Brentford this weekend is the final match of Jonjo Shelvey’s five-match ban and the way the other four games have gone, his return can’t come soon enough.
Have we played well for ninety minutes in his absence? No, me neither. Definitely not Sheffield Wednesday or Blackburn Rovers when we were just the right side of lacklustre. Not quite awful but heading down that path.
The lack of guile and ingenuity from midfield was very evident. Without Shelvey’s influence, we were one-dimensional and not very good at that either. But if we’re truthful – and as football supporters, we are top-notch self-deceivers – this run hasn’t been just through his absence. We were out of sorts when he was in the side.
One defeat in fourteen became four in eight; the Championship proved to be a scorpion with a hefty sting in its tail. No matter what our expectations – and mine were genuinely higher than the play-offs – the season has broken them. We’re good enough to go up automatically on our good days but we’ve been decidedly average too often in recent weeks.
Losing your key player is a problem a lot of clubs struggle to overcome. You can’t fit two Shelvey’s in the team, and if you have a player equally as good, they sure as hell aren’t going to sit on the bench week in, week out, and be happy.
However, we could do with a Plan B. We’re a more than a bit predictable now and quite a few teams have worked out that if they sit deep, we lack the guile and wit to break them down. Plan B must be more than the usual meaning in football parlance which reduces it to slinging on another forward or defender.
Rather than that, we need a genuinely different way of playing. Rafa’s done well to get us into the top two – even if our expectations saw that as a minimum – with a huge churn of players in the summer.
It took a few weeks for it to gel, but this recent patchy form has been an eye-opener in certain respects.
There are two solutions for Plan B: new tactics or new players.
While we play and naturally smooth passing and moving game, there are a lot of variations to use without being overly sophisticated to the point where Rafa should be able to look at the bench and switch mid-game from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 or vice versa. We do it by fitting a series of square pegs into round holes.
I welcome the talk of Tom Ince from Derby but dipping into the market is a double-edged sword for Rafa. He has an immediate problem to solve – getting back to promotion `form – but also looking at players who will improve the side so that we stay up next season rather than becoming a yo-yo club like ‘Boro or the Mackems.
We’re on the cusp at the moment; our season could go either way. Refocus, re-find our form or be dragged back into the chasing pack. It’s about this time of year where one team usually starts to open a gap at the time. For a long time, it looked like it would be us.
Now, we might be vulnerable because of predictability. Time for Plan B to emerge.
I don’t believe whatever. I’ll just wait and see how the winter transfers going. We all know what Rafa wants and I think the club has the $ to support it. If it turns out a very frustrating or disappointing result, definitely someone else is meddling.
funrafa(Quote)
I’m sure there’s something in it but probably not as straight forward or as confrontational as the Mirror are making out. This has happened over the last ten days yet Rafa is still here. I imagine Ashley has just said “look, the players we need to be buying are players who have their best years ahead of them, so if we sell them for whatever reason we at least get our money back. But of course there will be the odd exception.”
Makes sense doesn’t it?
Stuart79(Quote)
Trouble is that the old strategy was signing young players to sell for profit and there is no denying that. If we return to that way we will never achieve anything but we will be in profit. I don’t want us to be profit first success second, there should be a balance of the two but there never was. Why would any of us want to see those days return.
kimtoon(Quote)
Could it be that it’s coz we are (reportedly) looking at players like Alan Judge, Delph and even Wilson – who have had quite serious injuries and certainly Judge & Delph are 28 I believe so would likely be looking at the last contract of their careers.
I just think it’s mad the mirror put out a story – then you have the Chronicle with headings ‘Ashley DEMANDS changes – this is what we know’ – which turns out to be **** all. Then all of a sudden Rafa is getting his coat?!.
I would imagine if Ashley is putting in a £30m ‘loan’, he’ll want to know how it’s getting spent.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Bloody cooker went for a burton today, right in the middle of cooking a very expensive cut of lamb too 👿 Now I have to get a new cooker just to leave it behind for new owner who I have already said I would leave it to. That’s if this wretched sale ever gets to exchange and completion that is 🙄 very hacked off right now, oh and I have done my back too.
kimtoon(Quote)
Also, is it worth remembering that Ashley had his fingers burnt and paid a decent compo for doing a similar thing with KK?! – I really don’t see him making that same mistake again after such a compo payout.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I suppose this transfer window can tell us an fair bit too. I only hope that Rafa still has final say on the players coming in and out. Let someone be honest, his record so far is pretty brilliant. Made a fortune in the summer and has bought most players that were likely to get money back on if we sell them.
