Tiresias

ASM is on bench so imagine he is ok just being eased back? Since this game is a free hit I don't know if they will have really wanted to risk anyone. I guess a few have played so much high intensity the data will be saying to rest them

Looks a return to Rafa style set up, bit of a free hit but I am scared about Longstaff. Maybe Howe's next trick will be to turn him back into a worldbeater.

Some twat on radio i listened to while driving banging on about how wise Newcastle were to not listen to the newcastle fans who all wanted us to sign big name marquee signings and instead signed sensibly. Newcastle fans are not fucking stupid. Jesus. How that wasn't called out.

Yeah I kinda agree with this, I am not sure sport washing actually works? Especially if it keeps the horrible crap in the discussion. I have to admit I remain with severely mixed feelings about the club still, I thought may be able to get comfortable with it but it's not settling right with me. Football has got drunk on money and it is not a good thing. Still going to enjoy us for a while, I didn't have any say in all this. To clarify it does work as mentioned above, it does get legions defending awful shit, just think if it keeps the bad stuff in the news too because of it can be self defeating.

I'm pretty sure the asset freeze means that no the debt cannot be paid back.

Looks most likely they will be force sold to one of the public suitors, may even happen fairly fast and they'll be fine but if it's not quick going to be problematic

you fuckers watching his games have stockholm syndrome or something you madmen

Lots of livelihoods are threatened and the fans are facing an existential threat to their club, I would find big points deduction/relegation funny, i would even find new much poorer owner a bit funny considering it's bloody chelsea, but this is horrible. And as as much as it won't be for *reasons* it could be us one day.

Very skeptical on that thought Stones was still very well regarded there

wait he's had an issure requiring surgery and let me guess brewcy thought he would run it off

No we need Dan Burn here!

The predictions of doom and gloom werent unreasonable I don't think, we would have to go on a ludicrous streak of wins in order to be in the position, and yet we have done it. I am sure this has exceeded even Howe's best hopes

Ok I the arch pessimist think it's a 1 now would be ludicrous to go down now

Great header

What a shock, the anything goes ownership model of the premier league can lead to disaster. Of course this could be us in the future. Money has corrupted football so badly. To compete to win leagues or champions league you need ludicrous money and it is eating itself. I would happily trade being the richest club int eh world for all clubs being sensibly run self sustaining businesses with meaningful levels of fan ownership and any club could win a league by doing well and no club is existentially threatened because of geopolitics.

He is having a bad year but he has scored over 11 goals previous 3 years largely playing as a winger. and was a teenager for 2 of those years. He is 3 years younger than Ollie Watkins who gets a lot of praise and scores more. He is low on confidence right now, he has not scored that much but also hasnt had the minutes and been in a poor team geared towards Ronaldo. I would have him in a heartbeat, Howe could get him singing and the attack could be built around him. Ludicrous to call him 'finished' or anything.

Lampard will no doubt keep laying into the players after this. Worst thing in relegation scrap tbh. Will come off as aloof and uninterested to the players and needs to be able to help them actually learn how to defend. Rafa short circuited at everton, no idea why he couldnt get them to defend at all. Does sniff of toxic dressing room so Lampard not really wrong to lay into them so often kinda but still cant see it helping

Well yes classic championship standard

At a two now, starting to build a gap to the bottom 5, think Everton will get out of that they have games in hand but the other 4 are the real ones in trouble and we'd have to have a proper slump in form to be dragged back in Can't believe I'm saying that considering how pessimistic I was. I will say I argued we'd need to have an amazing run of form to get the points on the board, and we have.

Seems a fairly standard journeyman winger, fast for championship but not enough end product for premier league

Very good opportunity to switch squad around with Chelsea at weekend after and starting to look safe. I never have a fucking clue how good Southampton are when we play them. They are a batshit team who can look great on MotD and win some big games then lose ridiculously. You either get a wet blanket of a side or a really solid organised unit.

Has to be said there are problems with southgate, but it is also a very good evidence of just clear headed thinking on what the team should be, developing a good ethos and team spirit and not letting noise keep swapping round the team or keep trying new formations/new players demanded by media get in teh way of the focus. His in game management is still a bit dubious but I am guilty of being furious at Sterling being kept on despite slump in club form and then he goes on to be one of the best performers.

I mean imagine being Eddie Howe, a few months ago he was out of work and not necessarily fancied to get a job soon. Now he is setting up transfer targets and plans without money being a worry. Jesus christ must feel the luckiest man on the planet.

He's not going anywhere lol 1. He has the complete backing of the richest owners in world football who explicitly want to back him to build a title winning side in the long term 2. He's had a good few months. There is still the possibility it all goes to to shit and we go down.