The Tractor Boys seem to have hit a pattern of losing, drawing, then winning two by several goals. Fairly sure we won't be on for a double relegation now.
Looking over our shoulders at Derby, now the longest winning streak in the top 4 leagues?
I wander which Liverpool will turn up today? Forest Leeds will be an interesting one though.
Well I hate to say it but that Sunderland team is the best team they have had in my lifetime. They have an ethos and team spirit that allows them to go up against anyone. They have only played 11 games together and can only get better.
Not looking forward to the derby in December.
Sunderland is now one of those grounds where nobody wants to go. They all put a shift in yesterday, but Dan Ballard was absolutely outstanding!
City and Liverpool are both in similar places at the moment, their forward play looks like there is more to come but not quite fully clicking into gear yet, the backlines can be got at and make mistakes and the managers don't seem sure which their best teams are.
I wonder if Arsenal only drawing yesterday will mean if both teams won't mind just settling for a point, especially if they are level with half an hour to go, or if it will motivate them to go for the win. I suspect the former as IMO the fear of losing more ground on the leaders would probably have been a greater motivator.
Have Liverpool played Sunderland yet? City have them in a few weeks and they look a proper handful. I always hate when idiot managers (of teams challenging for the title) whine on about the oppositions style of play, it's what makes the premier league great, if you want to win it you have different types of challenges to face, some are physical, some will play the low block, some will try and surprise you by playing attacking football, if you are crowned champions you have dealt with them all the best.
Mind you there have been teams that have flattered to deceive before and fallen away at the end of the season, was it Blackpool who were top 4 at Christmas and still relegated?
Consecutive wins for West Ham: I think I've entered a parallel universe. Looking at the fixture list I would say yesterday's win was essential.
If Nuno carries on like this then Forests decision to sack him is going to look even madder than it did anyway
Interesting half, I think that both city are probably deserving of a 2 goal lead on the balance of play and Liverpool have been unfortunate.
Penalty was a marginal call IMO, ref should probably have blown on the spot but having not done was there enough to overturn the on field decision. Both city goals were fantastic city moves being brave playing out from the back with lucky finishes. Liverpool goal probably should have stood, but the application of offside in those scenarios is really inconsistent and really needs tidying up from the officials.
Agree with you there, but how bad have Liverpool been? So lethargic!
It’s the easiest three points in the league - Liverpool at home.
Have Liverpool made a mistake giving Salah a new contract, he is reminding me a lot of De Bruyne last season, he will have his moments but doesn't look like he has the legs to do it week in week out anymore.
Nothing fortunate about Doku's goal, great finish.
And I think that city are still capable of going up another level or two, I think Cherki is going to really push on as he gets used to playing with the rest of the team more.
Doku just absolutely terrorised that Liverpool defense, who were an absolute shambles. As one-sided a game as you’ll see this season. Liverpool never turned up
If Nuno carries on like this then Forests decision to sack him is going to look even madder than it did anyway
Dunno, Dyche did alright against our mob today. Saying that, we offered nothing and as usual Farke was not able to change the direction of the game and waited until 70 mins, as usual, to make any subs. Think his race is run (not helped by our pathetic recruitment).
Great game from City with some of the players who had been doubted (Gonzalez and Nunes in particular) continuing the recent good form. Considering they have Balon D'Or winning Rodri to come back then they look like they will be the ones challenging Arsenal for the Premier League title.
Liverpool back on track
Yep, the track towards mid table obscurity. Or worse. Konate is a Sunday league player.
He’s certainly playing his way out an alleged move to Real Madrid. Yes, I think Salah is done, KdB analogy is a good one - just that little bit slower makes such a difference. If a Saudi bid came in for him January I’d sell.
Regarding Salah - I think that was something Wenger did well at Arsenal, knowing when a player was past it, no matter who they were.
It’s the easiest three points in the league - Liverpool at home.
