Match Thread: Newcastle v Norwich

[Gawalls]

It's essentially over now, Leeds have won, 8 points and a massive goal difference behind safety.

[Don Sholeone]

I feel like I'm going to be pissed off at Clark all week.

[bodacious benny]

Missed it

Why on Earth did Clark start over Fernandez? He’s been f***ing awful all season so I’m afraid that like Krafth playing v Arsenal that’s an error on Howe’s part.

[Donkey Toon]

Missed it

Why on Earth did Clark start over Fernandez? He’s been f***ing awful all season so I’m afraid that like Krafth playing v Arsenal that’s an error on Howe’s part.

That is part of the reason I am dubious about Howe sorting out our defence. He's had weeks to see the players in training and so far he has concluded that Clark, Lascelles and Schar are all ahead of Fernandez in terms of selection. That alone has me concerned. That Fernandez is our only halfway decent CB should be blindingly obvious.

[Sanchino]

I've been massively critical of Joelinton, but i agree with Shearer, MotM today. Excellent performance and what a shift he put in.

Has the makings of a box-to-box/defensive midfielder. Good touch, control, decent passing, good strength & good tackling/interceptions. Maybe he could be our version of ''Dembele'' (The ex Fulham & Spurs midfielder who started as a striker/AM then went on to be one of the best box-to-box CM's in Europe).

Fernandez is 100% starting next game. I don't know if this confirms relegation but this was a must win and if we drop points against Burnley then it's all over I'm afraid. Hugh mountain to climb even if we get new CBs/CM's in Jan we'll be many points adrift by then, unless we somehow pick up points in this ominous Christmas period & I don't see that happening, just not good enough.

[Donkey Toon]

I've been massively critical of Joelinton, but i agree with Shearer, MotM today. Excellent performance and what a shift he put in.

Has the makings of a box-to-box/defensive midfielder. Good touch, control, decent passing, good strength & good tackling/interceptions. Maybe he could be our version of ''Dembele'' (The ex Fulham & Spurs midfielder who started as a striker/AM then went on to be one of the best box-to-box CM's in Europe).

Fernandez is 100% starting next game. I don't know if this confirms relegation but this was a must win and if we drop points against Burnley then it's all over I'm afraid. Hugh mountain to climb even if we get new CBs/CM's in Jan we'll be many points adrift by then, unless we somehow pick up points in this ominous Christmas period & I don't see that happening, just not good enough.

I certainly see what you mean about Joelinton. His defensive duties particularly impressed me today, along with his not stop running. You may be onto something there.

And yeah, 3 pts vs Burnley or we're f***ed.

[Slim999]

It's essentially over now, Leeds have won, 8 points and a massive goal difference behind safety.

nah we don't give up that easily.

move onto next game- Burnley. we need to win that

once we get that win there will be a huge lift

somehow we need to scramble 7-10 points before the Xmas window

I reckon nany from Brighton down are still in the relegation scrap.

Everton, Palace, Leeds , Watford , Southaoton , Brentford, Brighton , villa

And of course us , Norwich & Burnley

[UlversToon]

Absolutely gutted to wake up this morning to find out that Leeds won with a last minute penalty!

[seaside nipper]

Absolutely gutted to wake up this morning to find out that Leeds won with a last minute penalty!

Gutted this morning full stop….cannot believe we couldn’t cobble a win last night !
Can’t help feeling this morning that Saturday will be decisive one way of another.
Feel hungover this morning without the good night out.

[gola]

any1 else here the booin after game? wat was that all about? cnt find any mention of iut anywere bt i deffo heard it. wud love to kno why they booed. at what exactly?

[bodacious benny]

Failing to beat Norwich at home is a fair reason to boo I’d say, regardless of new owners, managers, circumstances.

Clutching at straws time, we’re 6 points behind Watford. Their next 2 games are Chelsea and Man City so if they get absolutely battered it can hurt their GD and if we beat Burnley then we’ll be within 3 points of them.

[Toondes]

I think we are f***ed personally . Even if we win against Burnley , our run of fixtures in December will probably return 2-3 points max ( probably 0). We’ll be too far adrift by then . We’ll end up needing 10 wins from 19 games . I wonder what players will stick around in the championship . On a positive note , the could be a local Derby for us next season .

[Oval85]

I think we are f***ed personally . Even if we win against Burnley , our run of fixtures in December will probably return 2-3 points max ( probably 0). We’ll be too far adrift by then . We’ll end up needing 10 wins from 19 games . I wonder what players will stick around in the championship . On a positive note , the could be a local Derby for us next season .

To me, this is more thrilling than survival and midtable next year. I believe more than half our squad is not good enough for EPL, and it's quite obvious that a total overhaul is needed to even think about europe. Would make the team learn how to win again also, sometimes confidence is more worth than anything.

