Toon1892

I definitely agree with your post but I do think the premier league is more physical than the European leagues. Pep didn’t play this way at Barcelona. He had a very small defence there. He’s came to the league watched what was needed to win the league and invested on that basis. I’m not saying Hall is a bad signing, I think he’ll be class. I think Tino will be world class. All I’m saying is that we do need a player like Kelly who can play left back when we do face the bigger/ better sides in the league. We can’t go to Arsenal away and concede three goals from set pieces. We’ve seen them bully teams at set pieces all season. Man City don’t concede from corners. Historically the way a bottom 5 side side could beat a top 4 side team was usually by a set piece and then hold out for a win by 11 men behind the ball. Pep saw that and stopped it from happening. It is just my opinion too. No one has to agree. I’m also saying it’s Pep, Arteta, Howe, Emery’s opinion too to reinforce my point. Not to be doubt your modern football understanding etc.

Ok so they’re playing 3 CB’s in a back 4 for banter purposes. You’re saying my post contains contempt yet saying ‘factually nonsense’ at someone else’s post. Is that irony lost on you? ? https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/9618/Stages/22076/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2023-2024 You can have a look at the stats if you like…

I think any full back in world football wouldn’t like playing next to an injured centre half. We had the second best defensive record in the league. That isn’t papering over cracks. Don’t let the facts get in the way of your opinion. Also please be patient if Burn does start next season at left back.

Liverpool have played a lot of this season with 3 CBs (Konate). Their formed dropped when they went back to two old fashioned full backs. There’s your Liverpool mention. It’s about how good you are in the air. Not your height. Comparing Tino and White in the air is silly. Tino is a class player, amazing footballer but he’s not good in the air. He lost his man at a corner for Burnley’s goal for example. If we ever want to win the league unfortunately we will need a better in the air team. ‘Tall’ teams win leagues, even going back to Fergie or Wengers invincibles. I know that annoys fans and I apologise for that.

Did you miss the entire 2022/23 season? Just explaining why Howe persisted with it. Not saying it should be done going forward. Many of those ‘Burn mistakes’ were due to Botman being in horrific form/ injured. If Botman was back to his original form many wouldn’t have happened.

Yeah I agree with this. He did get a few chances before then and played the first half of a couple of matches and didn’t look as ready as he does now. Howe did the same with Bruno and Gordon. Both decisions have been great. Perhaps as an 18 year old lad Howe was protecting him and not throwing him in at the deep end. One thing we aren’t in the north east is patient. But I think with these young players sometimes patience is needed.

Yes but the top managers allow conceding 5 or 6 counter attacking goals a season to prevent an extra 12 or 13 set piece goals a season. Sorry but it isn’t rocket science why every top manager is doing it. I know people on this forum know more than Pep and Arteta and would do a better job but please just look at what is happening.

Per game over the last two seasons I’d imagine probably one per game more with Hall in over Burn?

A fad? The following managers like playing 3 or 4 cb’s in a back 4: Pep Arteta Howe Emery That might be 4 of the top 5 places come the end of the season. Set pieces are a huge part of the premier league. If other teams become better in the air offensively and defensively you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out more and more teams will adopt that model. Bournenouth also started to do it since they had their new manager. They went from bottom 5 to top 10.

You’re joking right!? He probably covered the most ground in a lot of those games. He defends that right area of the box so well and we concede very little goals from that side of the pitch. One of his primary roles is to help defend that area.

I’ve said I wouldn’t play Burn at left back? I just think it would be a risk playing with two small full backs. The top managers and top teams no longer do it. Yes play Hall 100% but we’ll need to select the games and rotate. Arteta and Guardiola have spent the last 5 years building teams of giants and they’re so far ahead of the rest of the league. Arsenal at set pieces this season have been scary. We couldn’t compete against them at their place in the air. Most fans won’t like it but height is becoming more and more important. I think you should tell Pep and Arteta it’s a mental take playing three cb’s in a back 4. Sounds like you know more than them? Hilarious you think it’s a mental take. Have you not watched the top teams over the last three years lol? We’ve conceded 5 times as many goals from set pieces as Man City this season and almost double as many goals as arsenal have conceded from set pieces. We have scored 6 goals less than arsenal this season. Although we have scored 7 less times from sept pieces. We need to bridge that gap eventually. Yes it will take time but playing Trippier and Hall together every match may not be the answer.

Yeah I don’t think that’s Howe though. I think that’s any top manager these days. I don’t think that signals the end for Hall either. It may be just more rotation based against the bigger teams (Man city, Arsenal, Liverpool). Then against the smaller weaker teams (bottom 5) we can play two small full backs.

Not that I think Burn should be playing left back. He’s a CB but I can see why Howe (and every other top manager in the league) likes to play at least three CB’s in a back 4 often playing a CB at left back. When we don’t we concede a lot from set pieces. See our games against Burnley and Arsenal for example. I have faith that Hall will be class but I worry that set pieces decide so many games now. Look how tall Man City and Arsenals teams are now. I wouldn’t be confident defending a set piece against them with Trippier and Hall as full backs. I do think a lot of our fans overlook this. Unfortunately top managers like height in defence and I can see why. i just hope our fans are patient if Kelly for example gets a run in at the start of next season ahead of Hall.

Or PSG? And he did come on and get an assist in that Brighton game. But I guess that doesn’t fit your narrative.

Amazing how these people exist

Grow up

All those people hoping he’s sold or wanting him gone. Please don’t celebrate if he scores important goals for us in important games for us again. Please sit still. Don’t enjoy it. If you can’t support him when he’s played with an injury most of the season, pulling us out of trouble when everyone around him wasn’t available to play. You don't deserve the moment of ecstasy when when of our local academy players no doubt will score more important goals for us.

Completely agree. Last year he was fantastic. This year he’s been so reliable, had some incredible games (PSG at home comes to mind) and he’s given me some amazing memories. Even at the game today singing he’s one of our own. His biggest critics are the armchair fans. The same ones that wanted Howe gone and the same people that think we can sell Jamal Lewis for £5M. Absolutely love having locals in the team. I know the arm chair fans over look that but it’s so important.

You want a smaller squad in Europe next year than we did this season? Haha. Unbelievable Did you not learn anything from this season? We’re not selling him this summer. Wake up.

No chance we’re selling him. Daftys. If you genuinely think he’s a bad player or doesn’t add much to the squad you don’t have a clue about football. Local lad, good squad player. Very reliable. Love him.

If the club moved somewhere else, changed their name and the colours they played in, I would stop watching football.

Agree with your points, no point moving for the atmosphere.

The NFL isn’t coming to Newcastle. There are 10 European capital cities it would go to first. Stop being naive.

Completely agree. Emirates is also horrific for atmosphere and so is Tottenhams new stadium (granted it’s the honeymoon period where everyone that hasn’t been yet says it’s amazing. That will change). For an evening kick off I don’t think there’s a better atmosphere in the league than SJP.

I honestly wasn’t impressed with the Spurs stadium. The expansion has caused it to become a nightmare to get to and from now with the additional fans and no improvement in infrastructure. If you like different foods then great but it wouldn’t work at a city centre location. People eat before the match at SJP, not at half time. Atmosphere was very poor this season even when they spanked us 4-1.