Tottenham 1-0 Newcastle: A tough one to take on a day we deserved a point

A real tough one to take for Rafa and the lads today, with a late Dubravka error costing us in a game where we were good value for a point.

Spurs missed the odd big chance, but we generally restricted them to very few openings and defended well – with Perez and Rondon both going close at the other end (the latter hit the post!).

A frustrating result, with a late error spoiling the great defensive work we put in for 83 minutes, however it’s still been a VERY good week for us. We’ve come out of it with three more points than I anticipated and one particular signing I was not expecting to arrive – and he (Almiron) looks set to be available in our next game at Wolves.

The three centre-backs were brilliant – particularly Lascelles who has looked a different player since Lejeune came back. Longstaff put in another classy display, Perez showed a few moments of brilliance (as if he knew his place in the side is at risk after Almiron’s arrival) and Rondon was a key presence up top again, winning several flick ons and being at the heart of any attacks we strung together. In Dubravka’s defence, he was quick off his line and commanding all game prior to the mistake. Everyone makes mistakes and this has been one of VERY few we’ve seen over the last year.

Here’s how the table looks after today’s results – albeit before Burnley vs Southampton, Chelsea vs Huddersfield, Palace vs Fulham, Brighton vs Watford (3pm kick offs) and Cardiff vs Bournemouth (5.30pm):

Next up we’ll face a trip to Wolves a week on Monday, followed by two huge back-to-back home games against Huddersfield and Burnley:

  • Wolves (A)
  • Huddersfield (H)
  • Burnley (H)
  • West Ham (A)
  • Everton (H)

Our tough run is now over, with us now coming through games against Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City over the past month.

Hopefully we can now kick on and make use of the favourable fixtures set to come our way – with there being plenty positives to take from today in defeat.

Keep up our good record against teams in the bottom half and we’ll be fine – especially if we can continue defending well and receive a real boost following Almiron’s arrival.

HWTL!

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

140 thoughts on “Tottenham 1-0 Newcastle: A tough one to take on a day we deserved a point

  1. Did anyone else notice that linesman’s ridiculous haircut? It reminded me of some Dad trying to be cool and get the same haircut as his kid and only succeeding in looking like a c@nt.

    Perms were all the rage with footballers when I was in middle school. One of the “cool kids” came in with a perm one day. How everybody laughed. And how the whole country was laughing at that linesman. What was he thinking?

    What next? A tattoo of a lion on his back. A gun toting chimpanzee on his thigh. In a few years a hair transplant like Clattenberg

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  2. Now The Chronic are using a company called Soccerex to show that NUFC are 58 in the world in terms of net worth. BUT, as always with The Chronic, they never question the figures, or if they are up to date.

    The ranking is arrived at by showing zero cash in the bank $200 million in debt. We know that we earned 180 million pounds last year and are set to earn the same this year. Some of that either went into cash in the bank (unlikely) or into the fat man’s pocket (almost certainly). The debt will have come down because we know from the last accounts it was 144 million pounds. Wages have been reduced to about 60 million as well.

    The debt reduction that is occurring is not reflected in these numbers but we know it is happening because where else is all of this money going?

    Also, any money spent on Almiron should have no impact on these figures as that should be added to the worth of the playing staff.

    At least The Chronic only presented the numbers and didn’t have Chris “the intern” Waugh try to explain them as he hasn’t learnt to count yet.

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  3. Something has been bugging me for years. Ashley said that he was duped by the Halls and Shepperd and he did not know the extent of NUFCs debts when he bought us. I do not believe this for a minute. Perhaps he paid a bit over the odds but he went in with his eyes wide open. Everybody knows how football business is conducted and that you pay for players on tick. He knew there were large outstanding debts and not much coming in for players that had previously been sold. This loan of 140 million was not really a loan it was mainly the cost of buying the club. Maybe it was more than he thought, but he must have known there would be investment/debt repayment needed.

    He had Chis Mort, his expensive London takeover lawyer, as the first Chairman FFS. If he didn’t know about the extra money needed then why make him Chairman?

