The Europeometer™ (2023/24) - permutations in O.P.

[The Prophet]

The top four looks beyond us this season. Still see no reason why we can't finish top six though. Man United, West Ham and Brighton will continue to drop points too.

[Ketsbaia]

It's scary how quickly things have turned.

 

3 weeks ago, we were fans of a Champions League team and checking UEFA co-ordinates to see if 5th would be good enough to qualify next season.

 

Now we're 9th, about to face Liverpool, Man City and Aston Villa. There's a pretty decent chance that we'll enter February in 11th/12th place, as teams like Chelsea, Wolves and Bournemouth are close by.

 

Our mostly-fit squad playing once a week should put together a strong run in the later months - I'm confident of that - but it feels like it's a fight for 7th, possibly 6th at a stretch.

[PauloGeordio]

33 minutes ago, Ketsbaia said:

It's scary how quickly things have turned.

 

3 weeks ago, we were fans of a Champions League team and checking UEFA co-ordinates to see if 5th would be good enough to qualify next season.

 

Now we're 9th, about to face Liverpool, Man City and Aston Villa. There's a pretty decent chance that we'll enter February in 11th/12th place, as teams like Chelsea, Wolves and Bournemouth are close by.

 

Our mostly-fit squad playing once a week should put together a strong run in the later months - I'm confident of that - but it feels like it's a fight for 7th, possibly 6th at a stretch.

Which would not mean the end of the world. Regroup and go again. This was always possible with a thin squad fighting on 4 fronts and then the horrendous injuries we’ve endured, 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by PauloGeordio

[andyc35i]

I really don’t think there’s been a team in the recent history of football that’s had as hard a first half of the season. All our cup draws, plus the fact it’s the most competitive Premier League season (possibly ever) and then you thrown in the injuries - things can only get better

[Colos Short and Curlies]

I can see us getting to 66 points, would normally be enough to be 5/6.

 

we’re only 2 wins down on Spurs, it’s the losses rather than draws that have done the real damage first half of the season, a few players back and we can fix that

[brummie]

1 hour ago, The Prophet said:

The top four looks beyond us this season. Still see no reason why we can't finish top six though. Man United, West Ham and Brighton will continue to drop points too.

 

There is tons of football left.

 

I think top four or five will be a push, but there's easily enough games left - half a season - to move well up the league. Then there's the insane inconsistency of the league in general this season. There are going to be opportunities for teams to move up a lot (look at West Ham and Wolves lately).

 

You need to find some consistency from somewhere, though. It doesn't matter losing matches like last week so long as you respond to it properly and minimise the damage, get back on course.

 

I know you've had more injuries than Hamas recently, but I also think Champions League has taken it out of you. It has been a challenge being in Europe for us too, and although our matches have been more arse end of nowhere locations and draining in that way, yours have been against really good opposition. That takes a physical and mental toll, and I don't think your squad is deep enough to be able to handle that.

 

The upside = second half of the season, don't need to worry about it.

[Hovagod]

I love being patronised by an Aston Villa fan in every single thread mind. 

[Kanji]

Brummie being a  supportive brother in dark times at N-O 

[brummie]

10 minutes ago, Hovagod said:

I love being patronised by an Aston Villa fan in every single thread mind. 

Oh, give over. 

[TheBrownBottle]

European qualification should be the aim - it should always have been the aim for NUFC, even under Ashley.

 

I’m not that bothered if that means Conference League etc.  Europe is Europe.  

[Ronaldo]

We’ll need 42 points (just about title winning form) in the second half of the season just to equal last season’s points total. 4th isn’t happening now, unfortunately. 

[Conjo]

Most likely not happening, no, but not impossible, and even if we don't make it, it will still be a very enjoyable season bar a complete collapse in form from now until the end. I know I've already watched matches this season I will never forget due to the good memories of them, unlike the 100's of matches I have little/no recollection of since the Ba-Cisse-HBA 4-3-3 months under Pardew.

[Kid Icarus]

We're 6 points behind where we were last season and are in a bad spot but it's very much within the realms of possibility that we put a run together and get near where we were last season and 5th becomes a CL spot.

