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The TopFourometer™ (2023/24)  

629 members have voted

  1. 1. How likely are we to finish top four this season? 0 = nee chance, 5 = can’t call it, 10 = nailed on marra



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34 minutes ago, Smal said:

The Champions League is what the players spent all season playing out of their skins to qualify for, like. Get arsed about it! 

 

Aye fuck giving up on it, we need to hang with our bleeding fingernails if we have to. If we can somehow get through then the next round of games isn't until next year and we will have most of our squad back hopefully.

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I'm sure I've said it before but I'll never understand the thinking that we should give up on Europe so we can focus on getting back in to Europe.

 

I'll take a dip in our league form for a season if it means the team puts in the effort to get experiences like PSG at home.

 

I'll also take it if it means making some waves from getting out of this hellscape of a group and showing we mean business to potential transfer targets.

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Throwing the last champions league game when we have a decent chance at qualifying is absolutely wild [emoji38] Even if you think we'd be out next round  winning tomorrow and going though would net us around £10m. 

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53 minutes ago, Jaqen said:

Throwing the last champions league game when we have a decent chance at qualifying is absolutely wild [emoji38] Even if you think we'd be out next round  winning tomorrow and going though would net us around £10m. 

Mental isn't it people saying they'd take a draw when we need a win ffs ? utter buffoons.

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7 minutes ago, WideopenMag said:

Mental isn't it people saying they'd take a draw when we need a win ffs ? utter buffoons.

That's a completely different situation to the one you've quoted. Throwing the game would be playing a bunch of kids, be happy if we lost, get out of Europe completely to concentrate elsewhere. Whereas those saying they'd take a draw realise it's not the best situation, but it's not the worst either, a bit like saying they'd take a point at a fairly tough away game - could be a lot worse, so they'd settle to at least get something from the match and avoid the worst possible scenario (a loss).

 

Even Eddie was alluding to the prospect of Europa League in his press conference., and that we've got something in our hands.

 

"Being under the lights here, in the UEFA Champions League, is always very special. We have something to play for, something to gain. To be here with some kind of destiny in our hands, European football still in our hands, I think we would have taken that at the start of the group. We can control our performance tomorrow and we will make sure we give everything we can to try and win."

 

Finishing 3rd in this group is certainly nothing to be sniffed at. I'd be gutted if we lost tomorrow, whereas at least we would have some sort of reward if we were to draw. even if not the ultimate prize.

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1 hour ago, Paullow said:

That's a completely different situation to the one you've quoted. Throwing the game would be playing a bunch of kids, be happy if we lost, get out of Europe completely to concentrate elsewhere. Whereas those saying they'd take a draw realise it's not the best situation, but it's not the worst either, a bit like saying they'd take a point at a fairly tough away game - could be a lot worse, so they'd settle to at least get something from the match and avoid the worst possible scenario (a loss).

 

Even Eddie was alluding to the prospect of Europa League in his press conference., and that we've got something in our hands.

 

"Being under the lights here, in the UEFA Champions League, is always very special. We have something to play for, something to gain. To be here with some kind of destiny in our hands, European football still in our hands, I think we would have taken that at the start of the group. We can control our performance tomorrow and we will make sure we give everything we can to try and win."

 

Finishing 3rd in this group is certainly nothing to be sniffed at. I'd be gutted if we lost tomorrow, whereas at least we would have some sort of reward if we were to draw. even if not the ultimate prize.

Ah come on you've got to be the most negative man in the world to say you'd take a draw before tomorrow's game. Just don't get that mind set at all. Think you're taking liberties with Eddie's comments, no way will the thought of playing for a draw be entering his head.

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2 minutes ago, WideopenMag said:

Ah come on you've got to be the most negative man in the world to say you'd take a draw before tomorrow's game. Just don't get that mind set at all. Think you're taking liberties with Eddie's comments, no way will the thought of playing for a draw be entering his head.

 

We could win 8-0 again tomorrow and still not qualify. If, hypothetically, Dortmund get a red card after 5 mins and give away a pen in the same incident and find themselves 0-2 or 0-3 down after 15 mins, then a draw will effectively be as good as a win as far as we are concerned.

 

I of course want a win, and probably wouldn't take one if offered, but, especially when qualifying is not in our hands, and given our injuries and very recent form and a loss will be by no means a shock result, I could certainly understand those who say they would take a draw, and at least have something to look forward to in the new year outside of the usual calendar. It's not simply a case of win or bust, as the consolation prize is still one definitely worth having, if that's what we do end up with.

 

Eddie isn't saying he would take a draw, and specifically mentions trying to win at the end of the same quote, but by saying 'European football is in our hands', he is at least acknowledging the Europa League as something to play for, and that's it's certainly not all or nothing as far as far as the Champions League and Europe is concerned.