No that would be Newcastle. Just goes to show how competitive the Premier League is these days when the toon look comfortable in the CL yet are putting in relegation-form performances in the league. Eddie has some big problems on his hands. Burn needs to go back in the middle in place of the over-confident Botman (not sure he wants to be here any more after his best mate f##### off), Joelinton needs some time on the bench, Bruno and Tonali need to learn to keep the bloody ball, and our wingers need to work out how to play with a striker who isn't a striker.
More than anything else though Howe needs to stop automatically picking his favourites and leaving them on the pitch too long. There wasn't a single toon fan yesterday who wasn't screaming for Burn to be subbed before he got himself sent off, yet Howe weirdly couldn't see it.
It's come to my notice that we've got yet another international break. Humph.
And this international break is even more pointless than the rest. And let’s face it, they’re all pointless!
I suspect there will be a lot of phantom injuries that appear this week only to miraculously disappear just as quickly once Engerland have got back from Montenegro or wherever this next waste of everyone’s time is
Pointless for England but Scotland in the hunt for a World Cup spot. Draw in Greece then winner takes all v the Danes. Reality - two insipid defeats, I expect.
It's come to my notice that we've got yet another international break. Humph.
The toon need all the international breaks we can get. Dropping out of the CL might do us some good, but there's not much point competing to get in it if you don't give a good go. Have any other teams had to fight a CL campaign and a relegation battle at the same time?
It's come to my notice that we've got yet another international break. Humph.
The toon need all the international breaks we can get. Dropping out of the CL might do us some good, but there's not much point competing to get in it if you don't give a good go. Have any other teams had to fight a CL campaign and a relegation battle at the same time?
We need Hall and Livramento back. They will make a massive difference.
At least Dan Burn's suspension will stop Howe playing at left back, he's a solid centre back but he's no left back, particularly against anyone with pace.
Hopefully Wissa will be back and can hit the ground running.
I don't know what's going on with Elanga, he's seems to get worse every week? He looked brilliant last season, absolutely rapid, looks clueless since joining Newcastle.
The table is really tight but we need to start picking up points.
Hopefully Wissa will be back and can hit the ground running.
Fat chance of that. He'll be off to the ACN if he gets fit enough, even if he doesn't we won't see much from him til the new year. And then there's the problem of how to play him with Woltemade. Yeah we need Hall and Tino back in the team. Also need to drop Botman for Burn in the middle and give Joelinton an extended rest on the bench and play Miley more so Bruno/Tonali don't have to play every bloody game. And Eddie needs to tell Gordon to get a bloody haircut and get rid of that ridiculous hairband.
I don't know what's going on with Elanga, he's seems to get worse every week? He looked brilliant last season, absolutely rapid, looks clueless since joining Newcastle.
Chris Wood did not look like scoring very often while playing to Eddie Howes gameplan at Newcastle but went to Forest and looked a class act, why anyone thought Elanga would suit Newcastle's style of play when it was the opposite of Forests counter attacking style from last season I can only guess ( I've said recently he's like St Maximin without the stepovers). Woltermade, while looking a good player so far does not lead from the front, prefering to drop deeper which means we can't play the high pressing, high intensity game thats been successful since Howe took over, it has to start with the striker/centre forward and stops the midfield from joining in when he drops back. As much as it pains me to type this, on present form we'll get battered by the Makems nxt month
Have any other teams had to fight a CL campaign and a relegation battle at the same time?
Leicester? Champions league quarter final, but struggled in the premier league that season.
Have any other teams had to fight a CL campaign and a relegation battle at the same time?
Leicester? Champions league quarter final, but struggled in the premier league that season.
Might not have been CL but I seem to recall Ipswich dealing with Europe and relegation after a 4th place finish.
Woltermade, while looking a good player so far does not lead from the front, prefering to drop deeper which means we can't play the high pressing, high intensity game thats been successful since Howe took over
Agree. Woltemade has completely upset the team structure. Not his fault admittedly and I suspect Howe was planning to play Wissa as a replacement for Isak while he figured out how to utilise Woltemade but that went out the window when Wissa knackered his knee. It's completely nullified them as an attacking force.