[bodacious benny]

I think we are f***ed personally . Even if we win against Burnley , our run of fixtures in December will probably return 2-3 points max ( probably 0). We’ll be too far adrift by then . We’ll end up needing 10 wins from 19 games . I wonder what players will stick around in the championship . On a positive note , the could be a local Derby for us next season .

I agree, given that we haven't won a game since May(!) I fail to see how we'll realistically win the equivalent of 10 from the 24 remaining games that we'll need to win to stay up.

I don't mind a season in the Championship. Most of us would have taken a year in the Championship if it meant we got rid of Ashley and that looks like how it's going to pan out.

[gola]

Failing to beat Norwich at home is a fair reason to boo I’d say, regardless of new owners, managers, circumstances.

Clutching at straws time, we’re 6 points behind Watford. Their next 2 games are Chelsea and Man City so if they get absolutely battered it can hurt their GD and if we beat Burnley then we’ll be within 3 points of them.

wud agree normaly bt man we had 10 men for 80 mins, had to totttly rethink our game plan n wat we were wkin on

[seaside nipper]

I think we are f***ed personally . Even if we win against Burnley , our run of fixtures in December will probably return 2-3 points max ( probably 0). We’ll be too far adrift by then . We’ll end up needing 10 wins from 19 games . I wonder what players will stick around in the championship . On a positive note , the could be a local Derby for us next season .

I agree, given that we haven't won a game since May(!) I fail to see how we'll realistically win the equivalent of 10 from the 24 remaining games that we'll need to win to stay up.

I don't mind a season in the Championship. Most of us would have taken a year in the Championship if it meant we got rid of Ashley and that looks like how it's going to pan out.

Quite possibly will be the case.
It’s just a right scunner to think that we have to go down to rebuild. I don’t necessarily buy that as IF we survive there will be a clear out between Jan and season end irrespective. Risky to assume it’s a straight bounce back after all.

I genuinely think that it’s not too late IF we beat Burnley. Somehow it’s still possible given games and points still to go , albeit it would be quite the statistical miracle.

Either way I have two home games left this year, hopefully some festive cheer in December……a Xmas miracle.

[Don Sholeone]

I'm still keeping the faith, talk of needed points totals is irrelevant as there is no set number. My view is that we just need to keep in touching distance of the rest come January, we don't know what our recruitment will be, the thing is, if we do recruit well then the pool of beatable teams will expand beyond the bottom teams, if we got a win Vs Norwich and Burnley we still have to get points from the rest of the games anyways. We can easily pick up some surprise wins that would even out our results, this month for example, it's not impossible for us to get wins against the likes of Leicester and Everton who are both in some bad form. Yes they will be tougher than the likes of Norwich, but they are not guaranteed losses.

[bodacious benny]

Possibly. But we've also played every team in the bottom half of the league bar Burnley and Everton and not won a single one of them.

I'm sure we will pull off the occasional shock win before the end of the season, but the pressure now on the players to win pretty much every single 'winnable' game is huge. Of course some players thrive on pressure, but I get the distinct impression that most of our squad don't.

All of our eggs are definitely in the January transfer window basket as it's abundantly clear that the current core group will take us down, that is almost a certainty.

[Remember Colo]

I think we are f***ed personally . Even if we win against Burnley , our run of fixtures in December will probably return 2-3 points max ( probably 0). We’ll be too far adrift by then . We’ll end up needing 10 wins from 19 games . I wonder what players will stick around in the championship . On a positive note , the could be a local Derby for us next season .

To me, this is more thrilling than survival and midtable next year. I believe more than half our squad is not good enough for EPL, and it's quite obvious that a total overhaul is needed to even think about europe. Would make the team learn how to win again also, sometimes confidence is more worth than anything.

Is that a bonus when whoever would be playing for us next season likely wouldn't be the players playing in the PL? People said the same thing before the last relegation, but instead we ended with a bunch of dead wood that weren't good enough for the PL and it didn't build any momentum. Now with finances and ambition, the worst possible outcome would be getting relegated and ensuring none of the potential quality players we can now afford would want to play for us. It'll delay the project by years.

[seaside nipper]

To me, this is more thrilling than survival and midtable next year. I believe more than half our squad is not good enough for EPL, and it's quite obvious that a total overhaul is needed to even think about europe. Would make the team learn how to win again also, sometimes confidence is more worth than anything.

Is that a bonus when whoever would be playing for us next season likely wouldn't be the players playing in the PL? People said the same thing before the last relegation, but instead we ended with a bunch of dead wood that weren't good enough for the PL and it didn't build any momentum. Now with finances and ambition, the worst possible outcome would be getting relegated and ensuring none of the potential quality players we can now afford would want to play for us. It'll delay the project by years.

Agree completely , I don’t get this great idea that relegation will purge our ills and we’ll bounce back brilliant and go for Europe with our new regime.
Far easier to rebuild whilst in the top league. Obviously player recruitment is easier and with the prestige and kudos playing in the premier league brings for many players.
If we are in the Championship we are a big target for every other club and a poor target for the best players.
Let’s just do this and stay up