Agree re Eddie Howe. He’s done a much better job than I expected although one of the rags had rumours they were after Mourinho 😐
Klopp - genius. Remember when he got ridiculed for getting the players to celebrate at the Kop getting a draw with, I think, West Brom. Worked out ok long term didn’t it?
I thought Moyes got a crappy end of the stick at Utd and he's gone on to do well at West Ham which highlighted that fact even more, plus the others who came into Utd showed it wasn't Moyes fault, but a bigger issue within the team/club.
I found it interesting that only 2 of Liverpools squad (maybe team, i dunno) on the weekend in the FA cup final were there when Klopp arrived. The rest have been brought in. I think that was Origi and Milner.
I'm backing Arsenal to be spursey and Spurs to also be spursey in the last round of games. The euro-millions is more predictable.
I hope Howe gets that chance at Newcastle, and they don’t expect trophies next year.
Watching his post-match interview last night it looks like thats the plan, steady improvement rather than splurging money on megastars and expecting to be competing for the title straight away. Sounds like the owners know the scale of the task in hand after years of Mike Ashleys ownership
An interesting stat they showed last night was that if you take the results from Christmas onwards Newcastle would presently be in fourth. Thats a serious improvement on where they were before, even considering how bloody awful a lot of the supposed 'big six' presently are
Terriers to Wembley for another Championship playoff final. A brilliant atmosphere.
Up The Town!
They'll have to follow financial fair play rules, so doubt they'll be throwing loads of money on huge signings, they need to build the club finances up first, the FFP rules are funny though, they were brought in to make things 'fair, but only really allow the big clubs to continue the way they are and hits the mid table or lower level clubs trying to move up, you just have to look at how Barcelona and others have avoided any fines or punishments, whilst still signing players, or what you see more of these days, big players being loaned for seasons, you're seeing players being more like leases than signings!
As for Arsenal, honestly they are just a mess, the way people were hailing Arteta was weird, he started badly, had a good spell, but when it came to the crunch, they folded, always have done, and you almost forget they spent £140 million in the summer, and already spent fortunes on the likes of Pepe (£70 million!), Partey (£50 million) and so on, they are well within the top 4 for net spending, but well outside it in terms of bottle and spirit.
As a Newcastle fan, it's easy to forget that we had something like one win (a streaky 1-0 at home to Burnley) in the first 18 games of the season. To have 46 points now is bonkers. Howe and his coaching staff have worked wonders. No doubt the signings have helped (Guimaraes in particular) but they've been unfashionable (Targett, Burn and Wood) rather bigger names like Dele Alli or Coutinho. However, the improvement has largely come about because Howe's coached and cajoled an existing underperforming squad into performing incredibly well particularly: Schar, Krafth, Joelinton, Willock and Fraser. I can't remember a Newcastle team defending so well AND operating a high press. The test will come when Eddie from Bournemouth has to manage better players with bigger egos but for now he's kept us up, unified the fanbase and put a smile on peoples' faces after 14 years of torpor and apathy. He's also slayed a few of his own demons following Bournemouth's relegation. Oh, and Mourinho can do one. Howe is the man to take us forward.
I found it interesting that only 2 of Liverpools squad (maybe team, i dunno) on the weekend in the FA cup final were there when Klopp arrived. The rest have been brought in. I think that was Origi and Milner.
It's 3 in the whole squad - Henderson, Milner and Origi. Quite a squad evolution in such a short time!
what about Firmino? he's been there a while
Wiki says he arrived July 2015 and Klopp arrived a few months later
No doubt the signings have helped (Guimaraes in particular) but they’ve been unfashionable (Targett, Burn and Wood) rather bigger names like Dele Alli or Coutinho.
And one of the marquee signings (Trippier) has been out for the last 3 months but was already making a difference for the time he was playing, in structure and organisation but also deadball situations.
I think Newcastle know what they need to do and how to do it, Financial Fair Play comes into it a lot, so they need to get up to playing in Europe, getting better deals, bringing more in so they can spend more. They'll have a phased approach, this phase is getting them into the top 6, so i can see Eddie Howe being at Newcastle for 3-5 years (at least) and getting them into that top 6.
They've made some good signings for what they need, Guimaraes is a star who is in an important position, the rest are pretty solid EPL players. I think they'll sign a keeper (Henderson?) and a defender in the summer to make them more solid, and then there'll be the marquee signing, could be anyone as there are so many on the go, Nunez would be a great one if they can get him, but i think it'll probably be another one as Nunez is going to attract a fair few CL clubs.
I think Infrastructure will be Newcastle's main focus for the next 18 months.
The ground needs a lot of work, it's falling apart in places and looks tired, and the training facilities are light years behind top clubs.
If we can push into the top half next year while making the club a more attractive place for top players to come to, that will set us up for the future much more than bringing in 2 'statement' signings
Last day then for the title. Some good subplots - Gerrard and Couthinho for Villa, Grealish v his old side. I think City will really go for it and try and get it done by half time - might Villa playing on Thursday be an issue? Or had Mahrez scored that pen v West Ham it would be done by now regardless.
Mahrez has missed several really important chances recently. He had a very good season until then
Forest vs Huddersfield for a place in the EPL, imagine Forest back in the top league for the first time this century!
