The Fish

That's class.

Happy Birthday Keegler

Not a significant weakness in our ability to win games. The Ginger Pirlo doesn't start regularly enough to be considered a real weakness and Dummet's lack of attacking ability hasn't significantly weakened our chances of scoring. We'd be better if both of those players were improved upon, of course, but we're not weakened enough by them to damage our chance of winning games. Put it this way, Colback played 90 minutes against Wolves and was shite throughout, but we still looked fairly comfortable and good for the win. Dummett's flank offered bugger all in attack until Atsu came on and yet we still created enough chances to win the game.

It's going to be a long 2017. There'll be rumours of Rafa returning to Liverpool should the papers decide Klopp is for the chop, there'll be rumours of Rafa taking over at Leicester, there'll no doubt be rumours of him moving abroad. 99.99% of it is going to be utter horseshit.

Our 2nd longest serving player just scored for the U23s.

No significant weaknesses. There isn't one part of our game that significantly impedes our chances of winning a game. That doesn't mean we've no shortcomings, just no achilles heel. There was a lot of chatter before the game about our perceived weakness at defending set pieces, but in that game Clark and Lascelles were imperious throughout the game and dealt with everything that came at them, and when called upon Darlow claimed balls into his box like picking apples from a tree. We see areas to improve on, of course, but there isn't an area of our game that troubles me going into most games in this division. We're not playing brilliantly, and teams are digging in deeper and deeper against us. So I've predicted a win for Norwich because they're a decent Championship team and they've players with the ability to pull something from nothing.

Oh there'll be another re-writing of history, no doubt. They'll argue that while we should have pissed the championship because it's a pub league, if they're relegated it becomes a competitive league that we only won because we spent more than anyone else (we haven't) and the teams in the 17/18 season are better than those we faced. Whoever replaces Rotherham will be much better, whichever of the playoff hunting sides don't get up will be stronger than they were this year and the relegated Premier League sides are better equipped for the Championship than Norwich and Villa were. If they're successful and are promoted it's proof that their quality shines through, if not it's proof the 17/18 Championship is harder than thre 16/17 season. I don't have a problem with putting a positive slant on your situation, but it becomes risible when it's hypocritical. Their win against Palace was a brilliant away performance, their loss to Southampton flattered their guests because Sunderland played well in the first 20 minutes. They've got Everton and Man City next, I honestly would be surprised to see them get more than a point from those two fixtures. They're bereft of confidence and a trip to New York may clear their heads and bring them closer together, but if Lukaku scores early doors I don't think that togetherness will survive and will be a distant memory when Aguero, Jesus and de Bruyne come to town. After that it's a Middlesbrough side that may not score many, they concede fewer. 3 tough games, especially compared to Hull's (Bur h, Lei a, Swa h).

They were 4-0 down at half time against Villa under Poyet and thousands decided not to come back out. I honestly can't remember that many people leaving before full time at St James'. I know there's been a few games where we've seen a couple hundred leave at half time (Arsenal 4-4 game), maybe a thousand leaving around 85 minutes, but RTG are saying there was maybe 5,000 left by the time the final whistle blew. According to the BBC, that means thirty five thousand sunderland supporters bolted for the exits before the game finished! I get people piling out when the 4th or even when the 3rd went in in the 88th minute, but some of these fans were leaving at 2-0 with 30 minutes to go. It's odd on there though, the consensus is that staying up is everything, relegation is doom. I understand the financial implications for a club with such issues on the money side of thing, but I don't understand why they can't see that they're not a Premier League club in anything but name. They haven't finished higher than 10th in 15yrs, the last time they were consistently top half of the top flight was the 1950s. Something's rotten at that club and has been for ages, there needs to be a root and branch overhaul and that takes time, money and sacrifice. If I were them, I'd take relegation, even with the financial risk that brings with it, if it meant I ended up with a club I could be proud of. Right now, they remain a laughing stock; "The turd that won't flush". A perennial Premier League whipping boy, that might get the odd surprising victory over the big boys, but who regularly get humped. In 15 seasons in the Premier League, they've only scored more than they've conceded in 2 seasons (ironically Bruce's reign) , 7 of their Premier League seasons have seen them score less than a goal a game. Yet 35-40k turn up every other week. It's at once impressive and pitiful.

Some on RTG saying they (or people round them) left after a 60 minutes or so. It was only 0-2 at the time. I know the players got them into the shit, but I can't imagine what it's like to be playing in front of over 35k at half time, then seeing the stands rapidly empty. Can't be particularly motivating. Again, I know the players shoulder much of the blame, but if the ground is emptying at 2-0...

