West Ham United vs. Newcastle United: 10/03/25 @ 20:00 (Sky Sports)

[Yorkie]

31 minutes ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

 

Do you think we've got the mentality to do anything about it? We need another run, need to pick up momentum asap. Lose this, then the cup final and some of these will just coast until the end of the season.

 

As it happens I'm quite positive about tonight.

 

I'd never doubt the mentality of this group of players tbh.

 

We could really, really do with a positive result, obviously. My post was more in response to the "lose and it's the apocalypse" vibes of the one before. It would be rubbish but would be all forgotten about as long as we put a run together after the final.

 

I also think you're over-egging how bad we've been lately. We can apply that to Forest second half and the Man City game, but Arsenal semi we were excellent, likewise Forest first half. Brighton we were good for at least a half (and win the game pre-fun police). Liverpool was meh. We need performances to pick up but we've not been terrible. 

[OoOGazOoO]

I think it is quite important tonight to get a result for more than just 3 points, lift the mood, get momentum going in to the cup final, improve our league position, and get some positivity back around the club following the red card to Gordon and the latest injury to Sven.

 

It'll give us a good boost, and let's face it, we should be beating teams like West Ham if we have aspirations of playing CL footie.

[Gallowgate Toon]

While axis of Joe is my preference for the final, I'd start Barnes ahead of Tino tonight just to see how it works + get more sharpness into Barnes who could be a vital role player on the weekend. 

[Dr.Spaceman]

1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

 

I'd never doubt the mentality of this group of players tbh.

 

We could really, really do with a positive result, obviously. My post was more in response to the "lose and it's the apocalypse" vibes of the one before. It would be rubbish but would be all forgotten about as long as we put a run together after the final.

 

I also think you're over-egging how bad we've been lately. We can apply that to Forest second half and the Man City game, but Arsenal semi we were excellent, likewise Forest first half. Brighton we were good for at least a half (and win the game pre-fun police). Liverpool was meh. We need performances to pick up but we've not been terrible. 

 

Really? We put in possibly the most pathetic performance at The Etihad this season when some very average sides were giving them a real hard time. If that doesn't point to a mentality issue, what does it point to? Similarly Bournemouth and West Hame at home, Brentford away. Pathetic performances where we generally looked like we just gave up too much space, time and time again through lack of movement and bad decision making.

 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Dr.Spaceman

[Theregulars]

1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

If we lose tonight we'll be one point off a European place (three off CL) with 30 points to play for. 

Yorkie essentially now volunteers his time as a Toon-specific fact check service.

[Menace]

25 minutes ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

 

Really? We put in possibly the most pathetic performance at The Etihad this season when some very average sides were giving them a real hard time. If that doesn't point to a mentality issue, what does it point to? Similarly Bournemouth and West Hame at home, Brentford away. Pathetic performances where we generally looked like we just gave up too much space time and time again through lack of movement and bad decision making.

 

 

 

 

Absolutely agree - I think the run in which we were immense has masked a few things for sure. We've been pretty bang average this season on the whole. Yeah people can say the same song and dance about 3 points away etc. People said Brighton were shite 3 weeks ago now they're above us.

[SteV]

2 minutes ago, Menace said:

 

Absolutely agree - I think the run in which we were immense has masked a few things for sure. We've been pretty bang average this season on the whole. Yeah people can say the same song and dance about 3 points away etc. People said Brighton were shite 3 weeks ago now they're above us.

You can probably apply a similar description to everyone in the league bar Liverpool and bottom four.

 

It’s been an odd season all round.

[Menace]

Aye. Chelsea on the whole been pretty underwhelming - Cole Palmer's beeen out of form for a while yet they're still 4th

 

Odd season

[Froggy]

Is Isak fit? He's evens for a shot on target.  

[1964]

8 minutes ago, SteV said:

You can probably apply a similar description to everyone in the league bar Liverpool and bottom four.

 

It’s been an odd season all round.

It's been the worst season I can remember unless you're a Liverpool fan.  With just over half the season gone, it was clear who was winning the title and who was getting relegated

[1964]

1 minute ago, Froggy said:

Is Isak fit? He's evens for a shot on target.  

He gets injured tonight, out for 3 seasons

[Kilcline]

2 minutes ago, Froggy said:

Is Isak fit? He's evens for a shot on target.  

Apparently so. Bet accordingly placed so cheers! 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 minute ago, 1964 said:

It's been the worst season I can remember unless you're a Liverpool fan.  With just over half the season gone, it was clear who was winning the title and who was getting relegated

 

For neutrals you mean? For fans of everyone between relegation and the title there's been loads to play for. 

[TRon]

7 hours ago, Jewel said:

Paqueta has been trying to prove a point to us ever since we refused to sign him.

 

He seems to do it most times tbh. Don't seem to hear much about him most of the season then he has a MoM performance against us, while Bruno is generally anonymous.