    Now it is sort of accepted as fact that he didn’t know what he was getting into and this loan is a loan rather than part of the buy-in when he purchased NUFC.

    Total BS but it is spouted like it is gospel.

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  4. I mean, Ashlie has lied about everything at NUFC but nobody really questions the BIG LIE that he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. That he had to spend much more than he intended to and that he was really NUFCs benefactor because we would have gone bust otherwise. He has portrayed his loans as a helping hand rather than as the investment that NUFC so sorely needed when he bought us.

    Maybe he underestimated the amount of debt NUFC were in but to pretend he didn’t know about it means he must have been truly naïve. If there is one thing we know about the FCB it is he is not naïve. You just look at what he is doing now waiting for companies to go into administration and picking them up for pennies on the pound. It is a massive risk still with Debenams and the like but he is buying them for less than the value of their stock and getting the trucks and warehouses for free. This is not the workings of a naïve businessman and I find it ridiculous to assume that NUFC are the only company he bought where he didn’t know the facts.

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  5. Eric, i totally agree, i think he knew exactly what he was getting into. You don’t make such a huge investment and not look for outstanding debts. It’s not like it would of been difficult to find/see either, unlike what he’s done which i would imagine is a nightmare for any buyer doing due diligence .
    I can only imagine what he’s been up to financially with nufc, i bet there’s a right old maze of confusing surrounding our finances now.

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  6. Kimtoon: The BIG LIE is now used as Ashley getting repayment for his loan. Yes, of course, the Ashley apologists will say he promised Rafa everything generated by NUFC but that is AFTER he gets his loan repaid, which is just right after he was duped by the Halls and freely admits he didn’t do due diligence. Absolute cr@p, he bought NUFC when he was flush with cash from the Sports Direct stock market sale and wanted a toy and somewhere to advertise his baby. He may have paid a bit over the going rate but he was not duped.

    Abramovitz put money into Chelsea a few years ago, years after his initial investment. More than Ashley in fact. What he did was to create new stock and buy it. It had the same effect as Ashleys interest free loan but it is not there as debt so he cannot have his PR guys spin it like the club owes him something. He will, however, get this money back if he sells the club. Same thing really, different spin.

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  7. Eric Sykes:
    Kimtoon: The BIG LIE is now used as Ashley getting repayment for his loan. Yes, of course, the Ashley apologists will say he promised Rafa everything generated by NUFC but that is AFTER he gets his loan repaid, which is just right after he was duped by the Halls and freely admits he didn’t do due diligence. Absolute cr@p, he bought NUFC when he was flush with cash from the Sports Direct stock market sale and wanted a toy and somewhere to advertise his baby. He may have paid a bit over the going rate but he was not duped.

    Abramovitz put money into Chelsea a few years ago, years after his initial investment. More than Ashley in fact. What he did was to create new stock and buy it. It had the same effect as Ashleys interest free loan but it is not there as debt so he cannot have his PR guys spin it like the club owes him something. He will, however, get this money back if he sells the club. Same thing really, different spin.

    Aye mate, he was keen as mustard for the toon, even badgering Freddy on his hospital bed i believe. Duped my ****.

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  8. I won’t go on about this much more but this “loan” is straight from the Goebbels playbook. If you repeat a lie often enough it becomes fact. Trump uses this all of the time with his wall cr@p.

    Ashley would like us to believe that he loaned this money to NUFC to keep us afloat. Like some benevolent gesture from a king. In fact, it is totally self serving because he is 100% owner so he made a loan to himself, whilst fully understanding that it would be necessary when he first bought the club.

    Now it serves his purpose of him saying he is leaving all the money NUFC generates in the club because he is merely paying himself back. Pure spin, and going back on his promise.

    Sorry if I am repeating myself a bit, I just want to be clear on what I feel he is doing. You can’t fool all of the people all of the time Fat Man.

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  9. Just watched a clip of Almiron in training at Benton. He’s mindblowingly quick and very skilful.
    So quick he looks unstoppable, running through a whole defence. And that’s in his first training session. I’d start him at Wolves.