Important to remember too, the like of Spurs and Liverpool have very similar transfer blueprints so I don’t think it’s a major problem for Rafa as long as it’s his final decision.
Stuart79(Quote)
Back to your normal luck I see mate (all bad) could you not have got a temp repair ? on the cooker,cannot say I am bothered about the lamb,I don’t like it lol
Icedog(Quote)
Sorry about your back like I know just what that’s like,if I sneeze mine goes off only thing that works for me is lots and lots of heat
Icedog(Quote)
Ice, the thing is old and buggered according to my neighbour, I will bite the bullet and buy another. I would make do with a cheap one but if my sale falls through I would get a more expensive one if I’m stuck here. Trouble is I don’t know what’s happening at the mo. I have a buyer who moves like a snail and a vendor who is on my case everyday for an exchange date. I am a very stressed piggy in the middle. Lew is ill as am I and I have just about had enough mate. I know one thing for sure, I won’t move again after this fiasco, I would have to totally hate the new place to move again. The lamb got finished in my neighbours oven .
kimtoon(Quote)
Aye buying and selling houses is a nightmare,icepup is on buying a bigger house in Malta it’s a bigger nightmare believe me won’t get moved till April,has to pay 7,000 fine to the government because part of his house one metre out of plans it was the builders fault doing the plan wrong,but if he does not pay the fine he cannot sell his house,Ime pleased Ime going nowhere
Icedog(Quote)
Sharpy: it is the typical media bandwagon. I read the Chronicle article by Mark Douglas on this “story” and the only news he had was to quote what the Mirror had said. He had it all in quotes but had no new information but still was perpetuating a story that is probably a half truth at best and is definitely sensationalism.
I read an article yesterday about Graham Taylor on what c@nts the press are if anyone was in any doubt. I will post a bit on here just in case anyone forgets how self-serving and two faced these people are.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Was that comment on about fox tv any good??
Icedog(Quote)
Here what the website football365 said about how the gutter press treat Graham Taylor. They hounded him at every turn and then pretend it was all a joke. I am old enough to remember the way they treat Bobby Robson as England manager, where he was literally aging in front of us due to the stress. They then rewrite history when he successful at subsequent clubs and act as if they were behind him all along. On Taylor though…
“‘Golden Graham’ reads The Sun’s headline after the tragic passing of former England manager Graham Taylor at the age of 72.
‘He never bore grudge…even after this’ reads the secondary headline, pointing to The Sun’s own infamous headline of ‘Swedes 2 Turnips 1’ from 1993.
‘YOU HAD to admire Graham Taylor for his ever-so-English ability to look his tormentors, myself included, full on and never bear a grudge,’ writes former football chief Alex Montgomery, brought back for a special column.
‘It would have been so easy for him as England manager to snub papers like The Sun. Instead he chose to ignore what was a campaign to get him out of the job when his challenge for the 1992 European Championships failed so badly. That resulted in our classic headline above my match report.
‘As it turned out, Taylor always admired the headline that summed up his failure as England manager. It was penned by the great SunSport production journalist Dave Clement, an absolute master of the tabloid headline.’
Taylor did indeed admire that headline, but what Montgomery fails to mention is just how much The Sun’s subsequent coverage hurt Taylor. He was belittled, vilified and humiliated, mocked up as a root vegetable and given a moniker that would haunt him for the rest of his life. This was the worst strand of tabloid journalism: personal attacks to sell copy.
“The operation on my knee, goodness it hurt. It was the sort of pain people say they wouldn’t wish on their worst enemies. I’m different, I would,” Taylor said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph in 2013.
“I remember I met Kelvin McKenzie, who was the editor of The Sun at the time, and he told me I was being over-sensitive to complain about his paper calling me a turnip. He said it was a bit of fun. Well, I was at a match in Brentford several years later, making my way to my car after the game when I saw out of corner of my eye two yobbish-looking people coming out of the pub with a pint in each hand.
