Abandon hope all ye who enter here...

[sammynb 3959]

With Rafa back in the country and his agent name checking NUFC and unfinished business, you have to hope (unless you are one poster) that it is code for something happening.

And if so is fatty willing to risk it all on cabbagehead?

Or is the plan get the club relegated, change owners to bypass the EPL ownership issues and then bank on returning back to the top flight at first opportunity?

Am I giving all involved way too much credit for having a plan?

Edited January 27, 2021 by sammynb

[Alex 37707]

I would take that but don’t think it is the plan (or that there is one beyond survival) 

[Dr Gloom 24239]

Hope you’re right but why would he have recruited that first team coach that isn’t part of Rafa’s set up? It looks like he’s backing Bruce till the end of the season, god help us 

[The Fish 11410]

There's no way Benitez is coming back to work under Ashley, there's no way Ashley would have Benitez back either. 

 

That second half was infuriating because even though we were still average, intensity like that would have seen us pick up more points against Sheffield and Fulham. You shouldn't rely on the introduction of 1 player to get your team playing averagely. We could have been playing a 4-2-3-1 all season, even with the injuries we've had, so why haven't we? Why in the fuck did we push Hayden to rightback when we had RB's on the bench and the ghost of Jeff Hendrick on the pitch? Why, against one of the leakiest defences in the league, did we fail to have a shot on target until the 53rd minute? In the first 10 minutes we had attempted 9 passes, they had attempted 40. 

[essembeeofsunderland 811]

  On 27/01/2021 at 07:49, ewerk said:

Aye, he’s mentioned a few times not being able to play Fraser and ASM together because of injury but when they were both available earlier in the season he kept subbing ASM off to bring Fraser on.

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He fools the media into thinking every injured player would be a first team regular.

[essembeeofsunderland 811]

  On 27/01/2021 at 08:43, The Fish said:

There's no way Benitez is coming back to work under Ashley, there's no way Ashley would have Benitez back either. 

 

That second half was infuriating because even though we were still average, intensity like that would have seen us pick up more points against Sheffield and Fulham. You shouldn't rely on the introduction of 1 player to get your team playing averagely. We could have been playing a 4-2-3-1 all season, even with the injuries we've had, so why haven't we? Why in the fuck did we push Hayden to rightback when we had RB's on the bench and the ghost of Jeff Hendrick on the pitch? Why, against one of the leakiest defences in the league, did we fail to have a shot on target until the 53rd minute? In the first 10 minutes we had attempted 9 passes, they had attempted 40. 

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Good post.The players seem to think there’s nee point in trying to win a game unless The Saint is on the pitch.

[Kitman 2471]

  On 27/01/2021 at 07:34, Alex said:

Aye, it’s incredible the fat mess has rode his luck this long. Then you’ve got the likes of Luke Edwards who, instead of trying to troll the fans about how good a job his mate is doing (purely because he can’t any more) is now trying to make us sympathise with the ‘real person’ in the manager’s role. I’m sure Bruce is stressed but, ffs, you’re talking about someone with zero integrity, earning more in a week than most of us do in a year, who knew exactly what he was walking into, is completely incompetent and is still getting an easy ride because of the lack of fans, an owner bereft of ambition beyond PL survival and pundits  etc constantly making excuses for his obvious failings 

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Very true. With any other owner he’d be counting his severance pay and getting pissed. Instead of impersonating a football manager and getting pissed.

[sammynb 3959]

  On 27/01/2021 at 08:43, The Fish said:

There's no way Benitez is coming back to work under Ashley, there's no way Ashley would have Benitez back either. 

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David, that wasn't what I said or implied.

[sammynb 3959]

  On 27/01/2021 at 08:24, Alex said:

I would take that but don’t think it is the plan (or that there is one beyond survival) 

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Sadly I know you are right but it's the hope that kills us.

[essembeeofsunderland 811]

Yes there was an improvement in the second half but we still deserved to lose.If,probably when,we get beat off Everton,surely Ashley will realise he has to get rid of Brucey.

[Alex 37707]

  On 27/01/2021 at 09:56, Kitman said:

Very true. With any other owner he’d be counting his severance pay and getting pissed. Instead of impersonating a football manager and getting pissed.

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I’d go further in that he’s one of a select list of managers we’ve had that wouldn’t have gotten the job with almost any other owner

[Monkeys Fist 46366]

  On 27/01/2021 at 11:24, Meenzer said:

 

SMB'dYP

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Personally, I think once BRAAAP! gets round to sacking COVFEFE we’ll end up with someone like PENG. 

[trooper 940]

Fulham now have 2 games in hand. Tonight against Brighton & Saturday against West Brom. 

[Alex 37707]

On the plus side, this run has seen UM’s daily post count rapidly decline 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Alex

[Monkeys Fist 46366]

  On 27/01/2021 at 11:48, Alex said:

On the plus side, this run has seen UM’s daily post count rapidly decline 

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If you look in the toilet and say “ Cunt” three times he’ll turn up though. 

