Magic Rat

Scott Parker on MOTD said that Burnley played the best that they have done all year. This seems to becoming a recurring theme. Many of the lesser teams play particularly well against us. It needs sorting out.

Certainly describes my position. I enter most of the ballots but if I was regularly successful I would enter far fewer. Costs far to much to go to every match. For me it's 4 or 5 a season max.

Got a ticket through the ballot for last night so wasn't watching on the TV. I thought he was very poor, adding very little. Wasn't moving to create options, his little flicks were going to Spurs players. Losing tackles, winning very few. The person I was with thought that he needed sunstiting despite us not having anyone on the bench suitable for the role. Hopefully it was just an off night. Clearly showed what I have thought for sometime. We desperately need an alternative up front when he's playing like he did last night. We need to hope that Wissa is fit soon and makes the grade. Otherwise we will continue to pose little threat to good defenses.

This is bad news. If the owners put in share capital they get their return by an increase in value of the club, which they realise by selling - one day, someday, never. If they do it by loans the club will be expected to service the loans, paying interest and repayments, or endless refinancing and interest. So it comes out of the club's money. Sounds all a bit like a private equity style arrangement to me. The club also needs to own the ground. A 70000 seater stadium in Newcastle is no use to anyone else. Bar the occasional pop concert it has no other use. So if someone else owns it they can only use it as a way of taking money out of the club. So less hope any financial arrangements are mainly done through an increase in the owners equity holdings.

The biggest law firm in Newcastle is Womble Bond Dickinson. The "Womble" stadium?

We have to play this lot soon.

Rat on for Liverpool

A better away performance than our recent away attempts. Marseille are second in their league so a good side. We still miss not having a no 9 as an option.

Never going to get a penalty with VAR

Reading the whole article it does sound as if the PIF is restricting it's spending on its investments where it can while it restructures. No suggestion of how long that will take but it won't happen overnight. And they have just promised Trump a trillion dollars of investment in the USA. Replacing SJP could be a long way down their priority list given that we could stay at SJP. If this is the reason why there has been no announcement on a new ground, we beat no hold out breath.

Having done some AI research on this Percy Saul was the all time record holder for Liverpool in this feat. So I would like to wish Rat every success in his attempt to be the sole holder of this record the next time he is picked to start.

Not good for my nerves that. Brilliant result. Great from the backs.

I think there is a lot of truth in that. Needs a goalscorer to give them confidence that we will score. A lot rides on Wissa. Quite how Howe will play both Woltemade and Wissa I don't know. He always seemed reluctant to play Rat and Wilson together, although it seemed to work. He has Gordon, Murphy, Barnes, Elanga and will only have room to start one of them.

Let's hope Wissa's our man for this, as Woltemade isn't. He always seems to want to make a quick pass, never runs with it. But without a CF playing there is noone forward with him to pass to.

Very poor. Woltemade isn't a lone front man. We spend nearly the whole game defending. Need a CF. Hope Wissa is up to it. Huge mistake today from Eddie leaving Burn on. He needs to watch this and the West Ham games back to see his own mistakes. If this doesn't pick up soon I can see Eddie gone by the end of the year. It would be a short sighted decision by the owners, but not unpresidented in football.

I think the summer's problem of a lack of a striker and Wissa being injured have made him think very defensively, as if he doesn't have the confidence in us scoring goals. Woltemade may have scored a few but he's not a no 9 but a no 10. That negatively seems to be felt by the team. Unfortunately when Wissa is back it may take him time to get upto speed. We all know that Osula is not good enough and, despite why Eddie says (and today did) Eddie knows that too so he defends.

With the exception of Big Joe all the players who started were signed by Eddie. It's his team. It's distinctly mid table. He is a good coach but not world class.

If we are going to challenge for Champions League again this year this is the type of game we need to be winning. The top clubs win many of their games like Brighton away. A draw isn't really good enough anymore.

They would have to be mad. A very good manager. So they probably will get rid.

Ramsdale Trippier Botman Thiaw Hall Miley Bruno Willock Elanga Woltemade Barnes Lascelkes for Botman if Schar isn't going to be available for Arsenal. Looking to sub off Bruno at half time for Tonali or Joelinton. With the exception of Bruno and Trippier, who bring experience to the team, I think the others are the ones who most need game time.

Ramsdale Trippier Botman Thiaw Hall Miley Bruno Willock Elanga Woltemade Barnes Lascelkes for Botman if Schar isn't going to be available for Arsenal. Looking to sub off Bruno at half time for Tonali or Joelinton. With the exception of Bruno and Trippier, who bring experience to the team, I think the others are the ones who most need game time.

I'm not sure about long throws, I have thought for awhile that our short throws are poor. Other top teams seem to have more options, but we seem to wait so long that everyone is marked. We offer end up going backwards.

Not having a striker seems to making Eddie defensive. If Wissa was available I think he would play more positively. Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal would have won that even without their centre forward. We are not up to the top standard yet.

Not quite as exciting as the scoreline suggests.

Winning this type of game is the difference between being a mid table side and a top one. Would like to see Elanga on for Willock or Miley as I think he is more likely to create chances.