“They were shouting ‘there’s the effin turnip’ and they chucked the pints over me. If it wasn’t for the swift action of the Brentford security people, I reckon it would have been worse. Was that just a bit of fun, Kelvin?”
As for the ‘master of the tabloid headline’ Clement, Taylor wasn’t exactly enamoured. When Clement retired, The Sun crassly invited Taylor to present him with a special leaving present: an autographed copy of that headline. It was an invitation that Taylor rejected out of hand.
To not accept the paper’s guilt in Taylor’s struggles is one thing, but to turn the first paragraphs of your tribute to a kind, humble man into a self-celebration of your newspaper’s work really is quite another. Still, not the like The Sun to fail to reveal the full truth, is it?”
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice: I had a quick look and will have a closer look later. I have a contract and also I get the internet through the cable company so I am not sure how that would work. Thanks for the link.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If I had a gripe about the current recruitment policy it would be that we have a big squad built to get us out of The Championship but some are contributing very little. They were bought for this league but are not playing, so may have been a waste of wages. We knew about ACON and have been very lucky with injuries until now so maybe they will see more playing time and were primarily competition and insurance. I am thinking of Gamez, Lazaar, Sels, Hanley. I still think we will get most of our money back even on these players if we sell because the market is that nuts.
As an example. The numbers being talked about for a transfer of Payet are 50-60 million. He was great last year, sort of good for France at the Euros and has played well in an out of sorts team this year with no fit and/or good striker (Andy has been injured as usual). He turns 30 in March though and they want all of that money for him. I can sort of see where Ashley is coming from in emphasising that there is still a place for value, but as Stuart said we also need experience because our one dimensional transfer policy failed in the past.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I might be contradicting myself when talking about carrying extra players but our policy was not just buying for sell on value it was the PURPLES. That policy was to attempt to buy a good first 11 and a few reserves (admittedly still on the cheap) and then have youth and squad players fill in the gaps. The problem of course was our injury record which meant at any one time we had half “purples” and half inexperienced or **** players. This was compounded by having Pardew who would bring back players too soon and play them when they were injured.
I would much rather have too many players and have back up than have too few.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Blimey ice 7,000 and not even pups fault, that’s harsh. If my sale falls through I will be 2 to 3,000 out of pocket I reckon. 🙁
kimtoon(Quote)
KIM lot of talk of this purple bricks and the like,they say it only costs £800 to sell through the likes of them but pleased Ime not going through it,hope yours sales through quick and you get yourself sorted quick mate
Icedog(Quote)
Ice, I am with purplebricks mate as is my bungalow lady. You pay up front, mine was £999 which included EPC cert and a premium listing. Now you don’t get that cash back but if you take house off the market then re submit later it cost nowt. It’s a one off payment as it were. But if my sale falls through then I lose the 999 and my survey cost £500 and my legal fees too . Very stressed at the mo, just wanna know where I stand really.
kimtoon(Quote)
you still get an agent with PB but you do all viewings and negotiating yourself which is fine if folk get back to you and are reasonable. Sadly I seem to be the only one who’s been honest and up front. one doesn’t get back to me via email half the time and when he does is giving me the runaround and the other in the bungalow is on my case everyday doing my head in. Twice I have moved without issue and watched mum and dad do it 14 times without issue, can’t believe how much more complex it’s become since my last move .
kimtoon(Quote)
KIM they say things change for the better,who they trying to kid
Icedog(Quote)
Yeah they do ice, not too much improves in reality.
kimtoon(Quote)
Some strange things going on in the PL, but not at the bottom. Looks like it is between the bottom 3 and Palace. West Ham fans were losing patience and then batter Palace without Payet. Perhaps all they needed was that big Geordie back – but that wont last for long 🙂 Then Pep was continuing his genius after 10 games and there were rumblings about Koeman only a few games ago and now Everton take Citeh apart. Fans can be fickle.
But nobody lost faith on here about NUFC did they mates? No knee-**** reactions 🙂 No worries that Reading would overtake us 🙂 There is always ebb and flow in football except for the very special teams. It seems that a bad performance or result causes the jitters at NUFC. I really can’t blame anybody because we have been conditioned to react that way. However, the one person that seems to remain calm throughout is Rafa Benitez. Maybe we should have a little more faith in a world class manager? We will be tested in the next few weeks with the unfortunate injuries coinciding with ACON absences. There may even be a few bumps in the road, but I don’t think it will affect our promotion chances long term because we have decent backup and our star players will be back soon enough.
