Howay

"I want us to be top" "okay we're top in April" "nah man I want us to be top AND be hammering everyone playing class football" Sorry like Noelie but you've set unrealistic expectations if that is what you were thinking was going to happen. Look how fucking shite we were under McClaren last season, that's the core of this side, they've went from looking clueless to controlling most games, pretty or not we've controlled the vast majority of games including todays. We got relegated, we're in a shit league with 24 sides in it, we've played more than a Premier League season and still have 7 more to go over a very similar time frame as the PL season. It's a total slog of a season, our squad is tired but they're still getting the job done against sides that are coming to St James' Park with nothing in mind other than a 0-0 draw. It's completely different playing sides that are at least having a go against you compared to playing 2 sides a week that are set up to frustrate. Look at Aston Villa and Norwich to get an idea of how much of a slog it is. He bought those players to fill his squad out, some he has needed, others he hasn't. As Quiff mentioned it's actually a positive that he is going with players that are doing a job for him regardless of if he bought them or not. We needed bodies in as the squad was thin and that's what players like Hanley, Gamez, Lazaar, Murphy etc are, they've not exactly looked blatantly better than those you want them to be in the team over. Atsu has done well as an impact sub, that's why Rafa prefers to start with Gouffran and sub Atsu onto the flank with the more tired fullback late in the game. Yedlin has been a good buy and has played plenty. His other buys were Gayle, Hayden, Diame, and Ritchie who have all played most games and are part of the reason we're top. It's fine saying he spent loads but think back to last season, who were our best players? It was probably Wijnaldum and Townsend, both of those were sold and we were buying from a position of weakness. As I say a lot of these players were brought in to bulk the squad out, I've no idea why you think he sees the players you listed as 'high value' when most of them were about 3-5m which is jack shit for upper Championship/Lower Premier League players. I will add to all of this that if you're expecting every Benitez buy to be brilliant you've again set your expectations too high, he like anyone occasionally buys duds, he does however get something out of those duds most of the time where shit managers like Alan Pardew don't. You can't be expecting top players that come in capable of playing brilliant attacking football when you've just been relegated, pointing to sides like Brighton is also unfair as Hughton has been in charge a while and they have a settled side that are used to playing in this league and the volume of games. It's also worth pointing out that if you watch Brighton games teams don't sit as deep against them as they do us. There isn't another side you could point too other than Brighton, Huddersfield are shite, they're 10 points behind us so you're crackers if you look at them envious of their play all they do is pass the ball back and forth and we have won more games by bigger margins than them, 90% of their wins are by 1 goal margins. You say we're making hard work of it but we're 10 points clear of 3rd place in April, I'd love to see the side that were making light work of this league. Most games we're knocking on the door of a winning goal for 90 minutes and it can be a question of if we get it or not but you can't expect to win 46 games, you're going to have slip ups, or games that don't go your way. It's also worth noting that compared to the sides nearest us we've been fairly unfortunate with injuries and bans. We were without our best central midfielder (and arguably player) as well as our top goal scorer for the most congested period of the season. If Brighton had to go as long as we did without Murray and Knockaert they'd not be within a point of us.

Aye, that along with Jonjo missing a quarter of the season through bans and injuries. Our best striker also missed a good chunk of games due to getting hurt during a time the fixtures piled up. As Fish pointed out the squad had more PL level players last time but we also were very fortunate with injuries and suspensions really, especially when you consider that Andy Carroll is made of paper mache he managed 39 games for us in the Championship.

Exactly. That is Charnleys natural progression tbf.

He did spend, as many constantly point out as evidence we should be breezing the league but as I once mentioned it's easy to forget the players we lost to get that money (which we didn't spend anywhere near all of) we all disliked Sissoko but I'm more meaning Wijnaldum, he looks very good at Liverpool under a proper manager and we have struggled massively for a player in that hole behind the striker, so aye we spent money but I think we'd look far more capable with him in the side than having a couple of the players we bought (not saying you're holding that over Rafa btw adios just always like to note this whenever the money thing is brought up). It's also always worth mentioning that neither Norwich nor Aston Villa were reserved in their spending and they're both way off the pace. Aye as you say it's a daft expectation, especially when you look at the point Strawb makes about the squad. Agree completely that Rafa is doing a mint job, the league is a grind and we've been very successful grinding out enough wins to be top, we've been dominant in the vast majority of the games and have even showed some flair at times but we're at the end of a long season now and it's just important to get points on the board, we're not suddenly going to be seeing stellar attacking moves and Cruyff turns from Dummett, Colback, Gouff, etc. Job done this weekend, another slip from Huddersfield gets us closer to what we need, the aim was only ever promotion it didn't matter if we looked brilliant doing it.

