A share of the spoils at St James’ park today as Newcastle respond to an early setback to earn a point.
It feels like a chance missed to earn a precious win against a very beatable Watford side, but it’s a result and one that takes us to 4 points after 4 games – something we’d have bitten your hand off for a week ago as we arrived at Spurs pointless.
The game couldn’t have started worse, with Hughes ghosting in to tap home after a deflection fell his way just 90 seconds in, but Schar put us back on level terms just before the break in what was a incredibly sloppy first half lacking in quality.
We looked the most likely side to score early in the second half and it felt like a winner was coming, but we seemed to tire and run out of ideas somewhat.
Foster pulled off a great save to deny Hayden, there was a few goal-mouth scrambles that didn’t fall our way and Almiron had a big chance well blocked. That said, Dubravka made one or two key saves to deny Watford, so it really was a game that could’ve gone either way in the end.
Krafth and Willems did well at wing-back, with the former being rock solid defensively and the latter getting forward well. Joelinton showed impressive all round play and Atsu was lively in patches, but Almiron huffed and puffed with little final product.
Longstaff had a very sloppy first half and Hayden looked a bit leggy, meaning Shelvey may be frustrated not to have cone on – especially when it felt like we needed that killer pass to unlock a leaky Watford defence.
It’s not an ideal result against a Watford side who lookwe very beatable, but it’s another point on the board and a result that’s far from disastrous on the back of our big win at Spurs.
How can you say Krafth did well? Barely got over the half way line and didn’t know what to do with the ball when he had it. Watford could have easily gone three up by half time. Bruce may think that because it worked at Spurs playing one up and counter attacking that is the way to go. Not at home it isn’t. Players not moving off the ball – pedestrian and slow. A very poor game. Too many long balls. Joelinton played well but without any support. Unless we show more willingness to get forward in numbers we will struggle to stay up. Atsu who I have never really taken to was one of our better players and I was surprised when he was taken. Longstaff is not yet the player he was before his injury. Think he will still come good again.
Groucho(Quote)
Good report Olly.
We should have beat them, but we didn’t.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We started awful today and I feared after an early goal, that our heads would drop and it could be another ugly one.
We dug in and scored at a really good time, just before the break.
We came out and bossed the 2nd half, but couldn’t get that winning goal – a problem that could haunt us throughout the season.
4pts going into the break is about what I would have expected from the fixtures really.
But what I would say is that I still think it’s an achievement based on the negativity off field, the animosity towards Bruce, the lack of time new signings have had to settle in, injuries to key players and of course the loss of pretty much our entire goal threat.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I know today was a bit disappointing, but I think it’s worth remembering that we had to make 2 changes to today’s starting line up because of injuries – and there was likely 3/4 out there today playing with knocks.
Hopefully this break will give our players some time to heal and get there fitness back.
There’s been talk that Carroll May be back for the Lpool game, and even just having him on the bench would be a big lift, and one hell of an option to bring on – I think even Virgil would struggle against a fit and up for it Andy Carroll.
Sharpy17(Quote)
could have done with all 3 points today because we have Liverpool away next.
Still, we probably played as well as anybody against them at SJP last year.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The Chronicle have an article saying the pundits on match of the day said our goal should have been ruled out for handball. ACCIDENTAL handball. That must be the stupidest rule the administrators have ever come up with. MOTD should be campaigning to get rid of a ridiculous rule not advocating for its enforcement.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: I think I would be betting on a 3-0 Ashes loss mate. Jimmy is ruled out. Our only hope is to bounce Smith out and make a few catches. Stokes cannot produce a miracle every game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yeah Eric, Keys and fu.cking Grey were saying that very thing… goal shouldn’t stand. The very same ones that complained about the ridiculous way goals had been disallowed for accidental handball when they shouldn’t have been… basically they hate the Toon and love to find anyway they can to criticise us. What they think is good for other teams is bad for us and vice versa. In fact if you look closely, I think the defenders arm was on top of Our players, so it would’ve been their players handball if anything. These “pundits” know nothing…
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Sorry. 3-1.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
DT: I always thought it was a Rafa vendetta with Keys but you are probably right that it is a NUFC vendetta.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We now know who ate all the pies – Keys and Gray.
