The Europeometer™ (2023/24)

[STM]

I think the big difference is that any slump that may occur can be snuffed out much quicker by making changes to the starting 11. 

 

We've practically a second 11 capable of similar levels to the first 11.

 

                      Dubravka 

 

Livramento Lascelles    Murphy  Hall

 

                      Longstaff 

         Anderson                Willock

Murphy                                    Barnes

                         Wilson

 

In many ways, extra games might be a good thing for this side. It's more opportunity to galvanise momentum through tweaking the line up.

[RS]

Mid-table mediocrity. What a rancid couple of games. Good opposition but we look clueless. 

[PauloGeordio]

Just now, RS said:

Mid-table mediocrity. What a rancid couple of games. Good opposition but we look clueless. 

[mikejaxer]

Just now, RS said:

Mid-table mediocrity. What a rancid couple of games. Good opposition but we look clueless. 

Two losses against arguably the two best teams in the country 

 

You do realise we lost these two same fixtures last season and finished top 4?

[Weezertron]

I hope we can get some momentum going after this tough bunch of fixtures. Be shite if we're low on confidence when we starting to play the bottom half. 

 

 

[Viana]

It's been a tough start to the season, but we should be on six points here. My only concern early on is that I felt like against City and Liverpool, we let a wounded animal regain composure and ultimately beat us. 

 

I'm not quite seeing that same 'intensity is our identity' stuff. It's a long season, it's an even longer project, so we'll just have to see.

[TheHoob]

We stuffed Villa and did alright against probably the best team in the world, today was total dogshit but I'm not reading too much into it. Liverpool are our bogey team it seems, if we have a few shite performances on the bounce then aye fair enough, otherwise I'll just chalk it off to a bad day in the office I think. 

[Miggys First Goal]

I still believe. Second here we come.

[Matt1892]

Newcastle 5-1 Aston Villa ✅

Man City 1-0 Newcastle ❌

Newcastle 1-2 Liverpool ❌

 

Same points and +2 goal difference.

 

Next up Brighton. 22/23 score…

 

Brighton 0-0 Newcastle

[Kanji]

1 hour ago, TheHoob said:

We stuffed Villa and did alright against probably the best team in the world, today was total dogshit but I'm not reading too much into it. Liverpool are our bogey team it seems, if we have a few shite performances on the bounce then aye fair enough, otherwise I'll just chalk it off to a bad day in the office I think. 

where my head is firmly at right now once the initial anguish and reaction has marinated. 

[RS]

2 hours ago, mikejaxer said:

Two losses against arguably the two best teams in the country 

 

You do realise we lost these two same fixtures last season and finished top 4?

We played football against them last season. The players looked like they didn’t know each other against them this time. 

[The Prophet]

On 20/08/2023 at 14:58, The Prophet said:

Was going to do a baseline tracker, but Matt got there first...

 

Aston Villa (h) 5-1 v 4-0 

City (a) 1-0 v 2-0

Liverpool (h) 1-2 v 0-2

 

+0 points, +2 goal difference.

 

[The Prophet]

18 minutes ago, RS said:

We played football against them last season. The players looked like they didn’t know each other against them this time. 

 

Sounds overdramatic

[Geogaddi]

Didn’t really care losing at Man City , was always going to happen , losing at home to Liverpool at 1-0 against 10 man and playing so poorly is worrying though, you could see a mile off in that second half what was going to happen , you just couldn’t tell it was 11 v 10.

[Ronaldo]

2 hours ago, Geogaddi said:

Didn’t really care losing at Man City , was always going to happen , losing at home to Liverpool at 1-0 against 10 man and playing so poorly is worrying though, you could see a mile off in that second half what was going to happen , you just couldn’t tell it was 11 v 10.

We had zero control of that game second half. Again, too much two and three touch football which Liverpool pressed very well. We are crying out for someone like Maddison that immediately gets us on the front foot.

[Gallowgate Toon]

It's too simple to say we win today just because you put Maddison in for Miggy though. We lost because we didn't do the basics of what has made us so good over the last year - aggression and movement. The latter would've been needed for Maddison to do what he does best but it just wasn't there. Very few decoy runs, over/underlaps, little player rotation. In fact, Trippier even tucked into CM for a chunk rather than help stretch the pitch.

 

We tried to play it safe and it didn't work. It was mentality rather than quality.

 

Also, ultimately, today is one game very early on in the season. The squad proved last year that they can rack up goals.

