Abra Dubravka

What did Hope say to get Bruce rattled ‘calling me a liar’?

Stuff about Shelvey being a hostage is cracking. Has track record of talking nonsense and toeing party line. That stuff around Newport game about trying to play out the back more, and not be so direct! Clear that Shelvey’s Bruce’s pet, and poor Jonjo’s not the sharpest tool in the box to do some independent thinking, take a look around and see the place is a shitshow with Bruce. Got himself a lovely new deal - obviously the angle Bruce was getting at with Ritchie! Give new deals to senior pros to try and get dressing room on side. Shelvey, Ritchie, Carroll... Bet Shelvey’s just happy that those nasty Spaniard’s aren’t around anymore to make him run, and confuse him with tactical instructions.

Been longer than a few months I reckon. Always remember Schar’s reaction in his interview after Southampton away. Read between the lines it was clear as day words were said and it was had out after that shocking display. Can imagine Bruce’s bollocks of ‘letting the players play their way’ for 18months hasn’t gone down well with senior pros, especially likes of Lascelles, Fed, Ritchie, Sean Longstaff, Dub. They would have been senior guys who were flying with Rafa and 541 set up. Whatever truth there is behind Bruce letting players set up and play how they want, and what extent Bruce has actually changed anything, but it’s not going to go down well with Bruce claiming to ‘do it his way’ 18months in. He’s tried to play back 4 at some points, so he’s probably throw them all under the bus behind scenes for that dire spell around Christmas, Sheff U, Leicester, Villa, Man U all playing 5 at the back. Blaming senior pros preference to play deep back 5, rather than take responsibility himself. Every other press interview he’s throwing one player under the bus, or blaming throwing too many players forward, trying to change things, false 10s, it’s endless. Can bet behind scenes he’s blaming players for their influence on set up.

Stuff of dreams that, no chance though. Think it was Jim Magilton at QPR that whacked a player and got sacked for it years ago.

Wish Ritchie would have booted Bruce and shouted ‘ya wee dick!’ at him like he did to that ad board last season! Brings a smile to your face reading it all, but not what you need going into must win game. Squads in the s*** as it is, don’t really need unrest in ranks. Can only hope they’ll all pull together for themselves and Jones, and sod off that fat dosser.

Solid Hodgesorous stuff that from Palace. Not watched them in ages, not since we played them I think. Forgot how bad Benteke has become, remember he was a beast and used to bang them in for Villa years ago.

Would take Gerrard and that radgie Colombian Morelos here in a heartbeat.

Why? It's either the PIF gravy train or we all take up golf or f***ing warhammer painting or something instead. I mean it’s not keeping me up at night like... More mildly perturbed ranging to infuriated come match day when you have to watch the bald ballsack.

More worried about shifting Shelvey if we drop. Stealing a living on something like 80k a week isn’t he? Plus whatever match bonus! Was class last time round in Championship, like basically one of the best players to play in that league in last 10 years, but he’s got really shit, really quick since Rafa left. Could do a job, and saw glimpses under Rafa, but he’s been a time bomb last 18 months. Not going to have many takers in PL, let alone for salary he’ll be after. Late twenties isn’t he, on decent wedge already, will be after that last big deal and you’d have to be a moron to be paying him anything like what he’s on now.

TAA, James, Trippier still, Justin...even a top class young right-back will struggle for England caps. Take your point, massive competition, but Aarons is 21 and been playing for U21’s - surely got to back himself to kick on in his career and get in squads for caps. Trippier must have been mid 20s when he was getting caps, he went from flying in the Championship with Burnley to CL at top of table with Spurs and playing in the WC. Unless the lad has some deep connection to Jamaica find it strange he wouldn’t believe he could play for England. Maybe few years on, mid 20s no caps go for Jamaica. Aye, don’t personally rate either but their both better than Hayden. Point I was making is that standard and performance from both for England has been wank whenever I’ve watched them. Hayden wouldn’t look out of place. Even Jake Livermore was starting in run up to last WC when he was playing in that dogshit WBA Pulis/Pardew side.

Pretty sure Redknapp in his first spell at Portsmouth had a clause where he’d get a percentage of transfers on.

Didn’t know Demari Gray was at Leverkusen. Fell on his feet with that move! Strange that Max Aarons going for Jamaica, if I was him I’d fancy my chances of playing for England if he could get a decent move from Norwich and kick on. Bayern Munich keep on being rumoured for him. Didn’t bother watching last England games, but from what I’ve watched since that Nations League and since GS has gone back to 343, Isaac Hayden wouldn’t look out of place in midfield for England from performances of Rice and Henderson.

