Geordie_once_removed

The current midfield make up I feel doesn't suit his game but he's still looking very composed. Great players always seem to have half a second more and he seems to have this. He'll really benefit from players coming back as he'll a) get a rest and b) get to play in a midfield that is more suited to his style.

Well we had feck all luck in the first half of the season so lete hope this heralds a demi-invincibles finish. That culminates in a cup win and European qualification.

It just gets odder and odder. At 2 nil up with a game on Tuesday on paper he's such an obvious sub for any one of Burn, Gordon or Miley and he never even warmed up did he.

11 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

As someone that has led multi-million pound projects. I can’t say everything is going to plan if the plan keeps changing. Plans can evolve and change. But I can’t say ‘that’s all part of the plan’. 

 

It’s part of the new plan aye. The one that is more expensive, delayed, less quality etc. aye. 
 

Now some things aren’t ideal at face value and are genuinely part of the original plan. Like eventually selling Bruno or someone. But this isn’t one of those things. 

In between posting on here all day

...?

Miggy is going to be like good health, we won't miss him till he's gone.

I definitely have a sentimental attachment to him as a player that goes beyond what he directly contributes on the pitch (that halfwitted smile), but I do think he would be devastating from the bench next season or in games where we need to close down a dangerous winger.  For all his faults you could have made a good case for him being our MOTM against both City and Sunderland, he just harried people all over the pitch.

2 hours ago, WilliamPS said:

I thought he was good at the Times as the Times don’t have to churn out as much club specific material, so you get the good stories only - the Times doesn’t want to print 8 Nufc stories a week.
 

At the Athletic you get these misty eyes stories about the colour of players sofa cushions as they need the volume, not just in print but for a podcast just on Newcastle so you get the good stories amongst piles of filler content

 

i dont think it’s Caulkin specific I think it’s an issue with the athletic - as the whole site is full of aimless drivel

Probably called it 100%. I subscribe to the Athletic but there is a lot of tosh to trawl through. But then again  I pay something like £1 a month, so I can't really complain about the quality and to be fair there is some good stuff of there.

I'm an occasional listener to the podcast and it's fine, I guess it would annoy me more if I listened to it week in week out when there isn't actually that much to say. But isn't that really the listener's fault for a lack of imagination in their choices?

1 hour ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Not for me.  Lots of Nick Hornby-lite pieces for me.

 

Each to their own, of course.  I just find that misty-eyed football writing bores me. 

Yeah agreed. I liked the first few but these days it gets right on my tits and I rarely get past the first few paragraphs (sorry George if you're reading). 

3 hours ago, Pixelphish said:

I feel like Caulkin use to be good?

Depends what you're after.  I can't remember the last story he broke so he's no good if you're after that.

He has good contacts the club so gets some decent in depth pieces focusing on the human side of things.

By his own admission he's not a tactics guy, for me he takes too much pride in his ignorance given its kind of his job to know this stuff.

He has a clearly defined writing style and for me leans to heavily on certain tropes, but some people seem to love his style.

12 hours ago, loki679 said:

 

I went on an overland tour through parts of Africa in the summer of 2011.  Mobile networks and wifi/internet connections were pretty much not a thing where I was so I was at this time. When I connected again with the wider world half of UK cities seemed to be rioting, Amy Winehouse was dead and Newcastle had sold my favourite player Enrique and bought Obertan. It wasn't the reintroduction to reality I was after.

49 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

It is a problem that gap and has been in plenty of games this season. Botman and Schar used to be more aggressive stepping into midfield. Botman and Joelinton have missed so many games that I feel we have lost that.
 

There are so many factors at play here. I don’t think it is as easy to just say we gave KDB the freedom of the pitch. Like it was some pre-meditated decision  
 

They move the ball so well that they create space, drawing players in before finding that line splitting pass. Their players are all so comfortable on the ball and with interchanging positions. It must be horrendous to defend against and stay switched on for 90 minutes. 
 

No fresh legs to bring on when it’s clear our lads are physically and mentally fucked.
 

No Joelinton to play 2 positions at once.

 

Are the defence dropping a bit deeper, either consciously or sub-consciously because Pope isn’t there to sweep up? 

 

If we decided to sacrifice one of our players to man mark De Bruyne. Then they have 4-5 other players who will get even more space and still hurt us. 
 

It was more of a concern against Forest IMO. Last night it wasn’t even as bad as people are making out against such world class opponents.
 

It was something that was highlighted before the game. I don’t think this midfield physically can play this system. But it is Howe’s system and it must be difficult to just change mid-season and they’re the only fit midfielders we have.

 

Not sure why it seems to have come to a surprise to so many.  

I think the not stepping up is in part down to the injury to Pope.  He was signed partly because of his strengths as a sweeper keeper. This allowed the CBs to push up more.

Dubravka has been ok since he has come in but his command of the box and sweeping are way worse that Pope's. This changes how the back 4 play and the impact of this is rippling up through the team and helping cause this gap that is being exploited.

Out of interest how many people have said Freddy Adu.

Also John Fleck and Henry Saviet based purely on FM (or was it called Championship Manager back then).

Based on ability alone I feel Solanke would be a good signing. He's a natural replacement for Wilson with a better injury record. The issue is the fee it would take to get him, given the premium you'd pay as he has Premier League experience as well as his importance to a relegation threatened team, would mean you would significantly overpay for him. Given (sigh) FFP we're not in a position to say feck it and go for an overpriced but surer bet, do that and we'd never catch up.

