[LCQF] Newcastle United vs. Fulham: 17/12/25 @ 20:15 (Sky Sports/ITV)

[Geordie Ahmed]

I know our game on Saturday is on TNT but still a bit of a piss take that we play late Wednesday night and then have an early kick off on Saturday 

 

Chelsea get an extra days rest and Fulham don't play until Monday so can go full strength and not have to worry about bringing players off with the next game in mind 

[nufcjmc]

We have to sign a full back in January ideally someone who can do either side if A Murphy isnt it I don't think it can wait till the summer. By the summer Targett gone, Trips likely gone kraft maybe gone and BDB final year. Still loads of games to play second half of the season. 

[Myleftboot]

Think we’ll put out a strong side. If we go out the cup after the derby defeat it’ll pile more pressure on Eddie.

[Yorkie]

18 minutes ago, Minhosa said:

At least Thiaw is fully fit. Tino came back after a long lay off and hasn’t had a rest for ages. It’s massively high risk injury management imho. Could say similar for Lewis Hall. 
 

If either one of them breaks down again, we are fucked. 

 

Who would you have played instead and against whom? Trippier, Krafth and even Ashby are injured. Move Thiaw away from the position he's been absolutely brilliant and vitally important for us? 

 

There's been no choice. Same applies for Hall now Burn is injured too.

[Minhosa]

5 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

Who would you have played instead and against whom? Trippier, Krafth and even Ashby are injured. Move Thiaw away from the position he's been absolutely brilliant and vitally important for us? 

 

There's been no choice. Same applies for Hall now Burn is injured too.

I’d have probably given Murphy a game or two at RB to manage Tino’s load. 
 

Now there’s no option for Hall rotation but there has been up to yesterday. 
 

what would you do if they both had an injury reoccurrence tomorrow? Just field 9 men in the next game?

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Minhosa

[Yorkie]

7 minutes ago, Minhosa said:

I’d have probably given Murphy a game or two at RB to manage Tino’s load. 
 

Now there’s no option for Hall rotation but there has been up to yesterday. 
 

what would you do if they both had an injury reoccurrence tomorrow? Just field 9 men in the next game?

 

Which of the recent games is an acceptable one for Murphy to play RB/RWB in?

 

This always happens when things aren't going well. There's plenty to be critical about, including squad rotation, but you end up reading criticism over every little unreasonable thing. 

 

Tino has been available and there's been no adequate cover to give him a break. Of course he's played all the games in this spell. 

 

Dunno what you're on about with the last point, it's a completely different scenario. If that happened we'd basically just be fucked, as would any team who'd lost literally every single full-back in the squad to injury.

[Minhosa]

12 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

Which of the recent games is an acceptable one for Murphy to play RB/RWB in?

 

This always happens when things aren't going well. There's plenty to be critical about, including squad rotation, but you end up reading criticism over every little unreasonable thing. 

 

Tino has been available and there's been no adequate cover to give him a break. Of course he's played all the games in this spell. 

 

Dunno what you're on about with the last point, it's a completely different scenario. If that happened we'd basically just be fucked, as would any team who'd lost literally every single full-back in the squad to injury.

Nowt to do with things not going well. It’s purely around squad management. I’d have said the same a fortnight ago. 
 

Re the last point, it’s hardly unforeseeable that one or the other breaks down. Then what’s the answer? Perhaps it might require some out of the box thinking. 
 

Perhaps we should be doing that anyway. You know fucking proactively rather than waiting for the inevitable injury or pure lack of form. 
 

I’d have rested players in Germany personally.

 

You seem awfully defensive….maybe the derby result didn’t upset you but it’s not hard to see why people might be pissed off in general. 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Minhosa

[Yorkie]

Just now, Minhosa said:

Nowt to do with things not going well. It’s purely around squad management. I’d have said the same a fortnight ago. 
 

Re the last point, it’s hardly unforeseeable that one or the other breaks down. Then what’s the answer? Perhaps it might require some out of the box thinking. 
 

Perhaps we should be doing that anyway. You know fucking proactively rather than waiting for the inevitable injury or pure lack of form. 
 

I’d have rested players in Germany personally.

 

You seem awfully defensive….maybe the derby result didn’t upset you but it’s not hard to see why people might be pissed off. 