I got suspended from The Guardin comments page for a couple of months for saying that Neville Southall had eaten all of the pies. I thought it was a bit petty on their part.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Almiron’s biggest problem is that he’s very quick but has very little support when he gets in danger areas. We really do need to commit more forward.
Stuart79(Quote)
Atsu and Willems both played really well especially compared to the right flank which was woeful at times. Almiron is a worry. With his pace he really shouldn’t be getting caught offside so often and not everything needs to done at 100 miles an hour. He was poor today. Longstaff also was poor first half but he did pick up and by the end looked back to normal.
The team as a whole just gave the ball away too much and got caught on it too often. Very disjointed performance.
georgio(Quote)
Loads of offsides from us and a lot of long balls in the first half in particular . Almiron has to have more support but as Sharpy pointed out he needs to be getting more assists too, i do like how he’s willing to get back and defend though, something HBA never did.
Been really impressed by Atsu last two games i must say and Hayden continues to impress, also though Jetro had a good game.
Think Dubravka had a good game as well pulled off a couple of really smart saves.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Asking Almiron to get more assists it’s pretty hard if he’s not getting support. If there’s only ever one or two players in attacking positions were asking him to find them when they’re outnumbered massively by defenders. I think he needs to improve but he has no chance if he’s not playing in a more attacking team with intent and movement.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – you’re right, which is why I’m not slating Almiron – and Kim is right too, his work rate is unbelievable.
I would love to see him behind a Joelinton & Gayle partnership. I think having a forward like Gayle ahead of him, who plays on the shoulder of defenders and looks to run in behind, might help Almiron and give him that pass to make – whether that results in goal is Gayles job.
As it is now though, it’s frustrating that he’s making those ‘head down’ runs, which too often result in him loosing possession.
I think he’s a huge asset to the team. His energy and enthusiasm alone is a big thing for us. It’s just his decision making at times.
But I do agree with Stu, he needs more forward running players in the team as an outlet.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think Atsu has been our best player in the last 2 games. There is a problem though. He has scored 3 goals in 56 PL appearances. I know he is a winger but he should be getting more than 1 goal every 19 games.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart was worried from the start about where the goals would come from. I reckon Joelinton is about 10 a season but Longstaff, Shelvey. Hayden and Atsu wont get many. I think Almiron will come good from what I saw in MLS. But it is MLS!
We can’t depend on winning 1 nil.
We need to play Dwight. Maybe as a sub. He scored 6 in 35 in the PL and I think he was very unlucky and we never get penalties which could have padded his numbers. And he was a sub for a few of his 35 games.
I know it was The Championship but he was scoring at a rate of better than 1 in 2 there.
I don’t think we have any other option. We won’t stay up if we only score 30 goals which is what the present team looks like they have in them.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Bernd Leno was playing more like Jay Leno there like.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Jay Leno is a very famous American comedian who I thought might have had a few shows in the UK if you didn’t get what I was on about.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
NUFC Index
@NUFC_Index
17m17 minutes ago
More
#NUFC v Watford
Most passes = Longstaff
Most involved in chance creation passing chain = Lascelles
Most progressive passer = Longstaff
Most progressive passing received = Almiron
Most progressive carrying = Longstaff
KIMTOON(Quote)
Schar will chip in with a few, so will longstaff when fitter i reckon .
KIMTOON(Quote)
I know Olly is in favour of a boycott.
I am not. My reasoning is pretty simple. I believe it hurts the team more than it hurts Mike Ashley. A boycott will not force him out.
I have heard the reasons about making a stand. Even the ridiculous comparisons to Nazi Germany.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I have even seen people say that it is Ok to go to away games but not home games. How is that different? Ashley/NUFC still get a share of the gate. They get a share of the TV money which is more substantial. I just don’t get the reasoning to say stay away from home games and not away games.
Is it about Sports Direct signs? Just about every team has gambling companies as sponsors and some teams and nobody says anything about that. Or Middle East Royal Family owners where they send people to jail for being gay and where women aren’t allowed to drive.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric I understand a merchandising Boycott, but an empty stadium only hurts the team.