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  10. If we are going to play wing-backs I think we can play a front 3 of Perez, Almiron and Rondon. Atsu has done OK but if you free Perez of some of his defensive duties he is more likely to score. Yedlin and Ritchie are better crossers than Atsu anyway.

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  11. It’s about time we gave the opposition something to think about and don’t JUST play on the break. That Chelsea game last year showed our players have some skills when let off the leash.

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  12. georgio:
    Just watched a clip of Almiron in training at Benton. He’s mindblowingly quick and very skilful.
    So quick he looks unstoppable, running through a whole defence. And that’s in his first training session. I’d start him at Wolves.

    I just hope he won’t get injured. Those defending players will have to foul on him to stop him. That is my only concern on him.

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  13. Eric, he heard the toon was for sale and jumped on it knowing he had the perfect setting for his bloody tat ads. He’ll have seen the debt and thought , right i’ll pay that off with a loan and take free advertising in lieu of interest. He knew exactly what he was doing, he’s far too shrewd to of missed that debt. His running of the club is nothing to do with not understanding football or how to grow a club, it’s simply that he doesn’t give a **** about it or progressing and updating it. It’s nothing more than an advertising hoarding end of.
    And i still cannot fathom why he has taken out a loan either, Almiron only cost £20m inc add ons and we are owed that and more for Wini , Sissoko and Mitro plus the other money we’ve earned and tv that’s due. That loan is to set against next two PL payments which are lot’s more than £20m, so it makes no sense.

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  14. funrafa: I just hope he won’t get injured. Those defending players will have to foul on him to stop him. That is my only concern on him.

    Agree mate, you just know some donkey opo player is gonna crock him.

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  15. kimtoon:
    Eric, he heard the toon was for sale and jumped on it knowing he had the perfect setting for his bloody tat ads. He’ll have seen the debt and thought , right i’ll pay that off with a loan and take free advertising in lieu of interest. He knew exactly what he was doing, he’s far too shrewd to of missed that debt. His running of the club is nothing to do with not understanding football or how to grow a club, it’s simply that he doesn’t give a **** about it or progressing and updating it. It’s nothing more than an advertising hoarding end of.
    And i still cannot fathom why he has taken out a loan either, Almiron only cost £20m inc add ons and we are owed that and more for Wini , Sissoko and Mitro plus the other money we’ve earned and tv that’s due. That loan is to set against next two PL payments which are lot’s more than £20m, so it makes no sense.

    It only makes sense if he has used the cash in NUFC’s accounts to pay his “loan” back. Then we would need money for day to day and transfers. He would not want to leave extra money in the NUFC coffers because it is a separate entity for taxes. He has delayed the filing of MASH holdings accounts. I am sure that this is because it would show repayments of his “loan”. I think the NUFC accounts are due in March but, like last year, I don’t expect to see these until after the season.

    The next accounts are from last season as well where he will not have to worry as much about profits being taxed because they had brought forward losses in the previous accounts which can be used to reduce taxable income. It is the past year when you will see the big repayments but these accounts are not due until next year.

    I have said this before but since returning to the PL we will have made 180 million annually. Our wage bill is 60 million. There is just no way that Ashley is not syphoning off money, even when he had to catch up after a year in the Championship.

    I know this may be boring to some people but there is a direct link to Ashley’s lies and him p!ssing Rafa about and us not investing in the squad.

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  16. Getting back to Olly’s article. We have a chance to give ourselves some breathing room in the next 5 games. Wolves look the most difficult, but we seem to have our defense sorted out now and should get a bit of a boost from making a record signing. At least it will not be all doom and gloom as it seemed the day before the City game.

    Then we must beat the teams around us.

    Who knows which West Ham or Everton will turn up? I haven’t seen all Everton’s games but they have been **** everytime I have watched them. I doubt that will change this afternoon at City. Who knows they may even have sacked their manager by the time they play us.

    As an aside, Big Fat Sam has been doing the rounds being all smug about how well he did at Everton and basking in Silva’s misery. He is also repeating the lie that when he took over Everton were in 17th. Actually, when he managed his 1st game for them they were 13th because Unsworth won the game before BFS was in the dugout. Of course, BFS wants all the glory and forgets that the Everton fans hated him for his anti-football and wanted him out – just like the NUFC fans did.