 

 Ya patronising shite. It upset me. Bit tedious that I should have to qualify that just because I think it's unfair to criticise the decision to play Tino.

 

I just cba with jibes for the sake of it, over and above all the things which are entirely fair to question. Sometimes we've just got a bit of a shit hand, and that's the case here. We've got one fit RB, so that's who's in the team. There's no other choice.

 

Putting (barely) a square peg in a round hole away to Leverkusen would've been even riskier tbh. Murphy isn't a defender.

[Minhosa]

3 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

 Ya patronising shite. It upset me. Bit tedious that I should have to qualify that just because I think it's unfair to criticise the decision to play Tino.

 

I just cba with jibes for the sake of it, over and above all the things which are entirely fair to question. Sometimes we've just got a bit of a shit hand, and that's the case here. We've got one fit RB, so that's who's in the team. There's no other choice.

 

Putting (barely) a square peg in a round hole away to Leverkusen would've been even riskier tbh. Murphy isn't a defender.

Concerns around injury management isn’t ’jibes for the sake of it’. 
 

I’ll leave it there seeing as you’re so thin skinned. 
 

Just a timely reminder as to why this place is an occasional lurk these days and not somewhere to post as much. 

[Yorkie]

7 minutes ago, Minhosa said:

Concerns around injury management isn’t ’jibes for the sake of it’. 
 

I’ll leave it there seeing as you’re so thin skinned. 
 

Just a timely reminder as to why this place is an occasional lurk these days and not somewhere to post as much. 

 

What the fuck? I honestly don't know why you're being like this. 

 

We're debating whether or not we should play Tino in every game. My skin is quite intact over this issue.  And my view on the matter doesn't mean I was unaffected by yesterday; so aye, I prickled at that unnecessary assertion.

 

I'll always jump in with a defence of the manager if I think the criticism is unfair. I don't think that means I'm being sensitive. 

[Minhosa]

22 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

What the fuck? I honestly don't know why you're being like this. 

 

We're debating whether or not we should play Tino in every game. My skin is quite intact over this issue.  And my view on the matter doesn't mean I was unaffected by yesterday; so aye, I prickled at that unnecessary assertion.

 

I'll always jump in with a defence of the manager if I think the criticism is unfair. I don't think that means I'm being sensitive. 

I didn’t criticise Howe. It was an observation about something that’s an issue for him, Bunce, the coaches, tactical staff and medical teams. 
 

There was therefore no direct criticism of Howe so no need for you to ‘jump in with a defence’. 
 

It’s a very valid area of concern and one that I’d have hoped they’d have been proactive/creative about. 
 

I think you’re being overly sensitive and lumping this into the ‘everyone’s criticising poor old Eddie’ pile when that’s not the case at all. I’ve been staunch in my defence and support of Howe for years. 
 

Maybe you’d prefer we just kept on playing players until they break. 
 

Murphy isn’t a defender but he’s very capable of playing there for a couple of games as a short term, preventative measure, and that’s what I would have done. He's done it before under Howe in game. Was even an emergency left back a few weeks ago to see a game out. 
 

Is that ok? Am I allowed to hold that view or is that also ‘jibes for the sake of it’?

 

 

Edited December 16, 2025 by Minhosa

[madras]

I'm sure Miley at RB was mentioned at some point. I'd rather go Murphy RWB but have we the 3rd CB ?

[Minhosa]

Just now, madras said:

I'm sure Miley at RB was mentioned at some point. I'd rather go Murphy RWB but have we the 3rd CB ?

I’d also prefer him at rwb but I think starting with 3 cb’s creates a similar risk tbh. One gets injured and we’re knackered there. 
 

None of this is ideal but you simply cannot keep playing Tino and Hall week in, week out and not give them time for proper recovery. 
 

I don’t have access to the data and maybe I’m being too risk averse but it feels to me like we’re still sitting at the poker table at 6am when everyone’s been telling you the lucky streak will run out since 4am. 
 

At some point, they’ll be right, and the drop off from them two to their replacements (even if they were fit) is now massive. We were DESPERATE for them both to be back, and now they are, we’re riding the fuck out of them both. 

[huss9]

may have to play murphy RB and give tino and hall 45 mins each at LB.