PremAndUp(Quote)
I am sure I will regret saying this but I am not as intimidated by our next few games as I was when the fixtures were announced. I have watched each of the following teams at least once this season apart from Brighton:
Liverpool – a write off.
Brighton – we should get at least a point.
Leicester – not as good as advertised.
Man U – not Fergie’s team. Should we be worried about a forward line of Rashford and Martial? And Pogba blows so hot and cold you never know what you will get.
Chelsea – worst Chelsea team of the last 10 years. They are OK. But like Man U their forwards don’t scare me much. Compare Abraham and Pedro to Drogba.
Wolves – overhyped.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Prem – I know what you are saying mate, but to be fair, it’s peoples own hard earned money and ultimately their choice – us other fans shouldn’t judge or guilt them out for not going (I quickly add that I’m not accusing or suggesting that you are doing either – but I’ve read other comments for other people which are really quite nasty about those not turning up).
Ashley has lied repeatedly – nobody can dispute that. I think the evidence is there that he hasn’t ran our club as well as he could have.
That said, I don’t think he’s destroyed us as some claim. But ultimately it’s an individual choice – what I would applaud is the manner in which they are going about making their protest. There is no chaining themselves to gates, pitch invasions, or criminal activity that I’ve seen anyway.
The average attendance across PL clubs last season was 38,000 – so we are still well above that.
There’s is still enough fans to create that atmosphere – if the team give them reason to.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: we all know Ashley has lied. The guy is impossible to work out. I think you know I do not live in Newcastle but from what I have read on blogs, The Chronicle and links to twitter, the guilt trip is being laid on the fans who do attend. The boycotters are mainly in the camp of if you are not with them you are against them and the argument that it is a free choice doesn’t stand up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There are very few good owners, most fans complain against their owners. That said whilst Ashley is one of those you don’t want, at least he has not taken us into administration, changed the location or destroyed the club to the extent that a few have. He runs it purely and simply for the advertising and personal profit, he has no interest in the club, it’s history, it’s future or the fans. The sooner he goes the better, let’s just hope we get a better one. Given his motives he at least wants to keep us in the EPL. Small mercies.
Personally I’m not convinced personal ownership is a good model for football. It only seems to work in a handful of cases.
PremAndUp(Quote)
I said the other day that the boycott is ill thought out. The things that should be boycotted are all merchandise, beverages and anything he makes money from. He has season ticket cash already so fans may as well go and support their team. If you starve him of cash that goes to SD and his other interest he’ll soon get fed up. Don’t shop at his outlets or buy club merchandise, take a leaf out of Rangers fans book. Wear an old shirt or retro one, new ones are **** anyway.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim – the biggest problem with that is, they can stay away from SD and return to SJP – but they are then slapped in the face with a stadium absolutely littered with SD signage.
Unfortunately I don’t get to many of the games now, and haven’t for around 10yrs or more. But mid 90s to mid naughties I would regularly get. My circumstances changed, meaning I couldn’t go anymore, but it’s not something to easily turn your back on.
I have no issue with people not going – I just don’t think it works in getting rid of the owner. I saw thousands of Bburn fans walk out on the Venkys (who are still there), Bolton fans walk out, Blackpool fans walk and no change.
I don’t know what the answer is to be honest.
Sharpy17(Quote)
So it looks like we only managed to get rid of Aaron’s and Lazaar today – meaning Colback and Saivet are still in the reserves – that’s around £70k a weeks worth of wages playing reserve team football.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I am not going to praise Ashley because he has mad some stupid decisions and also to lies that hurt the club. To 2 of NUFC’s icons – Keegan and Shearer. He is sticking to his statement now that the club will spend what it earns. I know that is also in his own interests but that didn’t stop him before with his bizarre decisions. We have spent 80 million in 2 windows. The last relegation was not even down to a lock of spending, it was more about McClaren being a **** coach.
Ashley is actually doing what he said he would do but that is not enough for the boycotters. Even in The Championship we were called the best team ever to play in that division. I think a few fans have blinders on and wont listen to an alternative view.
We know Rafa got very little money to spend. THat seems to have been about Ashley taking a gamble that Rafa was good enough to keep us up and building up the club coffers.
