Growing Pains

[Mike]

So...are we ok?  As fans we seem to be a bit mental and I know this season has been absolutely fucking horrid but we're all old enough to remember how fucking terrible it was to support this club as recently as six years ago.

 

I wonder if we spent so much of the dark days fantasizing what it would be like to support a competitive club that the contrast between dream and reality has spun us for such a loop that we can't see how much better things are now compared to then.

Is the football shit? Hell yeah, but this entire generation of football is shit. It's not just us. Are the results frustrating? Absolutely. Every game being the same or feeling the same is awful but we've got a cup, two CL campaigns and we regularly compete deep in competitions. If we can finish in a position to compete for the Europa or the Conference we're immediately favorites to win that. Everyone in every position of authority in our club is learning on the job. As we grow, they'll grow too. Just have to hope we've got the right people in the right positions.

 

The good old days of oil barons and oligarchs filling the coffers with blood money and building a super team are long gone. We missed that train, and I doubt many of us would have enjoyed that kind of unearned glory. We're in the midst of a journey I think we'll look back upon fondly, it's just going to take a hell of a lot longer than we anticipated. But is that not still better than the purgatory of the Ashley era? The hate watching, the apathy from both club and fanbase?

As fans we need to take a moment from time to time and turn around and see how far we've come in an incredibly short amount of time.

[Mattoon]

I think Howe is the author of his own downfall, had he not catapulted us to success in such a short space of time fans would not be so jaded that he's proven himself to be human.

 

Without repeating ad nausea, this season is a perfect storm of poor choices by the club and somewhat Howe himself.

 

Having said that it has been a ride and just because we're in a dip on the ride, it doesn't mean I want off yet. He's brought us such a long way in such a short space of time, he deserves the time to turn it around.

[duo]

The international break came at the right time. 

[Mike]

2 minutes ago, Mattoon said:

I think Howe is the author of his own downfall, had he not catapulted us to success in such a short space of time fans would not be so jaded that he's proven himself to be human.

 

Without repeating ad nausea, this season is a perfect storm of poor choices by the club and somewhat Howe himself.

 

Having said that it has been a ride and just because we're in a dip on the ride, it doesn't mean I want off yet. He's brought us such a long way in such a short space of time, he deserves the time to turn it around.

 

We spent so long catching breaks we could be forgiven for thinking it was the new normal. We're like a band that released an all timer album as a debut and then the followup is a bit shite.

[rebelrouser]

7 minutes ago, Mattoon said:

had he not catapulted us to success in such a short space of time

....he would already have been sacked this year.  I don't think anyone is not aware of the extraordinary job he did his first three years.  His coaching is showing a few cracks, but the real question is who was responsible for the Guehi saga and the panic buys this summer.  

[Mike]

Just now, rebelrouser said:

....he would already have been sacked this year.  I don't think anyone is not aware of the extraordinary job he did his first three years.  His coaching is showing a few cracks, but the real question is who was responsible for the Guehi saga and the panic buys this summer.  

 

Everyone has to take equal blame for the summer and the winter and there needs to be a reaction this summer for certain. But imo we'd been increeedibly fortunate in the market prior to this year and that good fortune was impossible to maintain. 

[Decky]

Growing pains? Was this post meant for the lush lasses thread? 

 

 

Edited March 27 by Decky

[Mike]

 Shut the fuck up Declan.

[Skeletor]

For me its that dread of us having wasted all that money in the summer after 3 previous windows of belt tightening, PSR disasters and general uncompetitiveness in the transfer market. It now feels like someone put a major hole in the ship and for the first time in this regime it feels like we are going in the wrong direction. There's also that element of wondering how much the Saudis actually care, as since Amanda and Mehrdad left there just seems to be an enthusiasm void from the ownership.

