Newcastle head into the sixth round of fixtures this season amazingly sitting in the Champions League places. Of course, this won’t last, but let’s enjoy such a strong start to the season. There is also every chance we can extend the feel good factor by picking up points at the Amex when we visit Brighton on Sunday.
Such a strong start has been helped by some excellent performances from some players who underwhelmed in the Championship last term. It could just be a coincidental purple patch, but there was a wider debate last year that some players are better suited to the top flight and not the Championship. Did you ever buy into this theory?
Jamaal Lascelles
I have always been a fan of Lascelles, mainly for his heart and strong leadership skills. He has always appreciated the size of Newcastle and gets what it means to the fans. He played through the pain barrier last year with a hernia and is still young and improving at 23. However, some poor displays in the Championship can’t be avoided last year, where despite being skipper, he was often our weak link.
He was outstanding for the final stretch of games in the Premier League previously and has started the season brilliantly this year. The main thing has been his solid defending but his displays have also been capped with back to back match winning headers. Lascelles has his flaws but maybe the Premiership brings out the best of him. I personally think his main weakness is getting turned and being left one on one with an attacker, so being a side you is set up to defend first this season, not attack, could well be why he is doing so well.
Chancel Mbemba
Unlike Lascelles, Mbemba didn’t even play for last season. After showing promise the season before, alarm bells were ringing for the Congo international when he could not even get a game in the Championship. Injuries have seen him played at left back this year and he has looked excellent. Even when Gamez excelled at Swansea, Rafa drafted Mbemba back into the XI for the win over Stoke. He does give the bonus of added height when played at full back, which was no doubt in the thinking to deal with right forward Diouf last week, who is a towering presence. Like Lascelles, playing in a defence minded side could be helping him but he certainly looks far better at this level.
Ayoze Perez
Now this one is more of a stretch. Unlike the two above, I don’t think Perez has started the season particularly well, despite being still trusted at number 10 by the manager. As always, his work rate is excellent and he is willing to be the first line of defence when pressuring the opposition on the ball. It is mystifying though that he looks exactly the same in the top flight as the Championship; he needs to do better clearly but the jump up doesn’t necessarily phase him. Longer term I think his position in the side needs to replaced with some real quality if he doesn’t up his game, but he acts as a good squad player in the meantime.
Aleksandar Mitrovic
Like Perez, Mitrovic was poor last season. Just four goals in the second tier was alarming, even if he didn’t play every game. He continues to be frozen out, with Joselu preferred rather than Gayle last year. He has already scored against West Ham and I find it interesting he scored goals in the Premiership last time around yet struggled in the second tier; the physical nature of the Championship should have suited his style on paper.
Can the team keep up our form and do you think some players are better suited to the Premiership?
Oh well.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Am I the only one that went to University in the 80s from a council estate? I remember back. There were like 300 people in my year at school and I was the only one from a council estate that went on to higher education.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Lascelles has really come on in the last year. He seems to be a fast learner.
Best thing about the toon at the moment is we have a decent defence with options on the bench.
Mbemba, Clark and Lascelles can all score from corners \ free kicks.
When was the last time the toon could boast 3 defenders capable of scoring.
I reckon we’ll get a few from set pieces this season
Gashley(Quote)
Since it so quiet, I will do my own little prediction league:
PL Champions – Man City
Champions League – Man City
7th Place Trophy – NUFC
Knocked out in first round of playoff against Washington Nationals – Cubs
18th Place Trophy – Mackems
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Everton with Rooney – 15th
Everton if Koeman has the balls to drop Rooney – 11th
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Hope will be relegated:
West Ham
Palace
Spurs
Will be relegated:
Brighton
Swansea
Palace
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Worst fans in the world – Real Madrid. They boo Gareth Bale FFS and even booed Christiano Ronaldo for a couple of games. I went in March to the Bernabau and there wasn’t a single Spaniard in my section. Says the transplanted Geordie and his Yank girlfriend 🙂
Second worst – Mackem empty seats when they say they are so LOYAL.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Number of days left a Villa Manager for Steve Bruce – 37
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Odds of Arrogant Alan becoming next Villa Manager – 2 billion to 1 on. That means, yes we will see Pards again soon and he will get them promoted.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Maybe not this year. But his players do buy in until they realise he is a shitmeister.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Number of media members defending Rooney when he is dropped – infinity plus 1.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Worst sounding meal in the world – TURDUKIN – chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
AND:
I am not on facebook but I think I might be able to set a record for how many people can UNFRIEND me in the shortest time. I am the anti-MarkZuckerberg.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I reiterate. Worst fans in the world: REAL MADRID. It would be like NUFC fans booing Alan Shearer or Saint Peter of Beardsley after they had won the PL and 2 Champions Leagues in 3 years.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Can you imagine!!!!!!!!
Anybody at NUFC booing Alan Shearer or Peter Beardsley?
They (Real Madrid fans) booed Cristiano Ronaldo. Their greatest ever player. Don’t talk to me about Di Stefano. Cristiano is their greatest ever player and only behind Messi in the best of all time. Not Pele not Maradonna….
and they booed him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I mean, that is akin to Liverpool fans booing Stephen Gerrard or Chelsea fans Frank Lampard or Southampton fans Le Tiss or Everton fans Dixie Dean, or **** fans Dennis Bergkamp.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So, Real Madrid are down against Las Palmas when I was there and Bale was sent off. I turned to my American girlfriend and said the fans being happy were morons. I had to explain that Madrid would now have to play with 10 men because unlike in American sports they don’t replace players just to cut to commercials.
So Madrid go down 3-1 and half the stadium leaves. Cue Cristiano, he scores 2 goals in the last 4 minutes.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Err… Kenny Dalglish was possibly Liverpool’s greatest ever player but Steivie G did play his whole career there. And they had some good ones. I watched Liverpool against Wimbledon when they had half of the England and Scottish teams in their squad. One player ran rings around the lot of them – Saint Peter of Beardsley.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Morning Eric, I think the problem with fans of really successful clubs is that they get incredibly spoilt and acquire a sense of entitlement . They need a really long spell of lean times to once again appreciate what they actually have.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kimtoon: that was the last live game I watched. In March, Real Madrid against Las Palmas. They were booing and whistling their own players. I have been to hundreds of Toon games and I was like WTF!
Of course Real Madrid go on to win La Liga and The Champions League. Bunch of *******.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, plastic fans mate.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Hi all, what are the odds on getting a match preview thread?
Dubai Toon(Quote)
2 to 1 on. These lads have done the pre and post match stuff once they got back from their summer hols.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
OK: I was reading the website Football365 and they have a letters page. Some LFC fans were complaining that because they only have 8 points or whatever that they should get Rafa back because he made their defense better.
I am not sure if it was what they call scouse humour but it was certainly funny to me. After 5 games you want to give up on Klopp. That is Stan Boeadman-esque. Jermins… puts on silly grin (worst “comedian” in the history of comedy).
2 time Bundesliga winner and CL finalist. Get rid of him! I can understand that you might want a CL winner, finalist, 2 time La Liga winner but c’mon you scouse twats. Give Jurgen a go. He is a proven winner and is up against Man City now. He beat Bayern so there is a chance.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yep. Liverpool have 8 points. One less than us and some of their fans are saying sack Klopp. They must be related to Wayne Rooney, that Neanderthal gene?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
NEW THREAD!
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2017/09/22/tim-krul-great-servant-right-time-to-go/
Olly Hawkins(Quote)