I also think these takeovers have caused so much ill-feeling that it clouds some people’s opinions and their minds will not be changed even if we spend 80 million in 2 windows.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Does everybody know what recency bias is? In case not, it is the phenomenon of remembering recent events more clearly that something that happened longer ago.
I went back and looked at Perez’s and Rondon’s goal records in the first half of last season. 19 games that ended with Liverpool on Boxing Day.
Perez 2 goals
Rondon 4 goals
I know they improved when the system was changed to 5-2-2-1 and when Almiron arrived. BUT the new lads would have to be absolute **** not to be able to duplicate those records in our 1st 19 games this season.
And yet to some, we appear to have lost the equivalents of Shearer and Pele and replaced them with the equivalents of Chopra and Xisco.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There is another Bias Eric, whereby you brain filters out anything that disagrees with your beliefs so that you don’t go mad. Trouble is that means that you everything you believe gets reinforced, whether there is any truth in it or not
PremAndUp(Quote)
And also, some of our “fans” seem willing to listen to turd-on-a-stick Chopra’s opinion on scoring goals. The journos have now turned on Almiron and some of our negatively inclined “fans” will soon follow unless he gest a goal soon. He will turn it around. We have to be patient but now there is starting to be a narrative out there that he is **** unless he scores a boatload of goals.
At least Bruce and the players (Hayden) are behind him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Confirmation bias Premandup. I am probably much more positive than I should be about NUFC, but can make up for that with total negativity about Rooney and Wilshere 🙂
I think that Joelinton and Almiron have shown enough to say they are probably no worse than Rondon and Perez who they are being played as direct replacements for by Bruce.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Good point Eric!
Sharpy – the problem with Colback and Saivet is they probably won’t even play for the U23s and might not play at all. If they do then they’re holding back the development of some of the youngsters. I’d just sack them for not being fit for purpose. Or just ****.
georgio(Quote)
I am surprised no-one has commented on the Michael Owen book yet. I read the full Mirror article. International break, trying to sell a book, some sensationalized recollections. Checks all of those boxes. But reading between the lines he comes off as a bit of a pr!ck. Not sure if it is the ghost writer trying to make it tabloid friendly and doing some **** stirring, but that’s the general impression I get from the book extracts.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
MIchael’s accounts of what went on just come across as entitled and self-centered. Like when you watch an interview with a serial killer after they have been convicted – just excuse after excuse. Yes, Mr. Dahmer, I know you think it is not your fault but you did rape and murder that boy and ate his liver.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The Mirror also had an extract from Paul Ferris’s book. He was the NUFC physio and he said that an injury scan came back negative and he was encouraging Owen to play in the final games of our relegation season under Shearer. He said Owen had told him he was soon out of contract and needed to look to his next deal and so didn’t fancy it. That Owen and Shearer haven’t really talked since tells me this is true, even though Ferris had his own book to sell and this was probably the juiciest part of it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Owens a weasel .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Owen also said that Florentino Perez called him into his office and said NUFC had made an offer and he could stay or go. Yes Michael, you were on the Madrid bench at the time and Perez is known to be the biggest shytehouse in football. He sacked Anchelotti after he won the Champions League. You believe what you want little man, he was showing the exit you are just too stupid or egotistical to know it.
The only club that wanted him and could afford him was NUFC. And Owen is trying to make out now like he had a choice. He called NUFC fans delusional but he should be looking in the mirror.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Actions speak louder than words and Owens actions are all to see. A bit like our duplicitous MP’s… 😯
Stuart79(Quote)
Well, wonder why this government is stock piling body bags ! what do they know, that we don’t .
KIMTOON(Quote)
There’s a decent article in The Chronic by Mark Douglas about Michael Owen. I think Douglas is an OK journalist when he not denying clickbaiting.
It seems Owen is intent on pIssing off everybody at NUFC. He will probably say he is getting his side of the story out but it was more than 10 years ago and does anybody really care? I don’t care that much even though I have written a few paragraphs. He also said that Lampard and Gerrard had gotten too big for their clubs.
