Geordie_once_removed

Assuming Livramento is out I'd go for a slightly leftfield choice of: Pope Krafth - Schar - Burn - Hall Anderson - Bruno - Joelinton Gordon - Isak - Barnes Longstaff offered very little against Man U so I'd pick Anderson over him, he's also been good defensively so would help out Krafth who is an obvious weak link but still gets the nod over Trippier who isn't looking match fit. It's time to unleash Big Joe and I just want to see that front 3 on the field together more. Hopefully they would be very fluid and hard to mark.

Going for Beth's title as most positive and reasoned poster?

I'd keep it as the manager. The captain can always signal to them they think it should be reviewed. For me this would add an interesting extra layer to being a manager.

I would scrap the "clear and obvious bit" it's just far too subjective to ever work. Yesterday's foul on Gordon is such a good example of this. In real time I didn't think it was a foul. Based on the first couple of replays I still didn't. When I saw the one from behind and I saw the heel step I thought it was a foul and a penalty. Is this a "clear and obvious" error? I'm not sure. The decision is wrong but if it takes 3/4 camera angles and slow mo to spot it is "clear and obvious"? In one match this is given, in another it isn't then you have this situation where everyone gets angry at a system that is supposed to remove human error. It's well meaning but unworkable. For me the solution is pretty simple. 1. Scrap the clear and obvious bit, when a decision goes to VAR their job is to make the correct decision regardless of what the on field referee decided. 2. Give each team 3 VAR referrals per match. The managers have 30 seconds after an incident to call for this by, for example, pressing a button on a watch they have. If their decision is right they keep the referral, just like tennis. 3. As soon as a referral is activated and play is stop the clock also automatically stops, to try to stop them being used as a time wasting strategy. 3. Only one referral is allowed after 85 minutes again to limit them being used in a tactical way to break up play/momentum in the crucial final minutes of a game. 4. I would also be tempted to put in place a max 1 minute rule for reviewing footage starting from when the first images are reviewed. Also perhaps limit the slowing down of the footage to half speed as when you view somethings in super slow motion it warps the perception of them. Particularly the case for potential sendings off due to dangerous play.

I thought I heard that too and thought I must need me ears checking. Insane stat if true.

Under Ashley we tried to score the odd "deal" by signing an out of contract player on inflated wages (Gosling, Fraser and Hendrick) but I don't see it with the new lot. I'm sure our offer will be competitive but it wouldn't surprise me if it isn't the most attractive base salary. Joining Newcastle is genuinely attractive on footballing merits these days. A lot of credit for that goes to Howe and his track record of improving players. I think ambitious players will look at Gordon this season and what he has achieved with Howe and the west's coaching and that will turn heads. Nothing to substantiate this really, but equally people saying we're paying silly wages never do either.

The club is such a different outfit these days. I remember in years gone by signings like this that would have been perfect for us, the club just let them pass us by or they couldn't sell them the glorious vision of "ticking along". Now it seems we're getting in there early and professionally and really selling a plan for them and the club. I'm not saying either is that next level signing but it's a big step towards not seeing the likes of Dummet, Richie and to a lesser extent Krafth coming off the bench or in for injured players. I like all of those mentioned and appreciate what they have done for the club but you can't argue that they aren't limited and holding us back.

I ordered the away pro shirt as I wanted a new exercise top. It arrived quickly and seems good quality. A plain Nike shirt of similar quality would be more expensive. The badge does seem a bit weird but as I have vivid memories of the nipple chaif an embroidered Newcastle badge gave me years ago when I went for a run on a cold wet day I don't mind and can understand the decision. I'll miss Castore. I think their designs have been good and as I only ever buy reduced shirts at the end of the season I've never encountered the delivery issues others have. I really like the subtle textured effect on this season's Arsenal shirt and I hope Adidas do something similar on our shirt.

Number 3 would be amazing. Impressive work.

Beth has to be some kind of performance art. No real person would so consistently spout such reactionary ill informed views. She's comedy gold. Long live Beth!

This is like the Mighty Boosh doing a yoghurt based riff on that scene in Scarface where Tony explains how to get women in America.