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  17. I am sorry but the Mouthy Mackem should not be England goalie. Every Everton game I have watched this season he has made a glaring mistake. He was lucky again now with Aguero’s overhead kick going just wide.

    I know Dubravka made a bad mistake at the weekend and another against Man U but Pickford has cost Everton more and is still considered England’s number 1. He will go the same way as Hart and will be found out eventually but probably not before England lose a vital game because of him.

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  18. georgio:
    Just watched a clip of Almiron in training at Benton. He’s mindblowingly quick and very skilful.
    So quick he looks unstoppable, running through a whole defence. And that’s in his first training session. I’d start him at Wolves.

    He’s as fast as Obertan apparently ? ?

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  19. Aussie- God, nothing gets past your sarcastic mind does it. Where have you been for so long? Watching that free flowing Australian football 😀 ?

    Obertan was fast (not as fast as this kid) but just couldn’t play football.
    Funrafa and Kim – he had two years in the war like Argentinian league without damage. If he can manage that he’ll be Ok in the PL.

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  20. So, now we have 3 suffering from homesickness – add Kenedy to Hayden and Ritchie. I don’t really blame them as they all have young children. However, they all have the means to move their families to the NE. Kenedy has an excuse because he is short term but the others have been in Rafa’s plans.

    The thing is though, that all footballers go through this. Most move 3 or 4 times in their career so it is normal. Is the NE much worse than Manchester? Are these family men missing the London club scene?

    I have to admit that around Chelsea’s training ground is a great place to live. I have a friend in Weybridge and it is idyllic. Those extra few degrees and no North wind also make a big difference. But you can retire there at 30 FFS. Who of the rest of us can look forward to that? Suck it up you pu$$y whipped wimps.

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  21. It must be great being a football journalist or pundit. You can say whatever you want and then say the opposite the following week and nobody questions you. Ryder can say the Almiron deal is off and then literally 2 hours later report that he is on a plane to Newcastle and nobody says anything. Last week Klopp was a hero and now he is a goat. City had handed Liverpool the title by getting beat at NUFC last week and now are certs to keep it. But that doesn’t matter in the short attention span world of football journalists.

    We have Keane and Neville explaining how to be a good manager.

    I wonder what would happen if I suddenly said Jack Wilshere was an iron man and a good player?

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  22. I suppose Keane and Neville’s managerial failures do make them an expert on one thing… managerial failures.

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  23. So Kenedy is home sick too and pining for his young daughter … bored of that one now like!! ?

    As someone who works shifts including working 3 weekends out of 4, I have lived with not seeing as much of my family as I’d like. But I reckon I’ve probably done it on an annual salary that equates to what Kenedy would get per week!!.
    I still got in and give 100% effort.

    These pampered ar$eholes pull this homesick $hit and we are meant to feel sorry for him???.
    He’s on loan!!!! He decided to come to NUFC for the season and he’s taking the wage whilst tripping over his lip.

    They should have sent him back in Jan imo. Cop out!!.

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  24. Most predictable prediction ever – Merse says Brighton 0 Burnley 0.

    Also, Merse predicts Wolves 1 NUFC 1. So we can rule out a draw then.

    Mike Dean 7/2 to issue his 100th red card in City/Chelsea game. He leads the league again this year in this stat. I wonder how many he has given against NUFC opponents? Probably none, since our opponents don’t get red cards. Especially if they are called Sir Harrold of Kane and cripple Lejeune for 3 months (no I haven’t forgotten about this and never will).

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  25. Sharpy: Almiron is having his partner and parents move to Newcastle. His parents are retired now that he can provide for them.

    I still don’t get why Hayden’s partner cannot move to Newcastle. I moved to Munich for 6 months when I was 19. Then college in Leicester and Coventry. Then 3 years in London and now in Chicago.

    It is not unusual for people to move away from their birthplace, especially for only a few years, so I don’t know what the big deal is with these footballers.