[Minhosa]

Just now, huss9 said:

may have to play murphy RB and give tino and hall 45 mins each at LB.

Good shout. 

[madras]

1 minute ago, Minhosa said:

I’d also prefer him at rwb but I think starting with 3 cb’s creates a similar risk tbh. One gets injured and we’re knackered there. 
 

None of this is ideal but you simply cannot keep playing Tino and Hall week in, week out and not give them time for proper recovery. 
 

I don’t have access to the data and maybe I’m being too risk averse but it feels to me like we’re still sitting at the poker table at 6am when everyone’s been telling you the lucky streak will run out since 4am. 
 

At some point, they’ll be right, and the drop off from them two to their replacements (even if they were fit) is now massive. We were DESPERATE for them both to be back, and now they are, we’re riding the fuck out of them both. 

I mentioned earlier about how our injuries seem to come in clusters positiinally. 

 

Also earlier was mentioned the idea of Tino/Hall going a half each at LWB, risking Alex Murphy as 3rd CB maybe

[Minhosa]

Just now, madras said:

I mentioned earlier about how our injuries seem to come in clusters positiinally. 

 

Also earlier was mentioned the idea of Tino/Hall going a half each at LWB, risking Alex Murphy as 3rd CB maybe

Can you please stop with the unnecessary jibes for the sake of it? This always happens when things aren’t going well. 

[madras]

3 minutes ago, Minhosa said:

Can you please stop with the unnecessary jibes for the sake of it? This always happens when things aren’t going well. 

Eh ?

[Minhosa]

5 minutes ago, madras said:

Eh ?

See earlier in the thread (this page) with Captain Sensitive seemingly thinking I was making some form of jibe at Howe due to legitimate concerns around injury management and, yet, you’re saying the same thing.  

 

 

Edited December 16, 2025 by Minhosa

[Yorkie]

 I have absolutely no idea why you're being like this. 

 

Reminder that this was my initial post in response to yours:

 

1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

Who would you have played instead and against whom? Trippier, Krafth and even Ashby are injured. Move Thiaw away from the position he's been absolutely brilliant and vitally important for us? 

 

There's been no choice. Same applies for Hall now Burn is injured too.

 

I was hardly going all guns blazing was I? I was just demonstrating an opposing argument against a specific point. 

 

Really do find it quite ironic that I'm the one copping flack for supposedly being sensitive...

[madras]

5 minutes ago, Minhosa said:

See earlier in the thread (this page) with Captain Sensitive seemingly thinking I was making some form of jibe at Howe due to legitimate concerns around injury management and, yet, you’re saying the same thing.  

 

 

 

That's got nowt to with me. Keep me out of it.

[Minhosa]

1 minute ago, Yorkie said:

 I have absolutely no idea why you're being like this. 

 

Reminder that this was my initial post in response to yours:

 

 

I was hardly going to guns blazing was I? I was just demonstrating an opposing view against a specific point. 

 

Really do find it quite ironic that I'm the one copping flack for supposedly being sensitive...

Which was responded to and then you went on some bizarre rant about ‘this always happens when things aren’t going well’ .

 

Which had fuck all to do with the point being made and all to do with you seemingly thinking it was an attack on Howe. 

[Yorkie]

I'm not going to quote myself again, but I didn't go on a rant, mate. I made a point about how you find a lot of undue criticism at times like this, for sure. Maybe I was finding it where it didn't exist, but I stand by the view that Tino has rightly been in the team despite having to play a lot. 

[Minhosa]

1 minute ago, Yorkie said:

I'm not going to quote myself again, but I didn't go on a rant, mate. I made a point about how you find a lot of undue criticism at times like this, for sure. Maybe I was finding it where it didn't exist, but I stand by the view that Tino has rightly been in the team despite having to play a lot. 

Aye. You were. There’s nothing ‘unreasonable’ about concerns ref; riding two of our most important players into the ground. 
 

It was an eminently sensible observation. 
 

Shame you were predisposed to defending Howe where there was no direct criticism of him. 
 

Let’s leave it there. I’m sure it’s boring for everyone else now. 

[Yorkie]

Fair enough. I'm not sure I went in so hard that it justified the dressing down I got in response but there you go!