Sports Direct Billboard v WBA

[The Fish 9027]

If that's a reference to me, I've got no Internet and was busy all weekend. We don't all have time to devote our lives to the consumption of football across Europe and the lower reaches of the game in this country, David.

It wasn't directed at you Firecrotch, but it is interesting that you're so defensive. Guilty conscience?

[David Kelly 1117]

I generally don't have time to piss about on message boards when I'm not at work. But I thought we were excellent on Saturday and thoroughly deserved the win. Yes West Brom were awful but we played them off the park from the first minute. The team had a much better shape with Shelvey and Tiote in the middle and being able to attack from both sides. Actually being forced into playing Aarons at leftback probably helped us on this occassion as he gave us extra going forward that Dummett never could. His obvious defensive weakness was never shown up by the poor opposition like they would be in other games though. I couldn't really find much in the way of fault with any of the players and if we could play like that every week we'd be in no danger of getting relegated. The problem of course is that we don't play like that every week but we now need to make a real effort to get closer to that level on a consistent basis.

[The Fish 9027]

I generally don't have time to piss about on message boards when I'm not at work. But I thought we were excellent on Saturday and thoroughly deserved the win. Yes West Brom were awful but we played them off the park from the first minute. The team had a much better shape with Shelvey and Tiote in the middle and being able to attack from both sides. Actually being forced into playing Aarons at leftback probably helped us on this occassion as he gave us extra going forward that Dummett never could. His obvious defensive weakness was never shown up by the poor opposition like they would be in other games though. I couldn't really find much in the way of fault with any of the players and if we could play like that every week we'd be in no danger of getting relegated. The problem of course is that we don't play like that every week but we now need to make a real effort to get closer to that level on a consistent basis.

 

I think we'll play like that at home on a fairly consistent basis especially given the standard of opposition we're to face before the end of the season. The home games may be enough to keep us up, but really we should (with the players we've got) be able to come up with a decent away-day strategy.

 

Home fixtures left.

WBA

Bournemouth

sunderland

Swansea

Crystal Palace

Spurs

 

and Man City in there somewhere.

 

Add away trips to Norwich and Villa.

Edited February 8, 2016 by The Fish

[Happy Face 29]

They were worse than Norwich.

 

I'm not reading too much into it.

[Alex 30508]

 

I think we'll play like that at home on a fairly consistent basis especially given the standard of opposition we're to face before the end of the season. The home games may be enough to keep us up, but really we should (with the players we've got) be able to come up with a decent away-day strategy.

 

Home fixtures left.

WBA

Bournemouth

sunderland

Swansea

Crystal Palace

Spurs

 

and Man City in there somewhere.

 

Add away trips to Norwich and Villa.

Seems unfair that we get to play West Brom at home twice.

[David Kelly 1117]

Seems unfair that we get to play West Brom at home twice.

Given how bad they were on Saturday I'd be over the moon to play them again.

[The Fish 9027]

Seems unfair that we get to play West Brom at home twice.

[Gemmill 34774]

I'll say this btw, lapping up the odd victory in 5 is part of the problem with this club and it's support. The clock gets reset and the pressure released, cos we manage to beat fucking West Brom at home. The miserable posters, whoever they are, should he staying miserable regardless of this one off result. The plight of the club hasn't changed in the slightest.

[David Kelly 1117]

I think we'll play like that at home on a fairly consistent basis especially given the standard of opposition we're to face before the end of the season. The home games may be enough to keep us up, but really we should (with the players we've got) be able to come up with a decent away-day strategy.

 

Home fixtures left.

WBA

Bournemouth

sunderland

Swansea

Crystal Palace

Spurs

 

and Man City in there somewhere.

 

Add away trips to Norwich and Villa.

Palace, the tramps, Bournmouth and Swansea are very winnable games and Spurs don't really seem to travel well up here that often. If we won all of those we'd be on 39 points and that would quite possibly see us safe. But after the last couple of years I'm not going to confidently predict we'll be able to win those five games.

[The Fish 9027]

They were worse than Norwich.

 

I'm not reading too much into it.

They were, but then we were much better than we were against Norwich.

 

Shelvey in the centre changes our game so much it's remarkable.

[Alex 30508]

I'll say this btw, lapping up the odd victory in 5 is part of the problem with this club and it's support. The clock gets reset and the pressure released, cos we manage to beat fucking West Brom at home. The miserable posters, whoever they are, should he staying miserable regardless of this one off result. The plight of the club hasn't changed in the slightest.

Home form has been decent of late. 3 wins and 2 draws in the last 6. By no means should anyone get carried away but it's cause for some optimism I think. I wouldn't say it was a one-off result for that reason. The abysmal away form makes it very important we win most of our home games from now on which can bring its own pressure, especially if survival goes down to the wire.

[PaddockLad 14655]

They were worse than Norwich.

 

I'm not reading too much into it.

