Paullow

It does just seem a case of quantity and bodies in over anything that's going to significantly improve us. I know we joke about Choudhury on loan, but there were a couple of Ashley January windows where the boat was pushed out when things were looking hideous, and you'd kind of think it was pre takeover. It's clearly proving fairly hard to bring quality in (Trippier did want to come back home, and had worked with Howe, so that went in our favour), but I was kind of hoping for better than this, it kind of does feel like preparing for next year, rather than desperately trying to save our skin.

A derby match for Lille. Just had a look on Live-footballontv and there's so many random stations / streaming sites showing matches these days - WTF is Mola TV? A subscription service I imagine?

3-1 Leeds according to Bet365, although of course possibly subject to VAR. (I've not seen it). 3-1 it is. Very much looking like 3 from 4.

I always think Brentford should still be within reach, but they do have a lot of points on the board, and like the Watford game, they will likely nick a result every few weeks to keep their heads above water. Think we can almost rule out passing them if they hang on to be honest.

yeah, it's a strange one this. I personally think a Burnley win is by far the worst. A point for Leeds at home to Burnley is still a poor result, 2 points dropped, and failed to win a 'bread and butter' fixture. Only 2 points being distributed to rivals, as opposed to 3, is also beneficial, so for me, a draw is clearly the best, and fingers crossed it stays as it is. Leeds potentially being 8 points clear is also really big as it's 3 games, and while we should of course be a bit stronger in the second half, due to a number of teams pushing on, we will still be significant underdogs in a lot of our remaining 19 matches - pretty much all 5 of the remaining 'big 6' games - not to say we will lose all of them, and fixture placement could play a part, but we'd still do well to pick up points in any of those games, likewise away to West Ham will be very tough, amongst others, so it will mean that we would need to win the vast majority of our more winnable games to pass them (inc. Elland Road). We just need to finish above 3 teams and the 3 currently closest around us are the most likely according to the bookies, but it will feel kind of like placing all eggs in the Norwich, Burnley, Watford basket if Leeds were to win today. Definitely hope it's a draw, and just wish Sky were showing it instead of this largely midtable clash at Brentford.

Last year wasn't really midtable IMO. It was a season of shite and struggle, 17th after 34 games, 16th after 36 games, could have still finished 17th on the final day if results went slightly differently. We were 12th as you say, Villa 11th, so both technically midtable, but there were 10 points between them, and a massive 25 swing in goal difference - Villa had a solid midtable season, and that will be what we are after for the next year or so if we stay up, not struggle pretty much all year and win a few matches at the end of the season and get into a crack papering position.

Cracking goal. Elements of the great Yeboah about it.

It's going to be one of those fixtures when nobody knows the best outcome . You can make arguments a lot of ways.

Technically not 'today', but what's everyone hoping for tomorrow in the big Leeds vs Burnley match? https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/relegation Outside the obvious 4, Leeds are by far the next closest in terms of relegation odds, with them being around 3/1 Draw the best?

Huge contrast to earlier in the season when if a potential rival scored, my first thought would be along the lines of 'Bruce's takeaway won't be going down well this evening'. With it looking like the current bottom 4 plus maybe one or two max who have a bad run, these matches are almost as important as our matches themselves. Good start to the match in general (not just from an NUFC perspective).

I've not been a man of many posts during my 9 and a half years on this forum, but I've been browsing it constantly recently, and it's so good to actually care again, and even though most will likely be b*llocks, it's exciting to see who we are linked with next, as opposed to a late XYZ loan bid, if lucky, on January 31st.

In what sense? Having a few fixtures postponed until after January, or the season potentially being null and void?

Palace always seem to look a decent side whenever I watch them. 1-0 up on Southampton after just 2 mins.

Definitely mixed on here between those wanting a draw (myself included) and a Brentford win, but I think we can all agree that it's a far better result than what it was looking like on 82 minutes.

Carragher saying this is the result the 3 in the relegation zone want.

Mind, it is nice to watch a Premier League game (not directly involving Newcastle) and actually caring about the outcome.

Yeah, I think a Watford win is the worst, but at the same time, I still think Brentford could be the 5th most likely to drop, and if they did lose here, then they would have lost a bread and butter type game. If Brentford win then that 10 point gap will look very big, and it will be less eggs in the basket, even if the bottom 4 teams will be closer together. Just takes another couple of 5-2 and 4-1 Everton and Man Utd results for Watford and then we might have been wishing for more teams still more in the mix. I'm still thinking draw.

Brentford vs Watford - what do we want here? It's hard to tell, I can kind of see positive and negatives for any outcome, but a draw possibly best?

I'd say 7. Looking at the table, and the teams, I can't really imagine anyone outside of Norwich, Newcastle, Burnley, Watford, and Brentford being involved. Obviously it's still early days, and a team can get sucked in, and maybe someone like Villa will, given their current run, but there doesn't seem to be too much margin, and Burnley and Dyche will usually find a way. One thing I was surprised about were some pundits saying bad for Newcastle that Norwich beat Brentford. I know we were temporarily bottom because of it, but I was fully wanting Norwich to beat them when following on Soccer Saturday. Newly promoted side (Brentford), on a bit of a losing streak, and we play them at home next, definitely the best result that Norwich beat them IMO.

Imagine if it all turned out to be a master plan by Ashley to shift some tickets and get a bit of atmosphere to move them away from danger: Bruce ends up being here until the end of the season, to give them time to get the right man in Sports Direct signs here for a 'short period', which also turns out to be the end of the season No need for many signings in January as we've got a few wins on the board in the meantime, and not in massive danger, but rest assured, the cheque book will be out in the summer And then come summer, Ashley be like:

Interesting bump. You'd think Norwich would be gone, certainly now, but Burnley often find a way, and Watford (even though they are now favourites to go down) and Brentford are both in far stronger positions points wise, so there's no obvious clubs who you'd tip to go down at this stage (bar Norwich). 3 points from 7 games is abysmal, especially considering the 'winnable' games we have passed up, and the next few fixtures look tough. We obviously need Bruce out ASAP, and thankfully there is plenty of time, and even a full, boisterous crowd should be a big bonus and play a part, as opposed to a largely apathetic one, and who knows, maybe the new manager can get a tune out of the likes of Lewis, Fraser, and dare I say, even Joelinton, before obvious necessary reinforcements in January. Probably at a 7 at the moment.

Have barely logged in, never mind posted since the end of the season, so just noticed this thread now. I was actually just thinking earlier how I think I'm just going to try and follow the Premier League as a 'neutral' this season, so that kind of ties in with this thread. I was another 10 for what it's worth. I may have given up on Newcastle, and the Premier League is dubious at best, but I don't want to give up on football altogether, so unlike in previous years where I might have wanted a club that I considered 'smaller' not to win the FA Cup if they reached the latter stages, or say West Ham to qualify for the Champions League last season, I probably will want lesser sides to do well this season, upset the stranglehold of the 'big 6' where possible, and not worry about Newcastle's stock falling further behind clubs where it really should be higher. Absolutely shite situation, but I think that's better than just ignoring it completely. I will still want Newcastle to do as well as they can, but definitely going to try and move away from the one club perspective. I'll see how it goes anyway

Marcelino instantly sprung to my mind the moment I saw the thread title. £6m was a lot in 1999, especially for a defender - it's still more than we paid for a lot of our current first time - Dubravka, Hayden, Lascelles, Schaar, Fernandez etc. and he was gash, and never fit.

You can here the full interview there if you put it back to 10.10am.

Cracking header from Big Al.