[Stottie]

Things off the field are poor, no doubt about that, but I don't necessarily see them as directly causing the major problems we've had on the pitch. That's unless you assume failing to land Trafford automatically meant shit goalkeeping this season and poor transfer activity meant us failing to convert chances specifically when a goal up. This is probably the biggest reason why we've dropped so many points from winning positions.

 

Here's our xG when we've taken the lead. Same xG for and against (12), but 13 equalizers conceded to only 7 goals extending the lead. Five extra lost leads is 10 points. The equal xG suggests we do not "sit back" when ahead. We've still created as much as our opponents, only our finishing has gone off a cliff when it matters.

 

All that "competing for the title by 2030" stuff from our new chairman is total bollocks, and credit to Simon Jordan for calling it out. However I wouldn't say Eddieball is fundamentally broken, or that we've regressed much from a fifth place trophy=CL level. For all the talk of "disastrous summer" and "signing hopeless attackers" we are fifth top scorers in the league since October 1st, a stretch of 25 games which excludes the Isak shock and the Gordon violent conduct mini-disaster at the beginning of the season. We've outscored Liverpool in those 25 games, a club whose off field people presumably did their job perfectly in spending half a billion and getting exactly the targets they wanted. We've even got more points 36 vs. 34 than Liverpool during that period.

[toontownman]

I think it frustration with feeling how close we are but inevitably also so far away.

 

Its going to take time but a bit more communication and proactively from PIF and the top brass wouldn't go a miss to boost peoples trust. The media are going to pick that apart and unnerve us, its what they do best.

 

I still think we are inevitable but things have moved slower off the pitch than we would all have hoped to try and bridge the financial gap.

 

The cup win has taken a lot of my tension away, maybe too much sometimes! Its the small missed opportunities whether thats in the transfer market, on pitch silly results and performances or sponsorship deals etc. That are annoying.

[Froggy]

6 hours ago, Mike said:

The good old days of oil barons and oligarchs filling the coffers with blood money and building a super team are long gone. We missed that train

 

 

Eddie Howe has spent €800m at Newcastle Michael. 

[Ben]

1 minute ago, Froggy said:

 

 

Eddie Howe has spent €800m at Newcastle Michael. 

 

Context, Man Utd spent that on Jadon Sancho

[Ellis H]

Ultimately we don't actually demand a team that tries, we demand a team that wins. This is the third time in my lifetime that I've seen us come from absolutely nowhere and have completely unsustainable growth year on year almost overnight. This is fine if you accept the unsustainable part is very important and don't throw your toys out the pram when it inevitably happens. Two out of three times the fans have gotten let's say "restless" at the very first sign of adversity, with only Keegan suddenly leaving no doubt preventing a full house. 

 

In the Howe meteoric rise era we've had 15 years of aggressive, deliberate owner sabotage to fix all while the bigger teams get bigger and rules are invented to keep us down and yet we regularly compete with Europe's finest and even win a trophy.

 

Taking even one step back and it's very obvious this is the best position we've been in as a club and as a team for nearly 30 years and it still isn't enough for some.  Countless years in the bottom half (or worse) gives zero perspective apparently. 

 

Growing pains is a great title btw as it's exactly where we are as a club but many haven't got the patience for things like gradual growth. 

 

[Froggy]

1 hour ago, Ben said:

Context, Man Utd spent that on Jadon Sancho

 

Can we stop making threads about Man United please.

[Kid Icarus]

Froggy can you not. Just one thread that isn't for you please. 

[Interpolic]

This season has been a huge reminder of how fucking awful loads of our fans are, many of whom are posting relentless, entitled, babyish fucking drivel on here all day every day. 

 

This is a good thread though. 

[Froggy]

14 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Froggy can you not. Just one thread that isn't for you please. 

 

I was just messing around with Mike.  

[bobbydazzla]

I just want us to still have a decent defence like we had in 22/23. And then have built from there. 

 

But we’ve defaulted to the slapstick style of defending that I’ve know for the majority of my adult life. 

 

Is it too much to ask to have a Newcastle side who are capable of consistently keeping the spherical object out of the onion bag.