[1964]

1 minute ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

For neutrals you mean? For fans of everyone between relegation and the title there's been loads to play for. 

Yes, I meant in terms of title and relegation.  Fans of city, arsenal, Chelsea etc who thought they might be heading for a title showdown are disappointed.  As as fans of Southampton,  Leicester and Ipswich who thought they had a chance of staying up.

 

The only interest after 20 games is the lower European places

[TRon]

2 hours ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

 

Do you think we've got the mentality to do anything about it? We need another run, need to pick up momentum asap. Lose this, then the cup final and some of these will just coast until the end of the season.

 

As it happens I'm quite positive about tonight.

 

 

If anything, I think losing the cup final will give us the kick up the arse we need. We'll have nothing else to play for, so Europe will be a bigger motivation than ever.

 

Winning the cup final on the other hand, might see us coasting with players thinking they've already had a successful season. Not that I think they will switch off, but I think there's more chance of them getting complacent after a cup win than if we lose it.

[Doctor Zaius]

That race for Europe has been entertaining but it's hardly that interesting for the neutral. We get to see who will play in an extra competition next season, wow, how enthralling.

 

Liverpool strolling to the title, no relegation battle to speak of (again). Even the story of the season, in Man Citys collapse will still have them qualifying for the CL. I guess Man Utd and Spurs being shit is funny. 

 

PSR expanding the gap between the Championship and the PL has made it worse too. Gone are the days when all 3 promoted clubs may stay up imo. It means there's less risk for PL clubs making them more valuable like, which is really what matters to the PL chiefs.

 

They're lucky that the PL is well marketed and already has a sustained following, because as a sporting/competitive entity, it's quite fucking shit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Doctor Zaius

[Sibierski]

2 hours ago, Yorkie said:

If we lose tonight we'll be one point off a European place (three off CL) with 30 points to play for. 

 

Yea, it won't be a disaster and after International Break it's a clean run on League only, with it really still in our hands.

 

But my god, we need a positive result to go into the cup final and at least stay where we are going into International break. We don't want to be down in 10th for it, want to be (if results go our way at weekend) 2 points off Chelsea with a game in hand.

[Superior Acuña]

21 minutes ago, 1964 said:

It's been the worst season I can remember unless you're a Liverpool fan.  With just over half the season gone, it was clear who was winning the title and who was getting relegated

 

Not for me at all. Just by virtue of the title being a team other than Man City I've been more interested in the top, then it's incredibly tight below that, you've got the novelty of Forest in the CL, and Bournemouth pushing, the novelty of ManU and Tottenham being so low down. Aye the relegation non-scrap's a bit shit. But overall, from a non-NUFC perspective I think it's a really good season.

[TheBrownBottle]

1 hour ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

 

Really? We put in possibly the most pathetic performance at The Etihad this season when some very average sides were giving them a real hard time. If that doesn't point to a mentality issue, what does it point to? Similarly Bournemouth and West Hame at home, Brentford away. Pathetic performances where we generally looked like we just gave up too much space, time and time again through lack of movement and bad decision making.

 

 

 

I’m going to wait until after Sunday, but another Wembley no-show after another post-semi dip in form would lead to proper questions being asked re this side’s mentality for me; as in can they actually hack it when it counts?  

[TheBrownBottle]

I’m going for no injuries and no red cards today.

 

Nee idea re the result. 

[TRon]

10 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

I’m going to wait until after Sunday, but another Wembley no-show after another post-semi dip in form would lead to proper questions being asked re this side’s mentality for me; as in can they actually hack it when it counts?  

 

Don't know about the mentality, but some of our players definitely struggle with the intensity required for our playing style week in week out. I don't think it's the crap players either, we've seen the likes of Tonali and Bruno drop off in recent games. Then at the back we often just don't have the pace to cope when we are left high up the pitch following a turnover of possession.

[The Prophet]

I don't think the dip in results is final related. Our form had already fallen off before we'd progressed.

[TheBrownBottle]

5 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

Don't know about the mentality, but some of our players definitely struggle with the intensity required for our playing style week in week out. I don't think it's the crap players either, we've seen the likes of Tonali and Bruno drop off in recent games. Then at the back we often just don't have the pace to cope when we are left high up the pitch following a turnover of possession.

You’re right, I’d just like to see a performance this weekend.  I’m not expecting a win - just a solid, gutsy showing.

 

edit: I’m still in a huff after the FA Cup loss.  It is always the one game in the season where I fucking hate losing - I’m usually alright again after the next league match!

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by TheBrownBottle

[TRon]

1 minute ago, TheBrownBottle said:

You’re right, I’d just like to see a performance this weekend.  I’m not expecting a win - just a solid, gutsy showing.

 

Aye for a cup final it would be really something to see us go to Wembley and actually show up because I've never seen it in my lifetime.