Paullow

Meh.

Huge win for Blyth, just when things were looking massively bleak. 3-2 away at adjacent Southport. Darlington won again, and Kings Lynn beat Rushall, which was probably the best result there for the North East sides.

Poor result for Middlesbrough as well. They had kind of kept their season alive with 3 straight wins, but only drew at home to Blackburn today, and Norwich won, so they are 7 points off 6th with only 8 games to go, and they do have some stinkers in their remaining fixtures - Southampton, Ipswich, Hull away, and Leeds at home. Looking like yet another year of us being the only North East side in the top flight and another season of them playing each other. If so, Sunderland will have played Boro 14 times since we last played Boro (assuming we're not drawn in the cups). I think in a few years, if they are constantly in and around each other in upper mid table, that match will become bigger than what it currently is.

Just saw that Brentford only have 10 points from their last 17 matches. 3W 1D 13L, and will be hard for them to come back today being a man down. That's awful form. Probably end up lucky that the bottom 2 are so far adrift, and Luton seem content on throwing away leads that they will end up being OK, but didn't think they were doing that badly.

I'm not sure what the pre match odds were, and whether QPR have just started better, but I see the in play odds are 21/10 vs 6/4, so QPR are favourites, despite being away from home.

https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/wolves-v-coventry-kick-off-1215-itv1-stv-itv-x-stv-player.1629841/page-8

Wow. I watched the first half of Cardiff-Swansea, and turned this on at around 60 mins, pleased I did. I literally shouted out loud with that 3rd goal.

Wow, he's just 22. Assumed he would be 30 odd with that beard

I know Man City has a few injuries at the time, and that they had a match in Athens in mid week, but it's crazy comparing odds of the same fixture less than 7 months On August 19th we were as short as 5/2 to win and Man City were just short of evens. March 16th and they're as short as 1/6, and you can 11/1 on us at a few places - I did actually think we would be a bit longer, and nearer 14/1, but it kind of emphasises the contrast in confidence and mindset in a relatively short period of time.

I was just going to say earlier, I am following NUWFC much more closely this season, streaming matches / watching online content / scores etc. and if/when Newcastle are in the WSL I'm sure i will be more interested in the league in general and the top end, even if they are finding their feet and battling to stay up for the first 3 or 4 years, but I still don't have any interest in the WSL at this stage, and was disappointed that there was no 8pm Championship match on Sky tonight as I like watching that league as much, if not more, than the PL. I was tempted to watch Dunfermline vs Dundee United in the Scottish 2nd tier, but thought better of it

I guess at least 2 of Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham and Brighton would miss out if it went down to 8th, but it would feel harder to not get into Europe than it would. 8/20 does feel too many, but if we got in via the backdoor, I wouldn't be complaining.

Is that actually confirmed, or more you assuming?

There's 3 combined English places for the Europa and the Conference league, and in most years, if both cups were won by the top teams, European football would go down to 7th place. If we were going to get 5 Champions League places, and a Liverpool/Man U/Man C won the FA Cup, would 8th place definitely get into Europe (Conference), or would it still be 7th, and we lose a Europa League spot to make up for the extra CL spot? If it went down to 8th then I'd want the English clubs to do better to give us more of a chance of playing European football, but if there was still the same amount of combined European places for English clubs, i.e 7 max, then I'd prefer England not to get the 5th CL spot as it would hinder either Spurs or Villa, and not allow them to push on ahead, particularly the latter. Anyone know the criteria?

Starting to look really ominous for Blyth. Darlington won 2-1. Just 2 points from their last 10 games. Darlington in contrast have won 5 of their last 6, or 6 of their last 8, whereas they had only won 6 of their first 31 games. The bottom 2 looked knackered, and Banbury have lost 6 in a row, so hopefully they'll continue that form, but Blyth possibly favourites to drop at the moment considering their awful form, and possibly concerns with the takeover.

Blyth vs Darlington is a big match tonight. Less than 4 weeks ago on Feb 17th, Darlington were 17 points behind Blyth, but if they were to get the 3 points, they would be level on points.

4W 2D 8L is the last 14 games is absolutely shocking like, 14 points from 14 games, relegation form over what is more than a third of a season. I've said it a few times, but the season has felt like a write off to me since throughout December when we lost 5 out of 6 in the league, out of Europe completely, and the League Cup in the space of 4 weeks. I just can't ever see us stringing 3 or 4 results together, I'm expecting us to lose most away games, and when we do, I'm just like 'ah well, next season'.

I was thinking there was a notavle omission on the bench, but just couldn't think who before reading this thread.

I still don't really feel any jeopardy in these games. I mean there is clearly a fair difference between 7th and 11th, and 7th is obviously not beneath us at all as it would effectively be 'best of the rest' in most seasons, and a good chance of getting into some sort of Europe, but there's just no real angst for me, and if we did lose, which I kind of am expecting, it would be more 'ah well, next season'. Is anyone else like that?

Quite an enjoyable half. Seemed like it went over quickly.

Burnley drew 1-1, so that's them realistically out of contention. 10 points from the final 5 games would mathematically seal the title, 9 could/should be enough unless Forest get some huge wins, and then whatever Forest drop after that in their remaining 7 matches, Newcastle could simultaneously afford to drop.

Yeah, it's mad. At the start of the takeover I was completely neutral, and admittedly might have even questioned why some 'randomers' were suddenly involved in kit launches and stuff, but now I stream pretty much every match that's available, follow the scores when they are not, always watch the NFTV YT vlog on Sunday evening, and any content the NUFC YT channel puts out, like that mixed 'who am I' one the other day. It's obviously not hard to get on board and back a successful team that are clearly going places, but they do seem like a really likable bunch on the whole with some big characters, and it's great to follow their journey from the 4th tier to wherever it does end up.

How long has Keegan been at City?

You'd probably assume it would, but has it been confirmed that an additional Champions League place would push European qualification further down the league, and not just take a Europa League place away instead?

Championship relegation fight is mad. Sheff Wed play Leeds at home on Friday night, and if they win they will go from 23rd to 16th - potentially jumping 7 places with one win after 37 games played is crazy.