HaydnNUFC

Urrrrf, Eddie Howe what are you cooking?

Must have someone lined up? Surprised if we let him go, given Isak has only just come back from long term injury and Wilson's fitness record.

No idea, but he did. No report of any clause. Just an FYI, not upset.

Dunno why his name keeps getting mentioned, he signed a long term contract with Watford in at the end of the summer window and we didn't want to pay what Watford wanted before he signed that.

The Wood signing still being questioned a year on after he started in 17 games last season of which we won 10, stayed up comfortably and are now sitting 3rd in the PL this season. A year to the day on from when Howe had apparently not improved us at all, was certainly taking us down and we just had to get Benitez in to sort it out.

Man Utd's away ticket system is pretty much a ballot but I think you have to have be a ST holder and been to x number of cup games one season in order to enter next season's ballot. But there's no guarantees of getting any tickets because of the fact that it's a ballot and thousands apply. All systems where demand is high either are a closed shop or you've got negligible chance as we're seeing.

I won't be a Geordie due to living in Chester-le-Street if you ask the massive lads fans despite being born in the RVI so here goes. My fatha wasn't arsed about football despite going to nigh every Newcastle home game between 1969-75ish like most men in the north east outside the proud English white city of Sunderland but then all of a sudden on a sunny day in 1992 King Kev knocked on his Gateshead door with a free Sky dish and declared the North Sea was retreating so he could now support Newcastle. So here I am. Nah but seriously this thread is great.

Really not surprised. Never thought we'd get him this window given the state of Leicester atm. But if we're in the top 4 come the end of the season he's almost certainly playing for us next season imo.

In here onwards as well. A brilliant read.

I was at that game. It was 5-1, we actually took the lead as well. One of countless abjectly shit performances under McClaren. We were abysmal away from home that season.

Recounted them so many times this time last year when defending Howe to people who were questioning him/wanted him gone that they're etched into my brain.

So much went against us pre January after Howe come in, be it individual errors or shite refereeing; Darlow costing us 2 goals directly v Brentford, penalty we didn't get at 0-0 at Arsenal, Clark red v Norwich, penalty given to Leicester down there at 0-0, head injury nonsense and Shelvey setting up a Liverpool goal at Anfield, pen we didn't get v Man City, failing to beat Man Utd despite thoroughly deserving to. Only Cambridge, Watford and the second half at Leicester in that run were really bad. But even still, we'd only brought in Trippier and Wood by the time that Watford game finished, sacking Howe and bringing Benitez in would've been mental. We'd clearly improved tactically under Howe and it was clear that despite the poor results, we needed the signings in to improve on the many weak links in the squad. Alas, we beat Leeds and have been in top 4 form ever since that result.

We just drew 1-1 at home to Watford and a few people on here wanted Howe gone and Benitez who'd literally just been sacked by Everton in as we were 100% going down with the former iirc.

Liverpool, Brighton, Man Utd, Spurs and Arsenal all still have to come here.

You rotate players in and out, especially if we're playing Saturday-Tuesday/Wednesday almost every week next season. All of the clubs at the top do so, so players will always get games. ASM seems fine, but for some reason whenever he's not starting or posting on social media people make mountains out of molehills. He's just been injured/sick most of the season. Regarding FFP, if we're in the Champions League next season which really is within the realms of possibility, the windfall from it is enormous. You get seven figures for merely winning a group stage match. Sponsors on top of that from the CL, shirt sponsorship coming in, manufacturer deal may change. All will positively impact FFP to the point where we can stop constantly thinking we need to sell to buy.

You need a squad to compete on multiple fronts, especially given the likely scenario where we're going to be playing some form of European football next season. You don't build one by selling your better players.

We'd have stayed up that season had we binned McClaren after the 5-1 loss at Chelsea and brought Benitez in then as we had a 2 and a half week break before Stoke (a) and Bournemouth (h). 4 more points would've kept us up. What a club we were.

El Sackico next weekend will be interesting.

Not really. Only slightly irks me when we're playing Manchester United or being discussed in relation to them (ie this current top 4 race) and they're referred to as 'United'. But never outside of that context.

Inshallah.

Both shite. Just have someone to read out subs and goalscorers. Happy days.