Good post, aye I think the fact its Rafa Benitez has led many to balloon expectations to ridiculous levels. I know I was full of piss and vinegar at the start of the season saying we'd walk the league but this is essentially what I meant by that, I wasn't expecting us to go out 3-0 and 4-0 winners every week like some fans seem to be expecting, you often end up playing to the level of opposition and despite most of their long held Premier League status most of our team are cloggers as you've pointed out. Strawb is spot on when he talks about how this is (largely) the same squad that was a disaster under McClaren and Pardew, except we actually lost a few of the creative players when in a position that our ability to draw talent in was hampered by being in this league. As you say the problem for seeing players like Colback playing every week isn't Rafa's fault, this is all he has, it's down to Ashley who has had the team avoiding investing when we really needed too. As you say it's pointless yelling about Colback and Anita starting (I've been guilty of this btw) when there's not really another option, in two weeks time when Hayden should really be back up to speed people can have a bit whinge if Raymond is still taking the field of course imo, even then though it's not like Hayden has really stood out as being miles better he just tends to not fuck up as much as Colback. Spot on about Rafa, it's been fucking years we've wanted a manager that can properly manage these tight games and now we've got one people are pissing and moaning that we aren't all over the opposition . He's doing a brilliant job imo, it's funny how he gets flak from some quarters but those same people talk about Brighton and Huddersfield in such a positive manner. He's really been trying to drill and get the squad ready for next season this season, the fact that he has done that while comfortably guiding us to promotion is class, our manner of play will work when sides come at us more next season.

How many times have you seen Gamez play? I've seen him once I think and saw nowt to say he was outstanding. Anita helped set up the winner today, I don't like Anita but today isn't a day you can moan about the bloke. You'd play a bloke returning from a month out with a hamstring injury who had re-injured it after coming back too quickly last time? Fair enough but I'd have just sat him for another week and gave him a sub appearance (like Benitez did). I'd agree on Gouffran but again it's not exactly cost us today and Rafa seems to like to hold Atsu's pace in reserve for late on. Mbemba looked far from capable when he did play early on in the season, I'm not much of a fan of Lascelles but it seems Rafa has been trying to build him up it probably hasn't worked and we'll probably need a new CB in the summer but we're still top of the league. Again like I said Diame and Perez are very much a 50/50 decision for me, both haven't performed well in that position so I'm not sure who you'd play over him. We're top man Noelie, we're going up by the looks of it, Rafa has done a brilliant job with a squad of largely average players.

Pretty much, I (and others) have mentioned how streaky Huddersfield are and it seems their 2nd long stretch of constant good results is over they were at home to Burton and had 70% possession but still lost they're the epitome of all fart and nee shit tbh. Brighton basically cemented their place as well today bouncing back after a shaky patch with a win. I know (certain) people are going to moan about this win but we've been winning like this all season, we've ground through a scrappy league with what is a fairly crap squad (with a few players who are well above this level). Rafa can only pick the players he has available so it's pointless moaning about Colback and Diame playing Noelie, who was he meant to pick? Hayden who is just about recovered from a month out and Perez who has been just as inconsistent as Diame? I don't like Anita at all but Yedlin is injured and he played well today ffs, he was instrumental in the winning goal and he wasn't at fault for the one we conceded. It's pointless moaning and worrying about what a scrappy home win over Wigan means for next season, it'll be a different looking squad by then.

So 10 points clear of a Huddersfield that seem to be in meltdown.

Burton scored

The corner flag there man. Brilliant reactions by Ritchie, it was as if it was in training and it was just him v the keeper absolutely none of the defenders reacted.

We should sub Gouffran btw, barely heard his name mentioned and now they're a bit more tired Atsu would give them a right headache.

SMB will be in meltdown mode.

Get in there Ritchie. Now we just need Colback to leave the pitch, I'd almost rather just play with 10 men if Hayden can't come on yet.

Fair enough but I blame Jack Colback myself, seems to be doing his best to fuck this up for us.

Just further evidence we have to buy defenders for next season tbh.

I just say if so the superstitious among us don't worry.

As long as our lot keep doing their job like they are today I'm not arsed at all about those shit sides, Huddersfield are 9 points behind us got battered by Bristol City (who are getting battered today) and are now struggling to create against Burton at home . Putting in a strong efficient performance at home so far today is what we needed after a bit of tiredness/complacency set in before the international break.

Thank fuck, if we go up it's even better in all as every Premier League match is either on telly or has an HD stream over here. The Championship can dee its rip. In bed wetting news both Huddersfield and Brighton are drawing their games 0-0 at half time. Huddersfield have all the possession in their game but don't seem to be doing loads with it (only 2 shots on target), meanwhile Brighton have had less possession in their game but have managed 4 shots on target. Hopefully they'll both be clipped 2nd half and we'll move further ahead of the shitters.

Get in there Gayle! Sounds like it was deserved as we've been controlling this, now the crappest attack in the league has to try and come at us so hopefully that'll open them up more. This radio stream is fucking tragic btw. How can the club not sort this out ffs.

Aye the club stream is fucking shite for me as well, seems to be like this most weeks and as Bizza says it's getting worse. That random bloke on Reddit had it perfectly working every match before he packed in doing it when the club let people listen for free.

I guess he still is, I looked for the USA team after I posted that and he wasn't in it. Just saw Scoobos post, so aye Anita will be starter at least until he's back Noelie.

Aye I know the cunt will have a 10 year career at NUFC. I assume Yedlin was with the USA squad during the international break? If so It's guaranteed Anita will start again, Rafa clearly prefers playing the players who remained at the club over the break where possible.

Aye he'll start, saying Hayden is available for the squad sounds more like Hayden will be on the bench. Only 1 more week or so of Raymond though and then hopefully we'll never have to watch (or hear) the utterly tragic bloke play again.

Yeah I think we've all seen more than enough of Raymond, Hayden is far from class but watching Colback for weeks really makes you appreciate what a half competent player looks like.