Kid Icarus

The temptation to do a TBG post is overwhelming

Howeh, I've been sat here for 3 hours without blinking ffs

Maybe we did, maybe that's as good as it gets for all of us, not just under Howe. On that note seeing that massive achievement in our club's history as something we should put to one side on this assumed linear path to even bigger and better things without him seems to be based on very little like. The whole point of backing Howe is that he's proved it.

Personally, ignoring all the noise I'd give him next season providing there's no sign of trouble. I'm not blind though, far too many people have the knives out for him now, and it's clear we need to start well or he's in trouble. I don't think there's ever a time he should be getting the animosity and disrespect he's already getting from some though (mainly on social media for the avoidance of any doubt)

Quick question, what happened in between the season we finished 7th and this season?

Hadn't even realised how mad the points tallies are this season as well, 60 points getting Champions League football is crackers.

The defeats thing reminds me of that stat in 21/22 about how a team that hadn't won X amount of its opening games had never stayed up, but that ignored that we'd had a fair few draws and more points than plenty of other teams who'd stayed up. This season it's similar in that we've hardly drawn, so the amount of defeats looks bad and is bad, but at the same time because we've hardly drawn we've also won more or equalled the wins of the teams from 6th down to 10th.

I misread people as players tbh.

I was all for them being stripped of their titles until all of this dawned on me.

Yeah that's a fair point, but it does also make you wonder why that's been singled out, when he was nowhere near the play, and not Bruno's non-existent attempt to track his runner, who then scored. Reputations preceding them I guess.

If that's the truth then the lie (that we'd scouted him for 3 years but Howe was against it) has already done the rounds and done its damage.

I dunno, it just seems like a weird thing to hone in on in those circumstances. He'd have probably been better off just doing nothing. We've seen some truly disgraceful players over the years in terms of effort, so seeing players out of this lot (new signings not included) get stick for it is sad to see.

Find that a bit weird tbh. The ball was nowhere near Willock and this is all going on at the same time that Bruno just didn't bother going with his runner, who then scored.

Still think they're in the unsustainable zone and will massively struggle next season unless they make big changes. Brentford were in the same position and managed it so it's not impossible. Normally I'd say the Europa being factored would make it extra hard as well, but that competition has fallen off a cliff this season and last so might not affect their league form as much.

Citation required on that one chief.

That's nonsense considering I'm not 100% confident myself and wouldn't expect anyone else to be. I make points that I think are worth raising and considering, sometimes the same ones multiple times admittedly, but that's being on a forum for you. The idea that I group everyone together is just total bollocks, pure pity party strawman stuff. I haven't once said or suggested that anyone with understandable doubts about our direction under Howe is the same as those openly abusing him on here or across social media. Finding me tedious is by-the-by really, there aren't many regulars whose posts are universally liked and I've always been a bit marmite in that respect which is fine.

Do I need to place a bet to validate a belief something can happen like? I wouldn't have taken that bet in 22/23 or 24/25 either. We could finish anything from 3rd to 8th imo, that's been my prediction pretty much every season, I wouldn’t put a bet on anything specific and that goes for any team really.

The animosity towards by far and away the most successful manager in our lifetimes needs to be studied like. Absolutely mental.

I believe the manager who has twice got us Champions League football in his 4 full seasons is more than capable of doing it again yeah.

Funnily enough I was responding to a post specifically about entitlement and fans acting like cunts towards Howe and our players. May as well add another layer of condescension at this point: I wasn't talking about you and wanting better football.

Yous are proper weird man. We all moan about the state of modern football and the way fans go on. There are grown men out there calling Howe, Burn, and other club legends worse than shite all over social media. It's not one person, as someone else presented it, it's a large part of our fanbase and we do all represent the club. If you think that's not shameful, good for you, others do. Sorry if making that case is patronising to you.

We all represent the club, and I think there are plenty who think some are representing it poorly with the absolute venom that they have for club legends who've achieved more than anyone in our lifetimes just over 12 months ago, as well as the perceived entitlement they have based on very little. If we can be proud of elements of the club, there will always be elements that make you feel ashamed. This is one of them imo, but it's a sort of strange comfort to know that football is just like this now and huge swathes of fans go on like this.

The agro on here in the last couple of days has been a bit intense like.

If you don't understand why we'd have sympathy - never mind want to persevere - with a manager with that CV at Newcastle then I'd like to see what you do understand.

Unanimously?