HaydnNUFC

Glad Wolves look like they’re getting that first win before playing us.

Not seen Rangers boss Celtic like this at Celtic Park in years. Probably since before they folded in 2012. Surely the end of Nancy now.

Leeds look solid. Won’t be the gimme it’d ideally be on Wednesday.

Absolute borefest so far in all games. Been sticking through them and astounded at how dreadful Leicester are.

I’ll do top 3s and it’ll be obvious what the top choice will be. Favourite Match: Cup final, 2nd leg semi final against Arsenal, 4-1 v Man United Favourite Goal: Dan Burn in the final, Tonali v Brentford, Woltemade v Everton Favourite Moment: FT whistle at the final. Struggling to think of others tbh. Favourite Player: It was the rat until the summer. Now it’s between Bruno and Hall. Any other favourite memories: the whole weekend down in London for the final. Feels like yesterday, time’s absolutely flown.

Watched the 5-0 last season whilst absolutely steaming in Dublin. We were unstoppable that first half, like. Should’ve got more than the 5 we scored in the game as well.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/11091263/newcastle-1-0-crystal-palace-mikel-merinos-late-header-sinks-bottom-club-palace

TBH, I do personally find the dressing room pictures after every win being put out on social media a bit small time now tbh.

We’re arse to watch nowadays for the vast majority, like. Needs to be remedied with an injection of technical quality in the window.

Made hard work of that when it needn’t have been. Good result.

Cheers, Dubs.

Joelinton should be off, there.

Offside anyway but finiiiiiiiish.

This is turning to desperate stuff, fucking again. Nigh on unwatchable.

Gordon played chess, meditated and visualised that.

Been a weird game. It feels like we’ve had control but we’re always in danger because of how brittle we are defensively. They’ve had 1 spell so far and scored during it. We however have looked incredibly unconvincing in possession. The midfield, Thiaw, Gordon. Barnes has barely been involved, as usually happens when he plays on the right. Be absewlewtly fewmin if we don’t win this after that start.

Wish Gordon would stop his dribble back 10 yards inside in his own half and lose the ball trick. Not a fan.

Has to score.

What a fucking start come onnnn, then the screw

Just watching back the highlights of that 1-4 win in 23-24, we basically played a 4-4-2 with Wilson and Isak up front together for the first 70 minutes. Think it was the final time they started a match together. Gordon and Murphy wingers, Bruno and Longstaff in CM. Wonder if any similar kind of tweak will be trialed at some point this season. Don't see why we couldn't here.

Talking domestic only, I think.

Still time for them to concede but saw the following from .com’s report of Friday; “Since Alexander Isak's penalty in a 1-1 draw at Brighton in May, United have failed to recover from going behind in any league or cup game to win or draw. This was their eleventh failed attempt.”

Whilst navigating the transfer market is worlds different from what it was in the 90s, I’d hope the same attitude is going on behind the scenes up top currently.

Last season in a few of those losses at home, especially Brighton and Fulham, looking back it was in the second halves where we’d totally fall off a cliff. West Ham too. We’d then make changes and look totally disjointed. Last 15 minutes at home to Brighton I distinctly remember not knowing where anyone was supposed to be playing anymore. That however was down to being hamstrung in the transfer market and the players on the bench, likes of Wilson, Willock, Osula, Longstaff et al were never going to impact games meaningfully off the bench. Especially when chasing games. This year however, we knew we were going to have 2/3 games a week in March at the earliest. It can be argued we’ve padded out the squad in the last window but not improved it in quality and not with the profile we needed and still need. Positive and incisive use of possession to not only break down teams but to be able to establish an element of control in games so not to exert ourselves physically as often was and is the way to go. Especially if we’re a club that aspires to be making strives forward and is in Europe regularly. Proof will be in the pudding in January to see if Howe sees it that way. But if the summer incomings was his baby then Wilson and Nickson need to take most of the reins next month imo.

6 points off 5th all sounds well and good but a side as brittle as us isn’t collecting 7 points more than Chelsea between now and the end of the season.