I don't see Ramsdale as likely due to cost and timing. Cost has been discussed but the timing of this signing would be off. He's very similar to Pope in terms of overall quality so if he came in he wouldn't and shouldn't be a guaranteed starter but at his age he would expect to be. Pope likewise can expect to be the number 1 for at least another season. It just doesn't line up. Much more likely is a highly rated 21 year old where a more natural transition can happen over the next 2 seasons. Of course if Pope has buggered his shoulder then that would change things.

I feel like typing this just to manifest it into happening. I see both Tosin and Kelly signing. Howe turns Tosin into a quality CB, worthy of a team playing in the Champions League. Kelly becomes a 2024 version of an up graded Aaron Hughes. Not a regular starter but solid to good when called upon. That's CB sorted for another year. Upfront we bid a fond farewell to Wilson for between 15 and 20 million and replace him with Guirassy for the same amount, but because of PSR wizardry actually a lot "less". Almiron also heads on his way for about the same (I'll miss you you one footed smiling goon). This frees up a healthy wedge for that RW to take the team to the next level. I do believe there will be a major signing that is beyond what many thought possible, this January aside, this has happened in all transfer windows (Bruno, Isak and Tonali). It's just a shame I don't believe in manifesting.

Thanks for letting me know. I went for M as a result.

What is the sizing like on the bottoms? I'm 6ft and between a 30 and a 32 inch waist. I was think an S but if they fit small I'd go for an M.

This is about where I am. Which is why I don't see him as a good signing (yet).

Hojlund COULD be a good signing. You couldn't say he is based on his cost and performances so far at Man U.

Who is Man U's last good signing? I think you could make a case for Martinez, but he was hugely over priced and has been pretty unconvincing at times. You have to go back to 2019/20 and Fernandes for one you would call an unequivocally good signing. Amazing really.

For sure decency bias is playing a role here but time and again teams do get "found out" and start to struggle. Top teams and managers adapt to this, it's much too early to see if Postecoglu can do this but I do feel Spurs recent form has highlighted the need for this.

Maybe, but it wasn't meant as a comment of the coaching. If my perceptions are accurate I do wonder if signing this kind of player is a symptom of where Spurs are in the football hierarchy. As in due to cost and competition they have to sign players that had one or two attributes that meant top, top sides passed on them, perhaps hoping they can be overcome with time and coaching. I could see this happening to us as for a good while we'll be in the same situation.

I watched the Spurs game and what surprised me was how many "Spursy" players they had. As in a bit lightweight, a bit tricky but not skillful enough to really unlock a defence, nippy but devastatingly fast and ultimately not good enough to consistently challenge the top sides. They seem to sign the same type of player again and again. It also made me wonder if there is a "Newcastley" player? One that pops their kneecap off climbing onto the team bus perhaps?

Agreed, his team of the week column is a weekly cry for help. I certainly want to cry after reading the terrible prose and tiresome paraphrasing of lines even your grandad is sick to fuck of.

I watched that particularly odious and ignorant interview, well as much as I could stomach before I would have thrown my phone at a wall in a Lawro induced rage. In it he blamed his contract not being renewed because he is old and white. What he can't see is that he had a job as a BBC pundit straight after retiring as a player and held it until almost the retirement age. Him not getting his contract renewed is a natural changing of the guard that happens all the time in TV especially as there are lots of people who want to do the job who resonate with the audience more than an old guy who an increasingly large chunk of the audience never even saw play. Also what he can't see is that if pundits before him had gone on as long as he did he wouldn't have had a job in the first place and that's not even addressing the fact that he was wilfully ignorant and had a very tiresome one a note "proto-banter" of being a sarcastic misery guts. For years. God I despised him. But yeah it's the Woke agenda Lawro. You matter that much. You fecking bell.

Three opinions from this weekend. 1. Onana sums up Scum United's failures in the transfer market for the last few years. He's not terrible, despite what the screaming heads of social media might say, but his obvious flaws make him overall an average keeper. Yet they paid the money you would pay for a world class keeper. They've done time and again. 2. Both De Zerbi and Postecoglou and are overrated and I can see one or both being sacked before the end of next season. 3. Arsenal will win the league next season. They are the most rounded team already and they're a great recent record of buying wisely to improve them.

Don't ask me how I know this, but Slot looks EXACTLY like a face drawn on a bollock.