Our next match is Liverpool and is on BT. Isn’t he a pundit there? At least the book has a bit of life to it which is more than you can say for his boring, monotone punditry.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
At least Owen is breaking the monotony of yet another international break. I don’t even know who England are playing. That’s because as usual we have basically been handed bye in the Group we ended up in.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Do the scousers even like Owen? I can’t remember if they thought he was a rat for going to Madrid. They hate Man U so I would bet that move wasn’t very popular. He was past it by then but if he had actually scored any decisive goals they probably wouldn’t have been best pleased.
I wonder what he said about Liverpool in his book? He has really come across as a petty and vindictive little man so I doubt it was anything nice 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Aye Owen has made himself look like a bit of a t!t in his book hasn’t he?!.
He didn’t really need to write that he wasn’t keen on a move to NUFC – his body language told us that the whole time he was here.
Whenever he was out injured – which was often – all he talked about was getting back fit to play for England.
I was told a stories when he was with us that he was a lazy trainer, and would regularly sit out of training sessions. He caused a kick off one session coz he talk one of the coaches to f*ck off and asked how many Balon D’ors he had won.
Who knows if it’s true, but if he’s telling Shearer he doesn’t want to play when he’s been passed fit – I could well believe he’s talking down to coaches.
He accuses NUFC fans of being deluded, but he clearly saw himself as too good for us.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – he is a ‘pundit’ on BT Sport, and you can bet that he is on as an ex Lpool and Newcastle player.
They are bound to discuss his book in the build up, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s surrounded with Jenas – who also claims to have been hard done by from the NUFC fans. Rio will be on – Ashley’s puppet who also now has his issues with toon fans – oh, and his little scouse mate Macca could be there for the occasion nod.
I usually like Jake Humphrey’s, so hope he wouldn’t get sucked in by the bunch of bell ends.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Owen’s always been a total to sspot!
georgio(Quote)
BT have really assembled dreamteam there. McManamen was over here for a couple f years and I sort of tune him out because of the high pitched whine. Jenas always talked a better game than he played. I never understood what Bobby Robson saw in him and he was the same at Spurs. Rio has a clothing brand. Why? And now Owen.
I wonder if anybody will stand up to him and say that maybe his arrogance and attitude had something to do with the way he has been perceived as a player and person. You cannot come out and say you were wanting retirement for the final 7 years of your career and then say you were the model pro and it was everybody else’s fault.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Body bags… ????
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart79
September 4, 2019 at 17:15
Body bags… ????
Why so funny, it’s true .
KIMTOON(Quote)
It’s funny because it’s almost certainly not true, Kim. What next? Are we having to start to stock pile air in case we can’t get Oxygen outside the EU?
Stuart79(Quote)
Kim
Outside of the EU we can purchase medicines from many other Countries and probably far cheaper than the EU.
The body bag story is ridiculous .
sidekick(Quote)
Watching a re-run of Arsenal/Spurs. I will say this again but I think Spurs are screwed. If anybody on here cares 🙂 My reasons: Poch has been there 5 years and has run a very small squad into the ground. They would probably be better off not qualifying for the CL knockout stages and there is no way they will be as lucky as last year and go beyond the QFs.
Then they have let the contracts of Erikson, Vertongen and Alderwelderied go into their final year. How stupid is that?
Deli Alli is off form, Rose has always been **** and Sissoko and Winks cannot play together.
Then there is Sir Harold of Kane. He has had 5 ankle injuries in the last 18 months. Is he the new Wilshere or Andy Carroll? That’s what did for them.
They need CL football to pay for that stadium and Arsenal and Man U will not be this bad forever. And the Chelsea transfer ban only has 1 more window.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
it’s true, it was confirmed by a tory MP yesterday on bbc and by health minister stephen Hammond . The neurologist that mentioned it was because he’d seen the evidence when working on yellow hammer for the government and has turned whistle blower .
A letter from the health minister Stephen Hammond to a fellow Conservative MP has revealed the NHS is stockpiling bodybags ‘as insurance against a no-deal Brexit.
A number of medical products, ‘including medicines, medical radioisotopes, vaccines, blood products, devices and consumables’, are being stockpiled to ‘prevent disruption in the supply chain.’
