Tribesman

Journalists will suddenly shut up about the "better than at this stage last season" when it works in favour for Benitez.

Just like Man United, Leicester, Norwich and now Arsenal away matches if Dubravka is not able to turn out 10/10 performances then the team gets the results if has deserved according to xG statistics. Its a total myth that Bruce has retained the defensive structure Benitez left behind. Its gone and its only due to Dubravka and lots of luck as to why Newcastle haven't conceded a lot more this season. Just some statistics to prove the point. Goalkeeper saves. 2019/20 - 26 matches - 106 saves - 1st. 2018/19 - 38 matches - 95 saves - 15th. 2017/18 - 38 matches - 105 - 12th. Goals conceded. 2019/20 - 26 matches - 40 goals - 16th. 2018/19 - 38 matches - 48 goals - 8th. 2017/18 - 38 matches - 47 goals - 7th. Bruce doesn't need a chance to put his stamp on the team because he already has and he has taken it backwards. His supporters can point to better points total compared this time last season, but the team was in better hands under Benitez in fact even if Pulis or Dyche were in charge they would at least be safer hands than Bruce because at least put an organised team on the pitch. Next season under Bruce will be a disaster regardless of who he signs and how much he gets to spend.

Newcastle should stay up even if the teams form continues to be horrific, its not beyond them to get another 8 maybe 10 more points which will be enough to survive relegation. It wouldn't really surprise me either though if Newcastle are still looking to confirm survival in the last 3 or 4 matches of the season. I can see a poor end to the league season which will spill over into next season like it does for most teams like Watford this season for example, but perhaps a FA Cup semi place which Bruce will feed off for years like Pardew did with the 5th place finish.

If the choice was between Saudi Arabia buying the club, Red Bull buying the club or Ashley remaining as owner what would peoples preference be?

Charnley's saying that the club don't spend money on a new training ground or upgrading current facilities in order to prioritise first team squad signings is just another excuse from the club. Remember a few years ago when the club went three transfer windows in a row without making a permanent signing, what were the priorities then?

This is Leicester's new training ground. Even Bournemouth have plans in place to build a state of the art training ground. Newcastle are so far behind. https://twitter.com/agbnufc/status/1227305988765646848?s=20

If a takeover ever happens then I don't think this Saudi Arabian group will be the new owners. It certainly doesn't seem to be as "advanced" or "close" as some outlets seemed to claim. Just too many conflicting claims to make it seem its going to happen. When the first of these takeover stories emerged I thought the lack of any news was a good thing, but it never turns out to be the case. Probably won't be long till we have another letter or Ashley interview to kill it off altogether.

The Shields Gazette are probably worse than the Chronicle in terms of reporting, but maybe less repulsive.

Its not like anyone is expecting Bruce to get the team playing like Barcelona. Just some structured football, patterns of play and players knowing their roles would be fine, but there has been no evidence of that.

Getting into conspiracy territory here, but it wouldn't surprise me if Ashley is leaking the alleged quoted price of £350 million and saying "how simply it is to do a quick deal", but instead privately he is asking for double that asking price.

It may be overused, but no other word is as succinct and vulgar as the word cunt. It fulfils all the necessary criteria to demonise someone.

Getting outplayed and out thought by a League 1 team with injuries to key players and sold two other important players to Brentford in the January transfer window. Bruce's luck has run out even if the team scrape past Oxford in extra time. Its going to be a s**** end to the season for Newcastle and Bruce.

Luke Edwards does admit he just does it to get a reaction from people. He has completely gone off the rails since last summer even before Bruce was linked with the job. The only journalists I have time for now are George Caulkin and Craig Hope.

Bruce has been in the job for 7 months, he has had two transfer windows and signed 8 players to which he has said himself he was delighted with all of the signings made. Yet, he is still bullshitting that he can't change tactics or even get the players to string 3 passes together. Lejeune and Schar are probably the best passers of the ball in the squad yet they find themselves on the bench. He apparently wants Shelvey, Hayden, Ritchie and the Longstaff brothers tied down to longer contracts, but why would he if he feels they can't control or pass a football. Look what Dean Smith managed to do with Villa's style of football after Bruce was sacked. Villa fans said the football was turgid under Bruce, but Smith with the same group of players made them more attractive and successful. The reality is that Bruce is a fraud and he has managed to create this myth about himself that he has this attacking football philosophy waiting to be unleashed, but Benitez who has been gone since the summer is preventing him from doing so. Bruce is not a deep thinker of the game and he doesn't have this complicated and sophisticated style of football that only a handful of specific players can make work. Not one journalist who have been asked numerous times can explain what Bruce's style of football is, they have only said he is a nice guy and that's about it. Bruce has been in management for over 20 years and I have not heard any fan of his previous clubs or any of his friends in the media say what great football Bruce teams play, but he has conjured a false image of himself and the media have just ran with it. Only Craig Hope has hit the nail on the head by saying there is no identity with this Newcastle team.

Spot on from Craig Hope and I like how he took a dig at Luke Edwards's earlier article today where he said results have matched performances.

The article reminds of another story during the proposed BZG takeover last summer when Ashley blamed BZG for Benitez leaving because they apparently didn't want him. Ashley in this case is blaming the Saudi Arabians for the club not being sold because they would rather buy Man United instead. This proposed takeover is dead in the water in my eyes if Ashley leaking about how sceptical he is of the buying party.

Deportivo La Coruna were bottom of La Liga Division 2 before Christmas. They won their 6th match in a row yesterday and are now out of the relegation zone and only 7 points off the play offs.

https://twitter.com/JordNufcmorris/status/1223387391681093632?s=20

Teams that win the league tend to out perform xG, I don't know why, but its a trend which has occurred in the last few seasons.

I know where I went wrong now. I was clicking the arrow on the top right corner of the tweet. Thanks for the help, was driving me mad.

No I'm embedding tweet, its the only option its giving me.

It doesn't work the same way for me.

Soumare doesn't want to join Newcastle, club reportedly decide to bid £35 - £55 million for him. Bowen wants to join Newcastle, club reportedly not prepared to meet £20 million valuation despite severe lack of goals in the team. Makes sense.

Piatek to Hertha Berlin.

Wonder if they'll still be saying the same when Joelinton is non-existent and we go 0-2 down on Saturday. "Ashley has destroyed this football club and I'm fucking sick of everything about it. Please retweet". Obligatory and unnecessary #nufc to end the tweet.