Whitley mag

Maybe the team achieved what it did because it had a world class centre forward. One man doesn’t make a team but we don’t win the League Cup without him.

We play a 3 man midfield his starting positions are to defensive, I don’t need a graphic, or Neville to tell me Woltemade is isolated half the time, particularly away from home where the major problem lies.

Where not the only team who has had to change personnel and he’s had half a season now. Sky put a graphic up tonight which showed Gordon’s heat map. His starting positions are in completely ineffective areas and the same happened at the SOS. The manager has to take responsibility for getting the two wide forwards playing closer to Woltemade at the very least.

He’s been shite for Liverpool undeniable, however, the evidence is also starting to look like our attack is blunt without him and we don’t have any clue how to open teams up. My point is where still playing the same way relying heavily on wingers, it’s predictable and without a world class centre forward who made things happen, we need new ideas different patterns, where not getting that it’s just more of the same.

Irrelevant he was world class for us and the evidence is where toothless without him.

We were linked with Elanga for 2 seasons he clearly rated and wanted him, likewise with Ramsey. Nobody asked him to pivot to the signings he made there were other options abroad.

Unfortunately the transfer window has killed him and only has himself to blame. He wanted Ramsdale, Elanga and Ramsey all due to being known quantities with PL experience. I’ve never seen such a poor Man Utd team and we were clueless in the final third. The attacking patterns of play are so predictable, it was so easy for them to defend and see it out. At this point the question has to be asked if we didn’t have that ‘bit magic’ from a world class centre forward for the past 2 seasons, would Howe have achieved anything like we have? Every team would miss losing a world class forward but our current league position is unacceptable for the sum of our parts and money spent.

Bench starting to look light with so many games coming up. Need a couple of quality signings in January as Joelinton is now clearly ready for the knackers yard.

It always amuses how North East based plastics absolutely despise Newcastle. Nothing finer than beating Man U and Liverpool and seeing these cunts go into hiding.

Both are an issue at the moment.

Think one of the key reasons why where struggling this season has been Burn/Schar at CB and the goalkeeping situation. We can’t buy a clean sheet at the moment and think both CB’s especially have shown real signs of regression this season. Think we’ll score tomorrow but getting any result will depend on cutting out the basic mistakes. Where becoming a real soft touch and will need a much improved performance defensively to get anything tomorrow, despite their injuries.

As I understand there’s a healthy waiting list of a number of years for executive boxes that would warrant an increase in facilities in this area. The individual match by match hospitality is complete overkill when you consider the Platinum and Bar1892 take up the majority of the Milburn Stand in the lower bowl. I can’t think of many other clubs that have a complete side of the ground set aside at premium seating prices. They’ve absolutely ripped the heart out of the Leazes End with premium seating and the product is poor value. I think if they try and push the price point any further on both general seating and match by match premium seating next season, they’re going to end up with a fair few empty seats.

We were linked with Honest Ahanor this week and would imagine Suds is well aware of him. Agree on Nico Paz would be the type of player to potentially take us to next level.

Manchester United are set to appoint Newcastle’s head of youth recruitment Paul Midgley to fill the same role at their academy, Confidential understands. United have been looking to replace Luke Fedorenko, who is on gardening leave as he prepares to leave Carrington to take up a new job with an agency. It’s understood Midgley has been chosen from more than 10 candidates after an extensive selection process. He joined Newcastle from Leeds three years ago and was previously UK scouting manager at Manchester City, where he worked with United’s director of football Jason Wilcox and new academy chief Stephen Torpey. United might face resistance from Newcastle, who put up a fight when United made an approach for sporting director Dan Ashworth last year. Ashworth spent more than four months on gardening leave while United thrashed out a compensation deal with Newcastle, and ended up costing the club a total of £4.1million when he was sacked by Sir Jim Ratcliffe after just 159 days in the job, or £25,000 a day.

Temporary measure this is chicken feed to them.

Oh for the days of a cultured winger like Scott Sellars who can get their head up and pick a pass.

Seems to be 3 young midfielders the top clubs are eyeing up in Europe which may give us a sniff with Kees Smit if we move fast and AZ are willing to deal. The 18 year old Ayyoub Bouaddi at Lille and Konstantinos Keratsas at Genk, all seem to be hot property and on radar of top clubs. Along with Lamine Camara there’s some good opportunities to get a top young midfielder this January.

Nee idea I didn’t rate Elanga when we signed him but thought Johnson looked a good prospect at the time when Spurs got him. Looking at their players now you’d probably take MGW, Anderson and Murillo. I did notice our Greek keeper is apparently doing well at Seville mind and made a great save at the weekend. Hopefully Wilson bucks the trend and bodes well like you say.

Mount and Cunha playing between our midfield and back 4 will be the danger. All comes down to the players attitude this one for me. It’s a shit kick off time and let’s be honest nobody has any idea which NUFC will turn up for this one. At this point I’m not even sure Eddie Howe knows what to expect each week at the moment.

I wouldn’t pay what they’d want for him now that ship has sailed.

Forrest have played a blinder with Elanga and Johnson, both went for big money and have been shite. MGW is probably decent saying they actually put up a fight to keep him, but wouldn’t touch another payer from that club with a barge pole.

Chelsea played well in 2nd half and was definitely a shift in approach after half time. What’s clear is that it’s nigh on impossible to press and play with intensity for 90 mins. The first half was probably our best of the season but it’s what’s happening when we can’t press that is the issue. Again he was reactionary with substitutes when it was clear a change was needed. Chelsea got well beat at Leeds and drew with Bournemouth in last 2 away games, I’m not sure they’re as good as we made them look at times. Boxing Day will tell us a lot more about where this season is heading and not the last 2 home games.

Least have the balls to quote me but luckily seen and bookmarked.

For what it’s worth Hopkinson was in Saudi Arabia last week. All my limited info suggests it’s a new stadium and everything that can be done to smooth decision making process has been done. They still expect big objections but clear pathway is being put place with stakeholders/MDZ to get a decision in a reasonable timeframe. The new stadium allows the club to grow significantly and makes more financial sense in long term. I suspect it’s just about securing the funding from investment banks now and that won’t be a problem with PIF behind it.