I may be suffering from 'shiny new toy syndrome' but I'd rather we went for Guirassy, especially given the widely reported low release clause. Not saying he's better but I think he'd be good enough and allow money to be spent elsewhere where it is needed, even on another striker in the summer. I love the guy but I feel Wilson's days with the team are numbered.

2 hours ago, sugoinufc said:

I could see him doing a job this spring. Hard working player ala Longstaff.

Save the money and maybe buy a striker and / or a RW.

 

 

I liked Hayden but it looks like injuries have ruined him.

The main thing he brought was his hustling of the opposition and that was dependent on his relatively good mobility, speed and fitness. The injuries have done those for him at a top level hence why he's not got a kick at Norwich and now Liege.  If he comes back from loan unless he goes out on another loan or is sold he'll be training with the reserves the rest of the season.

If we're lucky a Championship struggler like Huddersfield will take him on and pay some of his wages.

The fact that he has become so indispensable, both for his footballing and leadership qualities, came back to bite him and us on the arse last night.  As others have said a non-knacked Trippier never makes those mistakes.

Had he just been another normal player I think resting him would have been the right decision as FB is the only area where we have decent players who can come in. But in a team down to its bare bones and in need of on field leadership he could never have been rested.

The same could be said of Sunday. From a purely footballing perspective he should be rested for Milan and Hall or Krafth come in for him. But when you think of everything he brings, doing this away at a main rival for top 4/5 also becomes madness. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Based on that game (and quite a few others) as a Newcastle fan I hope Man U give Ten Haag a Pardew-esq 8 year contract.

If I were a Man U I'd want him gone tomorrow. No system. Loads of players performing well below their ability and players with clear skill like Sancho ostracize.  How much would it cost to sack him? 10 million? They'll lose more than that on Sancho alone when he's sold off at a cut price.

18 minutes ago, Shak said:

Anyone anywhere giving them any grief for clearly knowing Pope was injured and not putting the ball out, then being aggrieved the ref stopped play to get treatment on while they were trying to attack?

 

 

That way my reaction especially as Trippier put it out for Fernandes when we were on the attack. Man United just seem to lack class on so many levels. 

Not been keeping up but Trippier isn't on the bench. He's not injured is he?

I don't think we'll see any Saudi loans, it's just too on the nose and repeatedly the owners have shown they're not going to go down that route.  I'm not saying they're above all that, I just think they'll be more subtle about it. I can see a surprising loan, as in a player where you didn't think his club would loan him out, that might have been aided by PIF doing something a bit more hidden to help it through.

Not condoning any of this and it's a shame that this is where football is these days.

15 minutes ago, OCK said:

Saw a better replay of the Havert's tackle, his front leg is studs up and you can see the fabric of Longstaff's socks catch on the heel of Havert's boots. That's inches from a legbreaker. Madness. 

100%. Also if Longstaff's leg is more planted also a leg breaker.

So many Arsenal fans have gone totally flat earth/birds are all fake on this game and the goal specifically.  They just will not acknowledge that all three decisions relating to the goal are highly debatable, so its correct for the on field decision to stand.

I do think we were lucky to get the goal just because we had three approx 50/50 decisions go our way in real time, so by this maths there is a 1 in 8 chance of the goal standing. VAR is explicitly set up to only overturn clear and obvious errors, there simply weren't any here. 

7 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

I don't know for sure. But i'm guessing Gallagher is better technically.

 

I want our players to get international recognition just for them.  But I don’t think the extra games and scrutiny would be good for Longstaff and I don’t think his skills would translate well to an international game. But he keeps upping his levels so you never know.  

 

Southgate tend to play Gallagher as an 6/8 and I thought he was at his best as a hard working 10 and an 8 at a push. Similar to MGW. As a 6 or an 8 JWP is better at that but he doesn’t play for a fashionable club or Palace. 
 

 

 

 

 

I don't really disagree and I'm not that fussed he isn't being called up other than it irks me a little as I perceive there to be issues around merit and England call ups under Southgate these last few years.

On balance I do think it would be good overall for Newcastle, even with the extra game time. Our best chance of success lies with us offering a clear pathway to success for the best young talents in the world so they sign for us. I think this would help us sell that vision to players.

5 minutes ago, PauloGeordio said:

 

... and still Connor Gallagher and Kalvin Phillips will be in the England squad ahead of him. 

I just watched the extended highlights. It didn't show Miggy's disallowed goal, the clear (non) penalty or the pretty clear cut chances Wilson missed. Amazing to say you beat a team 8 nil and they were arguably lucky it wasn't worse!

21 minutes ago, BonesJones said:

 

Burn said something about Sports Direct, not sure what though.

 

 

 

There is something about the colour of the training gear that I always think makes up look a bit like contestants in an early 90s edition of Takeshi's Castle. They are a special level of awful.

I genuinely feel for the fans it would have been better if Everton had gone down. Dyche is a sacking waiting to happen and you know the football will be turgid in the meantime.  Go down, rebuild and have some fun visiting grounds you've not been to before as opposed to circling the drain for another season hoping there are 3 shitter teams than you come the end of the season.

5 hours ago, davidnolan13 said:

fuck me dont give refs extra rules to fuck up, they can barely manage the ones they have now.

True, but imagine how exciting it would be! Also the guy fouled has to do the ice hockey style penalty.