Hardly ridiculous as we tend to order more bags in winter anyway due to flu killing off the old folk and infirm. The alarming thing is they are stockpiling as they are worried we won’t have enough flu vaccines to go round or vital life saving drugs, especially epilepsy drugs like my son uses ( 3 different ones all from the EU ) AND NOT PRODUCED IN UK.
Anyway, a no deal is blocked thank god, so hopefully all is well.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Oh and you cannot chop and change brands of epilepsy drugs because it causes status in most epilepsy sufferers .
It’s not like swapping one brand of asprin for another .
If there is a chance of meds shortages and even if only short term, it’s too high a price to pay for so called independence.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Spurs players never get a break either. The English players especially, who have the London press fawning all over them and then they play for England. Even Rose and Winks FFS. Constant media attention and a small squad has to catch up with them with 3 of their better players over the past 5 years wanting away. And their Manager still in high demand and most likely off to Man U in the next 12 months.
I was never really bothered about Spurs one way or the other. But the constant adulation paid to Levy and Poch by the Southern press as well as the last 6 months of their stadium being the Greatest Story Ever Told has turned me against them.
And I really want this top 6 monopoly to end. Nothing goes on forever. I have said why I think Spurs might sink but Man U have OGS, not that good a squad and nobody to put the ball in the net. Chelsea have the transfer ban and Arsenal, for some unfathomable reason, still have no defenders. If they think David Luiz is the answer then they were not asking the right question.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon: I have been ignoring Brexit for at least the last 6 months. Same with Trump. It is hard though. I read the sports in the British papers and Brexit still creeps in there and on newsfeeds.
I have no idea why Boris even wanted to be PM. Does he even stand for anything?
Trump didn’t think he would get elected and having those crazy rallies stroked his ego. Once in power though, he got on with his racist agenda, to give even more of America’s wealth to his rich buddies and to gut any environmental laws. It is still probably less harmful than Brexit 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If Freddie Woodman ever gets an England cap in a non-friendly I will send $100 to the Boris Johnson re-election fund.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, i am not about stopping Brexit, we voted out and should now leave, but we must have a deal in place. I guess no one really knows what the outcome of no deal would mean, but i do know a lot of studies from all sides agree that there would be alot of upheaval in day to day life, especially the supply of meds.
Maybe i am being selfish here but i don’t want my son to be at risk because an arrogant man insists on driving us over a cliff edge with no deal.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Fecking hate the international break .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kimtoon: I don’t think you are selfish at all to worry about the meds for Lew. I dated a girl for 3 years who had grand mal seizures. Getting the meds right seemed almost impossible and it was only semi-controlled. I think epilepsy is a very misunderstood condition. People get scared when they see the seizure. It was OK when I was there because I would tell everybody I was her boyfriend and knew what to do – which as you know is pretty much nothing but cradle their head and let it finish. But we were more worried about the myths out there that she might swallow her tongue and especially that you need to force a spoon into her mouth. Which wouldn’t help but might break her teeth!!!
In a longwinded way I am saying I emphasise with your worries about Lew’s meds.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, thank you. There are many people who are really concerned about the meds issue should we crash out and even with a deal there could be all sorts of issues we don’t yet know . The unknown is very scary, especially when it comes to health of you and yours.
It doesn’t help when people dismiss your worries or worse still make fun of it. As you say watching someone in status or just a regular seizure is a scary thing and you would do all you can to stop it if you could.
Lew has the Lennox Gastaux syndrome form of epilepsy, basically means he has every type of seizure known but mostly atonic drops . When ill with a cold or other virus he has grand malls and often goes into status, hence his often hospital stays. He also has profound learning disabilities due to chromosomal deletion and Kyphosis of his spine and chronic rinitis .
It takes 3 different epilepsy drugs just to get a bit of control, should there be the slightest chance he loses any of them he will be a risk.
KIMTOON(Quote)
That’s some list Kim. Good luck with it all.
To think I feel sorry for myself when I have a cold.
georgio(Quote)
Georgio, so do i mate lol
And that’s not the entire list either, just the main probs . Haven’t even got into the feeding issues like being able to get hold of the thickening agent for his drinks so that he doesn’t aspirate when drinking, again that’s a product you cannot chop and change.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Lots of former pros coming out on NUFC and shearers side over that twitter spat i see.
