A tough one to take on a few fronts, with Newcastle being held 1-1 by Wolves at St James’ Park tonight.
Jamaal Lascelles gave us the lead seven minutes into the second half , however Martin Dubravka couldn’t get a strong enough hand to keep out a Ruben Neves header he should have done better with.
Newcastle started absolutely fantastically and were in control of the match until Saint-Maximin’s forced substitution, with the big worry coming out of this one being the fact both he and Miguel Almiron hobbled off.
The only consolation from this result is that we can’t drop into the relegation spot if Fulham beat Crystal Palace but this is a hard result to take as Newcastle pick up their 5th draw of the season.
We were handed a tremendous opportunity to swap places with Brighton in the firing line after the south-coast side lost 1-0 away to West Brom. Though the result meant that another relegation zone team had gained points on us, it kept Brighton just one point above us and presented us with the opportunity to leapfrog them.
Despite their unusually low position in the league, Wolves were on an unbeaten run of four matches in the lead up to this match meaning that the difficulty of the match wasn’t as simple as a lower half clash.
Team news brought only one change with Martin Dubravka reclaiming his number one spot from Karl Darlow. Hope from the fanbase was that Dubravka would be able to marshal his defence more and hopefully shore up some of the wobbly performances.
Joelinton recovered from his back injury that forced him off in the match against Manchester United and Jonjo Shelvey was readying himself for a match full of running.
As for Wolves, they stuck with the same team that beat Leeds 1-0 in their previous match.
The game started in a lively fashion and Miguel Almiron had a fantastic opportunity to score from a tight angle in the 11th minute – only to see his side footed effort clip the post!
A big chance missed, but we’d started with the required energy to dominate the game with a massive 74% possession at one point.
Both Krafth and Joelinton unleased powerful shots at the goalkeeper but unfortunately hitting him straight on.
Saint-Maximin had the ball in the net after a fantastic combination with Willock but was unfortunately offside. Perhaps Willock should have scored before Saint-Maximin had his opportunity.
Wolves grew into the game before the break, with Traore beating Krafth with ease and drawing both Hayden and Clark into cynical fouls that saw both got into the book. Neto also fired wide from a Traore cut-back, proving that the visitors looked capable of causing us real trouble if either of their wide men were given freedom to run at our back line.
The first half was generally a good one but the lack of a goal after so much domination was worrying. Almiron and Saint-Maximin definitely seemed up for the match but the lack of Callum Wilson’s goalmouth potency was really clear.
The question raised after the half-time whistle was whether we could keep up the same intensity and convert our attacking intent?
The second half started with Ryan Fraser replacing Miguel Almiron after our star Paraguayan took a knock. Hopefully this was a precautionary switch.
LASCELLES!!! Fantastic work from Saint-Maximin and then a great cross from Ryan Fraser for our captain to guide the ball into the corner of the net with a fantastic header!
This was exactly what was needed after a good first half without a goal and this was the sort of forward momentum Newcastle should be attempting in every half of every match.
Saint-Maximin went down with what looked like a groin injury with 30 minutes left. Jacob Murphy replaced him and, like with Almiron, fans were left hoping that this was precaution more than a big injury. A big blow for the match as Saint-Maximin was one of the most dangerous players on the pitch.
Emil Krafth also started to struggle with a knock and was replaced by Matt Ritchie on the 70th minute. With Krafth injured, Newcastle now have no fit natural right-backs.
There seems to be a shift in player positions when substitutions could have simply been like for like. I’m not sure that this is a positive sign and we conceded soon after.
After Neto crossed in from the right, a Ruben Neves header was tipped into the side netting by Dubravka at the end of a Wolves counter-attack. A bad goal to concede and bitter blow.
Somehow, we don’t score as Joelinton strikes from inside the box after fantastic work by Jacob Murphy, but it hits Saiss and goes over the bar. That should have been 2-1 and I’m not quite sure how we didn’t score. Extremely unlucky, but another ‘missed’ opportunity.
A super save then arrived from Dubravka in extra time, with him somehow tipping a point-blank header onto the bar. He should’ve saved their goal, but he made up for it with that one!
Full time and Newcastle are forced to feel lucky with the point despite being the better team for a majority of the match. This is a gut punch of a result.
I predicted a draw before the match but with the way we played and the injuries picked up, this result feels like a loss.
Staggered that the EU have banned the export of 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to Australia. That really is unbelievably callous and grotesquely irresponsible. How many lives will that potentially cost? Even if it’s only one it’s a disgrace. All to try and cover their own absolute **** up.