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4 minutes ago, Paullow said:

 

We could win 8-0 again tomorrow and still not qualify. If, hypothetically, Dortmund get a red card after 5 mins and give away a pen in the same incident and find themselves 0-2 or 0-3 down after 15 mins, then a draw will effectively be as good as a win as far as we are concerned.

 

I of course want a win, and probably wouldn't take one if offered, but, especially when qualifying is not in our hands, and given our injuries and very recent form and a loss will be by no means a shock result, I could certainly understand those who say they would take a draw, and at least have something to look forward to in the new year outside of the usual calendar. It's not simply a case of win or bust, as the consolation prize is still one definitely worth having, if that's what we do end up with.

 

Eddie isn't saying he would take a draw, and specifically mentions trying to win at the end of the same quote, but by saying 'European football is in our hands', he is at least acknowledging the Europa League as something to play for, and that's it's certainly not all or nothing as far as far as the Champions League and Europe is concerned.

Aye and its also unjustly not in our hands if not for a disgrace of a penalty decision. Of course he's going to acknowledge the Europa League as like you said we could go out even if we win. Why even bother getting 4th place and qualifying for the champions league if people are happy to go out of it and the first opportunity? It's not like we don't deserve to be there, or don't deserve to qualify is it? I'd understand if we'd been beat soundly every game. Let's take a draw and get knocked out at the first opportunity after all last years hard work...dare to dream eh, deary me.

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24 minutes ago, Mahoneys Tache said:

Hypothetical and a way of illustrating that I think  that winning domestic competition is more important than getting knocked out of the champions league. 

Yeah but tomorrow's game has absolutely no bearing on our chances of winning a domestic cup? It's not like the Fulham game is a semi-final and we have to decide who plays which game.

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2 hours ago, Paullow said:

 

We could win 8-0 again tomorrow and still not qualify. If, hypothetically, Dortmund get a red card after 5 mins and give away a pen in the same incident and find themselves 0-2 or 0-3 down after 15 mins, then a draw will effectively be as good as a win as far as we are concerned.

 

I of course want a win, and probably wouldn't take one if offered, but, especially when qualifying is not in our hands, and given our injuries and very recent form and a loss will be by no means a shock result, I could certainly understand those who say they would take a draw, and at least have something to look forward to in the new year outside of the usual calendar. It's not simply a case of win or bust, as the consolation prize is still one definitely worth having, if that's what we do end up with.

 

Eddie isn't saying he would take a draw, and specifically mentions trying to win at the end of the same quote, but by saying 'European football is in our hands', he is at least acknowledging the Europa League as something to play for, and that's it's certainly not all or nothing as far as far as the Champions League and Europe is concerned.

I actually think we are going to win 8-0, get 3 red cards and Frainey (yellow underpants) will invade the pitch.

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3 hours ago, Kid Icarus said:

How else is 'I'd take X over Y" meant to be taken like? 

 

 

 

Metaphorically? Or as a means of communicating personal preference? Kind of like we have the power of a  Greek God moving the human pawns  around in the sky, shown in every B movie (‘Twas probably only one…)  on a Saturday afternoon, back in the day. Which nicely captured the illusion of predetermined fate. That was unusually profound, think I’ll reward myself with a cheeky Primitivo (yes @Rod, I’m trying to impress you).  

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1 minute ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Metaphorically? Or as a means of communicating personal preference? Kind of like we have the power of a  Greek God moving the human pawns  around in the sky, shown in every B movie (‘Twas probably only one…)  on a Saturday afternoon, back in the day. Which nicely captured the illusion of predetermined fate. That was unusually profound, think I’ll reward myself with a cheeky Primitivo (yes @Rod, I’m trying to impress you).  

Love it!

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1 hour ago, Mahoneys Tache said:

Hypothetical and a way of illustrating that I think  that winning domestic competition is more important than getting knocked out of the champions league. 

I understand the "if I could choose" hypothetical like, but when it's influencing how you think Newcastle should approach competitions in real life (in your case saying we should put out a weakened squad) it's not just hypothetical at that point. 

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On 10/12/2023 at 12:14, SteV said:

Exactly. We’ve made 8 points on Spurs in the last five games without being in particularly great form.

 

There’s always the possibility of a couple of key injuries fettling any team. Look at Man City. De Bruyne and Rodri out and it’s gone tits up (by their standards).

 

How would Villa fair without, say, Watkins and McGinn for a few weeks? They might be fine, but you never know.

 

Another name here in the "if he got injured, there'd be trouble" stakes - Pau Torres.

 

So much of our attacking play comes from him, his range of passing is exceptional, not just "for a defender" but "for anywhere on the pitch". He's so important to how we play.

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