He’s not a well liked lad Owen is he.
KIMTOON(Quote)
I really don’t see what Owens gets from being a d!ck in his book. He doesn’t need the money and how much do you make from a book anyway? Maybe he was just a bit too open with his ghostwriter and didn’t realise how it would look in print?
The only other thing I can think of is that he wants to dispel the notion that he is boring. He can never do that because of that monotone delivery of his. He could be doing a Billy Connelly stand up routine from the 80’s and would still come across sounding like your dentist telling you that you need a tooth extracted.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Since it is quiet at NUFC I will talk about MUFC. If you look at their squad it really is pretty ****. The arrogant Mancs think they will turn it around with youth – another “class of 92”. Two things. Were the class of 92 really “all that”? Beckham and Scholes were, but then you are left with the Neville’s and ****. It’s a bit of myth how great they were because Fergie topped it up with really good players and 3 of the class of 92 were no more than better-than-average.
The second thing about giving youth a chance is that it doesn’t seem to work in modern football. The big teams buy the finished article. Even the famed Barcelona academy is not cranking out superstars. The last ones were Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. Man City have nobody except Foden (they let Sancho escape). Chelsea have a couple but use their youth system to farm players to sell and use the profits to buy the finished article.
When I look at our academy and people say it is neglected because hardly anybody has come through to the first team. Is that true? Longstaff and Dummett. Plus possibly Matty Longstaff. That would be more than the current top 6 and certainly more than the likes of Wolves and Watford.
Is the academy really a good investment unless you take the Chelsea approach of buying youngsters, loaning them to a feeder club and then selling them for a profit. As I said, farming of footballers which sounds a bit cynical but is in keeping with the way the rest of the business world is nowadays.
The teams treat their youngsters like cattle and don’t care if they fall by the wayside. Hardly any make it to 1st team which is my point. The Mancs are delusional if they think their academy will get them back to the top. No, it will be their financial muscle that does it and getting rid of OGS and Woodward.
I mean, if the total product from your youth system in the last 10 years is Lindgard and McTominay, is it really worth it? If Man U had bought a bit better neither would get in the team anyway.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Agree Eric, they had their time under SAF, that won’t happen like that again. SAF had an unbelievable crop of youngsters, it’s a once in a lifetime thing.
Man city are top dogs now and with all their cash it won’t change anytime soon, i can only see Liverpool having enough to challenge them for the foreseeable .
Spurs, arsenal and manure have no chance .
KIMTOON(Quote)
I forgot Rashford, although I am not sure if he overhyped or not.
But back to our academy. We are going back to the Carr/Ashley model of buying/scouting other teams’ products in their late teens and trying to develop them. It didn’t work in the past, but theoretically it could because by then you should know better what they have than say a 12 year old.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The really big clubs have invested a hell of a lot in their academies and what has it got them? Not a lot recently. Chelsea made a massive transfer profit and maybe it will work out if Mount, Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek become regulars. But their model is successful as they sell on their youngsters who are not good enough for the first team.
There is no path to the first team at Man City. As an 18-20 year old are you really going to dislodge a player they just spent 60 million on. Probably would be the same at Man U if they hadn’t been so **** at recruitment. Their academy players will probably feed lower level teams and might break even.
So, is our academy even worth it or should we be poaching from the bigger clubs here and in Europe? Using their investment in training up the best youngsters for our benefit. We know that very few will make it into their first teams but they will have trained at the best facilities and under elite coaches. They get the best prospects anyway and we should take advantage of the fact the it is hard to dislodge a 60 million pound player.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
But who are the really successful clubs currently? The ones who have NOT relied on their academy and have bought the finished articles – Man City, Liverpool, PSG, Juve. Ajax are the only outlier but then their players get picked off by bigger teams.
The elite in Spain are a bit different because they have feeder clubs in their lower leagues, but again hardly any make it to the first team and they buy the finished article because the pressure for immediate success is so great. Or they take a risk on late teen South Americans and put them in their feeder clubs.
We should be hoovering up some of the 19 and 20 year olds who are not quite good enough for the elite teams but are good enough for a Mid-table PL team. You would think this would be a perfect model for the Fatman so I don’t know why we haven’t tried it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)