Anybody who tells me the EU are peaceful and not mafia like bullies must be on drugs.
Stuart79(Quote)
Brighton have Leicester this weekend & Burnley have Arsenal.
If we beat WBA and Brighton & Burnley lose – we go above both of them.
It really is a big weekend for us in this relegation battle like.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: Fulham at Liverpool. They have just lost 5 home games in a row for the first time in their history. I am sure you will hear that stat a million more times before the next game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There’s just no way Klopp wants that record to extend to 6 home losses in a row. He has won the Bundesliga twice which is almost impossible because Bayern have 3 times the money of any other team. He has won the CL and PL. They may not even QUALIFY for the CL unless the rot stops with Fulham.
Fulham are doomed at Anfield.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So the club have banned Craig Hope of the Daily Mail. That’s a new one – banning a journalist for true stories… ?
It has worked as his latest story is there are some players unhappy at having 3 out of 5 days off training. No wonder we’re **** if we hardly ever train ffs!
Stuart79(Quote)
Knew he’d be banned after breaking that.
Liverpool look very poor, think Fulham can get something there unless Pool play for some pride after losing 5 at home. 😳
kimtoon(Quote)
https://play.acast.com/s/press-box-confidential/17.newcastleunited
Good pod cast
kimtoon(Quote)
Craig Hope
@CraigHope_DM
Exclusive: NUFC players alarmed at amount of days off Steve Bruce continues to schedule in survival scrap: 3/5 since Wolves. Concerns over fitness/injury prevention. Also belief Bruce sends out wrong message by not staying in team hotel for northwest games
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim – The funny thing is our performances look like we don’t train very much too!
Stuart79(Quote)
Aye mate, fail to prepare, prepare to fail, as they say.
kimtoon(Quote)
So manures latest second quarter fiscal results show debt up 16% to £455.5 m, that’s eye watering, no wonder they need to finish top 4 and no wonder they like the American idea of the european super league with it’s massive signing up payment . 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
Bruce says it’s all forgotten and they are trying to find out who the source is. It’s almost like he thinks it’s more concerning that it’s appeared in the press rather than the bust up and person leaking it.
Delusion.
Stuart79(Quote)
He’s also blaming the journalist and saying he craves the attention and negativity he reports. Is it possible to report anything g positive at NUFC at the moment?
Stuart79(Quote)
Bruce said Drs and Sports Scientists set day-off schedule months ago. Oh, can they predict the dire situation we are in? Do they have the power to realise that we will needed to change the system and bring in a new 1st team coach because what Bruce was doing wasnt working? You would actually want more meetings and strategy sessions rather than less in this situation. But the players are at home so you cant do this. Call them in FFS. That happens on a Sunday after a particularly bad loss. How about getting them in after a particularly bad season!!!!
Maybe from a fitness point of view the days off were OK but from a drilling the players to play a new system or breaking down how the opposition play under Allardyce, what have the Drs and Sports Scientists got to do with that?
Bruce said himself that it gets more important “when the daffodils come up” but he is ignoring reality that we are in trouble. More excuses, this time hiding behind the medical staff.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Craig Hope has openly stated that Bruce is a **** Manager. He is also a fraud and a liar. Exhibit 1 is him saying he appointed Graeme Jones. Hope should see being banned by this clown as a badge of honour.
And what does Bruce think this will do. Stop any negative stories? Fuel them more like 🙂
Plus, the press are competitive but they do sort of stick together. I doubt the rest will be happy except Bruce toady Luke Edwards. That suck up piece he wrote yesterday was a joke. I wish I could post it but there is a fire wall.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Bruce has now totally alienated the written press only taking 1 question today, in addition to banning Craig Hope. Even his lapdog Luke Edwards seems to have given him a little nip on the ankle. They have nothing to lose now and can spill as many beans as they want. I really want to see Craig Hope write the real story about Graeme Jones.
Bruce didnt even give an injury update today he was that intent on getting outta there. We still have 2 days to go and it is not like he takes training. One of the Steves had to go get him from his office when Ritchie called him a coward.
I want to know if Manquillo can play. He has been in training, or having a day off like the rest, for 10 days now. He should be fit, yes?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Then there is the scrutiny Bruce said he is under because everything is a National story at NUFC. Wah, Wah, Wah. Not really Steve. I doubt that the first thing that a Millwall or Bristol Rovers fan looks for when they open up the Daily Mirror website is a story on NUFC. I bet they wouldnt even know you are our manager.
