Newcastle United v Manchester City
- Thread starter The Owl
- Start date
The Owl
Vital 1st Team Regular
Well they may have had years but our bench was full of crap.Howe could not bring an attacker on or a quality midfielder.
Howay Owl, we know the reasons for the crap bench. Tonali owes us big style when he is available again. Remember the we came up from the Championship and finished 3rd the following season. That will never happen again, to any promoted side. The so called 'big 6' have made sure of that.
The Owl
Vital 1st Team Regular
I dont know of any other side in The Premiership who would not have a striker on the bench.
The problem is we started the season with two strikers both injury prone.
Yes our rise has been brilliant but means nothing if we slip out of both cups and slide down the league.
Ashworth did great diligence on Tonali.
I expected this slide once the summer transfer window closed so I have no great expectations this season. Hopefully next
The problem is we started the season with two strikers both injury prone.
Yes our rise has been brilliant but means nothing if we slip out of both cups and slide down the league.
Ashworth did great diligence on Tonali.
I expected this slide once the summer transfer window closed so I have no great expectations this season. Hopefully next
Tomfoolery
Vital Squad Member
Not forgetting the 115 FFP charges against them...
tooninkent
Vital Squad Member
tooninkent
Vital Squad Member
Banned from the mags chat for using the word sh!te. 
The game had everything the media and pundits wanted. For those old enough, it was like a mirror image from '95 at Liverpool. Conceding the first goal, equalising and then taking the lead. Then an equaliser and ultimately a winner comes at the death to break our resistance and give the media a field day. Oh how they love it when it's us. What a game, football at it's best, game of the season they'll say again but what they really mean is 'so pleased the Mags lost'
Toon_NoMatterWot
Alert Team
Again perspective is needed and whatever reasons there are for us missing around a full team's worth of players for around two months or more, the simple fact is that it is the current and only reason why we are suffering in stages.
You can argue that there's something wrong in training, maybe argue about tactics at certain times but you can't argue that out of the twenty five man squad that we are allowed and us missing nine or ten players out of that, that we aren't going to be disadvantaged.
Man City huffed and puffed for the best part but we were well in that game until we started to slow and they freshened up by making world class changes. Imagine how we would have finished, if for example, we had a bench of nine out of these missing players.
Pope, Livramento, Targett, Tonali, Willock, Joelinton, Murphy, Anderson, Wilson and Harvey Barnes. Coupled with the bench containing Hall, Lascelles and Krath then we really aren't as weak as is being made out with the transfer window open.
As I said a couple of months back, this season should be written off to an extent, FA Cup aside, and use it as a learning curve before having a right go next season with added champions league experience knowing that we will get more time to rest between games and play on that underdog tone that seems to have disappeared.
Also talk of getting rid of Howe just stinks of the modern day twitter fan that can't see the wood for the trees and it needs shot down straight away as he's the best manager we've had in 20 years with many years ahead of him to still learn.
You can argue that there's something wrong in training, maybe argue about tactics at certain times but you can't argue that out of the twenty five man squad that we are allowed and us missing nine or ten players out of that, that we aren't going to be disadvantaged.
Man City huffed and puffed for the best part but we were well in that game until we started to slow and they freshened up by making world class changes. Imagine how we would have finished, if for example, we had a bench of nine out of these missing players.
Pope, Livramento, Targett, Tonali, Willock, Joelinton, Murphy, Anderson, Wilson and Harvey Barnes. Coupled with the bench containing Hall, Lascelles and Krath then we really aren't as weak as is being made out with the transfer window open.
As I said a couple of months back, this season should be written off to an extent, FA Cup aside, and use it as a learning curve before having a right go next season with added champions league experience knowing that we will get more time to rest between games and play on that underdog tone that seems to have disappeared.
Also talk of getting rid of Howe just stinks of the modern day twitter fan that can't see the wood for the trees and it needs shot down straight away as he's the best manager we've had in 20 years with many years ahead of him to still learn.
Rza
Vital Champions League
You're starting to sound like Steve Bruce. We were 2-1 up with 20 odd minutes left. If anything, the fact we had so many defenders on the bench actually benefitted us at that point. What would you have done? Brought Barnes or willock on to defend a lead? You're starting to sound patronising and I haven't once seen anyone on this forum call for Howe to be sacked despite losing SIX of the last seven games.
The Owl
Vital 1st Team Regular
Bruno one booking away from 2 match suspension so he will be missing for a couple of games. We are about to slip into the bottom half so forget Europe next season, just enjoy the rest of the season without expectation.
We need incomings and Wilson should not be here next season or Longstaffe with question marks over Burn plus fitness concerns over Willock, Murphy, Pope and others. There is a lot to do but it will take time
We need incomings and Wilson should not be here next season or Longstaffe with question marks over Burn plus fitness concerns over Willock, Murphy, Pope and others. There is a lot to do but it will take time
tooninkent
Vital Squad Member
Looks like Bruno has got a hamstring injury. Wtf is going on with the medical staff in nufc? The level of injuries is just beyond belief
Toon_NoMatterWot
Alert Team
I haven't said that this forum has called for a sacking, im talking in general with the social media fan of today but what has been said on this forum is some comments that haven't taken the massive injury list into context.
