Challenging for the Title

[Rayvin 5621]

Just now, Howmanheyman said:

 

Getting CL this season wouldn't be as great an accomplishment this season as it was the first time he did it IMO. 

 

So I can see that argument if you had to call it at the start of both seasons - but from where we are right now, and the ridiculous run of form he's had to pull together to even get us back into the conversation, I think the margins are just finer this season. Maybe I'm remembering the last time a little too generously but I sort of feel we were in the conversation all season for that one, so the odd game going astray here and there didn't derail us - moreover everyone was still turning up thinking they'd play us off the park. This season feels much more like every win has been hard earned. To me at least. It's probably just bias towards what is immediately in front of me I suppose. I just feel like Howe and the team have had to be even better this year than they were that year.

[Howmanheyman 34775]

28 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

So I can see that argument if you had to call it at the start of both seasons - but from where we are right now, and the ridiculous run of form he's had to pull together to even get us back into the conversation, I think the margins are just finer this season. Maybe I'm remembering the last time a little too generously but I sort of feel we were in the conversation all season for that one, so the odd game going astray here and there didn't derail us - moreover everyone was still turning up thinking they'd play us off the park. This season feels much more like every win has been hard earned. To me at least. It's probably just bias towards what is immediately in front of me I suppose. I just feel like Howe and the team have had to be even better this year than they were that year.

 

Man U were bad the first time but still better than now, Chelsea are having a better season now but that's offset by Liverpool coming good this year compared to then. Botman situation was better then than now but we didn't have Tonali then, Burn isn't left back this season, I don't know, I'm still saying that was the greater achievement if we do it again this year. Still half a season to go so it's too hard to judge really.

Edited yesterday at 14:16 by Howmanheyman

[Rayvin 5621]

8 minutes ago, Howmanheyman said:

 

Man U were bad the first time but still better than now, Chelsea are having a better season now but that's offset by Liverpool coming good this year compared to then. Botman situation was better then than now but we didn't have Tonali then, Burn is left back this season, I don't know, I'm still saying that was the greater achievement if we do it again this year. Still half a season to go so it's too hard to judge really.

 

Yeah fair I guess. I did love that season.

[Toonpack 10597]

The league has settled down and has started to split into mini-leagues. If we beat Bournemouth we’ll be 7 points clear of them/eighth place,  Villa in 7th are at cockney Stoke so we could be 6 ahead of them with a vastly superior goal difference (+15 v -1) a draw would be my result of choice for that one because I think we can catch Lego-head’s boys.

 

We lose Isak we’re screwed but Chelsea lose Palmer they’re same, Liverpool - Salah likewise although they’ve got points in the bag and injury time/VAR on their side. No idea who is the major key for the scabs and City are currently living life without theirs and Stoke have lost Saka.

 

So long as we don’t lose Isak (to injury) we should be locked in top 6 even with a mini wobble.

 

I fancy us to finish above cockney Stoke, and whatever that brings, we really are better than them IMO, just a feeling mind but they don’t look nearly as good as the league table would suggest.

[The Fish 11127]

41 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

I'm concerned about CL tbh, we're on an amazing run of form and wins but we're still only just 4th. If we can stretch the winning run to another 4 or 5 games then I think we may earn daylight but that's a really tall order (though the games look winnable).

 

I think there'll be some questions asked if we don't get CL this season though, and that is the scenario under which I suppose we can see us losing a few of our top tier players. That in turn would necessitate a rebuild which just delays everything further. I think getting top 4 this season will be Howe's greatest achievement to date tbh in terms of what it will do for the club/how difficult it will be.

ffffffffahhhhkin Hell Rayvin, just enjoy it man. Worry about the worries another day.

[Rayvin 5621]

1 minute ago, The Fish said:

ffffffffahhhhkin Hell Rayvin, just enjoy it man. Worry about the worries another day.

 

I enjoy each win in the 30 mins immediately after it and then return to stressing about the next game  the joys of an anxious disposition.

[Howmanheyman 34775]

4 minutes ago, Toonpack said:

The league has settled down and has started to split into mini-leagues. If we beat Bournemouth we’ll be 7 points clear of them/eighth place,  Villa in 7th are at cockney Stoke so we could be 6 ahead of them with a vastly superior goal difference (+15 v -1) a draw would be my result of choice for that one because I think we can catch Lego-head’s boys.

 

We lose Isak we’re screwed but Chelsea lose Palmer they’re same, Liverpool - Salah likewise although they’ve got points in the bag and injury time/VAR on their side. No idea who is the major key for the scabs and City are currently living life without theirs and Stoke have lost Saka.

 

So long as we don’t lose Isak (to injury) we should be locked in top 6 even with a mini wobble.

