HaydnNUFC

They just don't convert enough chances. Similar story for them at Everton last week.

Schar's had a poor season so far but didn't think he looked shaky on Saturday. Just imo.

Thought he was class on Saturday personally, daft yellow aside. Defensively sound and picked out some great passes to get us on transition.

We were very good in the Isak last minute penalty game. Willock missed a gaping chance early doors, hit the bar twice, had a goal incorrectly chalked off by VAR. Unreal away end as well. Last season was a bit more nip and tuck as we were incredibly slack defensively. We look to have ironed out that issue at SJP, need to sort it away.

That's reinvigorated a fire in me, that. Have some faith you fucking miserable cunt. @HaydnNUFC

HTL. Big for us, today imo.

Don't get dropping Tonali. Honestly don't. Can't put it down to "3 games in 6 days" because he's started Isak in all 3 who's just come back from an injury himself.

Despite it being a 12:30 kick off, SJP should impose a minimum of 5 pints drank per fan for entry imo. Joelinton or Bruno to smash into one of their odious players early doors and get them into a game that sends that Captain Black lookalike cunt into tears once again.

Regarding Calvert-Lewin, Howe must be a fan if both us trying to get him in the summer and the below (from the Athletic article breaking down us signing Isak from summer 2022) is true.

First time ever I celebrated us getting drawn first to be at home like a goal. What a cock end.

Would give up my salary to beat these in incredibly controversial circumstances.

Mate, if we perform like shite on Saturday and/or the Sunday after I'm right back to square one. Don't get your hopes up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3557 https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/11332353/newcastle-2-1-arsenal-matt-ritchie-completes-comeback-as-hosts-all-but-ensure-survival

Restored a bit faith in me, that. Lush feeling.

Please win. Go into those horrid bastards on Saturday with some positivity. Prove me wrong, Edward.

Are you a Guinness drinker? If so, the Liffey. Looks naff inside but it's on a main street and has screens so should be no bother. I went in before and after the Everton game earlier this month. Have a deek in the Guinnonces thread to see what I mean.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cdxv9degk8qo When 6 of Tonali's 11 assists for Milan in his final season there come from set pieces I've no idea why he hardly ever seems to take them. Remember him only taking 2, one at the end at Fulham and one against Man City.

Joelinton and Willock's interchanging on the left was one of the positive patterns of play lauded by fans in 2022-23 which has disappeared. Both could play there. The only time I was ever really impressed with Elliot Anderson was away at Forest when he came on for ASM at LW. Even forgetting that and just counting Joelinton; there's two players in Gordon and Joelinton who are good enough for LW, despite Joelinton being more a CM these days. We don't have any good enough for the RW. Still don't. Barnes is a £40m outlay with other more pressing matters in the squad both now and when we signed him. Whilst in the present, the manager doesn't know what to do with him. Start him? Play him on the right? Put him on the left and move Gordon out of his best position for us? Sub him on as that's where the bulk of his goals come from? He's a good finisher but a poor signing in hindsight imo. That £40m should've gone on a RW and we'd have had a decent pool to pick from as we'd have had the lure of CL football in summer 2023.

We also had players that could play on the left as was evident in 2022-23 in Joelinton, Anderson, Willock and worse case scenario Isak. On the right two players who are not good enough remained, and still do.

Perhaps, we won't know until Botman comes back. But I don't see how Botman (and by extension, Guehi) changes much given Botman didn't when he came back from January-March this year. And aye but I think that further supports the view that; - Mitchell should be given the keys recruitment wise - Our recruitment literally wasn't fit for purpose prior I agree with both of those fwiw. I'm not particularly sure on what those things beyond Howe's control were, mind. We had the PSR issues sorted at the end of June. We were hopelessly bidding for Guehi over his value at the end of August. And that's fine, it's a difference of opinion Heza. I personally just don't have much faith of stuff improving as things stand. And honesty I sincerely hope to god I'm wrong.

I mean, I haven't. But I don't think Sean Longstaff is good enough to be starting for a side that regularly plays in Europe. Or wants to be. At £70m for Guehi? Not a chance when the room amongst PSR is so small. And Forest fans said they'd have driven Elanga up here for £50m due to a lack of consistent end product. He's more suited to a counter attacking side regardless imo, which we aren't. Its far more than just "wanting a RW and he is one". We need creativity on that side. And I don't get why we seem to be reluctant to explore markets outside the PL over the last few windows. We haven't had any reliable links outside of Thiaw and that total non starter of Tapsoba late in the window recently. And he's tried solutions such as? Not sure what you mean here. If Tonali doesn't fit into his system, I'm unsure why he spent ~£55m on him. I think that's the point folk make around the recent signings.

I don't think people are questioning their abilities, but rather the strategy behind signing them and implementing them into the team. Especially from summer 2023. Tonali is a top class player but that midfield 3 looks unbalanced. Perhaps more time is needed but I personally didn't think it looked right before Tonali's ban and we've won 1 game out of 8 with that as the midfield 3. Tonali also continues to be substituted by the manager. Unsure if he's the profile we needed in midfield given the collective recognition that a more designated DM would be suited. Barnes is another but the debate has been done many times now this season. Good finisher, but not the winger on the side we need(ed). He also continues to be substituted by the manager when he starts. Tino is a good young full back, but our system relies on Trippier still as seen by our appearance of more balance when Trippier starts due to a lack of evolution. Tino is a more defensive full back, but whilst our RW options continue to be as poor as they are our right hand side with Tino at RB may as well not exist offensively. Guehi and Elanga aren't the players that'd have sorted this either. Especially at the fees quoted given the constant mention of PSR about us.

I said we did improve against Brighton and we should've won the game, but that the second half, particularly the last half hour was poor. We didn't have a shot on target in over an hour's worth of football after the penalty miss at Everton. Still haven't watched that game back yet as I was there without the best view, but it felt like we weren't going to score in the last 25 minutes, and we didn't. Red card for Chelsea? When? If its for the Bruno thing no way he reaches that ball. Howay. That performance today was patchy at absolute best. Hardly enough to make me think we'll be good in our next away game, as the bulk of the sample size suggests otherwise.

We have slightly improved particularly against Brighton, but in all of these last 3 we've looked like we've ran out ideas in the seconf halves, particuarly the last 30 minutes. Brighton and Chelsea didn't need to be great to beat us and a poor Everton didn't need to be great with a makeshift back 4 to keep a clean sheet against us. Its hardly been uplifting in mood like Leeds away or Everton at home in early 2022 were or Wolves at home and Forest away were in 2023.