Yes, we have STAR players with the caveat that they are stars for this league. I reckon Gayle, Shelvey and even Darlow will be vying for Championship player of the season. Perhaps even Ritchie if he can recapture the form of the last time he was in this league.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Things I know:
1. We have the best Manager in the Championship
2. We have the best squad
3. We have at a minimum 2 of the top 5 players in The Championship – Gayle and Shelvey
4. We are on course for 97 points and the champions had 93 last year
5. We have already beaten our nearest rivals once – Brighton, Reading, Derby, Leeds.
6. Just because one hack at The Mirror says Ashley is changing the transfer policy doesn’t make it a fact.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I know my list was one more than The Chronicle usually do, but I have to prove I am better than Ryder and included the extra thing I have learnt.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I worry about the Mackems. Their season could be over in the next 3 games:
West Brom away – never easy, draw at best
Spurs home – loss
Fat Sam away – now that should be interesting
I think this could define their season and it doesn’t happen very often that a great escape happens. West Ham when they sacked Pardew, Leicester and the lucky Mackems the last few years. I think their luck has run out.
Should we be designing banners to fly over the SOL? I don’t think we would need to be particularly witty, a simple “SMBs”. I wouldn’t normally waste money or thought on them but the gloating by them last year and the flyover means someone should.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Man City today – Bravo £15m, Stones £50m, Otamendi £38m.
Over £100m and my God they looked dreadful.
I tell you what. We worry about Ashley’s policy, but I bet Everton are laughing their tits off at £50m for Stones and what was about £10m for Ashley Williams.
Sharpy17(Quote)
BTW: Rooney played well again. He has lost his pace but seems to have regained a bit of confidence. I never hated Wayne, I just thought he had played **** for 3 years and was defended no matter how **** he was by the ex-pros. His uptick has coincided with him not trying to be the main man and do too much. When he had Tevez and Ronaldo he was never the only focus. Now with Zlatan, Pogba and Micki he can relax a bit and he might even be worth keeping as an impact sub.
Now, for England, he doesn’t have the luxury of better players around him. We will qualify easily, but that is because we have the easiest group in the history of the World Cup.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Is the Brighton fixture being rearranged? I looked on NUFC and they had shifted it to “TBD”.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Just read a match report that said Rooney was awful and had a 65% pass completion rate. Maybe I have set the bar low for Wayne after the last few years 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
With these injuries and ACON we are pretty much screwed for midweek. Rafa will want to rest people but his hands are tied. He will probably give Lascelles and Clark at least a half as defenders do not run around as much. I think Hanley has played defensive mid and Shelvey, Haidara, Lazaar, Perez and Murphy should all be fresh. I think Selz will play to boost his confidence even though it should be Elliot:
Selz
Yedlin Lascelles Clark Lazaar
Sammy Shelvey Hanley Haidara
Perez Murphy
Maybe he will play 5-3-2, but Rafa is one to stick with what they have done in training so I doubt it.
I STILL THINK WE WILL WIN.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Oh ****, Sammy is cup tied so it will have to be Ritchie to start.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I really hope Sunderland go down and are banished to the lower leagues for some time.
Palace should of sacked Pardew after 10 games. Did they not see enough evidence last season how poor Alan runs his teams.
My only regret is not seeing Alan take them down. he’s definitely dodged that bullet. I’m sure Troy will say he had time to reach mid-table 😛
Gashley(Quote)
With Brighton getting through to the 4th round of the FA Cup that means that their fixture with us is rearranged. Unless they make it midweek next week, that mean we have 3 home league games in a row:
Sat Jan 21 Rotherham
Wed February 1 QPR
Sat Feb 4 Derby
If we can just get though Saturday it shouldn’t be that bad with at least some of the injured players and ACON back (hopefully some of our players’ teams get knocked out early).
