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Well. I think it's time to analyze the game, already cold. I'll start with the best. Do you know what it is? I think Bruno played a fairly normal game, turning bad. He did not stand out too much except in some very showy long delivery. If we play like this, and Bruno wasn't at his highest level... Ufff. And be careful, because I think that Villa is a very good team that will surely be Top 8 in the League and that last year already made it difficult for us. We made 5, but if it wasn't for Dibu Martínez, it could have been 7 or 8. We saw Villa's mistakes and we knew how to do damage by pressing their ball out and destroying their defensive line so far forward. Fantastic defensive line. The 4 of last year (plus Pope). This can only get better. Stronger, more compact. Incredible. Of course, I think we need to sign a defender for when Schar or Botman are not there. The season, with 4 competitions, is very long. Joelinton-Bruno-Tonali. That has to be the starting MC in important matches. Joelinton is no longer just a Box to Box who runs, fights and steals. He now understands and distributes, he knows when to pass long and short, he knows how to move around the midfield seeking to associate with everyone. Knowing how Howe understands the game, this team has to be Joelinton and 10 others. Tonali made a sensational debut scoring right out of the gate and that makes everything easier for him. I think he is a player who does not shine in goal and assist statistics, but his job is going to be to do the dirty work so that others shine. This is his level and this is just the beginning. In attack, magnificent. For me, Gordon was the man of the match. He ran every ball, he fought and he helped Burn a lot (for me, the most important thing). He has quality, his ball handling is incredibly good and he is in a sweet moment after winning the U21. The best game from him since he signed for us and I think he is going to become one of the players in the League. Nothing to say about Isak. In the end, the millions we pay for it will seem cheap to us. A pity he couldn't hit the hattrick. That competition with Wilson has to make him (both of them) much better and he has to understand that Callum is also very good and that it will be difficult for him to play 90 minutes. With Almirón he was the one with whom he had the most doubts, but yesterday he showed that he is still plugged in and that his level will only improve the team. And when the team can relax... You look at the bench, and you find Wilson, Barnes (fantastic debut), two boys from the house like Murphy and Longstaff or Livramento so that the level doesn't drop. Only yesterday I had a small regret and that is that, after the great preseason, Howe did not give Anderson more minutes.

I think Aston Villa will still do very well this season. Losing 2 key men would unsettle the best of teams and coming to St James' on the first game of the season wouldn't be an easy task for anyone. They didn't look really bad until the 3rd went in, then that back line was so high up and our attack is so ruthless they were torn apart time and again. They had chances and for all we could have scored more, so could they. And not because we were defending particularly poorly, but because they created good opportunities. Agree with what's been said that Bruno, Tonali and Joelinton should be first choice, they interlock and compliment eachother so well. Even with a below par Bruno we played through or bullied Aston Villa all game. If that's Tonali's debut, the rest of the league should be shitting ciabattas at how good he'll be once he acclimatises. Once he understands the runs and positions his teammates use, he'll be even better. The defence was very good, although there were plenty of opportunities for Schar to release Gordon or Isak with one of his patented raking passes, but he never pulled the trigger. Perhaps under instructions from Eddie, perhaps a little ring rusty after his injury? However he and Botman marshalled the much vaunted Watkins to the point I can only think of one chance their striker had. Diaby caused Burn a couple of problems, but he'll do that against a lot of natural leftbacks this season so I'm not worried. Almiron was his usual self; full of energy, pestering their leftback, and occasionally frustrating. But what I loved was how fluid our front 3 was. Almiron was popping up on the left, Gordon on the right, Isak all over the place. Must be a nightmare to defend against. Isak is fucking class, that "quiet arrogance ' ( or confidence as I'd call it) shows in everything he does. His second was unbelievable. To force an error, control the loose ball, size up options, choose the perfect one and execute it perfectly was staggering. To do it in the blink of an eye is even better. I love him. Gordon is mint and will only get better. His choice and execution of passes seems to be getting better every game. That touch for Tonali's second opportunity was brilliant, the cross for his first was perfect. Endless pressing, always an out all, just needs to add goals. I'm not going to get ahead of myself. We thrashed a very good Villa side, but it's a long ass season and as I said before they were disrupted and not their usual self. The importance of this win is massive; our opening fixtures are horrendous and we could possibly have gone 5 games without a win. So to get one at the first time of asking, and a statement one at that, is huge. Man City looked good against Burnley, but not invincible, Brighton were not troubled by Luton at all, and we'll see how Liverpool and Brentford do later today. But even if we only pick up a couple of draws from those 4 games, it's not the nightmare start it could have been. Tl;Dr I am, once again, zen as fuck.

He’s just showing off that he knows his Dad. 😉

Actual footage from christchurch this morning. Fucking hell we were good! Diaby looked decent for them, botman falling over was funny, Isaks second finish was world class and Barnes goal was very slick. No fucking pre-assist bullshit for the new boys.

The same set of arseholes who racially abused Darren Bents mam, blamed Adam Johnsons victim and had "he shags who he wants" echoing round their stadium. And they take the moral highground. Their obsession with us is only matched by their stupidity

"Purely a being a big racist thing" Why the fuck would you post a thread about your dad being a cunt?

You’re going to lose your hand if you don’t loosen that watch strap mate.

On another note, the SMB thread on us yesterday was full of so much fewm it's quite scary. The mods of the SMB should question themselves why a match thread with no NUFC input, all mackems, has to be removed from public view. Surely its definitive proof they are an embarrassment to themselves.

