Notts Forest 1-1 Newcastle United - 10/05/26

[John P]

Just checked, according to AI we hold the record with 31 points lost from winning positions in the 04/05 season. Next is Fulham with 28 points in 24/25

[Big Geordie]

Overall, there's been something off with NUFC all season and I'd wager that Isak business has done more damage to the squad - spirit wise than perhaps we first realized. It's not looked right since the cup win v Liverpool, when it's rumored that the Swede downed tools.

 

Don't know if it's just me. 

 

Oh - and I thought Joelinton played well today.  

 

 

Edited May 10 by Big Geordie

[RobsonsWonderland]

Just now, Big Geordie said:

Overall, there's been something off with NUFC all season and I'd wager that Isak business has done more damage to the squad - spirit wise than perhaps we first realized. It's not looked right since the cup win v Liverpool, when it's rumored that the Swede downed tools.

 

Don't know if it's just me. 

I think Howe and the majority of the squad felt they were all in it together and on an upward journey.

 

Isak was the first to opt out and it opened the door for others.

 

I can imagine Howe took it personally, whereas it would have been better to let Isak go as quickly as possible.

 

The Celtic game was the moment the magic broke for a lot of us and no fan could imagine one of our players refusing to play.

 

 

[NUFC91]

3 hours ago, KennyUtd said:

Honestly, a decent striker and we are instantly much better. A fit Callum Wilson type and we'd probably be top 6. We make chances but indecision kills us. Bruno has to score his chance and Osula takes his chance first time on his left foot  and we're golden. We wouldn't be talking about how poor we are in defence if we just took a third of the chances we make. 

 

We are more than a decent striker off the top 6 let's be honest, there's only 4 teams conceded more goals than us. There's been a lot of games we created very little in also, Palace and Arsenal away of late for example.

 

We desperately need a keeper and centre half for example.

[Chicken Dancer]

Just now, NUFC91 said:

 

We are more than a decent striker off the top 6 let's be honest, there's only 4 teams conceded more goals than us. There's been a lot of games we created very little in also, Palace and Arsenal away of late for example.

 

We desperately need a keeper and centre half for example.

Some fucker in the away end next to me today said if we had a decent keeper and striker we’d be third  

 

[El Prontonise]

Just now, Chicken Dancer said:

Some fucker in the away end next to me today said if we had a decent keeper and striker we’d be third  

 

 

I don't disagree with that statement.

[Chicken Dancer]

Just now, El Prontonise said:

 

I don't disagree with that statement.

We’d be higher up for sure but third is ridiculously optimistic. 

[Dokko]

Just now, Chicken Dancer said:

Some fucker in the away end next to me today said if we had a decent keeper and striker we’d be third  

 

 

If we signed Keheller & DLC, we'd be at least a comfortable 5-6th. Some shocking decisions this summer. I'd eject anyone involved.

[El Prontonise]

1 minute ago, Chicken Dancer said:

We’d be higher up for sure but third is ridiculously optimistic. 

 

With how poor the league has been this season, I think significant improvements in both of those positions would propel us massively up the table.

[NUFC91]

1 minute ago, Chicken Dancer said:

We’d be higher up for sure but third is ridiculously optimistic. 

 

A think we need another Schar, a ball playing calm centre half.

[Chicken Dancer]

Just now, El Prontonise said:

 

With how poor the league has been this season, I think significant improvements in both of those positions would propel us massively up the table.

I don’t disagree, but third is ridiculous. We’d be in amongst the likes of Brighton I’d hope but we’d not be third. 
 

We need a lot more than a keeper and a striker to be the third best team in the country. 

[El Prontonise]

Just now, Chicken Dancer said:

I don’t disagree, but third is ridiculous. We’d be in amongst the likes of Brighton I’d hope but we’d not be third. 
 

We need a lot more than a keeper and a striker to be the third best team in the country. 

 

We've got 2 jokers as GK, even a competent one would be a good few points.

[Novocastrian]

9 minutes ago, NUFC91 said:

 

We are more than a decent striker off the top 6 let's be honest, there's only 4 teams conceded more goals than us. There's been a lot of games we created very little in also, Palace and Arsenal away of late for example.

 

We desperately need a keeper and centre half for example.

There’s massive holes all over the squad. The areas we were supposed to have strengthened, CF/RW, look as weak as GK/CB.

[Chicken Dancer]

Just now, El Prontonise said:

 

We've got 2 jokers as GK, even a competent one would be a good few points.

As I say I don’t disagree with the general statement, just third is outrageous. A good keeper a striker we’d maybe have not chucked as many as 27 points away from winning positions (which is a fucking disgrace btw).
 

We’d be in amongst Brighton and Bournemouth fighting for 6-8th I’d guess.

[El Prontonise]

Just now, Chicken Dancer said:

As I say I don’t disagree with the general statement, just third is outrageous. A good keeper a striker we’d maybe have not chucked as many as 27 points away from winning positions (which is a fucking disgrace btw).
 

We’d be in amongst Brighton and Bournemouth fighting for 6-8th I’d guess.

 

I didn't realise 3rd was that many.  Yeah 5th .

[stozo]

I think looking back on today the most frustrating thing is if we'd played like that consistently throughout the season, then we'd be right in the running for Europe. In some ways, I've got no issues with a point away from home when we're the better side, which we absolutely were today. It was a good performance, a decent point and we were a bit unlucky not to get more.