Man U and Liverpool have 10 times the global fanbase as us. That’s the stories neutrals look at. Alex Ferguson called us a “wee club in the NE”. At the time that was a bit disingenuous but unfortunately it sums us up now.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Now the club lose their case against the arbitration panel chairman. They didn’t want him on grounds of possible bias and the arbitration court said tough. The club also wanted the arbitration to be public – the courts said more or less tough.
So arbitration case hasn’t started but is surely due soon now they have the QC’s on the panel.
Just another day at NUFC
Stuart79(Quote)
BFS says he likes arguments and thinks it might be a good thing that Ritchie and Bruce went at it. Hopefully it is true and hopefully Bruce will think twice before throwing his players under the bus in the future.
Mourinho does it sometimes but I think he has earned the right. He did it with Luke Shaw questioning his fitness, a thinly veiled attack on him being fat. He backed it up by putting him in the reserves for 2 months. I think there was a plan there. Also, I think Jose wanted out so he didnt care anymore.
There was no plan with Bruce. He was flapping his gums in his blame game as he always does.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
With Krafth & Manquillo out we don’t have a right back. Also I think Hayden is out too who would be the obvious remaining alternative.
I wonder if Bruce considers 3 CBs as Fernandez is back. He could then put Murphy or Fraser right winger back & Lewis on the other side. Maybe set up like this:
————-——- Dubravka ——————
– -Fernandez – Lascelles- Clark –
Murphy ——————————— Lewis
————- Shelvey —- Willock ————
—- Fraser ——————— Joelinton —
—————- Gayle/Carroll —————-
That to me would make the most sense with the lack of RB.
3 CBs & Carroll with Frasers set pieces could be a threat at set pieces too.
Sharpy17(Quote)
NUFC.com have the full article from Chief Bruce Suck Up Luke Edwards if anyone is interested. Just scroll past the latest news to see what this fawning sycophant has to say about his best bud.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
With Krafth & Manquillo out we don’t have a right back.Also I think Hayden is out too who would be the obvious remaining alternative.
I wonder if Bruce considers 3 CBs as Fernandez is back.He could then put Murphy or Fraser right winger back & Lewis on the other side.Maybe set up like this:
————-——- Dubravka ——————
– -Fernandez – Lascelles- Clark –
Murphy ——————————— Lewis
————- Shelvey —- Willock ————
—- Fraser ——————— Joelinton —
—————- Gayle/Carroll —————-
That to me would make the most sense with the lack of RB.
3 CBs & Carroll with Frasers set pieces could be a threat at set pieces too.
Sharpy
Doubt they will risk Fernandez but Bruce said Hayden has been carrying a knock for a week or 2 so I think he will play. If we play with 4 at the back I do not see why Dummett or Clark could not play right back. I know they are left footed but that has been done many times before. Cant be any worse than Krafth.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
On my previous post, that was Sharpy’s team and comments before I answered.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Bruce is right, there are training ground bust ups regularly up and down the Country … BUT, they are rarely started by the manager!!.
If the story we have been told is true, and Bruce has had chance to correct it (and hasn’t) – he is the one that came down & showed aggression towards Ritchie – simply because he did like being called a coward.
I do not think that is an appropriate or professional response from a manager.
Credit to Ritchie for the way he has since handled the situation. He should not have been the one to come out and apologise – and I notice that Bruce hasn’t apologised for his part in it either.
It’s not the first time that Bruce’s professionalism has been questionable either – swearing in the press not so long back.
But as I said yesterday, I think these are all signs of a man out of his depth & his dream job is crumbling under him.
Any other owner would have acted by now imo.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric – I think he’ll go Murphy at RB – it’s just whether that’s as a 4 or 5 at the back.
Sharpy17(Quote)
The PL are planning on all clubs having at least one game where they can have 10,000 fans in the ground. Good luck finding 10,000 who will want to go to SJP
Stuart79(Quote)
Well I think I have the answer to getting rid of Bruce.
From now how we have to praise him to the hilt, sing his praises on social media, call him our Geordie messiah and say how hard done by he is under Jabba.
He’ll be fired within the week I reckon. He only fires guys we like.
kimtoon(Quote)
Today the High Court handed down judgment in NUFC’s application to have the Chairman of the Arbitration Panel under the Premier League’s (‘EPL’) Rules removed from hearing its claim concerning the proposed takeover of the Club. The Club asked for the Chairman to be removed on the ground of apparent bias.
The Club made the application because two weeks after the Chairman had been appointed the lawyers representing the Premier League, Bird & Bird, disclosed information that the Club had previously been unaware of. In particular, Bird & Bird disclosed that the Chairman had provided confidential advice to the EPL in 2017.