[Stottie]

City away, 10 minutes to go, 0-1 down, us attacking with a 2 or 3 vs. 1 with the ball at Wilson's feet. I would take that situation had it been offered pre-game.

 

Liverpool home, 10 minutes to go 1-0 up playing 10 men but struggling to create second goal. I would take that as well.

 

In a rare flash of All or Nothing type footage in the We are Newcastle documentary, Tripper can be seen at half time in the Man U home angrily telling the team they need to be clinical because they're playing Manchester United. The other players can be seen commiserating WIllock, who was guilty of the biggest first half miss. From this scene, it's obvious who the onfield captain and leader is. 

 

Whether our players are good/clinical enough to press on further is debatable, but since we are in the CL, we'll get a few more competitive games against the very best. This experience can only help us in big domestic games going forward. We've never played a top team with 10 men before under Howe, so it should be no surprise that we do not know how to unpick them.

[Kanji]

This is the sort of stuff that top managers learn from - Pep, Klopp, and name the rest of the greats have ALL had days like yesterday. It’s what happens after this that defines them, based on Howe’s season and half with us I back him to learn heavily from the last 2 matches and while it may not click initially, the solutions will be found, the work will be done at the training ground and in game management will be retooled. 

[Kanji]

I would like to see the gamesmanship return mind you. The random “injury” in the first or second half to give Howe 2 mins to speak to his players. The shithousing to slow the opposition down, etc. it seems like we’ve been playing to be liked the last 3 matches versus the mantra of last season — “we are not here to be liked; we are here to compete” 

[The Prophet]

Aye, could have done with a stoppage when Liverpool got a foothold and we were losing our way a bit.

[Kanji]

Just now, The Prophet said:

Aye, could have done with a stoppage when Liverpool got a foothold and we were losing our way a bit.

Feel like last season we’d be laying down, Howe would talk to our players. We’d settle down and get a grip again. 

[mighty__mag]

I'm worried how fast people turn on the players/staff.

I truly believe if we crash out of the Champions League early and are a few places off the top four, most people will forget everything we have achieved in a short space and be calling for Eddie's head.

I'm with Shearer and some of the other pundits out there, I do think we'll struggle to get top four this season, I also think this isn't the season for us, (It's an opportunity to look into the future regarding UCL) I believe the following season after this one is where we'll see us challenge the top 4/5.

Right now this season I wouldn't be at all disheartened if we ended up in the Europa League, I wouldn't be bothered if we didn't win a trophy either.

I can see the progression and I think Eddie is the person to take us there, his obsession with fitness and levels has taken players playing at below 50% to another level, the only time you'll see this look like we're dropping is when you play sides that operate a similar standard, Man City and Liverpool have the same standards, and even more to bring from their benches, you only have to look at Gordon who clearly arrived unfit physically and probably mentally, then translate that to Everton who are a total mess right now, Eddie and his OCD on fitness, levels, being at the optimum is the recipe for success. 

I just prey the majority don't call for him based on this seasons success or failure.

 

If you don't expect as much you won't feel like you've lost a great deal.

 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by mighty__mag

[TRon]

19 hours ago, Viana said:

It's been a tough start to the season, but we should be on six points here. My only concern early on is that I felt like against City and Liverpool, we let a wounded animal regain composure and ultimately beat us. 

 

I'm not quite seeing that same 'intensity is our identity' stuff. It's a long season, it's an even longer project, so we'll just have to see.

 

It doesn't look great if you can't impress your intensity against 10 men like. Maybe we just got thrown off by playing against a man less and started second guessing ourselves. Sometimes it makes more sense to just pass the ball around quicker and let them come on to you rather than chase the game which is what we did. Felt like we played into their hands somewhat.

[Viana]

We basically battered Villa then seemed meek against a genuine threat. If they return to even just the same speed and level as against Villa - regardless of result - I’ll be happy. 

[Optimistic Nut]

Did this for one season ages ago, Rolling League Table.

 

Using last season's final table, and updating with this season's results replacing last season's like-for-like. (Burnley replacing Leicester, Sheff Utd replacing Leeds & Luton replacing Southampton).

 

Big take away is the goal difference swing between us & Liverpool (Liverpool won 9-0 v Bournemouth & 2-0 v Newcastle compared to 3-1 & 2-1). We're also 1 point closer to Man Utd due to them losing at Spurs compared to drawing last season.