Howay

Aye that's it like. In much the same fashion Jack Colback wasn't ever a Premier League level player, and after relegation has shown he's probably not a Championship level player either. Paul Dummett is a revelation though and I'll have nowt said about the lad, I've never seen a player love to defend so much that he's willing to simply give the ball right back to the opposition so that he is able to defend some more. It's also worth pointing out that Burton Albion are currently out of the relegation spots, this means the mackems have a chance of playing the team they were all excited for us to be playing .

Spot on, they're ignoring what a slog the league is. If you're a half decent side at this level 80% of the teams are going to park the bus and look to counter, breaking that type of opposition down (often) 2 times a week isn't easy even if the teams you're up against are weak.

Aye that's it in a nutshell really. Their performance this season is about on a par with what Aston Villa managed last season, I'm not sure how on Earth anyone could think without massive investment they would fare much better than Aston Villa. The funniest bit about their turnaround regarding how relegation might have them enjoying watching winning football again is it's far more likely they'd be struggling like fuck like Villa rather than looking like us or Brighton.

Aye good post Fish. I agree about the misconception regarding sides in the PL being able to walk the Championship, Villa have clearly shown that to be the case and that was after spending a fair whack improving their side. I think a fair few Championship sides comfortably outplayed Premier League sides in the cups this year, while those are one off games and the Championship side could be argued to be "more up for it" Huddersfield reserves got a goal against Man City's first team at the Etihad, in fact they put up far more of a fight than Sunderland did against MCFC at the weekend. I've often said this league is shite, and it is, but the bottom of the Premier League is also full of shite, I mean Hull looked to play spoiler against us and they were the PL side.

We're top because we've beaten loads of negative, crappy sides looking to catch us on the break though. We've only really had about 5-6 matches this season where the opposition have really come at us. He's good at disposing of dumpster fire sides like Sunderland tbh. As I say though I'd be more than happy to see them relegated, stay relegated and never play us again, as there is no upside to playing them, if we lose they act like they've won the world cup and talk about it forever even release dvd's (or more likely VHS's) of the games, if we beat them they go into mopey cunt mode and act like we've been talking about it for years 2 days later.

Absolutely. They're not exactly much off the same position they were in this time last season yet they were fucking buzzing then and now they're going on about how it would be better to just be relegated than have another year like this. Of course assisting with that feeling is the knowledge that our lot would probably batter them next season if they managed to do their usual and refuse to be flushed.

It would be typical of them if we went up and went on to have one of the best sides we've had in yonks under Rafa and they spent the whole time a division below, they escaped most of the Keegan years and a fair few of the Robson years that way iirc. Saying that I'd be more than happy for that to be the case, in fact I'd be happy for them to have that for the rest of my life if it meant they were in the lower divisions and we were in the PL.

That's it like, the most minimal bit of thinking about what a deal like that would be in reality completely disproves any chance of it happening. They barely ever sell players at a profit so it's clear that they just cannot fathom how we could possibly be making around 28m profit (well only taking transfer fees into account) from a player none of us really liked or rated. I've absolutely zero sympathy for them, we said all of those things to them repeatedly last season and got responses around the level of "da Premier league is all that mattaz lol FTM". They're now essentially turning around and saying we were 100% correct but don't see any irony in it, fucking thick bastards. The post someone put up where they basically put their squad up minus Defoe, Borini, and Pickford and said it was better than our is just outrageous, if the poster in anyway believes that is the case they know nothing at all about football. How many goals has Defoe contributed of their total scored? it must be 75% or so, how could they ever take him out the team and think they'd be okay when they're dogshit even with him in the side? Like Rayvin was saying without a massive injection of money into the side they're in serious trouble of kicking about the bottom half of the table down here. The only success they've had this season has been counter attacking, we've seen how teams play against the newly relegated sides down here and they wont get much chance to play on the counter. They also keep talking about the current NUFC team as if it's exactly the same shambles we saw under McClaren except in a lower league, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Rafa has coached this team to the point players are nearly unrecognizable, I've not seen an NUFC defence look as comfortable under pressure as they did in the Huddersfield game for absolute donkeys years.

That Sissoko rumour is fucking class tbh. Who in their right mind would think the club would sell a player while having absolutely no idea how much they will get for him? It'd be the only instance of a deal involving yearly payments that could effectively end at the buying sides choosing, it's also worth noting that Everton were also bidding but the Mackems think Spurs had enough power in the negotiation to create one of the best buyer friendly deals I've ever heard .

