Newcastle United 1-2 FC Barcelona - 18/09/2025

[AyeDubbleYoo]

7 minutes ago, Kimbo said:

I’m looking forward to us not getting pats on the head for winning the prize of playing teams like Barca, PSG etc. I find it all irritating, I prefer hatred tbh.

 

We beat PSG

[Sibierski]

1 minute ago, r0cafella said:

La masia really is goated. 

They signed him as a teenager and just played him right off the bat from word go. Felt like injuries would derail his potential a few years ago when he was overplayed, but looks to be over them hopefully. 

[r0cafella]

Just now, Sibierski said:

They signed him as a teenager and just played him right off the bat from word go. Felt like injuries would derail his potential a few years ago when he was overplayed, but looks to be over them hopefully. 

Yeah but the list of players they've produced is absurd. Not saying we copy the style they have but was hoping we'd invest much more on our academy at this point. 

[Kimbo]

Just now, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

We beat PSG

 

That’s my point, we belong playing these teams because we’re good. We get treated like a lower league team that’s drawn the league champions in the FA Cup. In time it will die off and people will get used to it.

[timeEd32]

These quotes from Gordon are telling:

 

Quote

 

"I think the way they keep the ball was a learning experience. We don't play against that kind of style in England, not at that level anyway. I thought they were the best I've played against in that sense of the game. Some of that play in midfield was really top."

 

"We've played against some top teams. [Manchester] City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, but the way they pass the ball, the midfielders, the way they were fluid in their movement and combining, made it really hard for us to press -- and it's not easy coming here and doing that."

 

 

Yesterday was frustrating, but we're also not going to face a better team than that until PSG away. The midfield is arguably the best in the world.

[MagPar]

12 hours ago, GideonShandy said:

How were we supposed to prevent him from representing his country (on a shit pitch or otherwise)?

D.R Congo are in with a very good chance to qualify for the WC, and some people want us to deny him that opportunity. Aye right.

[Holmesy]

2 hours ago, LFEE said:

He had cramp after only 45mins against Wolves. Tactically the plan was probably pace against their high line. Take our two chances and its a good choice no?

Yeah, but you can say that about any football match. Have an actual striker in there and he probably does finish it. But it's all subjective anyway because Woldemade probably would have been in a different position to where Gordon was. So far, we have won 0 of the games this season when Gordon has played up front

[leffe186]

2 hours ago, Conjo said:

 

Schar has a head injury literally every game. If he says he is fit to continue i reckon Howe trusts (or trusted?) his judgement based on his track record.

He trusts his judgment based on the fact he’s been hit in the head a lot?

[Conjo]

9 minutes ago, leffe186 said:

He trusts his judgment based on the fact he’s been hit in the head a lot?

 

The fact that he's gone on to play without being affected so many times.

[leffe186]

8 minutes ago, Conjo said:

 

The fact that he's gone on to play without being affected so many times.

That’s the million dollar question though - has he really not been affected?

 

Just teasing - it just sounded funny when you said it

[TRon]

1 hour ago, SteV said:

 

His awareness of what was around him was, I think, the best I’ve ever seen live.

 

Seemed to be turning away from players before the ball had even reached him.

 

 

Absolute masterclass in how to operate in tight spaces and evade the press. Shame it was against us, but it's a good reminder that skill is still more important than brute force in football.

[Benwell Lad]

Spanish Barcelona supporting friend tells me he didn't think they played well. I know it wouldn't have been considered a classic by their standards but wonder if that is the consensus in the Spanish media ?

I think they did play well otherwise they wouldn't have beaten us. We we're very decent.

[Conjo]

12 minutes ago, leffe186 said:

That’s the million dollar question though - has he really not been affected?

 

Just teasing - it just sounded funny when you said it

 

oh  His brain should definitely be included in CTE studies at some point with the amount of knocks he has gotten.

[SteV]

6 minutes ago, Benwell Lad said:

Spanish Barcelona supporting friend tells me he didn't think they played well. I know it wouldn't have been considered a classic by their standards but wonder if that is the consensus in the Spanish media ?