Some job Steve Cooper has done! Love the play offs - always drama.
Newcastle played great football and Woolwich utterly imploded! As a spurs fan I could barely believe it 🤣🤣🤣
As for the last round of games, spurs have gone to the relegated bottom of the table, lost and let Woolwich past us before ( not many seasons back, losing to Newcastle when they had sisoko). We've also been 4th when a relatively easy home game against wet spam only to be upset (literally) by lasagne. Norwich? Nothing is certain!
I also agree regarding stability of managers, although when one is bad and we've had a few ..mo, avb...Nuno, there is no point prolonging. When we've had a good fit I've been frustrated by board tinkering, poch, jol, and by the fa and England job, Venables, hoddle... And redknapp in both camps! Personally, Conte is great but he won't stay unless levy funds his ambition, hope he does but... There's lots about spurs that enic have sorted out very very well, but like all fans I wish we'd spend more now and it felt criminal when we didn't back poch
Ooof.
Ah well.
So close... 😭
Germans are good at penalties.
Frankfurt will now be in Pot 1 for the UCL draw next season. They finished 11th in the Bundesliga. 😀
Did the Rangers fans behave themselves over there?
They were very naughty in Manchester when they lost to Zenit.
It's much much hotter in Seville, so maybe they all melted.
No, just the one penalty taker
No, just the one penalty taker
Those who live by the penalty..... 😂
Don’t post on this thread very often, but as an Everton fan, what an amazing game. This is why we love football.
Watching it in an Irish bar in Spain, one of those days/nights I’ll remember for a long time.
COYB!!
Last game of the season and Leeds need to get something at Brentford, mad to think that Burnley could actually stay up after the state they were in when they sacked Dyche!
Actually looking forward to Sunday now, I can watch the football and relax!
Hoping Burnley stay up, not sure why, supporting the underdog/small team I suppose.
Can’t see the title going anywhere else apart from City.
Football. ****ing hell.
Against a south london side, did the goalie dive over the third like Hans Segers?
Sundays certainly going to be interesting. I’ll be watching everything in the pub with a mix of Citeh fans and scousers. As a neutral supporter of a mid-table club with nothing to play for I’ll wind them both up equally 😃
Come on Burnley!
Lampard should be safe at Everton till Christmas at least after that.
Hoping Burnley stay up - Leeds have played some lovely football at times and been badly hit with injuries, but there's still a nasty physical side in there. Plus it will wind up my Leeds supporting mate, who believes they have a devine right to greatness and a pair of paranoid chips on his shoulders that act like blinkers.
Here we go....
Leeds & Burnley threaten legal action against Everton and Premier League over handling of club's finances - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61529371
That’s been one of the things hanging over Everton all year, but largely ignored, think they’re hoping it’ll flow into next year and then they can take a points deduction for 22/23, but the way this seasons gone, it’ll be a long summer for Everton!
They’ve been mismanaged and more poorly run than even Man U!
I was at the Villa v Burnley game in the Hole end (Villa supporters). There's very sporadic mobile coverage there and everybody was very excited when somebody shouted out the Everton scores when they were 1-0 or 2-0 down. As every right minded football fan knows, Everton should be relegated and "Lampard" is the worst insult you can pay anyone.
Out of curiosity, why should Everton be relegated? Because of FFP?
@bigjohn I presume you’re a Villa fan? So you think Everton spending more than they bring in means they should go down? But you’re happy for Clubs to be owned by states who subjugate women rights (massive under statement), and you’re more than happy for the human rights issues in Saudi Arabia to continue as long as Everton go down?
The Newcastle away strip is acceptable is it?
Sorry for digressing, but as much as I love my football there are some serious issues. FFP is one of them, Everton botched up on signings for a number of years. But come on, that’s the least of the issues affecting the Premier League right now.
These are state owned clubs.
Evertons finances are a mess. That I agree with.
The FFP rules are pretty clear, yet in January, when Everton had a minus number to spend on transfers they spent £40 million bringing in players.
They are aiming at using COVID and other issues to cover it, but the other 19 clubs in the EPL have managed to stay within the FFP rules over a rolling 3 year period, and understand the limits, so it's not going to be easy for Everton to avoid this one, they might be able to delay the outcome past this season, but it'll not end well.
As of Thursday there were just the 3 clubs jostling for the prize of parachute payment and my comment related to those 3 alone. And it's not just FFP, it's the dreadful way the club is run.
Everton have claimed Covid cost them £170m whilst Newcastle posted £40m against it and Villa £56m for the same period. Do Everton get 3-4 x gate receipts than the other 2 club (who both have bigger grounds)? Even if you accept that, their losses still exceed FFP limits. Some imaginative accounting going on somewhere at Goodison.
I agree, this one will run and probably end up in the high court. The fact Dele Alli had a hand in last weeks victory no doubt rankled at Turf Moor and Elland Road.
Lampard has a lot of capital with the fans right now, largely because he's not Rafa and he waves his hands about a lot. I would be really worried going into next season with him as boss and no money to spend if I was a blue. Out-thought tactically by Vierra until the fans and players pulled them out the sh*t. He's no Premier league manager.
I’m watching this in a house full of scousers.
It’s tense!
Someone has a tricky decision to make in a bit over where the cup should head!
All over now I suppose. Meh.