Matchday thread - Magpies v Eagles

[bodacious benny]

A lot of people have the dual argument of 'Howe out' and how bad the owners/decision makers are at the top of the club. So if they do sack Howe, surely those same people can have zero faith in them making the right decision for who replaces Howe as manager.

[overseasTOON]

Still. At least safe from relegation.

[Over The Line]

Still. At least safe from relegation.

It might sound ridiculous but the Spurs situation shows that it could still happen to us any other season, despite the fancy oil money we now have since last time. We are only 9 points off the relegation battle this season.

[Slim999]

Im not dute its lack in intensity

Its lack of ability . Ability to keep possession, ability to hold the ball, ability to see games out .

Intensity was something we showed in first half of the season. But can you maintain intensity after you've played almost 50 games like Thiaw. No you can't

We need to rethink this project . Build from the bottom up , vary tactics , improve posession game - and rotate players to keep freshness.

Not sure which coach should lead on tjis new medium term project - but I think its time for a change at the top .

Eddie did great lifting us up the league. But now it feels like we're Eddies Bournemouth mk2

I remember when “intensity was our identity”
Understandable that is not sustainable across 52 plus games so far this season
( Man Utd for instance played about 33 ).
We are a changed team since we were pressing Citeh, scaring Liverpool destroying Spurs, and recording significant wins on our way to Champions league.
Now, we have changed. We have tried and failed to play a possession game, we cannot do it currently.
Other mid table teams now have us well and truly sussed. They play us on the counter and with pace and good midfield interplay we get carved open.
We are neither one thing or another at the moment. We have pace up top but otherwise we look aged and brittle in defence, nothing currently working in midfield. God how BG is missed. Also Joelinton about to hit a two match ban on accrued cards.

Not a lack of effort but a lack of quality and nous in closing out games.
Twenty five points splaffed from winning positions.

Pressing is important but it cannot be the whole game plan given the arduous requirements of modern PL + CL

Any team can run around like headless chickens for half an hour and unsettle opponents.

But for the whole game ?
For 20 games?
For a season of 50 games?

No chance

We need to present better tactical options

Better possession
Better defending
Better on the break
Better at varying the pattern & speed of our play
Better at changing tactic / formation

A lot are talking about Iraola

He's interesting ... but then I hear hes a disciple of Bielsa who he played under at Bilbao

Bielsa to me is all about 100 mph football

Gets results for a while - then it all falls apart