 

That said it was also a reflection about why we absolutely need the summer. Not enough creativity overall left us in yet another game where we only scored one goal, which when we're defensively fragile is always asking for trouble. 

[QBG]

The game went how I expected it to go really. We played pretty well, and no surprise we dominated most of the play with them only needing a point and being very injured/tired.

 

Thought Botman had his best game in ages and Joelinton was impressive too. Osula should have scored at least one.

 

Weird game for Bruno, at the heart of a lot of our good moments as always but poor defensively for the goal and sloppy in possession at times.

 

Hall at RB was odd but felt he played OK there. Could have been better on their goal as well.

 

Woltemade just looks like a player bereft of confidence. The effort is there as we saw in his tracking back, he got into some nice little pockets and should have had an assist for Osula in the first half. However, there’s still a glaring hesitancy to his play in the final third. I’d stick with him, but I understand why people feel otherwise.

 

Didn’t think this was on Howe, as much as you could poke holes in the team selection. We were the better team and the first two subs he made led to us taking the lead. Between Osula hitting the bar and the Bruno missed chances, I felt we were unlucky. I’m also astonished Milenkovic on Wissa wasn’t a penalty.

 

Ultimately, our problems are quite simple. We need a better goalkeeper and we need somebody who is going to take chances consistently. They’re not easy problems to fix necessarily, but in reality I think we’re only a couple of smart signings in those areas away from being a very good team again next season.

 

Europe a very long shot now. Try to win these last two, finish in the top half and move on. Expectations have understandably changed, but we all know we’ve seen a hell of a lot worse in years gone by.

[Mattoon]

6 hours ago, QBG said:

The game went how I expected it to go really. We played pretty well, and no surprise we dominated most of the play with them only needing a point and being very injured/tired.

 

Thought Botman had his best game in ages and Joelinton was impressive too. Osula should have scored at least one.

 

Weird game for Bruno, at the heart of a lot of our good moments as always but poor defensively for the goal and sloppy in possession at times.

 

Hall at RB was odd but felt he played OK there. Could have been better on their goal as well.

 

Woltemade just looks like a player bereft of confidence. The effort is there as we saw in his tracking back, he got into some nice little pockets and should have had an assist for Osula in the first half. However, there’s still a glaring hesitancy to his play in the final third. I’d stick with him, but I understand why people feel otherwise.

 

Didn’t think this was on Howe, as much as you could poke holes in the team selection. We were the better team and the first two subs he made led to us taking the lead. Between Osula hitting the bar and the Bruno missed chances, I felt we were unlucky. I’m also astonished Milenkovic on Wissa wasn’t a penalty.

 

Ultimately, our problems are quite simple. We need a better goalkeeper and we need somebody who is going to take chances consistently. They’re not easy problems to fix necessarily, but in reality I think we’re only a couple of smart signings in those areas away from being a very good team again next season.

 

Europe a very long shot now. Try to win these last two, finish in the top half and move on. Expectations have understandably changed, but we all know we’ve seen a hell of a lot worse in years gone by.

 

I know we have a tendency to think the world is ending every time we don't win and try and pick holes in everything but this is pretty much on the money for me.  Previous to this season we get the second and probably third goal and coast to the end, but without Isaks killer instinct in front of goal we're really struggling to put these kind of games to bed and thats when the nerves start to show and the confidence wains and inevitably we let the win slip away. I agree, I don't think Howe did much wrong at all, he can't put the ball in the back of the net, he gave us our best chance to win, we were the better team, we just didn't capitalise on our authority.

[samptime29]

We played quite well 2nd half but again same old story with late goals.

[morpeth mag]

1 hour ago, samptime29 said:

We played quite well 2nd half but again same old story with late goals.

I immediately bet against us when we take the lead. Nice little earner sadly.

[samptime29]

3 minutes ago, morpeth mag said:

I immediately bet against us when we take the lead. Nice little earner sadly.

 

Can't blame you. Happens all the time.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Quite surprised people saying CB is weak. I think Thiaw and Botman is a really good partnership and certainly good enough for a decent PL campaign if the rest of the team is functioning. 
 

They’re both decent on the ball as well, just not sure they always have someone ahead of them to reliably pass it to. 

[TRon]

13 hours ago, Chicken Dancer said:

Some fucker in the away end next to me today said if we had a decent keeper and striker we’d be third  

 

 

 

Doesn't say much for the rest of our squad. Sick of hearing it tbh, we used to worry that we were too reliant on Isak and Bruno even two years ago. 

[The Prophet]

I'm all for us using these last few games to experiment and see what sticks. More of that please.

[Benwell Lad]

I think we all know that to play football at the highest level nowadays you need not only to be a great footballer but also to have the fitness levels and preparation of a supreme athlete. Anything lacking in the latter department tends to manifest itself, particularly, in the last ten minutes or so of games and often makes the difference between win/draw/lose.

Pre season is the most important time for working on this, it's incredibly intense and the timing is crucial to arrive at the start of the season neither tired or under prepared. You want, ideally, at very least to be at as high a level as any other team.

Any payer not at that level when the season begins ( new arrivals, those who have been injured etc )  will have to play catch up but ideally the majority are there at the right point in time.

Our pre season was a bit of a debacle and we just didn't get this side of things done properly. Injuries and the relentless play/travel schedule meant we never got to fully catch up. 

It meant this season was always going to be difficult and we would tend to struggle and lose ground in exactly the part of games that this intense pre season stuff is designed to address, i.e. the last ten minutes or so of games.