Paullow

If we have a great win I always spend ages trawling through other clubs forums , even the odd foreign club one. Can literally spend hours on it, haha.

I guess age will probably play a part here as well. I'm at the perfect age where I was just getting into football in the 1993/94 season and can remember just about all of the 1994/95 season, so there won't be a PL era player that I didn't see play for Newcastle. Whereas while we weren't as good, had the PL started in 1984 or so, before I was born, then I would probably have been less likely to include players from before my time, unless absolutely obvious. Pretty much every Newcastle fan, whether 19 (and never saw him play live) or 79 would include Shearer in this, just because of what they have heard / read / saw in video, but those under 25 might be more likely to include your HBA's, Cabaye, Solano etc. than your older Beardsley, Ginola types. Would have been better on a more popular thread, as it would have been interesting to see who more people would pick.

------------------------Given----------------------------- ----------------------Woodgate-------------------------- ---------------Bruno---------Beardsley------------------- ----------------------Shearer------------------------------ Felt far too early to put anyone who hasn't even been here a full 12 months. I was thinking the same for Bruno, but he's now been here pretty much the same time as Woodgate. Felt a bit strange picking Woodgate with him not being a club legend, and largely not having great words to say since leaving, especially with being from Boro, but in his 15 or so months he had, he was absolutely class, and we haven't been blessed with amazing defenders in the last 30 years. In a year or so I'd imagine most would include Botman. Thought about having Trippier, but wanted a centre half in there.

Yeah, that's the kind of points total that I'm thinking. 5W 1D 5L, 4W 4D 3L, or possibly more likely in line with our season 3W 7D 1L would generally / normally be a fairly disappointing return given our form since Jan 2022, but I think it's kind of par with the pretty tough fixtures that we have remaining. The next 3 (away) games will be crucial - if we get 6/7/9 points then we should really hit 70 points quite comfortably, but if it's more like 0/1/2/3 then it may be a struggle to even get 66. We are around the 6/5 to beat West Ham and Brentford (no odds for Villa yet, but will probably be a bit closer I think), so we're considered the more likely of the two to win, but at the same time, not odds on, so there's more chance of us not winning than winning (West Ham double chance would be around 4/6). If we do end up with 70 points then I'm pretty sure we will finish in the top 4. Spurs would need at least 20 points from 9 games, Liverpool would need 28 from 11, Brighton would need 27 from 12, and I wouldn't even consider Brentford in that scenario. Teams can put runs together, and Liverpool did a few years ago to salvage their season, but I think the league is a bit different now. There's too many better teams now. Chelsea have struggled, but could beat many on their day, we are much stronger, and games against the Brighton's and Villa's are much tougher now, so it's really hard for a team (not named Man City) to string 8/9 wins out of 11 or so.

You can tell the big wigs at Sky have blatantly briefed their employees about the whole 'United' thing. All this United vs United in the League Cup build up, and pretty much the same advert before the recent match. Neville there saying 'United' then quickly said 'Manchester United', and made sure he said 'Newcastle United' as quickly as he could . 3 of the League Cup matches had to be, but West Ham will be our 16th match in 2023 (11 league, 4 LC, 1 FAC) and every single one of them have been on TV (14 Sky, 1 BT, 1 BBC). Brentford on Saturday will be the first one that isn't, but the 3 after that Villa (BT), Spurs (Sky), Everton (BT) will be televised, so that will be 19 out of 20 .

Can't believe I've actually screamed out loud for back to back late Everton equalisers now . This one obviously far more important than Simms equaliser. Please hang on here...

GET THE FUCK IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, at least it's 67 mins and not 87 mins from a hoping they drop points perspective, but then again, more time to boost their GD.

Mind, Everton of course went down to 10 at home to us last season...

Shit.

Argh. Everton's best chance by a mile there.

I think Spurs have generally looked more threatening. Had more of the ball, and got into some OK positions, but Everton have defended quite well. Kane could have had a couple, probably should have scored a header. I could possibly see Everton nicking a 1-0 as they often have under Dyche, but think Spurs look more likely to score first, and while Everton did come back twice vs Chelsea, I think if Spurs do take the lead, it'll be very hard for Everton to get anything out of it.

First 10-15 minutes was OK, but aye, been fairly poor since then. Mind, while I'm invested, and it's currently a result I'd be happy with, I'm OK watching relative dross. A potential late Spurs winner would be annoying though if the second half is similar and you've sat through it all.

Yeah, I'm watching and thinking probably 0-2, but then we play them a few weeks later and I'll be thinking it's a really tough away match. Guess it's still the Ashley mindset somewhat.

Can't see this staying 0-0 for too long. Better start to the game (for neutrals, which I'm not) than I was expecting.

A draw wouldn't be bad as Spurs would still stay below us having played 2 games more, and it would probably be considered 2 points dropped considering they are circa 5/4 favourites, but I'm far more interested in Newcastle's fortunes than what I might quite like to see happen at the other end, so definitely hoping for a home win tonight.