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  26. I don’t get why Rafa is making concessions to them either. Imagine if they walked into Souness’s office and said they were homesick? I am sure there would have followed a tirade that included Graeme telling them he had lived in Middlesboro, Liverpool, Italy, Turkey, Glasgow, Blackburn AND Newcastle and to come back when they grew some balls.

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  27. georgio:
    Aussie- God, nothing gets past your sarcastic mind does it. Where have you been for so long? Watching that free flowing Australian football ?

    Obertan was fast (not as fast as this kid) but just couldn’t play football.
    Funrafa and Kim – he had two years in the war like Argentinian league without damage. If he can manage that he’ll be Ok in the PL.

    Been on a self imposed NUFC media ban mate. Other than checking results when I can’t watch the games. I stay away any of the other online media drivel for the most part.. was traveling for work, saw your post and couldn’t help myself ? hope all is good with you !

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  28. Aussie – whatever mate, I’d just like to see you on more often 🙄
    Life treating you well?
    NUFC media drivel is what we feed on. It’s like a shop made sandwich. You eat one and seconds later forget you’ve eaten.

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  29. Paul Merson’s Giant Balloon Heed might think Rafa’s tactical genius goes under the radar but there is another reason why we will avoid relegation – Lejeune. It is no coincidence that we have looked more solid at the back and that Lachelles has looked a lot better since Florian’s return. The tactical change to 3 CBs has helped but Lejeune was critical. I think if he hadn’t been injured we would probably be top half now.

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  30. Is anybody else getting bored with these commentators having to shoehorn every fact they know about everything and everybody into every commentary. I know you researched it and it is on your yellow pad, but make itrbrelevant to the action. OK, I can live with Everton drew 1-1 with Man City in the inaugural game in 1897. I cannot listen to them telling me Richarlison hit the woodwork twice last game, his mother’s name is Betty and he once took a **** in Caracas.

    They really have gone over the top with the useless information and they over-describe the action – Luis passes to Hazard, who takes it on his left foot, moves it to his right and goes behind the man as Giroud makes a run next to the fullback and the goalie adjusts his gloves. YES, WE CAN FCKIN SEE IT. WE DON”T NEED YOU TO TELL US EVERY MINUTE DETAIL. It is not the radio.

    Watching a rerun of a Chelsea game and had to turn the sound down 🙂

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  31. kimtoon:
    Hate it when we don’t play on a saturday.

    Agree Kim, I hate it too… we could well be back in the bottom three by the end of today. Lots of pressure on us for Monday. Travelling to Norway tomorrow morning for a week so will miss our match on Monday… hope Miggy does well.

    Not looking forward to the 2 foot of snow in Sandefjord…??.

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  32. Ice, as much as i loved Mitro’s passion that’s why Rafa let him go imo . Suspect temperament, especially when things aren’t going for him.

    Dubai, Stay warm mate. I hate snow .

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  33. kimtoon:
    only our goal difference helping us right now

    Thanks Kim… (re snow comment)… I think goal difference is going to be vital this season… hopefully our better gd will give us a few places advantage. It could be the difference between surviving and relegation… from 13 down all are in the sh.ite.

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  34. Dubai Toon: Thanks Kim… (re snow comment)… I think goal difference is going to be vital this season… hopefully our better gd will give us a few places advantage. It could be the difference between surviving and relegation… from 13 down all are in the sh.ite.

    Yeah, all those going on about our defensive style, well much as i don’t like it , needs must and it could well save our bacon.

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  35. DT – my experience in Norge says there could be 6 foot of snow and nothing will stop. Snow ploughs run all night, everyone has studded tyres by law and folk just get up, clear snow off the car and carry on as normal. In England we get half an inch and everything closes down.

    I half expected we’d be in the **** after that run of games but I certainly didn’t see Cardiff and Burnley winning. Despite that we’ll be OK.

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  36. Burnley on a good run since dropping Hart. Hart like Rooney was an automatic selection for England at one time even though many fans knew they were past it. Perhaps fans should pick the England team instead of the duffers at the FA.

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