I think they did play well otherwise they wouldn't have beaten us. We we're very decent.

They probably don’t realise how well you have to play to control the game like that for large parts, against us at SJP. 
 

Maybe they weren’t that sharp in the final third (by their standards), but equally, we also defended very well for the most part.

[TRon]

10 minutes ago, Benwell Lad said:

Spanish Barcelona supporting friend tells me he didn't think they played well. I know it wouldn't have been considered a classic by their standards but wonder if that is the consensus in the Spanish media ?

I think they did play well otherwise they wouldn't have beaten us. We we're very decent.

 

 

I didn't think we were great tbh. We pressed brilliantly to start with, but we were also quite careless with the ball when we had it. It was a mixed bag from us, but we gave it everything effort wise. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

They did OK, the goals were individual efforts and then they kept possession well after they scored. But they didn't play brilliantly and could have lost. 

 

We had more xG. 

[Benwell Lad]

5 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

 

I didn't think we were great tbh. We pressed brilliantly to start with, but we were also quite careless with the ball when we had it. It was a mixed bag from us, but we gave it everything effort wise. 

 

Not great but I think we'd have beaten a lot of teams and even Barcelona on an off night with that performance.

[KaKa]

13 minutes ago, Benwell Lad said:

Spanish Barcelona supporting friend tells me he didn't think they played well. I know it wouldn't have been considered a classic by their standards but wonder if that is the consensus in the Spanish media ?

I think they did play well otherwise they wouldn't have beaten us. We we're very decent.

 

They just smashed Valencia last weekend 6-0, and are used to creating lots of chances and scoring quite freely.

 

They didn't have a single shot on target until Rashford's header went in, because we were making life difficult for them.

 

We got in behind them often in the first half and looked far more dangerous than they did, even though they had more possession and passed it around well, it was not very threatening.

 

Their midfield two of Pedri and De Jong have gotten a lot of praise, but I think that has mostly come off the back of the second half and how they saw out the game at the end, once we started to tire. I thought early on they were overwhelmed for the most part.

[Benwell Lad]

5 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

They did OK, the goals were individual efforts and then they kept possession well after they scored. But they didn't play brilliantly and could have lost. 

 

We had more xG. 

 

UEFA should run a concurrent league table of xG and the team most done by it gets a wildcard qualification. Also use it to decide draws in knockouts rather than penalty shoot outs 

[nufcjb]

16 minutes ago, Conjo said:

 

oh  His brain should definitely be included in CTE studies at some point with the amount of knocks he has gotten.

aye, Schar is the Isaac Hayden for head injuries. He gets them every other game.

[andycap]

I think Vardy would've stuck Gordon's chance in last night like. 

Maybes should've brought him in for a season as third choice. He has that poacher instinct at the highest level. 

That you just can't teach. 

[andycap]

Wissa would've aswell mind. 

In hindsight him playing up top instead of Gordon would've carried us until woltemade and wissa were fit. 

[1964]

2 hours ago, Kimbo said:

 

That’s my point, we belong playing these teams because we’re good. We get treated like a lower league team that’s drawn the league champions in the FA Cup. In time it will die off and people will get used to it.

I don't think we'll get the chance to get used to it personally.  The PSR issue is real, it massively advantages teams that need no more advantage. Top 4 will be same as last year barring a miracle

[leffe186]

36 minutes ago, Benwell Lad said:

 

UEFA should run a concurrent league table of xG and the team most done by it gets a wildcard qualification. Also use it to decide draws in knockouts rather than penalty shoot outs 

Oh God no

[Kid Icarus]

50 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

They did OK, the goals were individual efforts and then they kept possession well after they scored. But they didn't play brilliantly and could have lost. 

 

We had more xG. 

Definitely. I feel like a lot of the plaudits they're getting is largely because of the name (of the club and the players) more than anything. They played pretty football but it wasn't really all that effective and had very little to do with the result.