Altamullan

Anyone else think this is ugly as fuck? Players and staff together upstairs listening to reaction outside (and whatever claptrap Ashley had spouted). Wonder how they felt as their head hit the pillow? Can’t help thinking if it was me, and I had choices, I’d want well away from this dysfunctional family/clusterfuck of a situation.

No. It is, though, an odd example to pick to signify the joy of the Keegan era. If I recall correctly that game was the time he decided he had had enough. I remember seeing him at the game and thinking how miserable he looked (think he was wearing a black woolly hat). He said afterwards (not the full story I’m sure) that he just felt sorry for the Spurs manager (Francis?) rather than feeling the joy he felt he should have done. Must have been close to his final game.

What happens if you chuck in a dose of Arthur Cox? Does it go pearshaped and you end-up with a Gordon Lee?

2-0.

?

“Large and upwards has the logo and badge within a stripe, small and medium have them in the middle of two stripes. Simple shiz.” Have Howey and Beardsley swapped shirts then?

I am fascinated and repelled, in equal measure, by KK’s autobiography. I find it hard to read the excerpts above. To imagine the impact on a genuinely good man being around, and seeing something he loved abused by, fuckwits and charlatans. What happened with KK turned me off NUFC for years. Something just shut down inside me. Took a long while to care again. I’m wondering whether reading the rest, hearing the detail behind the scenes, may flick the switch again. I know there’s a lot of people who want/feel the need to protest, to use strong language, fantasise about threats, and generally rant about ‘the regime.’ Thus far, I have managed to find a niche for NUFC in my life again. A manager with good values has helped, but I was back ‘in’ before that. I’ve liked having those feelings again; the sense of real connection. Actually giving a shit. Right or wrong just not thinking about the ownership, that much, not giving that issue ‘air time’ has kind of worked for me. I’m not sure whether I will be able to continue with that resigned acceptance if I read much more about a true hero, a genuinely good person, and an exceptionally able football manager/player being hamstrung and deceived. It just pushes my buttons too much; makes my blood boil.

Vice Versa, for me. We’re winning this 2-1.

I’ve seen a lot of this kind of coaching. They seem to focus exclusively on close control and technique. The lads who progress to the highest junior levels are like automatons by the time they’re 8. Makes me wonder how many raw competitors (and characters) are missed by the current youth development ethos.

So all those words—80+ lines, with thoughtful paragraph breaks, approaching one thousand words—express one idea? Well, plus the Ashley statement: something so often repeated it barely registers.

1-1 seems a decent bet. Same as last season.

Around 200,000 in Newcastle, 150,000 in Gateshead, 175,000 in County Durham and 175,000 in Northumberland. So 700,000 in the North East of England (based on relative population size of the areas).300,000 elsewhere in the UK. 500,000 (?) off these islands. So 1.5m adults is my guesstimate.

If this squad finishes 8th ill eat hay with a donkey What about eat hay once eaten by a donkey?

It’s certainly the happiest I have ever been at half-time. Literally couldn’t stop smiling.

That is not the same, as in a planned deliberate action. Though take the point that ending ‘the pain’ can seem like the least worst alternative. It is never the only option though, and where your analogy falls down is the fact that people who are unsuccessful usually go on to put out their personal ‘inferno’ plus their loved ones do not have the same experience of loss as the victims of suicide who are left behind.

It’s never the only way out. It can seem that way when people’s thinking is so narrowed by depression or they are disinhibited by alcohol/drugs. We all make bad decisions, on biased/dodgy information; some are unrecoverable.

Momentum and self-belief is important for the team (any team). This makes the next few games especially important. Personally, we are only two points worse off than I expected us to be... and I have/had us finishing 8th!

its always the excuse new league new country new language its bullshit if youre a decent player you can play whether its England, China or Timbuktu its football its not applied brain surgery Tino Asprilla turned in a man of the match performance against Boro after stepping off a flight from Colombia only a couple of hours earlier Everyone seems to make excuses these days for our players ineptness Just thought of a solution. Cocaine. Muto needs to get wide (allegedly).

It's not a criticism of her, but that's grim. Perfectly understandable, honest, natural and quite typical reaction. Suicide is an incredibly selfish act, even though people (who have been unsuccessful with potentially lethal attempts) usually report minimising the impact of their loss, prior to the attempt (and think differently after), it leaves a wake of devastation that lessens but never completely levels out. His boys will probably look at their own children and still feel a bitterness as well as crushing loss at his absence. Not to mention all the special occasions which are tainted and the difficult events they will face without his presence and support.

That is our best pairing, but nobody is stopping Walker’s thunderbastard, or the free kick yesterday. Could argue we might not have given the opportunity, especially stupid foul yesterday. We’ve conceded 8 in five, same as Man Utd. Only scored four—same as three other teams and there are only three who’ve scored less. That is, and was always going to be, our primary problem this season. Hopefully, goals for will look rosier when we’ve played a few more of our ‘equals’ and fingers crossed Rondon and Muto start impressing in training.

i always feel better when he's in the team, like Shelvey, to me that makes him a player. Yep ? both give hope that they’ll make something happen.

Worse than last season? When similarly some people couldn’t see a worse squad in the big bad PL. Others have strengthened. We’ve stood still. No, we don’t have the squad we would all want, but we strengthened/added needed options. Don’t see us as relatively weaker. As ever, depends how well managers can get a tune out of their ‘instruments’ and conduct/create a symphony. Some who have spent much more than us will have all the gear and no idea, personally I think we will be ok, if mid-table mediocrity classed as ok.

Worse than last season? When similarly some people couldn’t see a worse squad in the big bad PL.

Two of those stayed up last year. We've not shown we're any better than them. And both spent decent money improving their squads in the summer. And spending money guarantees PL survival?

39% possession and one shot, Arsenal 2 shots, according to BBC.