Recent history is fairly bleak when it comes to shifting on deadwood, especially if their on to a good thing here. Been stuck with Asti, Saivet for years, Aarons and Lazaar stayed way too long. Yedlin couldn’t be shifted for year and a bit. Gayle, Shelvey and Ritchie still knocking about. Gave another year to Carroll. Whatever motivation the club had to move those lot on, if any - fans can see there not for this level anymore, and holding the team back, but there still playing for us. Can foresee Joe being here for the long term. Potentially one day when Bruce is gone, the next guy will give him 6 months before trying to shift him on next possible window. It will have to be a case of a manager telling Joe/the board that he’s not in my plans, and to find a club. He’ll likely be sat on the bench for however long is contract is. Can’t imagine Joe kicking up a fuss, and knocking on anyone’s door demanding to play or a transfer out.

For those who can remember, who else was in the rumours to take over from McClaren? Just seems at the moment the perfect storm of depression over Bruce still being here. Other than Howe, there’s nobody else I’d really fancy of the top of my head that I’d believe would either come and work here, or we’d get. There also just seems this Teflon invisibility around Bruce that I can’t even remember Pardew having. Watching on Saturday was the first real time I’ve felt such frustration about not being allowed in the ground. However much fans criticism is aired on Twitter, or even with banners at SJP, there’s no substitute to being there in person and booing and moaning. Sounds daft, but finally I just feel totally muted as a fan with the anger and frustration of Bruce taking us down. Bruce really has had such a easy ride of it, and all that business of death threats can do one. No fans at any home games, no fans at Sheffield United away, Villa away - two games where he’d have had the whole ground home and away calling for his head.

Heard story of Football Weekly this week that I thought was such class. Don Hutchinson was at West Ham with Roeder; Hutchinson’s farther was dying and Roeder told him to drive back to North East straight away, and stayed on phone to be there with him whilst he was driving for the 4/5 hour trip.

James Coppinger article on Guardian... Still going at 40 for Doncaster! https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2021/mar/02/james-coppinger-doncaster-legend-aged-40-kit Coppinger was a trainee at non-league Darlington and his roots remain in Guisborough, a dozen miles south of Middlesbrough, where he grew up idolising Juninho as a season-ticket holder – “I only really went to watch him” – but his professional debut came for Newcastle under Sir Bobby Robson, as a substitute in a 2-0 victory over Tottenham at St James’ Park. In five years, he went from Sunday League to partnering Alan Shearer up front. “He [Robson] kissed his hand, slapped me around the face and said: ‘Don’t let me down, son.’ That was his way of saying: ‘I believe in you.’ He always believed in me but I didn’t believe in myself, and that is where I was at the time. “In pre-season, when I was training with the first team, we would partner up –because I was up from the reserves he [Robson] would go with me – and we would be doing sit-ups and press-ups. He would be doing them all and the lads would be in stitches. Gary Speed, Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson would be laughing their heads off and I’d be trying to keep a straight face while he was trying to do 10 burpees. He was so charismatic. Every single day he would give everything. He was so authentic and you believed everything he said because he said it with so much passion.” Robson once compared Coppinger to Gianfranco Zola but was not so enamoured when he spotted his sports car in training. “I bought a BMW Z3 after I made my debut and a security guard waved me in thinking I must be a first-team regular, and I actually parked my car next to Sir Bobby’s. As we were warming up I could see the gaffer pointing at my car. He said: ‘Whose is that car?’ I said it was mine and he absolutely went off on one and said: ‘Who do you think you are? You’ve made one appearance.’ I sold the car … every time I got in it after that I didn’t feel like I deserved it. He was spot on.”

Either he steps up, or proves everyone right in them saying he’s not cut for this level. As for fans getting on his back, and criticising him - no sympathy for me. Won’t give a second thought to him once he’s left this club, and if he’s leaves a mental wreck so be it. Not our fault he doesn’t have the mental fortitude to play PL football. Fans having expectations of record signings, their top players and club in general is to be expected. It’s a good thing, it should be used to maintain standards. People thinking he’s getting a tough ride need to shake their heads. No fans in ground first of all, and levels of criticism or even abuse would be 10x worse at a club in other countries this size sat 3 points above the drop, and to a striker who has put in such awful performances since joining. He wouldn’t be able to go out in public if he played for in Turkey, or in Italy, or Marseille or countless other clubs! When he’s walking with his kid and his bird? Nah thats just cuntish as f***, shouldn’t be condoned at all. Fully grown blokes should know a lot better Aye, Wouldn’t condone it, and wouldn’t go round doing it myself but it’s to be expected surely. Always going to have morons about, can’t do anything about that. Let’s face it, players in England get an easy ride. If he was playing for a side in Europe, the way he’s been playing getting shit yelled at you even with your missus would be par for the course. End of the day, best way to shut us all up is to start scoring, laying on goals and putting a shift in. Can’t go round moping because some white van man at the traffic lights called you a useless Cunt. He’s playing for a big club, fans that are passionate - instead of taking the Jermaine Jenas mentality of woe, Newcastle’s a goldfish bowl, starting looking at why fans are giving you shit. ASM, Almiron, Schar, Wilson, Dubravka no doubt get great reception from fans despite side being shite. Only useless dossers like Hendrick, Joe, Shelvey going to rightfully get stick..

