Where will we finish thread *Updated Poll* - New 2024 Poll and Rivals fixtures.

Our issue is we simply do not perform well against teams that sit deep, or crowd the midfield and fight us for possession.

Against Spurs we went up against a team that plays exactly like we want. High up the pitch, big gaps behind. Against Everton? Forest? Palace? You don't get that. And we get smashed.

We don't have a 'style' we have a signature. Everyone knows exactly how we play.

Howe is the luckiest manager Newcastle have had in 20 years, West Hams capitulation saved our season, if we lost that game combined with this Palace game we would be out of any talks.

Of course, 200m will apparently fix everything.

Its not that we are "****" or anything, it's that we are predictable and a bit stale.

 

I agree that we sometimes struggle to break down deep lying teams, but I think it's harsh to say we don't do well against teams that fight us in midfield. That is kind of true, but only because we have a depleted side.

If we had a full strength side it would be different, but without Tonali and Joelinton, and also the same Willock that played last season, we are relying on the likes of Miley, Longstaff and Anderson, who don't have a great degree of quality.

The problem is without Joelinton and on form willock we lack the legs in midfield to fight like we did last season.

Next season, we will have joelinton and tonali back, which will be massive for us in terms of energy. Immediately relegating Longstaff, Anderson and Miley to the bench who have little to no pace and quality, with two players that can be creative, bring in energy and add defensive quality to the team.

And hopefully we may see a fully fit Willock return, although it may be best we got rid of the likes of Longstaff and sign a decent back up midfielder.

In a 4-3-3 you need pace in that midfield, which is what we massively lack.

 

Palace pressed and then sat back it was excellent tactics from their manager.

 

If we sign a proper right winger, put Gordon on the left and right off Barnes as a failed experiment we will be fine

Moving Gordon around to accommodate Harvey Barnes brings my piss to a boil

 

Agreed, I think Barnes is good but goes missing for long periods of time. I think it's a case of rotation really. We should get another attacking mid/rw, and rotate barnes gordon and gibbs white.

 

Barnes was dreadful last night from start to finish.

 

Pretty much everyone was awful besides Bruno.

Gordon just doesn't seem to be as effective away from home. He feels like literally one of the best players in the league at SJP, but rarely scores or assists away from home.

 

That's a managerial thing then, but I saw Anderson getting rinsed who was doing better than most including Barnes and then Howe moved the poor ****er to his worst position on the right.

When the entire side is a disjointed mess it's the manager and he blamed the players last night so he hasn't even acknowledged his own errors.

Howe got it wrong last night but he has a good chance Saturday to put it all right.

 

Anderson does not belong in the center of midfield, he is by trade a LW/LAM, but he's basically bang average.

We're fielding bang average players and we cannot really expect that much sometimes when playing quality teams.

 

I would make a case Anderson is a far superior cm to Longstaff but I agree he's best in the position you've sighted. He's a good player.

Last night Howe gave a lesson in playing players in the wrong positions that's for sure.

I firmly believe Longstaff is like like playing with 10 men making Anderson Brunos and every other players job difficult... he does NOTHING.... runs around getting in the way playing cop-out passes.

 

I'd give Steve Bruce that honour for his luck in getting the job in the first place.

 

It was a **** job nobody wanted

 

He did.

 

He was like the 7th choice haha

 

It's been conveniently forgotten that the current manager still did ****e until after the 1st transfer window. The fact is the club was not innany way shape or form competitive and any manager would have struggled under Mike Ashley. There wasn't a long list of good managers thinking oh I'd love to manage there that will be good for my career. Hence we ended up with Bruce.

 

If Howe gets us anywhere in the top 7 with the current squad we have then he's far from lucky.

He does have his limitations/flaws, but the job he's done is superb.

No trippier, botman, joelinton, tonali, willock etc. A bit part of our team last season was our midfield being stacked with pacey grafters, as well as not having to worry about depths due to lack of extra games.

Willock has gone awol, Joelinton injured and Tonali who would have made it easier to rotate, all out.

It's not Howe's fault, I have no doubt that without CL football we'd be around the same position as Villa this season. CL football on top of PL football was too much for our squad as a hole.

Howe deserves another season. 4th and 7th place finishes would be an incredible achievement.

 

Bro before the takeover we had suggestions of Lee Bowyer and Joey Barton to replace Bruce.

 

Tbh the games a farce.. the finishing positions are determined almost entirely by the amount clubs pay wages and guess what the new financial rules are constraints on wages.

Managers are riding waves... yes you get good ones and bad ones , but Pep won't win anything here with this group.

 

That’s why I’m worried about Sheff United.. I mean Luton were 4-2 up at our place not so long back. I don’t think Saturdays going to be easy by any means.

 

Pep only finished 3rd in his first season at City despite spending £150m on new players. Guy is hardly a miracle worker.