 

I fancy us to finish above cockney Stoke, and whatever that brings, we really are better than them IMO, just a feeling mind but they don’t look nearly as good as the league table would suggest.

 

The current top two stays the same for me, the next four places are definitely up for grabs with one team missing out on the CL, (assuming 5th gets CL). Can't see anyone else this season not already in the top six getting in those positions which is going to be really, really hard to break to sky sports that two of their 'traditional' (Ha!) top six aren't going to make it. (I'd tell them myself but I've chosen to instead break it to a mother and father that their two children have died in a car crash with their grandparents. It was that or telling the sky sports lot but I thought that the sky lot would be a bit more emotional at their bad news).

[Dr Gloom 22789]

21 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

I enjoy each win in the 30 mins immediately after it and then return to stressing about the next game  the joys of an anxious disposition.

football is a lot like life. Like the late great Bill Hicks said: it’s just a ride. Got to just find a way to enjoy it which it lasts 

[Gemmill 47717]

6 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

football is a lot like life. Like the late great Bill Hicks said: it’s just a ride. Got to just find a way to enjoy it which it lasts 

 

Shame he didn't get a chance to correct that quote before he went. 

[Dr Gloom 22789]

4 minutes ago, Gemmill said:

 

Shame he didn't get a chance to correct that quote before he went. 

 

he was the greatest to ever do it 

 

 

[aimaad22 4415]

On another positive note looks like Howe is gradually letting Osula into the side. That goal in the cup will have done his confidence wonders, if he can get another goal or two and continue to improve in the next few weeks that will be a massive boost for our CL chances.

 

On the whole we should have enough to stay in CL contention till the end of the season. Add a possible cup final to that and it's a brilliant season especially considering we've done the sum of feck all in the last few windows. The blip will come no doubt, but these lads have got good heads and they will bounce back. 

 

It's been a few years now but I still can't believe the standard of football and quality of people we now have at this club, honestly never thought I'd ever see it. Those clips of matches people still post from a few years back, "on this day 3 years ago" and so on, reminds you of the utter half arsed dross we've often had to endure here. So yeah, those saying just enjoy it are absolutely spot on.

 

I don't think there's negative connotations to it anymore for us though. Maybe Forrest are thinking right now this won't last, a bit like Leceister. I think it's diffferent for us now because of the tone and ambition from the top of course but also because this squad and manager have gone through crippling challenges and come straight back. Our best players seem to have really bought into the idea what it means to play here and what any real success can do for their legacy. A trophy for Newcastle will make them legends, one for say Liverpool or City will be great but they'll be forgotten about in 3 years. I think they get that. 

 

I just Howe and this current squad actually win one, whatever else lies in the clubs future,  because they've worked their socks off and deserve it. Nufc being Nufc I totally get the feeling that disaster is right around the corner but it's starting to feel different now, slowly. 

 

 

[john 63]

On 14/01/2025 at 13:51, Rayvin said:

So first off, no I don't mean this season. I mean over the next 2-3 years which I think is probably roughly the runtime of this side while most players remain at their peak.

 

I was thinking to myself yesterday that we talk about bringing in a right winger as a current main focus of transfer policy - so let's assume we manage that, and we bring in someone vaguely equivalent to Gordon. Does that alone turn us into title contenders? I'm not sure personally. I think it's a big step, probably the biggest single step we could take, but I'm not sure that this on its own is enough to put us into the conversation with Liverpool, Arsenal and City.

 

So what would it take, what do they have that we don't? Is it even all playing staff, maybe some of it is structural. Other than the mental solidity that I can only assume we have to build up on the go, where else are we going to need to strengthen? It feels like a huge ask atm to take a side that we already think is very good, but which is really just on the edge of CL as far as wider rankings in the division and turn them into a side which could challenge for the title. But then again, where might we be if we hadn't shipped easy points to weaker teams earlier in the season?

 

Just curious on people's thoughts for the next few years really - how we get from where we are, to where we want to be.

Our first 11 is a match for anyone Liverpool included but currently our squad depth is nowhere near strong enough to challenge for the very top. We need better cover quality to cover over a season with all the games and injuries.

[Optimistic Nut 309]

Think Tonali, Gordon, Bruno & Isak would improve any team in the league, Botman once he's up to speed probably joins them. 

 

Those 4/5 plus Howe combined make good players very good around them and average players good. 

 

Long as we have 4 of those in the team with Isak being one of them, we can beat anyone in the league. 

[Rosco 813]

Our run unfortunately will end eventually but if by chance we go another 6 games with 4 wins  and 2 draws who knows where we’ll be, and those 6 league games include Liverpool & Man City away

Edited 10 hours ago by Rosco

[Monkeys Fist 43900]

19 hours ago, aimaad22 said:

it's starting to feel different now, slowly

Wouldn’t say no to it hurrying the fuck up a bit, mind.