pretty limited to the left-hand side.

Great win given the circumstances. We didn’t start well so down to 10 I was worried. Belter result and great way to galvanise the squad. Realise I’m gonna come across as a right miserable bastard here so apologies in advance, and maybe it was just from my seat (Gallowgate mid-ish), but thought the atmosphere was dire. Bad enough for the Corner (who don’t stop to be fair to the fuckers) to goad the Gallowgate. Sign of the times I suppose and hate to put a dampener on a great result. On we go!

Am I imagining that the champions used to kick off the season when I was younger?

Quite possibly the worst chant in the history of Newcastle United this. We’ve had some shockers too. Forgot it existed with him being banned. Let’s ban this asap.

Loved that game in 22/23. 0-1 down at HT and never really believed we would lose the game. Comfortable 2-0 in this game I reckon. Similar to Forest at home 2 years ago.

Is it not just a case of our transfers that are played out in public seem like they take a while? Which I imagine is like other teams too - look at Man Utd with De Ligt. Been a couple of weeks since interest was first mooted I think. Isak transfer seemed to happen fast as the news broke shortly before he was our player. For all we know they could have been negotiating with Sociedad for two months just not in the public eye. Keeping a deal hush will be incredibly hard. It will rely on absolutely everybody involved in the deal keeping their mouths shut, including mates & family members of the player/agent involved. This has likely leaked from the Palace side to drum up interest, no?

True I do think centre backs are exempt from the typical ‘bedding in’ process though. Saying that, he didn’t start Botman against Forest.

I’ve a feeling Guehi will be starting this for us tbh.

Still haunts my dreams this cunt.

They won't finish near the bottom half but I doubt they have anything to have Man City, Liverpool or Arsenal quaking in their boots. Probably be a shootout between Villa, them & us for the final Champions League spot. We'll know within a few weeks if they've improved or not, as they've largely been awful for 2 years whenever I've watched them, save for the odd decent performance. Every time the pressure seems to be ramping up they seem to go on a decent run. Fair play for sticking with Ten Hag too. As others have said, 2 trophies in 2 years is a very decent return. I remember there was plenty talk about Arteta getting the chop, Arsenal stuck with him and are reaping the rewards now, albeit after spending an absolute bomb & also being trophyless save for his early FA Cup win.

Eurgh. Presumably would be another winter one then? International tournaments are about beer gardens and sun. Saying that, I'll be grey by then and probably less arsed.

My mate says he is getting this issue too. What a farce!

I actually couldn't stand watching England actually wanted them to lose at times from Euro 2012-2016. Genuinely couldn't have gave a fuck. It all changed for me in World Cup 2018. No idea how or why, but my childlike love for England was back and has been the same in 20 (21), 22 & this tournament too. I remember being in Malia with the lads in 2010 and being fuming with the Lampard/Germany incident, so I think that must have been when it stooped. I've been absolutely buzzing every tournament since Southgate came in. I think it helps that you can sit with your mates in the sun and watch England so it's something to get behind really, granted not much sun this year! Totally get why people aren't arsed though, some of my mates are the same. Also, to be totally clear - I'd take Newcastle winning absolutely anything over England winning the lot. But I find this squad mostly quite likeable compared to previous squads.

Seemingly born from Ronaldo, the urge for everyone to call a player by their initial and number, ala CR7. Seem Everton on Twitter the day - 'JB32 is back in the building'. Eurgh.

Can't argue with the fact he's won 2 trophies in 2 years but I'm not sure the likes of Man City & Arsenal will be devastated with this news. If they'd not won the FA Cup he'd have probably got the chop, although there wasn't a great number of standout candidates - especially with the jobs available this summer. All of which would have been perceived more attractive, btw. Huge club so never more than 3 games away from a crisis, so I'd be shocked if he's manager come the end of the season. Hopefully he is.

Sorry?

I obviously wanted Europe from a selfish perspective in that fact that I'd be able to do another European trip next season, as well as the nights at St James' - particularly if we got to the knockouts would have been great. I can't pretend I'm absolutely devasted though as it's not like they won't be here again in the next year or two. However, I do think it massively improves our chances of getting Champions League football again sooner rather than later. The top 2 are nailed on, but the other 2 (3?) spots are anyone's game to be honest. Liverpool in transition, Chelsea are a mess, Spurs & Man United could do anything and Villa will have to cope with a testing Champions League format with the potential of knockouts in the New Year. A kind set of fixtures to start the season and I reckon we will definitely be there or thereabouts next May. I'm an eternal pessimist but I'd consider us favourites but a lot will naturally depend on what we do this summer.

Love him, want him here for a long time and think he’s actually done a decent job this season all things considered. That being said, not getting Europe was a bit of a blow and can’t see owners giving him 25/26 if we’re in the same position in 12 months time.

It’s definitely a mentality thing. Man United have been pretty shit for two seasons in probably 75% of their games - consistently getting battered for 90 minutes but able to get to 3 finals and win 2 trophies. Fair play to them. They deserved to win yesterday, but they’re still cunts.

If Coventry can come back from 3-0 down to these, Man City can if they pull their fingers out. credit to Man United though they’ve been worthy.

Surely we'd give grace to the players who are going to the Euros & Copa America? No way should we be expecting them to go. Nor should we be going too like.

Got a rotten feeling we will both lose Sunday (us & Man Utd) and them jammy bastards will do a Wigan to Man City in the final

Mind I do agree he’s not shown (yet) he can be ruthless in his team selections, tonight isn’t on him. Away form over the season has been shit so I suppose that is on him, but tonight we could/should have scored 5 or 6.

Come on man. We lost a game but that’s ridiculous. We genuinely could have scored 5 goals and that’s being kind. Utterly frustrating we’ve got nothing to show for that but sadly you’ll get games like that a couple of times a season. We played well just defended terribly. In better news, they’ll stick with Ten Hag and they’ll be gash again next year. There’ll be talk of binning him, then he’ll get a lucky result and back to square one. The Man United we grew up watching dominate are years and years away.

Whilst I do agree it’s not a good look for the league for a team to win 4 in a row, when the alternatives are Arsenal or Liverpool then there’s only one winner for me personally. In any other season I’d have liked Arsenal to have won it, but the way they went on after the game up here in November - fans, players and especially their manager - made it impossible for me tbh. Maybe if they didn’t celebrate a 0-0 at the Etihad when City were there for the taking things would have been different. Understand the sentiment of the 115 charges lingering over the league, but it wasn’t Man City’s fault Liverpool lost to Everton & Palace and Arsenal lost at home to Villa. Both teams had it in their hands at different points late in the season and ultimately fucked it.