This is it...what if theyd nicked a goal from a set piece before we'd scored?...recent history tells us that is a. likely rather than not and b. a point is all we'd have got from the game at the most.

 

Pleased with the win, one swallow doesn't make a summer though. Shelvey had done a disappearing act for 3 months at Swansea before he signed for us and I thought he'd done the same last Wednesday at Everton, showing for me he's as inconsistent and frankly shite away from home as the rest of the bravehearts that play for us. If we're staying up its home form that will do it.

Edited February 8, 2016 by PaddockLad

[The Fish 9027]

I'll say this btw, lapping up the odd victory in 5 is part of the problem with this club and it's support. The clock gets reset and the pressure released, cos we manage to beat fucking West Brom at home. The miserable posters, whoever they are, should he staying miserable regardless of this one off result. The plight of the club hasn't changed in the slightest.

 

I haven't seen any incongruous happy clapping going on, but you have to admit (if you watched the game) we played well and that is a source of positivity with regards to staying up. It's wrong to say the clock is reset, I don't suddenly think we're 8th, I'm just able to enjoy a win without self flagellating about the fact we're still 17th and 3pts of 16th. Christ alive, if you can't enjoy a win, what's the point in associating yourself with the sport at all?

 

Stick to General Chat if a Newcastle win doesn't make you crack a smile, even if it is tinged with frustration that we shouldn't be anywhere near the drop.

[David Kelly 1117]

They were, but then we were much better than we were against Norwich.

 

Shelvey in the centre changes our game so much it's remarkable.

He didn't away at Watford or Everton.

[Gemmill 34774]

 

I haven't seen any incongruous happy clapping going on, but you have to admit (if you watched the game) we played well and that is a source of positivity with regards to staying up. It's wrong to say the clock is reset, I don't suddenly think we're 8th, I'm just able to enjoy a win without self flagellating about the fact we're still 17th and 3pts of 16th. Christ alive, if you can't enjoy a win, what's the point in associating yourself with the sport at all?

 

Stick to General Chat if a Newcastle win doesn't make you crack a smile, even if it is tinged with frustration that we shouldn't be anywhere near the drop.

I'm on record as saying that I fully back relegation, David. There is zero point in survival if it just means another survival campaign next year.

[TheGingerQuiff 2412]

He didn't away at Watford or Everton.

 

This

[The Fish 9027]

He didn't away at Watford or Everton.

 

I blame the absent Wijnaldum & Sissoko, the decision to play Perez up front on his own v Everton and a litany of managerial mistakes as much as him.

 

but I wholly understand why people want to be negative after a win where we played well.

[The Fish 9027]

I'm on record as saying that I fully back relegation, David. There is zero point in survival if it just means another survival campaign next year.

 

Relegation isn't going to improve anything, so there's zero point in that as well.

 

I also don't think survival is the limit of this club, even under McClaren, Charnley & Ashley.

[Gemmill 34774]

I don't care what you think, Dave. I cannot stress that enough.

[The Fish 9027]

I don't care what you think, Dave. I cannot stress that enough.

 

In all seriousness, why do you contribute to this side of TT? You're on record as being pro relegation, that you're not bothered about games any more, you obviously aren't bothered about the football world in general. Why not not stick to General Chat?

[Gemmill 34774]

I honestly don't know. I mean to be fair, it's not like I'm a regular poster on football matters.

[David Kelly 1117]

I blame the absent Wijnaldum & Sissoko, the decision to play Perez up front on his own v Everton and a litany of managerial mistakes as much as him.

 

but I wholly understand why people want to be negative after a win where we played well.

You could just as easily blame Shelvey for not making any decent passes to Gini or others and that resulting in Gini's non appearence.

 

I'm not being negative. I'm very happy about the display on Saturday. But I'm realistic enough to see that our home record in the last two years is very poor so I'm not going to expect it to suddenly all change and us win four or five out of our last six even with the improvement in the balance of the team. I can also clearly see that our away form has been utterly terible and as yet hasn't shown any sign of improvement after the signings we've made. We made a positive step on Saturday but again it will count for very little if we just revert back to type next game.

[Dr Gloom 19865]

 

In all seriousness, why do you contribute to this side of TT? You're on record as being pro relegation, that you're not bothered about games any more, you obviously aren't bothered about the football world in general. Why not not stick to General Chat?

 

deep down he still cares a bit. he's just playing the bigun.

[Gemmill 34774]

Daddy don't play like that.

[The Fish 9027]

You could just as easily blame Shelvey for not making any decent passes to Gini or others and that resulting in Gini's non appearence.

 

I'm not being negative. I'm very happy about the display on Saturday. But I'm realistic enough to see that our home record in the last two years is very poor so I'm not going to expect it to suddenly all change and us win four or five out of our last six even with the improvement in the balance of the team. I can also clearly see that our away form has been utterly terible and as yet hasn't shown any sign of improvement after the signings we've made. We made a positive step on Saturday but again it will count for very little if we just revert back to type next game.

Tell your face then.