HaydnNUFC

Mixed feelings atm; pride at that performance. I thought we were great, the better side and deserved to beat Barcelona tonight. Joelinton and Burn I thought were excellent. I was thinking with 20 minutes to go I’d take 0-0. Make the second leg a one off game. But to take the lead so late and still not win is so fucking annoying. Twats. We’re still in it.

Fuckin’ size of your arm.

In tears now. Equally heinous you not pointing this out back in September, mind.

Alreet formatting nonce. It's been on every CL match thread.

FC BARCELONA @ St. James' Park Champions League knockout football (proper stuff, not the playoff shite): something we haven't actually played before BUT this is not the first time we have even played Barcelona in the last 16 of the CL, doing so in the second group stage of the 2002-03 Champions League when there were 4 groups of 4, using being in one with this lot. We lost, of course. Either way, these are back up here again after winning 1-2 in the opening game of the league stage back in September. Seems a fucking lifetime ago. LAST TIME OUT? Thought it was an alright first half performance to be honest where we probably should've scored. Going into half time in the lead makes it a slightly different game. But Pedri and Frenkie De Jong in particular's class shown in the second half and they cruised to the win in all honesty. Two goals from Marcus Rashford, one being a corker to be fair, put the game beyond us despite some late hope coming from Anthony Gordon's 90th minute goal. I'm not going to post the highlights of it here as I'm a bitter bastard. So here's the highlights from the 3-2 in 1997 instead; WHAT ABOUT THEM CURRENTLY? They sit top of La Liga and 4 points clear of Real Madrid and are by far and away the leading scorers in the league with 72 goals in 27 games. They finished 5th in the Champions League league table, with a record of 5 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats. Their defeats came at home to an under strength PSG and at Chelsea, who stuffed them 3-0 (albeit Barca had a man sent off after 44 minutes). Their draw was a 3-3 draw at Club Brugge. They won their most recent game, 0-1 away at Athletic Club on Saturday. Unconfirmed but it reports were that Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Andreas Christensen are unavailable. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde are doubtful after going off injured during Tuesday's Copa Del Rey game against Atletico Madrid. Lamine Yamal however, who was unavailable for the league stage game, is available for this. Good lawd. ANY TIES BETWEEN THE CLUBS? Patrick Kluivert; Played for Barcelona from 1998-2004, 257 apps, 122 goals. Played for Newcastle United from 2004-05, 37 apps, 13 goals. Luuk De Jong (yes, really); Played for Newcastle United on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach from January-May 2014. 12 apps, 0 goals. Played for Barcelona on loan from Sevilla from 2021-22. 29 apps, 7 goals. Sir Bobby Robson; Managed Barcelona in the 1996-97 season, succeeding Johan Cruyff. Finished 2nd, won the Copa Del Rey, Cup Winners' Cup and Supercopa de Espana. Nurtured Jose Mourinho, signed Ronaldo Nazario. Moved to a directors role during the 1997-98 season before leaving to manage PSV Eindhoven. Managed Newcastle United from September 1999 to August 2004, succeeding Ruud Gullit. Revitalised Shearer's NUFC career, returned the club to the Champions League and led the club to 4th, 3rd and 5th placed finishes in 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 respectively, our highest since 1996-97. Was replaced by Graeme Souness. HOW WELL DO WE DO AGAINST SPANISH SIDES AT SJP? 2025-26: Won 2-0 v Athletic Club (Champions League) 2025-26: Lost 1-2 v Barcelona (Champions League) 2006-07: Won 2-1 v Celta Vigo (UEFA Cup) 2005-06: Lost 1-2 v Deportivo La Coruna (Intertoto Cup) 2003-04: Won 4-1 v Real Mallorca (UEFA Cup) 2002-03: Lost 0-2 v Barcelona (Champions League) 1997-98: Won 3-2 v Barcelona (Champions League) 1994-95: Won 3-2 v Athletic Club (UEFA Cup) 1968-69: Won 2-1 v Real Zaragoza (Inter Cities Fairs Cup) Think we might have our work cut out, lads. In seriousness, I think to have any remote chance of progressing past these we need to take at the very least a draw here and make the game at the Camp Nou a one off. A lead would be superb but you still wouldn't expect us to be home and dry with any result given how Barca recently fought back a 4-0 first leg defeat in the Copa del Rey against Atleti the other day, just falling shy with a 3-0 win. However, if you can't get up for nights like these then you can fuck off tbph. Yanited.

Hell of a goal.

And; Both Celtic and Rangers are odd with their exported sectarianism but Rangers take the biscuit. Absolute mings.