Odd isn’t it how the Isak saga has probably damaged both Liverpool and Newcastle. Still don’t know why Liverpool signed Ekitike as well.
Still don’t know why Liverpool signed Ekitike as well.
I thought it was a strange move when Newcastle bid for him again to be honest ( although in hindsight the club must've known Isak was going to leave at that point) and I doubt he had any idea they would still go after Isak when he chose to sign for Liverpool instead, neither of them went there to sit on the bench or play on the wing
we wont win or qualify anything this side of the next millennium but we made Ronaldo cry - he won't forget Dublin for a while.
Shows there is a different way of doing things. 50,000 watching in Bilbao and not afraid to call out the genocide in Gaza. Same again about to happen in Barcelona.
we wont win or qualify anything this side of the next millennium but we made Ronaldo cry - he won't forget Dublin for a while.
Well I take back! What a result.
Play offs, good effort! All set up for Scotland to blow it next week and end up in them as well.
Shout out to Norway - qualifying top of their group (Italy appear to be a spent force these days) & Erling Haland - 16 goals in 8 qualifiers.
It's all very well knocking his scoring feats in the Prem when Man City create about 20 chances per game. But he's not got the same level of players around him internationally.
Shout out to Norway - qualifying top of their group (Italy appear to be a spent force these days) & Erling Haland - 16 goals in 8 qualifiers.
It's all very well knocking his scoring feats in the Prem when Man City create about 20 chances per game. But he's not got the same level of players around him internationally.
Its Norway's Golden Generation: Haaland, Ødegaard, Sørloth, and youngsters like Bobb and Nusa.
No more internationals until March!
Grant Hanley dropped and then his partner in crimes against defending John Souttar gets injured in the warm up 😬
Come on Scotland.
Bloody hell Scotland!!!!!!!
Never in doubt eh? Bloody hell.
Bloody hell indeed!
My hr spiked to 140 from a sitting position when that 3rd goal went in...
Greatest game of football I've ever seen..
Well done Scotland. As an Englishman, I’m happy you’ve qualified, even though you’d have happily cheered had we not.
Woohoo…..feel sorry for McTominay, scores a goal worthy of winning any game but all we will see now isMcLeans goal in all the reporting 🤣. Bloody nerve wracking being Scottish.
YAASSSSS!!!
Brilliant result, Scotland we pretty bad but who cares. Really pleased for Robertson as you could see how much it meant to him and was his last chance to play in a world cup, but even more so for players like Hanley that have mostly played in the Championship through their careers. Great stuff
Brilliant game... 3 worldies and the WC will be a better place for the Tartan army's involvement.
Many congrats
Fingers crossed we don't get drawn in the same group
Orange Shitgibbon / Scottish hotelier will get that bent FIFA administrator to change the rules so that the final will be USA vs Scotland on the Whitehouse lawn.
You’se all be fine.
So - the draw for the world cup is on December 5th - but at the moment we don't even know who all the teams are going to be in the finals.
What a farce.
The ticket prices are going to be outrageous. I've heard the opening game is going to cost about 7 times the cost of Qatar fir the cheapest ticket. And then you have dynamic pricing play on top of that
Also, just realised the 3 hosts are all top seeds? Has that always been the case. Bit farcical given that Canada and the US are hopeless. But on flip side, gives scotland a chance if we get drawn in their groups
The ticket prices are going to be outrageous. I've heard the opening game is going to cost about 7 times the cost of Qatar fir the cheapest ticket. And then you have dynamic pricing play on top of that
Also, just realised the 3 hosts are all top seeds? Has that always been the case. Bit farcical given that Canada and the US are hopeless. But on flip side, gives scotland a chance if we get drawn in their groups
The pricing is going to crazy. I heard the cheapest final tickets would be well into 4 figures.
The USA are currently ranked 14th, 1 higher than Mexico. Not too bad.
