HaydnNUFC

Ok.

"Lacking finishing" doesn't mean "having a go". We lacked finishing against Bournemouth, Watford, Everton, Huddersfield yet I doubt many on here will claim we "had a go" in those games.

You'd think employees of 20+ years would at least be moderately literate. Ah no, it's really weird attention seeking.

Brighton were more progressive than us in the first half and must have had more possesion than us. We got deeper and deeper as the first half went on. Could say the same for us in the second half. They came for a point today. They got it due to our lack of quality.

They’re the away team you expect that though. You don’t expect that from the home team but we are every single time. The way they set up is similar to us and has been all season. I'm refuting his point that Hughton is "having a go" at teams this season, when he just isn't. At home they certainly have more of a go than we do though or they certainly have in the games I have seen. They set up like this in the game at the Amex when they beat us 1-0. Have struggled past Watford at home 1-0 and Burnley 0-0 in recent weeks. Must've "had a go" at Liverpool though, seeing as they got dicked 1-5.

They’re the away team you expect that though. You don’t expect that from the home team but we are every single time. The way they set up is similar to us and has been all season. I'm refuting his point that Hughton is "having a go" at teams this season, when he just isn't.

Can't lie. Was shite today, utter shite. Was like some of the Championship games last season where teams came here and set up for a point and we couldn't break them down.

Did you see how Brighton set up today? Like fuck is Hughton "having a go" at teams this season.

You an avid watcher of Liverpool in 2004-2010, like? In which they won a CL, got to another final, another semi final, won the FA Cup, challenged for the PL title in a season in which they went 38 games with only 2 defeats? His Napoli signings are the main reason why they are where they are in Serie A.

He does decide because Rafa aint got 100mil in his back pocket to sign a prime Fernando Torres. He gives a budget just like any other owner/chairman who runs a business and then the manager works with that budget. He does not decide who is recruited with that budget. Rafa chose to sign these useless f***ers he was not forced to what cant you understand about that *breathe* Right... Example time Rafa wants a 15mil striker, a 10mil LB and a 15 mil CM. 40mil is not much in todays market. Ashley counters with a budget of 18mil. Rafa then has to buy a 5mil Joselu, a 5mil Manq, and an 8mil Merino. If he doesn't buy them, we have no LB to cover the injured Dummett, no CF he trusts other than Gayle, and 2 CMs in Hayden and Jonjo. See the problem? Or would you rather he bought nobody and we play Mitrovic at LB? Are you trying to tell me that even with 18m to spend there wasn't better options for 3..players than Manquillo,Joselu and Merino We had Mbemba and Hanley as cb cover neither are any worse than Lejeune,,,,so there is 7m wasted We had Darryl Murphy who is no worse than Joselu,,,,theres 5m wasted you don't go and blow your budget on bodies just for the sake of filling a hole Please stop posting on here and stay on RTG.

Most journalists positive the takeover will happen...apart from Luke Edwards. Imagine my shock.

Right, let's just all agree to disagree and focus on a huge game for us later on today, aye?

If we had shown the same application as they did or we did against Liverpool or Tottenham or City you would not have heard a buzz from me even if we had let in 3 or 4. Nobody is denying their quality and that’s exactly why I am saying you don’t allow teams like that to be allowed to walk the ball into our third of the pitch without even a challenge or a token effort to put pressure onto their team and to not give them the time or space to pick their pass. The last 15 minutes is exactly how the previous 75 should have been played as we then started to put the pressure on and the challenges in. We were chasing the game at 0-1 down, their defenders were tiring and we put pacey players on as subs in Gayle and Atsu. I think it's quite easy to say "we should have played like that the whole game" but it just wouldn't have worked like that. We would've tired with them playing passes around our press we would've gotten done 3 or 4+. We tried rushing Man Utd, Bournemouth and Leicester and ended up getting dicked after 20 minutes (well, 45 against Bournemouth). It's likely City would have double fisted us. Personally think the Bournemouth and Leicester games were a bit different than us being dicked after 20 minutes mind, but I agree with your overall point.

If we had shown the same application as they did or we did against Liverpool or Tottenham or City you would not have heard a buzz from me even if we had let in 3 or 4. Nobody is denying their quality and that’s exactly why I am saying you don’t allow teams like that to be allowed to walk the ball into our third of the pitch without even a challenge or a token effort to put pressure onto their team and to not give them the time or space to pick their pass. The last 15 minutes is exactly how the previous 75 should have been played as we then started to put the pressure on and the challenges in. We were chasing the game at 0-1 down, their defenders were tiring and we put pacey players on as subs in Gayle and Atsu. I think it's quite easy to say "we should have played like that the whole game" but it just wouldn't have worked like that. We would've tired with them playing passes around our press we would've gotten done 3 or 4+.

When the f*** did we put pressure on their team, You can't really. You can't commit to a press in midfield or with the players they have they'll punish you by exploting the space. We did. Flat back 5, bank of 4 and Joselu pressing, sitting deep. Get ball out wide to pacey wings to carry possession forward. The players' ball retention in the first half was shocking. You can't put that down to tactics: passes and touches going astray etc.