Of course, if we beat Brum we have to play the FA cup on Jan 28. The priority is 3 home wins in the games above though. If we can do that we will really have some momentum.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Bloody ACON has their QF on Jan 28 and SF on Feb 1. We might therefore be lucky enough to have some players back for QPR and probably all for Derby unless one of our players’ teams makes the final.
If our new injuries are not that bad we might actually make it through what looked at first glance to be a bit of a nightmare.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Given all this, I think we might be shocked at how strong the starting lineup for the FA Cup is. I now think:
Selz
Yedlin Hanley Clark Lazaar
Ritchie Shelvey Colback Haidara
Perez
Murphy
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Is it a coincidence that since Jabba got back involved in the transfer policy we have signed nobody and nothing seems to be on the horizon?
Stuart79(Quote)
no, it’s exactly as you’d expect.
kimtoon(Quote)
Stuart don’t let Ashley get your hopes up mate. He’ll get us relegated again before we win something that’s how much faith I have in him.
Terry(Quote)
Fighting for promoting in the championship is about as good as it ever get’s under Ashley.
Terry(Quote)
At least we are top
Terry(Quote)
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/henri-saivet-flopped-newcastle-now-12459360
On the topic of transfers, seems Saviet is having a tough time on loan. What will be very interesting this summer is, not what he does with Saviet because that much is obvious, but what approach he takes in terms of the nationalities he’s signed. Would hate to see us go down the cheap and foreign route again and stifle the growth of players like Armstrong.
Yes we had Ba and Cabaye in the Graham Carr days but can’t help think of the home grown players we perhaps could have given a chance to.
Andy The Magpie(Quote)
What approach Rafa takes I mean.
Andy The Magpie(Quote)
I think Rafa should have handed young Roberts a chance. Prefer that to Sammy given more gametime.
georgio(Quote)
Daily Mail reporting that Palace holding talks on whether to sell Townsend to us. Would be the most bizarre sale from Alladyce in my opinion.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: not that bizarre mate. If Palace have spent their whole transfer wad then you know that Fat Sam will still want:
a) his own players
b) defenders
If he has to sell to buy, then a fringe player like Townsend would fit the bill. Andros seems to be a player who needs some love to be at his best and he is probably still smarting from being on Pardew’s **** list. I doubt if much will change with Toad of Toad Hall barking orders at him.
I would take him back. He is better than Gouffy and Atsu, and Aarons is always injured. It would also show intent from the Fat Man and might quash some of the fears brought on by that Mirror article. Plus he is still only 25.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Didn’t realize the Mackems had lost Khazri, Kone and Ndong to the ACON. I think Kone and Ndong are close to their record transfers or summink. They really are in trouble.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
imo mate they are dead and buried would be great if C/P join them and Townsend came back
Icedog(Quote)
We slipped up not signing Kone he was offered to us for free by his agent but SM said he didn’t want him as we had Colo,what a ****,Everton offered 8 mil for him but Moyes talked him round to stay after he asked to leave and gave him a new contract
Icedog(Quote)
I know Townsend must be on high wages but 10 million sounds like good business. We could then let Atsu go back to Chelsea as I don’t think he has shown enough to get a permanent deal. I think Chelsea want something like 5 mil for him.
I also read a Palace fan saying Townsend has been the worst player he has ever seen. I doubt that but it is strange how he played so well for us and yet doesn’t seem to take to London. He didn’t play that badly for Spurs, he got and England call up. Er, so did Jack Colback but Townsend actually played. But back to Townsend… I thought he played well for us and obviously has talent when motivated like in the last game against Spurs. He is not top 6 quality but is PL quality and that is what some on here are saying we need to buy, even at this point when we are not in the PL.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Uncle Ed is reporting that we are odds on to sign James McCarthy. I know it is always second hand news with Ed but it would guarantee us promotion with McCarthy and Townsend. They are PL players. Maybe midtable PL players but that is actually what we aspire to be at the moment. Anyway a good manager, with a good system can often make a team better than the sum of its parts.
Everybody seems sick of Colback and McCarthy is an upgrade on him. Maybe Schteve would take Colback?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
would rarther play a bin than Colback
icedog(Quote)
😆 😆 😆 Bins are pretty fast with them wheels
kimtoon(Quote)
😆 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
medical booked at Freeman! whos that for or is it something to do with Gayle?
icedog(Quote)
I would be quite happy to have Townsend back and getting McCarthy in too… definitely a step in the right direction
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Nothing on news now Ice… where is that from? You know someone at the freeman?