Dubravka, Schar, Hayden, ASM, Almiron, Wilson, even throw Manquillo in there... Can’t be many, if any fixtures this season we’ve lined up with all those featuring in starting XI - not least in their actual positions in a Jones visioned 433 We’ve the base of a side that could finish top half, just players like Shelvey, Hendrick, Lewis, Joe drag the side down so much. Some how stay up, sack of the Steve’s, new contract for Fabian and Fed, £100M if that on quality positions LB, CM, RW - shift some of the dead wood, contracts running out anyway, bring in couple of better options of the bench at RB, ST... Stuff of dreams Dubravka Manquillo — Fernandez/Lascells — Schar — LB Hayden — CM RW — Almiron — ASM Wilson

Already have more than enough stadiums that are big enough in England alone, would be interesting to see what plans are for venues. Tournaments always have a good spread of venues around respective countries, whereas we’ve a mass of stadiums in few places - London (Wembley, WHL, Olympic, Emerits, even Twickenham), four venues in North West with Manchester stadiums, Anfield and new Everton. For you to bother including Wales, N Ireland and Ireland you’d think there would be at least 2 venues in each country. Can only think of Croke Park and Millennium stadium that are that big. Windsor Park has been developed but pretty small capacity, and where else in N Ireland or Ireland? Wales, Swansea and Cardiff stadiums again fairly small in comparison to English grounds.

Got to wonder how he’s flying under the radar. Senior pros have got to long ago pull him aside and try and have a word. Can only imagine because he’s Brazilian, everyone in the squad is feeling sorry for him being a youngish lad in a new country. Perhaps he’s original Ronaldo in training, but Carroll and Lascelles have got to try and have a word with him to step it up. Can’t be a case of fans only seeing it, or being a bit bias in what we watch. Just another example of squad full of senior pros that are just nitwhits like Dummett, Shelvey, Hendrick, Ritchie, Gayle without much leadership to speak of.

Dubravka Krath— Lascelles — Fernandez — Dummett Murphy — Hayden — Willock — Fraser Joe Gayle No chance he’s dropping cue ball from his midfield though. Missing four best players (even though Bruce doesn’t rate Schar) granted, any side is going to feel effects of that, but drop off in quality shouldn’t be this vast. Players you need to step up, should at least already be coming off benches and affecting games. Joe, Gayle, Murphy, Krath have shown nothing to prove their PL players. Wouldn’t be starting in any other side in the division, and doubtful even on bench for nearly all. Players that have shown to be good enough, you can’t expect 10/10 performances from to keep us up. Not their bag at all. When things are going well, and your stars are performing Their solid 7/10 most weeks, bread and butter players that every side needs - Lascelles, Fernandez/Clark, Hayden. Only player of real quality we have left fit is Dubravka, and by f*** are we going to need him. Bruce’s tactics at the best of times is to hope he gets in the way of everything, and throw him under the bus when he doesn’t.

‘Some support...’ Key word some. Not much, barely any at all. But let’s focus on the small degree of support and ignore the vast accurate populist opinion that he shouldn’t spend a second longer in the job, and should have been sacked weeks ago. 2 wins in 17 man, and he’s writing bollocks like ‘some support’. Coward.

That’d be depressing enough if we were trying to sneak into the playoffs

Either he steps up, or proves everyone right in them saying he’s not cut for this level. As for fans getting on his back, and criticising him - no sympathy for me. Won’t give a second thought to him once he’s left this club, and if he’s leaves a mental wreck so be it. Not our fault he doesn’t have the mental fortitude to play PL football. Fans having expectations of record signings, their top players and club in general is to be expected. It’s a good thing, it should be used to maintain standards. People thinking he’s getting a tough ride need to shake their heads. No fans in ground first of all, and levels of criticism or even abuse would be 10x worse at a club in other countries this size sat 3 points above the drop, and to a striker who has put in such awful performances since joining. He wouldn’t be able to go out in public if he played for in Turkey, or in Italy, or Marseille or countless other clubs!