Even you said we are turning into serial chokers who's morale will be affected when the stone cold facts are that we have no options on the bench to change things tactically if a plan isn't working or that other teams can freshen things up from the 60 minute mark. It's as simple as that.
You can argue that Man City had Haaland missing but you can counter that with the fact that theyve been allowed to build a world class squad on limited FFP rules and have players available to fill. If we had our full strength squad yesterday then we'd have won. If we had either Joelinton, Tonali or Willock on the bench then I reckon we'd have got a draw minimum.
Massive credit should be going to Howe for not using injuries as an excuse because you refereed to Broocey earlier and you just know he'd be lapping the injury word up.
Rza
Vital Champions League
Look I'm not buying the injury excuse I'm sick fucking hearing about it and let's be honest Howe didn't make many subs even when he had options so your points are completely irrelevant. The reason we have so many injuries is because he wouldn't rotate the squad in the first place so I'm not having it. Besides, every team has injuries maybe if we recruited where we needed to in the summer we'd have a striker on the bench.
Toon_NoMatterWot
Alert Team
I think you need to check the stats because Howe did make subs when we were full strength and he rotated a little but keeping a team together that played well or won was the right thing to do.
Only when we have had the injuries has Howe changed his plan.
Home to Villa. 5 subs made. (2 in the 68th minute then 85th min, 86th min and 90+)
Man City (A). 5 subs made. (56, 57, 2 in the 67th min and 86th min)
Liverpool (H). The only game that I see an issue in that I thought Howe saw the game as won and changed it. again, 5 subs made, (3 changes in the 72nd minute that I had issue with, 82nd min and the 87th)
Brighton (A) 5 subs made. (3 in the 58th min and 2 in the 74th)
Brentford (H) 1 sub made in the 83rd minute but the likes of Isak and Tonali were left on the bench and Almiron only seeing the last 7 minutes because we had Milan on the Tuesday following.
Sheff Utd (A) 5 subs made. (12th min, 3 in the 70th and the 81st min) Barnes went off injured and in what was the start of our injury problems
Burnley (H) 4 subs made. (64th, 68th and 2 in the 96th min)
West Ham (A) 3 subs made. (82nd, 86th and 93rd min)
Crystal Palace (H) 5 subs made. 4 when we went 4-0 up (4 subs in the 69th min, 80th min)
Wolves (A) 1 sub made in the 72nd min.
Arsenal (H) 4 subs made (46th min, 2 in the 63rd, 79th min)
Bournemouth (A) 4 subs made (31st min, 46th, 66th and the 95th min)
Chelsea (H) 5 subs made in the last 10 mins
Man Utd (H) 2 subs made. (86th min Dubravka for Pope and the 97th min)
Everton (A) 2 subs made in the 90th min
Spurs (A) 5 subs made. (2 in the 64th min, 2 in the 74th min and 86th min)
Fulham (H) 5 subs made. (14th, 36th and 3 in the 84th min)
Luton (A) 4 subs made. (37th, 38th, 81st and the 85th min)
Notts Forest (H) 4 subs made. (2 in the 55th, 71st and the 79th min)
Liverpool (A) 3 subs made. (54th min and 2 in the 84th)
and Man City (H). 1 sub made late on.
Injuries have dictated the majority of this season in playing players too long and not being able to freshen up or change tactics when needed. This has cost us, I reckon between 10 and 12 points minimum. That's why next season I reckon we'll see the benefit of having Eddie Howe here with his added European experience as well as knowing who and what to rotate. So much so that I predict we'll get top 3 as long as we replace Callum Wilson or get another player in of his calibre.
The Owl
Vital 1st Team Regular
No Howe did not rotate as he could have. Hall was practically unused when Trippier was struggling and Livramento could have been switched to right back with Hall at left back.
As for next season I think you are dreaming. We will struggle to get top top class players with no European action so it will take longer I am afraid.
This season has been a missed opportunity although I know we were at the start further ahead than we anticipated.
The two biggest mistakes were not signing another striker and Tonali, where the background checks were not good enough
I would not be surprised if Ashworth left
As for next season I think you are dreaming. We will struggle to get top top class players with no European action so it will take longer I am afraid.
This season has been a missed opportunity although I know we were at the start further ahead than we anticipated.
The two biggest mistakes were not signing another striker and Tonali, where the background checks were not good enough
I would not be surprised if Ashworth left
Rza
Vital Champions League
You are chatting absolute shite. Keeping a team together that played well makes absolutely no sense. All successful teams rotate, its a squad game now. Liverpool changed their whole midfield and are now sitting top of the league. Man City numerous examples of players coming in and out that was a youngster who scored the winner against us. How's your philosophy of keeping a team together who's "playing well" working out for you this season? There's also a massive difference in sticking with a player in form and favouritism. Dan Burn has been a liability at left back for months now and Howe refuses to replace him, but it will cost him just wait and see.
Toon_NoMatterWot
Alert Team