Never, ever a midfielder. Can’t remember the last time he was played up top. Boxing Day maybe? First half against Chelsea at home should be the blueprint for when he plays. Not whatever…this…is.

I wasn’t actually sat next to him tonight, my brother was as he was successful in the ballot. There’s this group of about 5 blokes or so in the row in front who backslap each other when they turn up. Always turn up a couple minutes after kick off, leave a few minutes before half time, arrive to their seats late after the second half kicks off and fuck off well before the final whistle. Man City were on the attack, one of them got up to leave and another in the row in front of him was coming in the other way. Stopped to have a little conversation whilst quite a few were stood up. My brother spoke up. ‘Fucking sort it out will yous?’ One of those blokes says ‘he behind has just said to fucking sort it out’. Bloke who stood up turns around to my brother and has a right go back. ‘Bet this is your first game and you think you own the place’ blah blah. My dad chirped in ‘just turn around and watch the match you fucking dickhead’. Bloke goes back ‘who you calling a fucking dickhead’. My dad goes ‘I’m looking at him’. Then he got offered out; ‘you want to fucking sort this out outside?’. Me dad told him to shut the fuck up and sit down. Seemed to die down. Same blokes left before the end of the game as per. Scintillating stuff hearing about it. 10x more interesting than the match.

Utter waste of time. Shite after scoring again. Also great to hear my 67 year old dad offered out for a fight after half time. We have some right cunts as season ticket holders to whom the match is secondary.

This increase won’t even generate £3m, despite tickets averaging around £75 already. ‘Need to balance affordability with remaining competitive.’ Aye, reet. Hope Hopkinson’s involved in a house fire.

I’ve been privileged enough to afford going to every game as a member, mainly due to me still living at home. I hope to be getting my own place later this year but even whilst still living at home I’m priced out of going to all of them now. £80 for general admission for Cat A games and over £70 for others for where I try and sit is just a disgrace. To picking and choosing it is. At least we’ve got new screens and kiosks!

Another increase. Absolute cunts. Gone up 20% in the last 4 seasons.

Not been any. Worst domestic performing team to win the European Cup/UCL was Villa in 1982, finished 11th. Worst UEFA Cup/UEL winners were Spurs last season who finished 17th, before that it was Inter in 1994 who finished 13th.

Given Spurs are incapable of winning at home their away fixtures are horrid. This just might be happening.

'I've never realised how much I hate Newcastle' *not even a minute later* 'I don't care about them.' Genuinely hope that that triumvirate of touchers are involved in a chip pan fire.

Pints. Another win.

My MOTM tonight. Thought he was excellent, straight out of 2022-23 that performance.

Any time we go down to 10 men we know they’ll do us proud. Some going, that. Often against good sides as well.

Well proud of the Toon tonight. One of my favourite wins under Howe, that.

I thought that as well as the current performances and football that’s being served up would’ve spoke for itself, like. A finish between 15th-17th this season on top of that is close to what the ‘definitely absolutely shite’ Ange managed last season and was sacked for, just sans the silverware. (unless you include last season’s cup, which would be fair but in that case it’s the same) I don’t actually think we will fwiw and he’ll deservedly get another summer but I’ll not be convinced long term tbph as there’s nowt to suggest we’ll not be in a similar position having similar discussions in 2027-28 after another European qualification in 2026-27. It’s the year chase and signing of Elanga, the outlay and subsequent management of Woltemade and lack of proactive outgoings more than attacking our general business.

It isn’t just based on arbitrary league position, it’s that combined with that we are an absolute dream to play against, easy to score against, have been largely dreadful away from home for almost 12 months, been questionable at best in the transfer market in incomings and outgoings and are crap to watch. 5th one season and a trophy in another, yet still sacked for below par league performance. Makes you think etc.* A spell under that lunatic at Forest can’t be read too much into imo. *safety being obtuse asterisk

I find that harsh regarding Ange. They finished 5th the year prior with a much better air about the club after the toxicity and coldness of Conte and ended a trophy drought (a small thirst compared to ours obviously but all relative) the season after which also qualified them for the CL. Those same questions you posted an hour ago could easily have applied to Ange at Spurs at the end of last season, who suffered a just as bad if not worse injury crisis than the one we did in 2023-24. And I don’t think the answers to those questions are all ‘yes’ regarding Howe either tbh.

Had a pint. We’ll win today.

I think Trippier should’ve be been moved on by now; which I think is a negative on Howe’s part. I’ve posted a few times before about how poor we’ve been at selling and holding onto players for too long. You’ve touched on that yourself, there. We may well have been overachieving but we are vastly underachieving this season and unfortunately it provokes these kind of questions/debates (within reason of course).