Match day thread - NUFC v a**hole villa

[bodacious benny]

Oh well, add villa to the long list of teams who beat us comfortably without ever getting out of third gear.

[seaside nipper]

Match commentators / summarisers tonight called it.
Newcastle, a boring nothing club now, remaining so until they are sold.
Awful

[Stevo]

I don't know whether just having access to the BBC text updates is a blessing at the moment... Chris Waddle's qote:

"If the fans had their way, I'm sure they would say they want Steve Bruce out now. But Mike Ashley is a patient man and as long as he sees a future in the Premier League, and there's no risk to that, I don't think Steve Bruce has got a problem."

Does he really think the way we are going we will remain in the Premier League?

[Crouching Shola Hidden Talent]

The only slight positive to take out of any of this s**** is that it's been funny to hear the awkward tone of some of the pundits who have been supporting Bruce so vehemently - they are watching the car crash they have championed unfold in front of their own eyes and they don't know what to do. It's basically Brexit-voting fishermen watching the effects of Brexit.

[Crouching Shola Hidden Talent]

Match commentators / summarisers tonight called it.
Newcastle, a boring nothing club now, remaining so until they are sold.
Awful

Yeh this was Carragher I think. His voice is hard to listen to but he's been more open to criticising what has been going on than most.

[lassassinblanc]

Jesus we're shocking. Still don't think we'll be relegated but we're going to push it close

[Colly]

Match commentators / summarisers tonight called it.
Newcastle, a boring nothing club now, remaining so until they are sold.
Awful

Yeh this was Carragher I think. His voice is hard to listen to but he's been more open to criticising what has been going on than most.

He does keep going to "they won't do anything without a takeover" though. This team with a handful of additions is a good side, it's just been coached to utter s****. Pundits going on about Rafa's "miracle" in keeping us up have been repeating this lie ever since, and the team hides behind it. It's not a bad squad, it just needs central midfielders and some coaching. I'd be happy with that regardless of Ashley.

[bodacious benny]

Terry pre match: “Bruce is an excellent manager”

[overseasTOON]

Burnley above us now.

[Crouching Shola Hidden Talent]

Yeh this was Carragher I think. His voice is hard to listen to but he's been more open to criticising what has been going on than most.

He does keep going to "they won't do anything without a takeover" though. This team with a handful of additions is a good side, it's just been coached to utter s****. Pundits going on about Rafa's "miracle" in keeping us up have been repeating this lie ever since, and the team hides behind it. It's not a bad squad, it just needs central midfielders and some coaching. I'd be happy with that regardless of Ashley.

That's a fair point - I guess I've just become so accustomed to hearing most pundits say how great Bruce is that one who vaguely tries to point out the fallacy seems like a revelation!

The central midfield is a real concern. One thing that alarms me about it is the lack of pace right across the board. I also cannot stand Shelvey - I'm happy with Hayden as at least he knows his limits and puts a shift in. He's a far less 'talented' player than Shelvey according to most, but Shelvey is just lazy as s*** and offers nothing to a team like ours in its current state.

[Donkey Toon]

So I had zero expectations when I saw the teamsheet. Turns out zero was hopelessly optimistic. What a crock of s***! Yet again!

[bodacious benny]

Bruce “I’ve seen enough to be encouraged, there was enough there to work on”.

[Valentino's fast feet]

Yeh this was Carragher I think. His voice is hard to listen to but he's been more open to criticising what has been going on than most.

He does keep going to "they won't do anything without a takeover" though. This team with a handful of additions is a good side, it's just been coached to utter s****. Pundits going on about Rafa's "miracle" in keeping us up have been repeating this lie ever since, and the team hides behind it. It's not a bad squad, it just needs central midfielders and some coaching. I'd be happy with that regardless of Ashley.

And the same pundits have not long ago claimed we should be happy with what Bruce is doing, and is as good as - if not better- than Benitez. It's laughable.

[Toon Ireland]

Newcastle are making me less interested in football in general, football is meant to be entertaining but Newcastle are anything but. I'm not from the area so maybe that's a factor too but I'm starting to not care and really don't expect anything positive from our matches. Ashley is the main problem but Bruce needs to go too, any half decent player we have would probably jump ship in a heartbeat. I think we'll probably stay up but just, and next season will be more of the same s***.

[Toon Ireland]

There has barely even been a moment to get excited about for weeks, even Cheltenham got 80 odd mins against man city today, we got zero against Sheffield United! Says it all really

[ALF]

He does keep going to "they won't do anything without a takeover" though. This team with a handful of additions is a good side, it's just been coached to utter s****. Pundits going on about Rafa's "miracle" in keeping us up have been repeating this lie ever since, and the team hides behind it. It's not a bad squad, it just needs central midfielders and some coaching. I'd be happy with that regardless of Ashley.

That's a fair point - I guess I've just become so accustomed to hearing most pundits say how great Bruce is that one who vaguely tries to point out the fallacy seems like a revelation!

The central midfield is a real concern. One thing that alarms me about it is the lack of pace right across the board. I also cannot stand Shelvey - I'm happy with Hayden as at least he knows his limits and puts a shift in. He's a far less 'talented' player than Shelvey according to most, but Shelvey is just lazy as s*** and offers nothing to a team like ours in its current state.

We have plenty of pace in the side and in the right areas. Pace is a massively overrated attribute anyway. I heard Bent talking about how quick Wilson is before the game, I don't think I've seen him sprint past someone since joining. Clever movement is far more important than pace. Pace gets you a yard at most, even Miggy when he was set free was caught by Mings and Miggy is one of the quickest players in the league.

Hayden is good as an out and out DM but he'll never be good enough as a central midfielder, he has no interest in having the ball. Under better coaching we may see something from Longstaff, Longstaff and Hendrick. Shelvey just needs to be moved on, nowhere near good enough in any area.

[Toondes]

Hendrick is awful

[gola]

hes basically risking another injury to asm playing him wen not fit in order to save his career. hes shockin

I'm hardly a fan of Bruce, but not sure where you are getting that from? To start it's factually inaccurate as ASM isn't playing, at least not from the start. He's on the bench, and almost certainly won't come off it. It's being used as a PR thing to say he's back in the squad as he's an important player. That'd be my interpretation, anyway.

erm he was playing cos he was in the squad and he came off the bench in the game?

[overseasTOON]

Moved company in December and found out that my new boss is a Villa fan.

He's been laughing his ass off in every meeting I've had with him this morning.

[Colly]

I'm hardly a fan of Bruce, but not sure where you are getting that from? To start it's factually inaccurate as ASM isn't playing, at least not from the start. He's on the bench, and almost certainly won't come off it. It's being used as a PR thing to say he's back in the squad as he's an important player. That'd be my interpretation, anyway.

erm he was playing cos he was in the squad and he came off the bench in the game?

So maybe he is fit?