Haven't you literally just described our gameplan on Wednesday there?

I'd like to keep Hayden and Yedlin as well too, mind. The former because I think he'll mature into a decent player, maybe not a starter but a nice option to have, and Yedlin because he'd be a great backup full back to better quality counterpart. I'd keep Lascelles, Merino and Yedlin. To be fair, we could keep a fair few from our side as back-ups though, if we have a good starting eleven. The only issue there will be that they're used to starting and will probably throw a fit from being relegated to the bench/being squad players. I don't think Hayden would throw a hissy fit. He's still young and is nowhere near a finished article yet. He'll get better.

I'd like to keep Hayden and Yedlin as well too, mind. The former because I think he'll mature into a decent player, maybe not a starter but a nice option to have, and Yedlin because he'd be a great backup full back to better quality counterpart.

No overreaction at all just telling it how it is. As for far superior teams as some on here keep saying maybe Bristol City should have played the same way the other week then with a team assembled for pennies if they had I don’t think they would be in the semi final right now. That performance until the subs come on was shocking and in 46 years of watching football I have never seen any Newcastle team play in that fashion what happened for the first half. You’re not going to change my mind or others and vice versa and I accept that it’s football and footballs always been about opinions but it damn well certainly wasn’t a overreaction. Well football's moved on from 46 years ago, it's a shame in many ways, but we can't really turn the clock back unfortunately. I’m talking about the whole 46 years and not actually 46 years ago. Never seen any team play like that formation in my life with no attempt to even try and combat the threat. This suggest you don't understand our tactics against Man City and that you don't understand how tactical shape, positioning, discipline etc. works. Watch the Man City game less than two years ago and you will see how tactical shape, positioning, discipline and with a counter threat should be. So yes I fully understand what it takes to play against a superior team. What I saw on Wednesday is a team that was able to practically walk the ball into the last third of the pitch, no challenges and players losing their markers at will resulting in chances and shots on goal happening every few minutes. When the subs were made I saw the team then press city ensuring space and chances were kept to a minimum and we then started to push city back, which was like the full 90 minutes of the last city game. I understand fully I certainly don’t think you do though. Again, you don't understand the tactics we employed. If we went man or man, toe to toe with this Man City side we let in 4+. We had a squad with much more quality then, a lot less heart and desire but without doubt more ability. We were also up against a half decent City side, not the world class one we were up against earlier this week. You said we did nothing to combat them, that's just bollocks, our entire set up was to combat are frustrate them. It nearly worked. Players losing their markers .... see the shape of our team? We weren't marking individuals, our set up was to be disciplined and not allow space, spare defender tracks the runner, it very nearly worked against on the best teams we've seen in the last 20 years. I saw the shape, I saw that city players were getting space and behind that shape time after time after time. It only nearly worked because city had an off day in front of goal - our play did not stop them getting behind our defence, into the danger area, getting shots on goal. Just can’t understand the mentality here we were cut to shreds man. As far markers well actually if Yedlin hadn’t lost the player he was supposed to be marking we might have actually got the draw. You do not allow a player your marking make runs you follow your manIf you allow teams with quality to play they will. You will never stop quality teams from having one or two chances but that first half performance was a case of putting ten men behind the ball to try and stop the space however it was not executed very well. Isn’t it funny it’s only in the main Newcastle fans who actually think this was acceptable. In some ways it would have been interesting if city had their shooting boots on because the attitude . would have been far different that’s for sure. You also mention we had a better team last time possibly you’re right but it still went down but Rafa had them playing exactly the right way that night as he did against Liverpool earlier in the season and Tottenham until the sending off. Those three games were a totally different and correct way for playing a defensive game, putting pressure on the opppsition. Not allowing space and not keep kicking the ball straight back to the opposition and having an attacking threat. Not one person on here has also cared to answer my point about how a Bristol City team costing pennies managed to counter a far superior team either. Just cannot believe that people on here thought we did well on Wednesday especially that first half. The team 2 years ago went down due to shocking management by a shocking manager in Steve McClaren. Give Rafa those players over a 38 game season and would we be where we are now? No. And I'll answer your Bristol City question. I didn't watch the game between them and Man Utd but Man City are miles ahead of their rivals. They're coached better on and off the ball and are breaking goalscoring records, winning records, the lot. Look at the movement to create an option man:

Just...no.

Exactly this. The only semblance of hope we would have of a takeover being done is if we were being linked to players who are in the 15m plus bracket. Scraping around the bargain basement is going to get us nowhere but the Championship. If you buy cheap quality in life its usually s**** Trying to link transfer gossip in tabloids to the takeover not happening. Pure

Howlers that come to mind are Bristol City (h), Norwich (a) and Rotherham (h). He recovered from the latter thanks mainly to Yedlin.

Wijnaldum for me.