Ever get the feeling that one day you're going to wake up to the news some lad from Pennywell has gone postal and they check his hard drive and its this fucker? He clearly needs psychiatric intervention..

,

Fucking carragher silence of the lambs when a Liverpool player is booked for time wasting the Scouse cunt.

How exactly did you take this photo?

That’s sadder than a goth whose hamster died.

It’s on the 12th so that they can count down to it on their hands.

A huge statement to the rest of the league that we mean business, our "purple patch" isn't one, we are just a top drawer side. Villa played into our hands with their defensive line, lesser teams will set up much deeper and compact to try and stifle our play. It'll be games like that where we need to be creative to get goals. It's still hard to believe how far we have come in such a short space of time. I'd go game after game not expecting a single goal, yesterday I was pissed off we didn't score the other three. Beautiful football

Well that was a fun day out They we’re good mind but ultimately we’ve battered one of the leagues better teams. The ref was absolutely appalling mind & how that rat in goal never got sent off I’ll never know.

I've read a couple of posts on there in the last week saying that the famous six in a row was in a period where the clubs were on a level playing field. It's incredible how they've all completely forgotten how much Short put into the club and certainly how much more they spent than us during Ashley's tenure. I also guess they are priming themselves for future poundings by arguing they won't count as it won't be "fair".

Not sure how much money I'd spend on a stadium when I can't trust the people that frequent it to get their poos in the toilet.

probably because they're all as thick as a castle door?

Well it's ridiculous that a) they don't have a work around for when someone doesn't have it turned on or b) they don't have someone there saying "is NFC turned on?" to everyone who has problems. I'd still put a complaint in if I was you, see if you can get your money back. It's appalling that you just got turned away when you'd paid to go.

1. He shags who he wants.

Excellent assist today as well as a good all round performance, the chase back for Diaby on the counter was incredible, knowing how much pace Diaby has he made up ground from absolutely miles away to stop him going through uncontested.

Dancing

just to pick out this bit out of your post in particular.... I was on the very west edge of the gallowgate where it joins the milburn about half way up and in perfect line to the trajectory of the ball. from leaving isak's boot it looked like it was going over the bar, I was initially stunned to see it hit the net as were those around me. I've subsequently watched this goal dozens of times again and I'm amazed how well he executes it..... fucking sublime.

Not to get too carried away but if we’re doing that to Villa, imagine what we’ll do to the shite. Also, it’s been a long time since I felt the absolute confidence in something that I did as soon as Barnes got played in for the fifth. You just knew he was going to score

Actually, they didn’t. Sunderland didn’t even exist then. Their involvement on the parliamentarian side of the civil war is barely even a footnote in the conflict. Exaggerated massively by them in their constant quest to be relevant. But, aye - fuck them anyway

Whilst most of yous were busy shining Emery's buttocks, some saw through the cloud of hype. Don't forget it.

Tough day on Wearside. Another lucky win for the mags. Another away team rolling into town and taking a fall for the Saudi money.

Apparently that Jobe Bellingham isn’t quite as good as his brother

I blame the fans for robbing the club of the difference in revenue between a standard burger and a cheese burger myself.

Just what I was thinking. First they had Stewart and Charlie, "real" owners who gave them their club back(if they replaced their own seats ); then they had the trust fund kid who was minted and a genius. Based on no evidence at all, KLD was going to spend mega bucks in a really smart way to take the club back to where they belong. Despite the kid plainly being unable to scratch his arse without mummy's permission, and being about as much use as that Sartori bloke (who was also a genius and minted, not sure now what his status is now). They really have no clue about the sort of losses they must be making by stinking up the lower leagues, and expect successive owners to spunk vast amounts of money straight down the drain, simply because it's them. Because in the world beyond their bedrooms and attics there's a conveyor belt of Ellis Shorts desperate to lose fortunes on SAFC. It might be a start if they stop shitting on their seats and start paying for tickets. No, on second thoughts it's much better to bitch and moan on a website for windowlickers and bewwww the owners.

Fucking howling at this.

sammynb's latest music recommendation.

Would you prefer us to call you Waynetta? We’re a safe space an’ that.

It’s incredible that it’s taken this long for these fucking window lickers to realise what everyone else could see from day 1. Delewded.

This post has 50+ likes. The fickle fickle bastards.

I’m sure I’ll forgive him if I see it 15 times this year

That is fucking hilarious. The poor bastards.

It turns out you can. I have to admit that I was sad enough to buy it based on this comment alone. I did stumble across the drink rather than seek it out so not too sad.

Why do they need a day? Is it the one they all have a bath?

The fucking state of that

According to the sunderland Echo, yesterday was National Mackem Day. They listed “14 things only mackems would understand” If anyone can tell me all 14, hats off to you. https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/people/14-things-youll-only-understand-if-youre-from-sunderland-as-we-mark-national-mackem-day-3342504

Last season my hobby horse was missed chances My admiration for the improvement in Shaun Longstaff’s game knows no bounds. Tonali replaces him and scores after a few minutes Almiron and most of the other wide attackers were streaky and inconsistent in their finishing. Harvey Barnes comes on and finishes the first chance he’s presented with. As I said, everyone wants to watch Eddie’s Mags

I don't even think he was consciously sizing up the options. Top strikers in those positions just instinctively finish. We can spot our own. Chris Wood, for example, would have smashed it straight at the keeper.

CT on TV again

Shouldn’t they be concentrating on hounding out yet another manager?

Also we're apparently taking PEDs.

Barnes and Wilson on. 5-1 then.

I hesitate to post this but a bad day for the NE and t'Yorkshire puddings below us.