Aye they definitely do. I just can't be arsed when pundits just trot out cliched sayings like what you're pointing to during the forest game, like aye Shelvey can be a divvy but he was kicking at thin air while being booted by that little slimeball Lansbury. It's just lazy on their part and it's just a bit pathetic when you consider that is what they get paid to do, it's like what I mentioned during the match the commentator at one point said that "Jack Colback is a brilliant player to have at this level" it's just utter fucking bollocks borne from the fact that commentator has never bothered watching us properly or even doing some research, he's just seen a bloke that has played a lot in the PL playing in the Championship saw him do one half decent thing and made that comment.

:lol: They were almost unanimous that they'd rather have had Fat Sam over him. edit: I will say even though I'm calling them shite that Wagner is a good manager, I can't say I really rate many of their players and he has them 3rd in the league. He needs to learn that a goalkeeper just touching the ball doesn't mean he can't be challenged but aside from that he seems switched on.

Aye, it was a hard shot right to the nads on both. Their players had started to think (along with a lot of the dickheads in the press) that they were better than our lot, both those games were a massive reality check. As Haydator said the Huddersfield fans can delude themselves that they were the better side in that game because they held the ball for long stretches, but as I and many others have said on here you cannot say that if your side do absolutely nothing at all with the ball. It would have been one thing if it was like that game we had against Fulham all those years ago iirc Mark Crossley was in nets and we absolutely fucking peppered the goal from inside the area but couldn't get past him, Saha scored from 4 counter attacks and the ref gave us a hand when Bellamy climbed all over a defender to give us a late consolation. Even then though being the 'better side' means fuck all, you didn't win and they cannot point to anything in that game that went against them imo (the pen was soft but the player did clip Ritchie, and then they got a soft pen given their way). People can piss, twist, and moan all they want but they will not convince me that Huddersfield were hard done by or that they were the better side in that match, we controlled the game without the ball, they only had possession in areas we allowed them to have it and once they tried to encroach in an area we didn't want them to have it our defence put a stop to it (anytime they came central about 30 yards from goal, or anytime they cut into the box from the wings). Their crossing was beyond pathetic, their free kicks and corners were quite frankly fucking embarrassing, and they had zero incisive passing moves through the middle of the park. As I said earlier after seeing them and Brighton I'll be fucking buzzing for them two to come up with us as they'd be cannon fodder unless they massively improve. Also nah NJS I agree with you, I've seen people (mostly mackems) mentioning refs being in our favor or us being lucky and I disagree. I said in another thread, for the amount of possession we have had over this season particularly inside opposition areas or on the edge of their box we've had a suspiciously low amount of penalties and near free kicks compared with the amount given against us despite the fact possession in our area is fairly rare. The Nottingham game was an out and out disgrace and I still feel that needs investigated, the bloke done absolutely everything he could do to give them 3 points. To a (slightly) lesser extent the Sheffield Wednesday match was similar as he simply wouldn't stop the Wednesday players from committing flagrant fouls anytime our players broke away despite the same players doing it 6 or more times. In comparison to the way Wednesday were treated vs us they had two players sent off against Brighton, one for violent conduct but the other was extremely similar to the type of shit he was getting away with against us. Massive post I know but I'm just honestly sick to the back teeth of the mackems (pundits and fans of other Championship sides) belittling the job our side are doing, it's pathetic on all their parts (particularly the pundits/commentators). The amount of fucking excuses they're coming up with as to why bilge teams like Huddersfield, Brighton etc are better than us is a joke, they were even doing it before a ball was kicked about Norwich and Aston Villa "oh well Alex Neil has experience getting a side promoted whereas Benitez doesn't". I'm glad they're all seething as we cruise to the top, I hope we hang on to Rafa in all and have a belta next season. We all know that'll be the next thing from the mackems mind, "aye well Rafa will be off once your up" well he was utter shite when he 'took us down' wasn't he? They all need to make their fucking minds up, or perhaps they should just focus on their hovel of a club who have a manager that seems to be a decade past his prime with a face 3000 years past it's prime.

Even holding the fact that it's not even something that's in the works by our lot their lot actually did that, so how can the obsessed tag be hoyed at us over that? It would just be a reciprocation of something they've done... twice iirc? They've also spent the entire season talking about us, despite saying how we were irrelevant and they don't bother with the "lower leagues" as they would be too busy enjoying the Premier League... I mean I went on there from Sparta's link, a fucking ton of pages on a thread that isn't even hiding the fact it's been started to discuss one of our games and was started by a mackem not one of the toon fans that loiters on that mental asylum.