 

If we’d built on our capabilities from 22/23 I think I’d be happier. I’m not unhappy. I’m just lacklustre. 
 

And I want them to sort the fucking membership scheme out and give us a fuckload more safe standing. Them two things are my biggest gripes. And to stop taking the piss with ticket prices. That’s a third gripe. 

 

 

Edited March 27 by bobbydazzla

[Coffee_Johnny]

2 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

This season has been a huge reminder of how fucking awful loads of our fans are, many of whom are posting relentless, entitled, babyish fucking drivel on here all day every day. 

 

This is a good thread though. 

And good people like yourself, who have been around through think and thin and create an environment, a ‘room’, for those of us afflicted by the NUFC mind-virus to speak with and listen to the like minded. Focusing on similarities and different views (the interesting ones…) makes for a much better NO (and life) experience. 

[Fak]

1 minute ago, bobbydazzla said:

I just want us to have a decent defence like we had in 22/23

 

But we’ve defaulted to the slapstick style of defending that I’ve know for the majority of my adult life. 

 

Is it too much to ask to have a Newcastle side who are capable of consistently keeping the spherical object out of the onion bag.

 

If we’d built on 22/23 I think I’d be happy. 

 

That sounds like management speak to me and I know you hate that.

[madras]

4 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

I just want us to have a decent defence like we had in 22/23. And the build from there. 

 

But we’ve defaulted to the slapstick style of defending that I’ve know for the majority of my adult life. 

 

Is it too much to ask to have a Newcastle side who are capable of consistently keeping the spherical object out of the onion bag.

 

If we’d built on our capabilities from 22/23 I think I’d be happier. I’m not unhappy. I’m just lacklustre. 

 

 

 

I know its pedantic but its not just the defence but the defending as a team. The gaps as the game goes on have been ome predictable and nothing is done about them (ie formation  change as the games goes on).

[bobbydazzla]

50 minutes ago, madras said:

I know its pedantic but its not just the defence but the defending as a team. The gaps as the game goes on have been ome predictable and nothing is done about them (ie formation  change as the games goes on).

When I said defence I meant the team having the ability to stop the opposition from scoring at will. A team effort to be solid at the back.

 

 

Edited March 27 by bobbydazzla

[r0cafella]

Interesting post Mike,I see both sides personally a wouldn't want to be the person deciding which route to take. 

 

I do think to an extent Eddie is a victim of his own success but on the flip side where we currently are in the league leaves a lot to be desired, and losing to Sunderland twice in a season is unacceptable. 

 

As @Mattoonstated it's a bit of a perfect storm at the moment. 

[Mattoon]

1 hour ago, Ellis H said:

Ultimately we don't actually demand a team that tries, we demand a team that wins. This is the third time in my lifetime that I've seen us come from absolutely nowhere and have completely unsustainable growth year on year almost overnight. This is fine if you accept the unsustainable part is very important and don't throw your toys out the pram when it inevitably happens. Two out of three times the fans have gotten let's say "restless" at the very first sign of adversity, with only Keegan suddenly leaving no doubt preventing a full house. 

 

In the Howe meteoric rise era we've had 15 years of aggressive, deliberate owner sabotage to fix all while the bigger teams get bigger and rules are invented to keep us down and yet we regularly compete with Europe's finest and even win a trophy.

 

Taking even one step back and it's very obvious this is the best position we've been in as a club and as a team for nearly 30 years and it still isn't enough for some.  Countless years in the bottom half (or worse) gives zero perspective apparently. 

 

Growing pains is a great title btw as it's exactly where we are as a club but many haven't got the patience for things like gradual growth. 

 

 

This is the bottom line really and what I was getting at with Howe being the architect of his own downfall. Every time we have a successful season, thats the benchmark at which every following season should be measured upon and if we fall short. Success is not linear, especially in a PSR age and I think if we jettison Howe, we will live to regret it.