Although the advice was not provided to the Club, the Club was informed that the Chairman had advised the EPL on amendments to its ‘Owners and Directors Test’ (‘OADT’) in Section F of its Rules. Shortly after the Chairman provided that advice in 2017 the Rules were changed to prevent a foreign owner involved in alleged broadcasting piracy from passing the test.
This information concerned the Club given the following context: in a much publicised letter to EPL clubs in April 2020, BeIN Sports called for the EPL to “strictly apply” the OADT to prevent the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, PIF, from being involved in the takeover of the Club because BeIN alleged that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (‘the KSA’) was involved in broadcasting piracy. Later that year, the EPL decided that the KSA controlled the PIF and was therefore a ‘Director’ under its Rules. The Club disputes this analysis and brought an arbitration to reverse the decision. As today’s Judgment records, the Club’s case is that the arbitration is wider than simply the definition of ‘Director’ and part of the Club’s challenge is to the lawfulness of the EPL’s approach when considering the takeover.
The Chairman had also failed to disclose, when he was appointed, that he had previously been appointed by Bird & Bird and, in the last 3 years, had been an arbitrator in 12 cases involving Bird & Bird. When challenged by the Club, prior to the High Court claim, the Chairman did not agree to step down. The Club’s concerns were heightened when he then engaged in unilateral communications with Bird & Bird about the Club’s challenge, which is expressly against the EPL arbitration rules. In his private emails with the EPL’s lawyers he asked if they wanted him to carry on as Chairman, and he later explained that if they had asked him to step down he would have done so. The private email exchange was only disclosed after Bird & Bird suggested it should be.
Although the Court was critical of these communications, describing them as an “error of judgment” the Court refused the Club’s application to remove the Chairman on grounds of apparent bias.
The Club is disappointed with the Court’s judgment on this issue. As noted at the end of the Judgment, the Club submitted that the Judge did not address all of the Club’s arguments. The Club is committed to the speedy and fair determination of its claim so that the proposed takeover can go ahead as soon as possible. However, it felt it had to make this application given the need for the dispute to be determined by way of a fair process. The Club is considering whether or not to pursue an appeal.
The Club argued for the hearing to be in public but lost on that argument. The Club also wanted the Judgment to be published, even though it was dissatisfied with the outcome. Meanwhile, the EPL attempted to prevent it from being published at all. The EPL said that if it was published it should be heavily redacted and anonymised so that readers would not be able to identify the dispute. Unfortunately, this is consistent with the EPL’s lack of transparency over the takeover. The Club won on this point. The Judge rejected the EPL’s arguments and said there was a “public interest” in publication of the Judgment. The Club welcomes the fact that at least its supporters, and the wider public interested in the takeover and the dispute, will now be able to have some information about the process.
The Club shall continue to actively pursue its claim in the arbitration and calls on the EPL to resolve the matter in a speedy and transparent way that does not prevent the substantial investment into English football, and the North East region, that the proposed takeover would bring.
kimtoon(Quote)
bunch of crooked ****s
kimtoon(Quote)
What really annoys me is that Bruce is missing the chance of drilling the new system into the team as well as forging more togetherness in a time of trouble by giving so many days off. They could do light training but I dont really care about that. It is more tactics and mental strength that we need now.
WTF else are the players going to be doing? They will go home and get on playstation.
Wouldnt they be better off in the audio/video room with Graeme Jones explaining their roles and to watch out for the WBA long throws?
Couldnt they have lunch together and develop a siege mentality that we need as we are only 3 points above the drop zone? We have lost 3 of our 4 best players so they need to stick together and stick it to that other Fat Fck BFS.
But instead we have division. We have players set against each other if reports of different factions are to be believed. A manager making excuses and fighting (almost literally with Ritchie) with his players. Great Man Manager!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Listened to Wraith and he had his usual suspects on who were main instigators in NUST when it started as well as the Gateshead MP. Wraith himself has been committed to NUFC forever as well. Probably a combined 200 years of supporting NUFC between the 4 of them and also being activists on and off. Whatever you or I think of their blather, and they do like to hear themselves talk, you cannot deny their love for the club and the work they have done to try to make it better.
They all think Steve Bruce is a fraud. Stealing a living now and always has as a Manager. They think he is hanging on for a pay-off and even think it is effecting his mental and possibly even physical health. The job is just too big for him but he wants the cash. That’s what they said anyway.
Eric Sykes(Quote)