Tribesman

More like when Trump says "believe me".

So why sign Xhaka? Still a good enough player to help them qualify for the Europa League at least.

Expected goals they’re way ahead of Liverpool though so no need for them to panic, they’re the best team in the league. I find it interesting in the last 5 seasons according to Xg, the league champions have overachieved and the bottom teams as awful as Villa, Sunderland and Huddersfield have underachieved.

I hope Wolves, Leicester and Everton achieve their ambitious aims. At least they are trying to be more than a team that aims for 40 points every season. Wolves have impressed me more than Leicester this season. They have a smaller squad and have had to juggle between the league and Europa League. Wolves have made a complete mockery of the media, pundits and other clubs like Burnley who feel the Europa League is a hinderance rather than something to be embraced.

Xhaka to Hertha Berlin. They are trying for Draxler, Gotez and Can as well according to reports. Apparently they have a big investor behind the scenes that wants to make them into a big capital city club.

Its an outside chance of course, but it still wouldn't surprise me if Newcastle were one of those teams that collapse in the 2nd half of the season and look in trouble going into April.

What annoys me most about him is when results at the start of the season were going against him, he says he doesn't have the players to play his style of football, but when results have been in his favour recently there is no urgency from him to push the club to get players to fit whatever way he wants to play football. It shows what type of manager he is, a short term manager with no vision as to what he wants a team to be.

What I learned last night, is the club needs to spend big on a quality central midfielder next summer. Its more or less the same quality of midfield since the Championship season.

Although most of the goals conceded last night were down to individual errors a result like that has been coming for a while. Newcastle rode their luck against the likes Sheffield United, Southampton and Crystal Palace. Every team gets some luck in matches during a season, but the xg table shown above definitely reflects more on what Newcastle are under Bruce than a team currently 10th in the table. The wheels will come off eventually probably similar to Watford last season who tailed off in the 2nd half of the season and that form spilled over into this season to cost Gracia his job. I just have no confidence in Bruce taking the squad in a different direction from Benitez other than backwards. Just look at the gaps in the middle of the pitch last night when Man United counter attacked, what manager looks at that and thinks that's a good idea.

Gabriele Marcotti mentioned on ESPN that Juventus still play like an Allegri team and Sarri hasn't brought in the style of football he played at Napoli. Is that correct for people who have watched Juventus regularly this season?

Man United confidant of signing Haaland. Wolves favourites to sign Hwang Hee Chan from Salzburg. Carrasco to Real Betis.

I'm not sure Ancelotti would be the right for Everton. I admire the ambition, but Ancelotti is known for making good teams that bit better or at least that was what he was good at because since Real Madrid his reputation has gone down hill like Mourinho in the same period.

Well done Captain Hindsight.

Gattuso to Napoli.

I reckon Salzburg will knock Liverpool out tonight.

I know I'm generalising here, but Newcastle fans or at least the ones that are still going are a reflection of how British people vote in your polities. Fans/voters are easily manipulated by conmen Ashley/Johnson despite the mountain of shit they have done to the club/country, but somehow get away with it because these same fans/voters feel its a betrayal of being a proper supporter/patriot for resisting the shite they are offering. You have Ashley Out groups/Corbyn who are at least trying to offer change though they are not perfect in how they go about things yet the amount of hate from proper supporters/patriots is not saved for those who are ruining the club/country for years, but for Ashley Out groups/Corbyn and remainers for daring to correctly calling out how things have gone downhill under the ownership/power of Ashley/Johnson. Then there is the feeble front page/back page journalists who are too afraid to point the finger at who the real problem is and instead blame fans for being deluded/voters wanting free stuff for poor results/shite economy. Unfortunately even when the next relegation/Brexit turns to shit the ownership/leadership won't be questioned by the proper fans/patriots it will be because Ashley Out groups/remainers did not support the team/believe in Brexit enough which completes the cycle.

Maja must be wondering why he left League 1 Sunderland for Champions League chasing Bordeaux.

I’m aligned with this minus Leeds being promoted. Would love to see them slip into the playoffs and lose out. I would rather Leeds than West Brom because they are boring.

https://twitter.com/lee_ryder/status/1203665822134284289 He has changed one player which is more or less forced on him because of Carroll's injury problems.

Its looking like West Brom and Leeds will be promoted from the Championship although Leeds have shown in the past they collapse in the second half of the season. I would like Nottingham Forest or Sheffield Wednesday to come up with them through the play offs.

Messi saying "retirement is approaching" is very depressing. I hope he doesn't retire earlier than expected.

This is the exact sort of shite as to why I want Bruce to fail.

I agree he is not a poor manager. He may not be good enough for a club to compete for league titles, but he is a capable manager at a lower level. I disagree though Arsenal fans wanted him gone from day 1, they seemed quite happy with his appointment and understood last season was a transition period. Its just this season has shown that there was no future with Emery in charge where he would have Arsenal competing for the big trophies again.

I wonder would a Premier League club be interested in having Gerrard as their manager next season.

Top 5 in no particular order. Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal. Brighton 1-2 Newcastle. Newcastle 1-0 Anzhi Makhachkala. Newcastle 2-1 Man City. Newcastle 3-0 Man United.