[loki679]

2 hours ago, Hovagod said:

I love being prontonised by an Aston Villa fan in every single thread mind. 

 

fyp

 

Brummie's sound too

[Skeletor]

Until we stop losing every away game to even the shittiest of opposition, we won't achieve anything anyway. Last season we were nearly impossible to score against. Now teams with Chris Wood up front are scoring for fun against us.

[Aiston]

Top 7 will be out the question if we cannot sort our away form. The only team worse than us away all season is Sheffield Utd.

 

[Ronaldo]

6 hours ago, Kid Icarus said:

We're 6 points behind where we were last season and are in a bad spot but it's very much within the realms of possibility that we put a run together and get near where we were last season and 5th becomes a CL spot.

We had 38 points after 19 games last season. We’re on 29 this time.

[Yorkie]

Finishing in the top four was even less realistic going into this season than it was going into last, given the additional matches and pressure, not to mention the improvements of competitors. Anyone who held the expectation that we'd do it again was setting themselves up for an agonising year.

 

I think par for this team is where we are now, among the scramble for Europa places with Man Utd, West Ham and Brighton. Alright it says '9th' next to our name atm but at this stage of the season, 6th-7th-8th-9th basically just means the same thing so I'm not losing any sleep about being presently bottom of the mini league. We'll probably fall another place or two but should be back amongst it after a much kinder February and March. The run-in is pretty gentle as well. 

 

Just finishing in the top six again would be a sensational achievement for this team... doing that two years in a row from our baseline would be amazing. 7th and another European campaign would be a good achievement too. We're up against some really, really good sides here.

[BShearer]

if we just beat Luton and Forest we would be right up there 1 p behind Spurs I expect both Villa and Spurs to drop lot more points but unfortunately we will not be there to capitalize. we really need some big results away from home but cat see much in the Pool and Villa away games unless Howe can come up with something else tactically because doing what we did in Bournemouth, Everton and Luton games aint gonna be happy end vs Pool or Villa.

[Froggy]

I must say, reading this thread makes me feel like a bit of a hopeful idiot. I absolutely believe we can finish in the top 4/5, and I don't see why Newcastle shouldn't still hope for that as well.

 

Howe and Ten Hag both have a track history of being streaky managers who go on long winning runs. With a lot of players to come back for both teams I do still think there's 5/6 teams in the top four race. 

 

I'll delete this when Forest beat us tomorrow.

[Kid Icarus]

32 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

We had 38 points after 19 games last season. We’re on 29 this time.

Aye, forgot about game 7 again. Still think 5th is doable but it'll take a lot.

 

 

[Fezzle]

10 hours ago, Ketsbaia said:

 

Now we're 9th, about to face Liverpool, Man City and Aston Villa. There's a pretty decent chance that we'll enter February in 11th/12th place, as teams like Chelsea, Wolves and Bournemouth are close by

They have in order Luton and Liverpool away, Fulham home, Everton and man utd home Brighton away and spurs and west ham away, Liverpool at home. Let's not climb on the tracks too fast

[Abacus]

30 minutes ago, Froggy said:

I must say, reading this thread makes me feel like a bit of a hopeful idiot. I absolutely believe we can finish in the top 4/5, and I don't see why Newcastle shouldn't still hope for that as well.

 

Howe and Ten Hag both have a track history of being streaky managers who go on long winning runs. With a lot of players to come back for both teams I do still think there's 5/6 teams in the top four race. 

 

I'll delete this when Forest beat us tomorrow.

 

 

I do think second half of the season we'll be coming up on the rails as an outsider, and wouldn't be surprised if Man U clicked like they did last year as well. 

 

It's very much an outside shot for us this year, but it should have been for us last season. Get through the next few games, and I'll start enjoying the rest of the season and being a dark horse again.

[nufcnick]

Might as well change this to the top8, as we’re getting nowhere near the top 6 

[The College Dropout]

Still think we can get close to 65 points which will have us in Europe.