Spot on, as I said earlier to Strawb the last two performances have given me more enjoyment than many in a long time. I even had a feeling of nervous excitement leading up to today's game, something I've not had about a toon game in absolute years and the lads on the pitch and the coaching staff didn't disappoint me at all today. As you say, we're the best team in the league it's been a quality season imo.

They reminded me slightly of us (at times) under McClaren, passing the ball around aimlessly causing no threat whatsoever. The funny part about people moaning about us effectively "hanging on" against Huddersfield today is that if it was the other way round and we watched our side spend 94 minutes controlling all of the ball and creating no clear cut chances whatsoever there would be a massive amount of frustration about it but when the other side is doing it we were just luckily hanging on. They were crap tbh, and we allowed them to have the ball in nonthreatening areas while sitting on a lead.

Aye that's it like, with the clip of some of the players we've got we're never going to look amazing. It's also simply not Benitez's style, he looks to counter what the opposition likes to do and as you say the last two games he's done that perfectly. I think when we go up (hoying away the false modesty of saying if now) we'll see our lot open up a bit more and play some "better" stuff, as I think we'll buy some canny players if Benitez hangs about, and perhaps more importantly teams will give us more space to operate as they wont be looking to put 11 behind the ball and shut us down like they have the majority of games. However we're never going to look like Brazil 1970 or Pep's Barca, we'll always be pragmatic and look to be solid defensively first, but as I said earlier it's honestly fucking brilliant to watch an NUFC team not look like they're in full on panic mode when under heavy pressure like that. Bloody love Rafa, hope he stays on past this season as it's going to be a real punch to the cock if he walks out and we get some absolute slug like Kinnear in again and we go back to watching a disorganized mess every week. Regardless of how much of been enjoying our lot recently, it is still exceedingly difficult to watch Colback try and play football honestly man the lad is an utter disgrace, even Dummett and Anita have parts of their game they do well but he seems to struggle in every aspect. Rafa's subs were good again today in all.

Alternatively we could have tried to outpass probably the best passing and pressing sides in the league with Jack Colback, Dummett, Anita, Diame, etc. you have to pick your battles on a game by game basis which is what Rafa did today, we let them have the ball and showed incredible patience under pressure, then showed complete composure in the attack scoring 3 times with the few chances we got. Impressive imo.

Agree fully, the last two games have honestly been some of the most impressive I've seen from NUFC sides in fucking years. Rafa got his tactics spot on in both games, I agree with what ewerk is saying in all once we took the lead I was never particularly worried about losing it as we controlled the game without having the ball. We directed everything down the flanks and their only chances were 25 yarders from wingers cutting inside out of frustration, Darlow saw every chance a mile off and there was no danger. We've proven to everyone we're the best in the league with these two performances tbh. Honestly when was the last time any of us have watched an NUFC side look that fucking comfortable under pressure? Their back ups got a goal against Man City but couldn't buy a goal today against our lot (soft pen aside).

The best team that didn't create a single clear cut chance. As someone said it was like Swansea a few years ago (one of Pardews best tactical games), they just had 70% of the ball in the middle of the pitch while a goal down why the fuck would we chase them up and open ourselves up? (I know you're not saying they were the best btw Strawb).

He has no case tbh. We got a soft pen, they got an even softer one. The ref handed out yellows to our lot second half while worse tackles from their lot went unpunished. You can't blame the ref when you don't create a single proper goal scoring opportunity man. Benitez completely showed him up today tbh. He basically said "I knew they were all fart and nee shite so let them have the ball so we could counter" in his post match interview. We scored nearly anytime we made a concerted effort to attack ffs. I'll be chuffed if they get promoted because on that evidence they'd be cannon fodder. How's all that for Willy waving.

Dummetts cross was brilliant iyam.

He likes to live dangerously outside of footy. I was waiting all game to say it as I didn't want to jinx it but that Van La Parra bloke for them was an absolute fucking clogger. Must have touched the ball a hundred times and did fuck all of note with it other than make Darlow pull off one save that would be saved basically every time.

Quality that, did it in a way our lot wont be that knackered from it either. Not impressed by Huddersfield tbh, we could have been out there for the rest of this week and they wouldn't have got near a proper goal. Btw Adios is firmly on team willy waver now.

Aye they won't have a keeper for next match as both will have injuries from embarrassment.