Coffee_Johnny

Gameweek 33 Wolves 1-1 Palace Villa 2-1 Fulham Leeds 1-2 Leicester Forest 1-3 Brighton Chelsea 1-1 Brentford West Ham 1-2 Liverpool Man City 3-1 Arsenal Everton 0-2 Newcastle Southampton 1-2 Bournemouth Spurs 1-3 Man United

Don’t think Fab is getting enough credit, outside of the fanbase, for his magnificent season. And just his luck that his phenomenal assist gets shaded by little Joe’s worldy.

Great to see this lad coming good. Epitomises EH’s faith in the collective and our team spirit this season.

What a day to be there! Can still recall the 7-1 and 5-1 against these. Great days.

Happy Sundays!

You can miss the first twenty again!!

Well that produced more belly laughs than I’ve had in a while!

This kind of ‘regression to the mean’, or return to average performance of the team often seems the way. That said, we were as good, maybe slightly better, results wise, in the last half of last season. So not sure we’re in the over achiever category.

Have to be questions about what happened at Atletico, I mean you don’t send out your most expensive ever signing on loan for no reason. I’ve just read though that he was player of the season (2021-22) so can’t be all bad, and let’s face it they took a big gamble stumping-up £113m for João Félix at 19 when he had only had (I think) one full season in Benfica’s first team. Though he must have looked shit-hot as he won the best under 21 player in Europe award (Golden Boy?). He must be some player, have great potential, but given what he might cost seems unlikely we would take a huge ‘all in’ transfer pot gamble on him.

It is huge. But not shit or bust. Lose and we’re still above them with a game in hand. Draw, 3pts and a game to the good. Win—six points clear with potential for nine—and it is starting to look like an unassailable lead. For me this result is more about what it signals in terms of the type of run-in we can expect. We’ve been a bit (sometimes a lot!) off it last couple of games. Just not clicking. It would be a travesty to see this continue and take the shine off the rest of the season and the eventual placing. Don’t think it will. We’ve enough fit bodies to mix and match and make it work. Patches of poor form pass, our ‘norm-form’ over the last 15 months is top class. So, my advice (sorry, unsolicited I know…) would be don’t stress this one too much. It isn’t critical, one way or the other, doesn’t blow the season. And however today goes in all probability we’ll be fine. There have been, and will be again (the fates willing…) much more important genuine must win games. Best get used to it mattering again; to us having a chance of achievements again. That said, if the self-talk fails, then the mucho pints strategy may be the way to go! My last supply of Wor Flags LPA is definitely getting hammered when the sun is over yard-arm (somewhere..)!

Just noticed. All three look difficult now. Probably mainly because of the stress/felt sense of needing to win them. Spurs will be fighting with all they have for Campions League, Everton are level on points with Forest and fighting against their first relegation. Southampton, surely relegated, are capable of a performance like last night. Win them, particularly tomorrow, and we earn a bit of a buffer for the five games in May.

Me too. Man Utd we’re humped 7-0 by a poor, season wise, version of Liverpool and are still having a good season in the league (better than I thought they would), have won a cup (boo!), have reached a European QF and the FA Cup semi. Plus, the ‘bygone blip’ of getting beaten 5-0 (us) and 6-1 (I think… Southampton) in consecutive games and still winning the league. We didn’t play well (great result though) against Brentford, we were mauled by Villa, and I can see us (head) continuing to be a bit off for next couple of games. But couldn’t bring myself (heart) to predict a loss or draw against Spurs. Here’s hoping for a revival of form and the start of a great run in.

Is Newcastle United Supporters Club an evolution of this, or something new?

Black and British by David Olusoga (Geordie!) is a good read, as is Northerners, by Brian Groom. Both cover this. I think the latter in more detail. If you want to find out more, IW. From, memory Greater Manchester has a lot to be proud of re the abolition of slavery and reaction to the consequences of the American civil war. Liverpool less so.

I’ve had similar thoughts, about making the most of Liverpool and Chelsea having a bad season (plus Man U had a bad start). But the thing is we’ve been so consistent, for such a long period, e.g. our points per game, particularly over the whole of 2022 (46 games from memory) was good enough for 4th place in the vast majority of seasons, that I don’t think we need to angst about other teams returning to their ‘norm-form’. We’ll have an even better squad next season and they need to worry about us.

Gameweek 32 Arsenal 3-0 Southampton Fulham 2-1 Leeds Brentford 2-1 Villa Palace 1-1 Everton Leicester 2-2 Wolves Liverpool 4-0 Forest Bournemouth 1-1 West Ham Newcastle 2-1 Spurs

Dummett reminded me of Haaland (a sentence I never thought would be written).

Yep, 2013 (to date) is decent; pretty close to the average for 5th place and the 1.69 points per game (ppg) would have good enough for 6th in all bar 5 seasons of the 30 PL seasons. The 2022 performance, of EH’s team over the full calendar year (1.96ppg), would have been good enough for 2nd 5 times, 3rd 17 times, and 4th 26 times. Hoping we can better that for 2023 as a whole. With the extent of additional investment, which is likely, and the current maturing support structures in the club, I reckon we have a good chance.

We were amazing home to Man U, whilst the score line probably flattered, also excellent away to West Ham. I think we got the run of the green (and about time too) away to Brentford. We’ll be better at home to Spurs than the mullering we got away to Villa. I think the first goal will be crucial but I’m sure we won’t be as off form as the last two away games. Defensively we look tired and perhaps a little worked-out. But yes, I choose to think it is a blip. Keep the crowd up for it and Spurs will see their arse.

I think they will. Arteta has always seemed too tightly wound, to me. Not sure he’ll manage the stress of the run-in in a helpful way. Can see him having more of a negative than a positive influence on performance with the hot breath of his mentor on his neck (… ‘kin’ hell, the imagery!!).

Trophies.

Here’s hoping we have a rebound-run similar to West Ham. Battered at home against us, beat Fulham away, good draw away in an European QF, played well against Arsenal.

Thought I’d look at Eddie’s record over four time periods. All games since officially in charge (Norwich City); all games since January 2022 (allowing a six game settling in period); 2022 as a whole; and 2023 to date. Third option is the most impressive. Over 55% win percentage, 1.96 points per game, and a goal difference of +40. Hoping remaining 2023 games (should be about 36 to go) show an even better return. They don’t to date, but only 13 games in.

Modelling himself on Morten Harket. Stylish!