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Cannot say on here mate want no one to get in the ****,can tell you something maybe you don’t know the country’s top heart specialist at the Freeman works at the toon in the medical centre voluntary for mid-week games,maybe he has a r 😉 😉
Icedog(Quote)
Helper
Icedog(Quote)
Nah Gayle wouldn’t be a medical that would be tests and stuff, must be an incoming
kimtoon(Quote)
I would love it if the McCarthy rumours are true. He would be a massive improvement on Passback and I think his style would complement Shelvey and add some experience to the midfield. Plus he is 26 so even fatty would be happy. Bollix to signing young players with potential. You can’t always sign 21 year olds, sometimes you need an experienced player. McCarthy has all the attributes we need and has vast experience in the PL. He might have fallen down the pecking order at Everton, but to be honest we have been below Everton for a number of years now and there is no shame in us snapping up a player that is on the fringe of their squad. McCarthy would be a top player in the championship but importantly, he would be ready for the PL and Tiote is leaving, Colback is not good enough so we need a replacement now. 🙂
DJG(Quote)
McCarthy and Shelvey in midfield with Hayden as the apprentice would be a real step in the right direction. In a lot of games we have been defending for dear life and very end-to-end. We need to sort the midfield out and start winning the midfield battles, or promotion is going to be more stressful than it need be.
DJG(Quote)
Agreed mate,small steps but I this case a big one if it means shifting Colback, and Rafa will move him on come summer
Icedog(Quote)
Hopefully mate
Icedog(Quote)
I could happily live with McCarthy and Townsend. I’d go with a 4-3-3 formation if they came in as well.
But I ain’t getting my hopes up til they are holding the shirt up.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Gayle out 2-3 weeks.
Anita out 3 months with ankle ligament damage.
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle/15027211.Newcastle__Scans_reveal_length_of_Dwight_Gayle_and_Vurnon_Anita_s_injury_lay_off/
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think this means we desperately need cover/a starter in central midfield. The Northern echo didn’t say anything on Hayden but even if he is OK we are desperately short there.
We are OK at right back I think as Yedlin can come in and we have Sterry as backup who played a bit towards the end of last season. Not sure if Gamez is still injured?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Could do with Gamez back to fitness then. Sterry is an option at RB also. That’s sad for Anita, he was having a good season. Kind of found his level, like Gouff.
DJG(Quote)
Mackems also in for McCarthy with the price tag around 10 million. We should definitely do it now and kill 2 birds with 1 stone – oust Colback and spite the Mackems, condemning to an even more like outcome of relegation.
Mackems don’t have any money anyway but they have Kone who Everton were after. Daily Star is mooting a swap deal but swaps never happen so I am not too worried about that.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Gamez shouldn’t be out too much longer and we have Jamie Sterry who has impressed out on loan. Hopefully we can have Gayle back for Brighton but only if fully fit.
In non football news, I see we’re heading out of the ghastly EU single market and Customs Union. Thank God for that!!!
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: Brighton is being rearranged because of the FA Cup.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Thought for the day: Do we really have a “massive squad”, like some other EFL teams are suggesting? We’re going to struggle to get 11 senior players out on Wednesday night by the look of it. A suspension, three internationals and four injuries has almost wiped us out! I would argue that what we have this season is an adequate squad, compared to five years with and insufficient squad. Chelsea and Man city have massive squads.
DJG(Quote)
When Shelvey was injured there was a lot of talk about him getting the suspension out of the way so he could play against Brighton on January 28. But that is an FA Cup weekend and was always likely to be rearranged as they had MK Dons at their place and we had Brum away. At least one of us were likely to go through to the 4th round and cause the fixture to be postponed.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So, The Chronicle have at least 4 NUFC “journalists” on staff that I know of and none of them twigged to this fact – Lee Ryder, Mark Douglas, Craig Johns and Chris Waugh. They were probably thinking up another of those brilliant 5 things we learnt features, contributing one apiece so as not to tax their brains during a liquid lunch and meeting the semi-retired Gibbo doon the pub to think up the 5th.
Eric Sykes(Quote)