[David Kelly 1386]

You could see in the second half last night that if we can keep Wilson, Fraser and ASM fit and on the pitch we could well have enough to stay up even with Hendrick in midfield behind them.  Clearly though this is despite Bruce not because of any tactical masterstroke of his.  In the first half the only hope we had of doing anything in an attacking sense was if Schar brought the ball out of the back and bypassed the midfield.  I don't for a second think that this was something they had worked on, but it might actually be a good thing to look at since he has more ability on the ball that any of our midfielders.

 

I can't see that there's any chance of Bruce being sacked any time soon with us bringing this new coach in.  He'll probably get the chance to double this non winning run before there's any hope of him getting the bullet.

[Kid Dynamite 7919]

Anyone else think the appointment of this assistant coach is weird? Even the top 6 clubs don't have as much media interest, interviews etc when appointing a coach, let alone one from a championship club to NUFC

[PaddockLad 19619]

  On 27/01/2021 at 14:06, David Kelly said:

You could see in the second half last night that if we can keep Wilson, Fraser and ASM fit and on the pitch we could well have enough to stay up even with Hendrick in midfield behind them.  Clearly though this is despite Bruce not because of any tactical masterstroke of his.  In the first half the only hope we had of doing anything in an attacking sense was if Schar brought the ball out of the back and bypassed the midfield.  I don't for a second think that this was something they had worked on, but it might actually be a good thing to look at since he has more ability on the ball that any of our midfielders.

 

I can't see that there's any chance of Bruce being sacked any time soon with us bringing this new coach in.  He'll probably get the chance to double this non winning run before there's any hope of him getting the bullet.

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I've said it before...we've the makings of a decent side   We need central midfielders & full backs . Our potential ( fully fit)  front line looks good..

 

  On 27/01/2021 at 14:33, Kid Dynamite said:

Anyone else think the appointment of this assistant coach is weird? Even the top 6 clubs don't have as much media interest, interviews etc when appointing a coach, let alone one from a championship club to NUFC

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This refers to the second part of DKs post...I think its nailed on we'll have the bloke who was sacked by divi 3 Luton last year as our manager before the end of the season..

[Alex 37707]

  On 27/01/2021 at 14:33, Kid Dynamite said:

Anyone else think the appointment of this assistant coach is weird? Even the top 6 clubs don't have as much media interest, interviews etc when appointing a coach, let alone one from a championship club to NUFC

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Weird in that he’s being lined up as a successor? Or do you just think they’re making a big deal of it to deflect some stick away from the manage? 

[Dougle 3830]

  On 27/01/2021 at 14:33, Kid Dynamite said:

Anyone else think the appointment of this assistant coach is weird? Even the top 6 clubs don't have as much media interest, interviews etc when appointing a coach, let alone one from a championship club to NUFC

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Conspiracy theorist.

[Alex 37707]

Bruce’ll be the last to know. When Charnley texts him

[The Fish 11410]

  On 27/01/2021 at 11:09, Alex said:

I’d go further in that he’s one of a select list of managers we’ve had that wouldn’t have gotten the job with almost any other owner

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Is it that select, though? 

Pardew, McClaren, Carver, Hughton (arguably), Shearer, Keegan II; Judgement Day, Bruce...

[The Fish 11410]

  On 27/01/2021 at 14:06, David Kelly said:

You could see in the second half last night that if we can keep Wilson, Fraser and ASM fit and on the pitch we could well have enough to stay up even with Hendrick in midfield behind them.  Clearly though this is despite Bruce not because of any tactical masterstroke of his.  In the first half the only hope we had of doing anything in an attacking sense was if Schar brought the ball out of the back and bypassed the midfield.  I don't for a second think that this was something they had worked on, but it might actually be a good thing to look at since he has more ability on the ball that any of our midfielders.

 

I can't see that there's any chance of Bruce being sacked any time soon with us bringing this new coach in.  He'll probably get the chance to double this non winning run before there's any hope of him getting the bullet.

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Definitely felt like it was the players taking responsibility, rather than following instructions. 

 

Bruce will only get fired if we're in the bottom 3 for a couple of weeks/rounds of fixtures.

[Alex 37707]

  On 27/01/2021 at 15:26, The Fish said:

Is it that select, though? 

Pardew, McClaren, Carver, Hughton (arguably), Shearer, Keegan II; Judgement Day, Bruce...

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Sarcasm

[Chaser 1431]

  On 27/01/2021 at 14:33, Kid Dynamite said:

Anyone else think the appointment of this assistant coach is weird? Even the top 6 clubs don't have as much media interest, interviews etc when appointing a coach, let alone one from a championship club to NUFC

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My exact thoughts when I was reading it earlier. It's pretty much a non story for any of the media outside of NUFC related outlets yet it's like a new managerial appointment.