Coffee_Johnny

4 points from a possible 21? Flo must have landed a good one with the rolling pin. Minimum we’ll get is ten, hoping for 15, probably get 12.

I really do hope that we don’t rigidly stick to a model of only buying potential to keep for a few seasons and make a profit. A Wellbeck, pains me to say it, a Xhaka, and a Trippier mark II, in the squad this season would have improved performances significantly.

A simple explanation for a complex issue, but I genuinely believe that if we give General Howe (sounds as ropey as Chairman…) the soldiers he, and the rest of the camp, are capable of winning any battle.

Thought had crossed my mind… 🤷‍♂️ (P.S. not the one about you being a mentalist, the other one…)

Of course he scores.

And good people like yourself, who have been around through think and thin and create an environment, a ‘room’, for those of us afflicted by the NUFC mind-virus to speak with and listen to the like minded. Focusing on similarities and different views (the interesting ones…) makes for a much better NO (and life) experience.

More of a whey-aye bot.

Or the Elanga header or left footed shot earlier.

I think he will be more appreciated after he has gone, for some reason. Maybe it is just his unassuming good professional attitude. Wish he had stayed on instead of Gordon in the ‘last match’. Can’t help thinking he would have buried the chance Gordon skied.

Hindsight offers wonderful perspective, but if Eddie had been provided with his preferred Wilson (DCL) and Voldemort (Ekitike or even Pedro) replacements we would having a much more rewarding season.

You make good points, but it is evident that given our squad quality and depth, we—Eddie’s team—have not been able to handle the additional demands. We’re are heading to our lowest points return under his leadership. Injuries, but more so bad transfer dealings, have played their part. But perhaps Howe needs to reflect on whether he should have cut his cloth accordingly. That said to steal someone’s metaphor there is no point blaming the pilot/navigator for hitting some turbulence. Unless the impact could have been minimised by charting a different course.

👏 Love a good comeback to a weaselly stat.

This charted, preseason, when we were most likely to pick up points (based on opposition, whether home or away etc.) in order to finish 6th (blue columns). As you know we've been miles off. We are now sitting on 42 points at end of March (1.35 points per game) which is just below our average for the premiership era, which would be at this stage 43 points (1.40 ppg). We are also 5 points away from the average points return for a 7th place team. In short, that is quite a lot to make up in 7 games. For the optimistic among us, a return of 2.3 ppg would take us to 58 points (average for 7th place finish). For the realists, the best we have ever done under Howe (admittedly for a whole half season) is 2.0ppg (last half of 2021-22; and first half of 2022-23). There may well have been times where we picked up 16 points in 7 games (off to check...). Ok, there have been a few times we have picked up 16 points or more in 7 games, e.g. beginning of 2021, end of 2022, later in that 2022-23 season, once in 2023-24, Dec-Jan run 2024-25 and again later in that season. So it isn't impossible to imagine. We have never quite managed it, under Howe, for the last 7 games of the season though: 15 points in 2021-22 12 points in 2022-23 13 points in 2023-24 10 points in 2024-25. Incidentally, the idea that we always do better at the end of the season isn't supported by the fact that the points return for the last 7 games in Howe's four seasons is worse than the season's average for two seasons (2022-23 and 2023-24) and better for the other two and let's face it, 2021-22 doesn't really count.

I mean it was quite sunny, but not really a Longsands picnic kind of day on Sunday.

Bar a yellow for Joelinton. But take your point.

What a shit decision this has turned out to be; a real ‘dig two graves’ lose-lose saga. Can’t recall a more impactful negative transfer for both player and club, certainly not involving us.

Sadly if we restrict NUFC to the business side of things, I think you may be right. Last summer for super big money. Probably double what we paid and if he is open to it regardless of what Howe and rest of coaching staff want he may be offski. Wondering if I should do a ceremonial burning of my Tonali first goal celebration, showing the best midfield pairing we have ever had, or just put it somewhere I won’t see it until the sense of loss is gone.

Quite funny/uplifting reading this thread. I must be over it by now. Might be grasping for positives but, in all likelihood, they will find it hard to improve their squad next season. Whilst we may struggle to keep what we have, we will add some exciting quality players even if some are replacements. We are also unlikely to rack up as many games. So I choose to believe, in a revenge is a dish best served cold kind of way (and maybe mainly based on wishful thinking), that they’ll be found out and relegated and we will enjoy giving them a well deserved and long overdue joyous thumping. Also, this time grasping for reasonableness, I couldn’t help having a small internal smile thinking about how happy my couple of, eternally the underdog (…they’ve endured some serious adversity/pure shite), Makem supporting old friends would be. I’m sure Sir Bobby said something similarly magnanimous. Anyhoo, time to let it go; our day will come.

Sneery fucking bitch.

When he tried to control the ball in the six yard box instead of just toe poking it/getting something on it… rarely been so enraged at one of ours.

It can bring out the worst of even the seemingly respectable and sensible fan (on both sides). If somebody had looked at me the wrong way or said the wrong thing on the way back through town it wouldn’t have ended well. I was absolutely fizzing with feral tribalism.

Here’s my two-penneth. There was quite an intimidatory feel walking up to the ground, at about 9:15 ffs. Walked through a crowd of 30-40 Newcastle fans (who were probably not going to the game) who looked rough as fuck and were clearly looking for trouble. The noise at the start of the match was ear splitting and felt amazing. Great display by Wor Fans, amazing goal celebration. I was in the ‘posh’ seats but at the Leazes end of the Milburn, couldn’t hear their fans throughout the first half though they looked animated, on occasion. Felt at the time we really needed a goal at the end of the first half. Nearly happened, which would have demoralised the fuck out of them, but we are all aware that it didn’t and our players looked ponderous and frozen at times second half. Maybe it is just the slo-mo of traumatic events! But given we are supposedly the team used to big matches and atmospheres they just didn’t step up to the occasion. Don’t know if it has been mentioned but Lewis Hall in particular looked genuinely devastated at the end. Can’t doubt that it mattered to him/them.

Back home for the match. Happy to report that none of the players were in Khai Khai—for a change! Currently sipping a contemplative whisky next to our ‘fortress’ hoping SJP can be just that tomorrow.

A bit different, context wise, but I recall a team getting beaten 5-0 off their then biggest rivals for the league (us) and then losing their next league game 6-3 against a team who, in the end, only just escaped relegation (Southampton). They then lost their next game, mire respectably, 2-1 to another top six team (Chelsea). Not only was their manger not under threat, they went on to win the league. Point is, getting a spanking or two can happen to any team. Doesn’t mean shit in isolation.

😂 genuine lol moment. It is not a bad stat though.