Never mind that shit - half an hour until the unveiling of the design for Birmingham City's new Sports Quarter! 🙂
Duplipost. 🙁
Even if we do get through to the finals I wont go to Trumpland - watch it on TV.
Also, just realised the 3 hosts are all top seeds? Has that always been the case. Bit farcical given that Canada and the US are hopeless. But on flip side, gives scotland a chance if we get drawn in their groups
Erm, USA and Mexico are 14th and 15th, and Canada are 27th in the world rankings. Scotland are 32nd.
FIFA do the rankings remember!
The ticket prices are going to be outrageous. I've heard the opening game is going to cost about 7 times the cost of Qatar fir the cheapest ticket. And then you have dynamic pricing play on top of that
I find it incomprehensible why anyone would bother. Or maybe that’s the point? They don’t want any actual supporters there, when they can stuff the stadiums with corporate hospitality packages instead.
Trump and Infantino… what a combination
This is going to be the most egregious example of modern sport spectating, the displacement of the true fanatic who build a disproportionate of their life around their chosen sport by the outsizedly wealthy who feel entitled to buy their way into any event that is in that cohort’s check list of things have been seen to have done.
It's never going to be patch on USA 94 - the tournament started when Diana Ross missed a pen & finished when Di Baggio missed a pen. A beautifully bookended world cup (& the most un-Brazilian team who won)
It's never going to be patch on USA 94 - the tournament started when Diana Ross missed a pen & finished when Di Baggio missed a pen. A beautifully bookended world cup (& the most un-Brazilian team who won)
So many of my friends both sides of the sea went to this tournament following Ireland around the US - some even came back. I was a proper Cinderella watching the matches in a student union bar.
Slot in! 😀
Is Isak still on strike? 😂
I think Wirtz may still come good - under a new manager probably! - but Newcastle have done Liverpool good and proper with Isak.
For all the 'Dyche only plays defensive football' as soon as they bought Konate off he chucked Omari Hutchinson into the mix, and only bought Yates on fir Jesus in the 86th minute.
Loving his work since the Aussie fraud got binned.
Nobody’s got their shooting boots on in this match, have they? How on earth is this still 0-0?
Well these offside checks are just getting silly now.
It was something like 5 minutes for Newcastle's 2nd goal.
But the VAR Pandora's Box has been opened and we can never go back to just a bloke with a flag.
That was about as comfortable as it gets for Arsenal. They never even broke a sweat. 6 points clear at the top, but they look unplayable on that form. Eze looked awesome. Could/should have had 4 or 5, but had to make do with just the hatrick
Champions elect. Great defence - and probably a spring in their step given Liverpool’s dramatic decline and City being a bit off it at times.
And the award for the most stupid red card you’ll ever see goes to….
And despite that Utd still couldn't find away through.
Good to see the real Utd are back.
An unwelcome return of the completely toothless United of last season. As soon as I saw he was starting Zirkzee up front I had a sinking feeling which way it was going to go
Good to see Amorim go down the Slot route of post-match excuses for a pitiful performance though …
Champions elect. Great defence - and probably a spring in their step given Liverpool’s dramatic decline and City being a bit off it at times.
They will fade away with the daffodils as per the last few seasons.
An unwelcome return of the completely toothless United of last season. As soon as I saw he was starting Zirkzee up front I had a sinking feeling which way it was going to go
Good to see Amorim go down the Slot route of post-match excuses for a pitiful performance though …
That has to be the worst excuse ever given.
Apart from anything else about it, why doesn't he have a standard plan to play against 10?
That has to be the worst excuse ever given.
Apart from anything else about it, why doesn't he have a standard plan to play against 10?
If United fans had been told in August that they would be above Liverpool after 12 games they would have been ecstatic.
Apart from anything else about it, why doesn't he have a standard plan to play against 10?
A question we were all asking ourselves as it became glaringly obvious
If United fans had been told in August that they would be above Liverpool after 12 games they would have been ecstatic.
True dat
Whether it’ll stay that way for long now we’ve reverted back to the United of last season remains to be seen