Isegrim

Giving yourself more time for the invasion? Schoolboy error. "planning"

The reader's comments below the article are pretty harsh as well... My Dutch is non-existent but i guessed this guy doesnt like him - i could be wrong though. "Net goed voor dat arrogante zooitje uit Alkmaar. Newcastle vergelijken met Utrecht, het engelse spel declasseren door te zeggen dat het alleen maar counterspel is... Nee hoor mijnheer van Gaal, jullie zijn gisteren gewoon volledig weggetikt. En dan durven te zeggen dat ze nieteens zoveel kansen hebben gehad. Daar gaat het juist om in het voetbal Louis, de kansen die je krijgt moet je scoren! AZ, nog lang geen Topclub. Zie PSV! " I also like this one: "Van Gaal is of course a retard to compare Newcastle with Utrecht, is he that dumb or is it me being so smart?"

I think I will have to give this one a miss. I could get cheap flights but are stuck in work and other things so can't really afford to take a couple of days off. But I'll definitely come up in the summer.

That article says he said it before the match (vooraf = before) Van Gaal is coming directly out of the Johan Cruijff school of arrogance. I wouldn't take too much what he says seriously. Those comments are a nice motivation for Newcastle players though... If I was Cruijff I reckon I'd be as arrogant as they come as well mind. I absolute like his arrogance and straightforward views. But you have to be one of the world's best to get away with it.

The reader's comments below the article are pretty harsh as well...

That article says he said it before the match (vooraf = before) Van Gaal is coming directly out of the Johan Cruijff school of arrogance. I wouldn't take too much what he says seriously. Those comments are a nice motivation for Newcastle players though...

Ok, I didn't read this. That's of course moronic. I am optimistic, but still slightly worried. I thought chances were 50/50 ahead of yesterdays game, but now something like 70/30. I can't the fear of a Lisbon feeling out of my head, although this time we don't have a tosser in charge feeling the need of falling out with one of his better performers for absolutely nothing.

Ideally we would offer Bramble a 2 year contract extension and loan out one of Huntington or Edgar for a season for them to get experience. I agree, this would be sensible. I could live with Bramble as a back up player and our youngsters don't get enough first team action via loan spells due to them being needed as cover for the first team.

I don't think it is real negativity. If you look at the predictions most people will be pleasantly surprised. As I said directly after the game, a two goal margin is a good starting position and we are clear favourites now. But we are far from through and AZ do have still everything to play for. They only need a 2-0 win. Let them score early and will become a very nervous encounter. That's why their second goal hurts so much and diminishes the positive feeling. But the first half showed what the team is capable of. I want more of it.

Solano, Gooch and Edgar. I've lost confidence in Bramble ever becoming a reliable defender long term and his awful distribution in the build up are making him even more of a liability. If we are going for another commanding centre half as Roeder recently said I think we are well stocked in this department with the likes of Gooch, Taylor, Edgar and Huntingdon. Sibierski might have earned himself a new contract with displays like last night, but with players coming back from injury and the signing of a target man in the summer, he is disposabel as well.

Talking of dancing, hows your Baywatch routine coming on.. I'll start practising David Hasselhoff songs for the summer-pissup karaoke to match it...

Lazy bastids.

The trouble with people talking about us getting an early goal is that we might easily concede one. Something like 80 Minutes with relying on the flattering nevers of Bramble could cost me a lot of hair tbh.

That's what I thought when Dyer did put us ahead against Lisbon...

What's up with Bernard these days...

Fair enough. But I was referring more to the implication he made that they were strong defensively, only to see THAT happen tonight. A manager talking rubbish and trying to big up his team? Now wait, where do I know this from...

Don't count chickens. Our lot has the same potential to totally fuck up a game...

A two goal margin isn't too bad, but could have been more comfortable if we had kept the momentum in the second half. Nice to see some goals and glimpses of decent football. Let's hope we can finish the job Holland and aren't doing a Lisbon...

You should show more confidence in your man. Good first half. Clinical finishing.

How much money did Baggio put on a Martins hattrick this time?

Fucking hell. What's happened to them?

Not too bad!

Aye.

I wouldn't totally dismiss them either. Of course it's easier to score in the Dutch league with the general approach to the game being far more attacking minded (and especially the smaller clubs having poor defensive lines). But with the odd exception (i.e. Kezman) most of the strikers from the Dutch league doing fairly well in other leagues and competitions as well.