They're in really good form, 4 wins and a draw from the last 5 league games, just put 5 past Forest. Only Brighton and Huddersfield have more points at home than Norwich, they're also the top goal scorers at home in the league. I'm predicting a loss, maybe 3-1 to the Drunken Delia's. NUFC To Score 0 - wykikitoon, TheGingerQuiff 1 - The Fish, Holden McGroin, Lackie92, strawb, OTF, Kevin Carr's Gloves, Dougle, @yourservice 2 - MiddleAgeCool, Rayvin, ewerk, Happy Face, acrossthepond, Ant, zico martin, Tom, Kitman, barnabox, LooneyToony, Dr Gloom 3 - Andrew, StoneColdStephenIreland, Howay, Anorthernsoul, scoobos, rogerbarton, ohhh_yeah 4+ - NUFC To Concede 0 - wykikitoon, Andrew, Happy Face, strawb, Howay, Tom, Kitman, Kevin Carr's Gloves, Dr Gloom 1 - ewerk, StoneColdStephenIreland, Ant, zico martin, Anorthernsoul, scoobos, OTF, rogerbarton, Dougle, ohhh_yeah 2 - Holden McGroin, MiddleAgeCool, Rayvin, Lackie92, acrossthepond, barnabox, LooneyToony, @yourservice 3 - The Fish 4+ - TheGingerQuiff

Harsh on Gabbiandini imo BBC claim there was just shy of 40k at the stadium of light on Saturday.

just being realistic. To go for top ten we'd have to spend incredible amounts of money, we'd have to rapidly integrate a lot of new players and we'd have to improve upon the players who're currently integral to our game. I think it's unrealistic to expect much more than safety in our first season back in the top flight. I see parallels with the 09/10 season, we're a team that builds it's success on a strong defence and an efficient striker force, but I think we've a weaker 1st team now than that one. Back then we had 2 Argentinian internationals, a top half of the Premier League left back, hugely experienced central midfielders, 4 players who got double figures. That team ground out 1-0 victories 7 times in that season, we've 4 so far. We managed to score 3+ on 12 occasions in 09/10, we've already managed to do that 8 times with another 3rd of the season (16 games) to go. 09/10 we scored 90 (1.95 GpG) conceded 35 (0.76 GpG). 16/17 we've scored 58 (1.93 GpG) and conceded 23 (0.76 GpG). I'd expect when Gayle returns the goals to increase. I think the strain of the campaign will also start telling on teams pushing for play-offs.

3pts off the title, I'm catching up. People need to realise it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Apparently the 2nd one was a treat. https://twitter.com/Extra10Football/status/830445786479677444

I think Yedlin, Clark, Mbemba and maybe Clark and LAscelles would be enough for safety. Rafa built a side to win the championship, I reckon he'll build a side that can get us safe next year, then build on that over the next few years.

Never quite understood how 50 Shades of Grey is Twilight fan fiction? There's no vampires in 5sog is there? Mind, saying that, there's no fucking vampires in Twilight either. I can barely put up with people trying to re-write classic myths "Oooh, these vampires are actually infected with some kind of pathogen", but making them sparkly and vegetarian is just bullshit. Apparently Universal have the rights for the classic monsters and are re-booting them the first being The Mummy.

T' YARKSHUH

Absolutely need to improve our defending in the top flight, but at this level, we're grand. Only Derby have conceded fewer goals than we have and while much of that will be because we're comfortably one of the best teams in the division, I do think that the system Benitez employs is pragmatic before anything else. Hopefully we'll improve the standard of defenders for the Premier League, as the thought of Sanchez or Aguero running at Hanley and Dummett fills me with dread Also, if we improve across the squad, we could hold the ball better and thus invite less pressure on our defensive players.

They'll take a lot of confidence from it, no doubt, and to be honest, I'm not as confident they'll go down as I was earlier in the season. Not because they're any good, but simply because they're not as adrift as they should be given their performances. The rest of the bottom aren't taking their opportunities to break away from the bottom side. There are 3 relegation spots to avoid, where often there's a side adrift in 20th. They're still shite and still hugely reliant on one player maintaining fitness and form. Moyes will make them a better outfit, and if the other teams continue to stumble and fumble their lines they may well get to their winnable games at the end of April/beginning of May in touching distance of safety. However, Defoe has been involved in at least 66% of their goals (16/24) and should he miss 2-3 weeks through injury they're fucked. They host an out of form Southampton who have lost 3 on the bounce, fail to beat them and I reckon the mackems will lurch from bold confidence to the same crippling self doubt that had them calling for Moyes' head. They had 10 League games without a win at the start of the season and while their form is improving, they've still only amassed 5 league wins all season, none against top half sides. After Southampton, they've 3 difficult games, fail to win today and those 3 games look much harder.

Oxford's three came in the cup against our 3rd string. Curtis Good was playing ffs, and any goal conceded while Sels is in between the sticks is not relevant. Like I say though, when the rest of our defending is decent in this league, Set Pieces will always be the oppositions best chance of scoring against us. I wouldn't worry about it too much mate.

Cheers, I have high hopes for that lad. Hope he doesn't stay in Scottish football too long. Get himself some experience, do well, then move back to the Championship and build a team for the Premier League

How's Cathro doing at Hearts these days?

I'm not sure it is, we're decent at defending on the whole and certainly not what I'd consider weak at defending set pieces. I think the problem is that we don't concede many goals, so every goal conceded is scrutinised. I'd also say that set-pieces are the great leveller, Man City and Arsenal can come unstuck because West Brom have fielded 6 centre backs who can all bully the elfin midfielders of those title chasing teams. I can't find stats on it, but I don't think we've conceded a large number of set-piece goals.

That win was, by all accounts very flattering to Sunderland. Mate was at the game and said, while Palace were shite, Sunderland seemed to score with every 2nd shot, while Palace's shots were meek or wayward. It wasn't that Sunderland dominated the game or that they played particularly well, they just took the few chances they had. That's certainly backed up by the stats. He's not a Palace fan, so he had no dog in that fight.

/nerd