Yeah, it would be surprising / disappointing if we only lost 3 games in 27 up until now, and then lost 3 in a row. I'm sure it won't happen, but individually we can very much lose each of the next 3, even something like 2 draws and a loss is not that unfeasible, but would obviously be a very poor return, and hopefully we get at least 4 points. I'm just going to take each game as it comes, and continue to hope that the others around us drop points to make the task easier for us. We are in a great position - not sure I've seen us as short as 1/2 before, but I'm still in the mindset of being 'fine with 6th' for this season. The results have gone fantastic for us these past 3 weeks or so since the Wolves match - we have taken 9 points (from 3 games), Man Utd 1 (from 2), Spurs 4 (from 2, play tonight), Liverpool 0 (from 2), Brighton 5 (from 3), Brentford 5 (from 4), so we have gained on all of them, significantly in some cases, but that also shows that things can change quite quickly. Man Utd have gone from being supposedly in the title race to possibly outside the top 4 tonight in a few weeks.

It's not looking great for Southampton, and they are as it stands by far the most likely to go down in terms of odds, and their remaining fixtures aren't great, but I can still remember Sunderland giving themselves yet another stay of execution in 2014 under Poyet. Look where they were in mid April after 32 games. Only two more points than Southampton, a worse PPG, 6 games to go, 7 points adrift and trips to Man City, Chelsea, and Man Utd in their next 4 matches. You'd normally think win your 6 pointer against Cardiff and nick a point or two in those other 3 games and that would be a good return, but they somehow ended up with 10 points, and ended up getting out of with a game or two to spare. There were no signs of an upturn at that point either. Awful GD, so not like they were narrowly losing 1-0 most of the time. They did get to the League Cup final a few months earlier, but then Southampton got to the SF this season putting out Man City, and Sunderland had only 1 point from 8 games prior to that Man City match. There's obviously Leicester too just a year or so later under Pearson. I do fear for Forest though and I'd like them to stay up, but they were close to taking 4 points from their last two home games, both at home, but ended up with only 1, and they really will need an upturn in away form out of nowhere. I think it'll be those 2 and one other. Bournemouth most likely in terms of odds, but they have won 3 of their last 6 and the games they didn't win were away at in form Villa, Arsenal and home to Man City, so they are definitely giving themselves a fighting chance, and have a few decent looking, albeit huge, fixtures, as astras post shows. I'm just delighted we don't need worry about it as we'd clearly be in the thick of it again without the takeover, if we somehow managed to stay up under Brucie last season.

Yeah, 5 points would be great. It would mean 2 more draws, but draws against the likes of City at home, Arsenal and Man Utd away, Brighton away, and one or two others are very much points gained, and if we were to draw at 2 of Villa, West Ham, and Brentford, and win the other, the same would apply there. At home to any of those sides would generally be considered 2 points dropped pre match.

It didn't take too long, got lucky with my first page search of around 60 and worked from there - came across this fascinating looking thread as well on my first page search

12 managers getting sacked after just circa 28 games is crazy, 2 teams sacking 2 permanent managers at this stage is even worse.

Yeah, not 100% similar, and Chelsea are in a worse situation than they were then, but they still have very talented players that could turn up at any time, probably more so now that they have taken action. Similar energy on this thread back then: Posted April 17, 2012 On 17/04/2012 at 09:33, nufc4eva said: I don't get how Chelsea winning Champions League (Not going to happen) would prevent 6th going into europa. Surely they would take 4th place spot, 5th would take the spot and there would still be FA cup place? - is it not just substituting teams ? why would UEFA remove a europa place when we would then have less teams in europe? They're not. This isn't happening. Chelsea won't win the Champions League. I don't think Chelsea shutting out Barca means they're going to win the Champions League. I'm slightly more worried about it now, but it won't happen. I still think Barca will finish them off in them off in the 2nd leg, but even if Chelsea pull it off i reckon Madrid or Bayern would beat them in the final...... There was definitely a consensus that 'it was not going to happen', and was extremely unlikely, but it did. It's more matches this time, but still just 5 matches, and they've only 12/1, so not like some 50/1 no hoper.

Spurs fans would have thought similar in 2011/12 when they finished 4th and an out of sorts Chelsea with Di Matteo as caretaker manager had to beat reigning CL champs Barcelona over 2 legs in the semi final and then Bayern Munich in the final in the German's home stadium, but they did, and Spurs missed out (that was our season finishing 5th under Pardew, would have been gutting if it was us...), so while extremely unlikely they will beat Real, then City/Bayern in the SF, and then the final, you can't fully rule it out.

There can be 5 English teams in the CL, but not 6, so we'll be fine in 4th if Man Utd finish outside top 4 and win the Europa, or if we finish 4th and Chelsea win the CL, but NOT if both of those situations occur. If English sides won both (bigger) European competitions and neither finished in the top 4, then 4th place would miss out, although that scenario is pretty unlikely. I've replied to Llwydiarth there, but they didn't really answer NUFCDoog's question - if Man Utd finish 3rd and win the Europa. 5th would NOT get in the CL.