southernmag

Also Garcia sounds exactly like the kind of signing we should be making. Slightly under the radar, very good value (seemingly), right age, high ceiling etc. Trafford would be good but this guy is my preference. Wonder how Pope would take being no. 2? I guess with all our games next season our back ups will get plenty of minutes.

Tbh I wouldn't blame Guehi for running his contract down. Gets a season with Palace in the Europa which should be fun, then a big new contract at his next club. Hopefully if we go for him this summer though it's for something under 40 odd million.

I mean I'm a pessimist and even I struggle to consider us being on a constrained budget yet again. Surely we have enough money to have a good summer this time.

Not to mention it's very possible the overall financials aren't actually particularly cheap, and Eddie plans to maybe use him as second choice to Isak again. That's worst case scenario admittedly but we just don't know at this point.

Some differing views on AG but I think it's hard to deny his attitude and mentality have looked off for most of the season. Which is interesting given he reads a lot of books etc on mentality. I think there's a really good player/lad in there, and hopefully after a rest and refresh he comes back better next season. But if his head/heart isn't in it, for whatever reason, I'd sell for a good offer.

It's stuff like this that makes me doubt the club has an elite mentality quite yet. We simply have to be aggressive with our outgoings and incomings if we want to really establish ourselves among the top clubs. Sentimentality is only so useful.

He'd cost an arm and a leg now.

Semi unrelated but my wife heard Milenkovic being discussed on MNF and exclaimed, "my lengthy itch?"

They'd want too much money and his wages would be too high for what he'd likely offer us based on his performances for MU.

Tammy Abraham, Isak and Jacob. Make it happen.

I think technically he's just a bit limited, which stops him being a top top player. Very good on his day though.

Lot of copium being smoked around here. As well run as our club is these days, the powers that be still have it in them to give us a rubbish badge. I'm worried.

And he's definitely in the category of not wanting to be second choice.

There's a list somewhere online of all the free agents available this summer. I hope Mitchell is perusing that and eyeing up some potential options. Surely there are one or two.

Yeah common sense should apply when the simulation is unclear. I just think blatant diving and rolling around happens all the time and has been condoned to the point it's now ingrained in the game.

If refs came out and said there would be zero tolerance for all simulation (including exaggerating injury), and then enforced it with yellow and red cards where necessary, I'd bet there'd be some tantrums for a while before people quickly adapted and players started staying on their feet etc.

Call me overly simplistic but I really think we'll have the budget to strengthen as we need to, if we're savvy and don't just chase Crystal Palace defenders for 3 months. A few purples, a few bench/rotation quality players, offset by a few semi decent sales. I really don't think we should expect/achieve less than that. Free agents should be looked at especially.

There needs to be a culture shift to get football away from the near constant rolling around on the floor, surrounding refs, all this immoral and moronic nonsense that tarnishes the game. I guess if the FA/PGMOL had the balls to enforce it, it could and likely would happen, and quickly. Gordon's simply in the majority of modern footballers who are playing the system and trying to gain an advantage wherever they can get one. I don't like it one bit but I put more blame on the FA etc for standing idly by while this behavior goes on unchecked.

I said capable. Although you can probably run more than Wilson tbf.

If we're right that Isak is carrying, and has previously carried, injuries, then the club has a real responsibility - not least to Isak himself - to ensure he has a highly capable deputy next season.

Jacob getting an England call up would rival Burn's for feel good factor. Make it happen Tuchel.

Surely we should be in on this. Napoli are a good side but still.

After yesterday it could be the Chelsea badge...

I think one of the hallmarks of Newcastle nowadays is we play with genuine belief. There's real hope around the place, purpose and drive to all we do, and a lot of that is down to Eddie of course. It's awesome to see us absolutely taking it to 'big' teams and believing we can beat them. In saying that, I wonder if the 2nd half v Chelsea was evidence that we've still got a way to go to being able to really assert ourselves and control some games. It was like we slipped back into the rather negative "let's hang on to this" mindset. I'd like to see Eddie really insisting we control games better, even if it's just holding onto a lot of the ball. We're more than good enough to do it.

If you'd told me before this season that we'd win a cup and potentially finish 2nd, I'd have a hard time believing it. If you'd told me that when we were 12th or whatever in December, I simply would not have believed it. No chance. This really is a special group of players and a special manager. Not perfect, not above all criticism, but special. Let's enjoy it.