Chelsea v Eddie's Prince of Players AG10 and his likely lads, NUFC

[ewerk 30610]

5 minutes ago, Howmanheyman said:

 

 Howe might have to think about changing our style as football doesn't stand still. 

‘Intensity is our identity’. Either the players are knackered or they aren’t listening to the manager any longer. 

[Holden McGroin 6583]

1 minute ago, toonotl said:

Let's be honest Europa Conference is not much of a motivation compared to CL football. We're a team playing like it's motivated by the possibility of getting into the places for tinpot European football and not the real deal. I think it's confirmation today that this is the team we are for the remainder of this season. I think if we manage to keep in the fight for 7th towards the end of the season that might be enough to eek out a little bit of a flurry of results to get us there. But at the moment it seems like too many players are simply going through the motions. There's a distinct lack of intensity today that has been evident for months on end. This is not to say that injuries and fatigue are non-factors. Of course, they are. But the return to the mid-table in terms of results has seen a return to mid-table in terms of quality for a few players. And that combined with injuries, fatigue and loss of form and identity means that unfortunately this crap is likely to be served up a few more times before the end of the season. But, hey, it's not like we are unfamiliar with a schizophrenic Newcastle side. We've got our old club back for a month or so.

Aye, I’ve oddly been slipping back into Bruce levels of apathy for second half of this season. We’ve lost momentum as a whole football club but I’m also oddly happy that the current management can turn it around next season.

 

I just hope we can keep Bruno happy enough and to stay.

 

[toonotl 2979]

Just now, Holden McGroin said:

I just hope we can keep Bruno happy enough and to stay.

 

Yep. This is really what the season is about now. It's about establishing/maintaining the foundations for next season.

 

With everyone fit we have a super strong squad. If we can hold that together and add two-three players to the starting XI and then have those current starters pushed down to squad player status then we could do anything with a bit of luck. We're not a million miles away and it's happened rather quickly, especially given the limitations of FFP and the big clubs working almost specifically against us. I get what you mean about the apathy but I think for me it's more a zen attitude to all this, (Zen, if you ignore my Isak-like goal celebrations).

 

But, overall, we look good and we're getting better on a macro-level. This is a hiccup with a perfectly rational explanation and not something emblematic of a deeper problem.

 

Take Chelsea as the counter example. They've spunked all the money and they look worse. Then there's ManU who are a continuing shambles. Liverpool are losing their talismanic trotter. Tottenham remain a basket case. Villa need to sell players. Arsenal look strong tbf. And City remain a force at least until Pep looks to move on. We're in a good spot.

[Dr Gloom 21922]

Howe said Gordon’s injury doesn’t look good.

[Kid Dynamite 7027]

32 minutes ago, ewerk said:

‘Intensity is our identity’. Either the players are knackered or they aren’t listening to the manager any longer. 

If they're knackered then Howe needs to stop asking them to play a high press for 100mins every game. 

[aimaad22 4156]

Probably more mental fatigue and lack of confidence at this point I'd think than being physically knackered. And there's been a reality check for a handful of players who did really well and rode the wave last year but are really just mid table at best in the end.

 

As someone said earlier, football doesnt stand still. You can get overcome lack of quality with intensity and passion for a certain amount of time, but the teams that consistently do well just have better players than others.  

[Howay 12496]

Crap performance by basically the whole side. It’ll be nice having a goalkeeper back that doesn’t mind making the occasional save, not that the goals were all his fault but fucking hell man. 
 

I’m really hoping that Howe is learning from this season as despite it being pretty clear we don’t have the players to play the same way available we just continue to try and play the same way. I understand we’ve had absurd injuries but the wide open way we defend has become so frustrating to watch.
 

Really hope we go into this summer with purpose mind, as despite it being hindsight last summer didn’t help us move forward in the short term (maybe the signing will all help from next season since Tino is the only one that’s really impacted this one). 
 

The most annoying part is I thought Chelsea looked mostly crap, Palmer aside, especially that Cucurella   

[OTF 7295]

8 hours ago, aimaad22 said:

Probably more mental fatigue and lack of confidence at this point I'd think than being physically knackered. And there's been a reality check for a handful of players who did really well and rode the wave last year but are really just mid table at best in the end.

 

As someone said earlier, football doesnt stand still. You can get overcome lack of quality with intensity and passion for a certain amount of time, but the teams that consistently do well just have better players than others.  

 

We were away at Chelsea also, let's not forget that. They pay a shit ton more in wages, have spent several shit tons more on transfers and have a youth system, scouting network and training facilities that are one of the best in the world (and which helps them to bankroll their irresponsible spending). The fact that they're underachieving doesn't take away the talent that they have, and Pochetino is a high quality manager. We've just got to find a way to stop conceding these soft goals.

[OTF 7295]

7 hours ago, Howay said:

Crap performance by basically the whole side. It’ll be nice having a goalkeeper back that doesn’t mind making the occasional save, not that the goals were all his fault but fucking hell man. 
 

I’m really hoping that Howe is learning from this season as despite it being pretty clear we don’t have the players to play the same way available we just continue to try and play the same way. I understand we’ve had absurd injuries but the wide open way we defend has become so frustrating to watch.
 

Really hope we go into this summer with purpose mind, as despite it being hindsight last summer didn’t help us move forward in the short term (maybe the signing will all help from next season since Tino is the only one that’s really impacted this one). 
 

The most annoying part is I thought Chelsea looked mostly crap, Palmer aside, especially that Cucurella   

 

I thought Tino was good throughout and Murphy played very well. Isak scored a great goal but was otherwise quiet. The weakest would have been Botman, Longstaff and Willock who was pretty anonymous.

 

Yes Chelsea were at about the same level as us on the whole, game turned on a few moments. Their first had a huge element of luck.

[ewerk 30610]

4 minutes ago, OTF said:

 

We were away at Chelsea also, let's not forget that. They pay a shit ton more in wages, have spent several shit tons more on transfers and have a youth system, scouting network and training facilities that are one of the best in the world (and which helps them to bankroll their irresponsible spending). The fact that they're underachieving doesn't take away the talent that they have, and Pochetino is a high quality manager. We've just got to find a way to stop conceding these soft goals.

 

You can dress it up however you like but we didn't lose because Chelsea was good. We lost because we were terrible.

[Chaser 1207]

We were wank. 

[RobElliott 1493]

Thought Gusto was class for them last night

 

Was a breath of fresh air seeing a pacy full back storming up and down the wing

 

He cost £20m though? Hopefully we can bag some players of that ilk for that price in the summer.

[OTF 7295]

2 hours ago, ewerk said:

 

You can dress it up however you like but we didn't lose because Chelsea was good. We lost because we were terrible.

 

I didn't say we lost because Chelsea were good, I said that they have loads of talent. We weren't terrible, they scored a lucky goal, and a very good goal that we should have defended better for. Their third was down to us pushing for an equaliser. It was a frustrating game as Howe said there was not a lot of opportunities for either side despite 5 goals being scored. It doesn't worry me except that it would have been a key result getting a win.

[OTF 7295]

18 minutes ago, RobElliott said:

Thought Gusto was class for them last night

 

Was a breath of fresh air seeing a pacy full back storming up and down the wing

 

He cost £20m though? Hopefully we can bag some players of that ilk for that price in the summer.

He was good, Gusto by name and nature.

[aimaad22 4156]

 

 

 

 

[wykikitoon 20139]

😂