Not the return to Premier League action we were all hoping for in this one, with West Ham coming away 4-2 winners a frustrating six-goal affair on Tyneside.
There was something magical in the air pre-kick off. Fans reuniting with fellow season-ticket holders they’d not seen in 18 months, a sense of excitement that we were finally back inside stadiums and a brilliant reception for Joe Willock as our new £25m man was unveiled on the pitch just minutes before kick off.
West Ham put us under pressure from the off and would’ve taken the lead within the first 120 seconds had Miguel Almiron not cleared Tomas Soucek’s goal-bound header off the line!
However, our two most important players soon combined at the other end to make it 1-0 with five on the clock. Allan Saint-Maximin turned Aaron Cresswell inside out down the right, flashed a fierce cross into the box and in came our new number nine Callum Wilson to fire past Fabianski.
1-0 Newcastle and the dream start, with the first 15 minutes electric. Saint-Maximin was bamboozling those in claret and blue shirts every time he got the ball, Wilson was a real handful, Shelvey looked in the mood – at least he was to begin with – and Murphy was giving us an outlet down the right whenever we got forward.
West Ham were, however, creating openings of their own and looking dangerous against a NUFC defence giving them encouragement.
Whether it be us trying to play out from the back and struggling or sitting off as the likes of Benrahma, Bowen or Fornals broke free, it felt like an equaliser was coming – and it arrived 18 minutes in.
After giving the visitors far too much time to work the ball from one side of the box to the other, Cresswell’s wicked low cross was tapped in at the far post by former Toon target Jarrod Bowen. The linesman put up his flag and VAR checked it for a potential offside, but the goal stood and the away end erupted. 1-1.
Moments after Freddie Woodman stood tall to deny Bowen what would’ve been a brilliant solo goal, we came close at the other end through Miguel Almiron. The Paraguayan’s 20-yard shot took a big deflection and looked to be looping over Fabianski at one point, only to clip the wrong side of the bar!
After a period of sitting deeper and spells where we struggled to keep possession, our second arrived through Jacob Murphy. Almiron released Ritchie down the left, and the wing-back’s floated cross was headed back across goal and into the bottom corner from last season’s most improved player.
2-1 to the Toon, but it was all downhill from here, sadly.
There were positives to take from some of our attacking play in the first 45, with Wilson and ASM causing West Ham all sorts of problems, however we needed to improve defensively if we were to see out the win – yet we only got worse in this department.
We started the second half with a real lack of intent and were quickly punished. Saint-Maximin lost the ball in a bad area, Michail Antonio was released down their left and his lofted cross was headed into the ground and in by an unmarked Benrahma. Frustratingly, this was the first of three second half goals that were very avoidable from an NUFC perspective.
West Ham back level on 53 minutes, but they went ahead just 10 minutes later – this time via a dodgy penalty VAR failed to overturn after Jacob Murphy was adjudged to have tripped Pablo Fornals.
Antonio’s spot kick was actually saved by Woodman, but Tomas Soucek reacted quicker than anyone in a black and white shirt to the 24-year-old’s parry and lashed in the rebound to hand the away side a 3-2 lead.
An awful start to the all important second half, yet it got worse just three minutes later. Once again, we lost the ball in a bad area – this time it was Murphy – and our already exposed defence was cut open as Benrahma put Antonio in behind. Clark wasn’t quick enough to catch the big striker and he smashed past Woodman to make it four.
There was still 25 minutes to play and time to turn it around at the Gallowgate End, but Bruce’s changes came too late and we only thought to change formation in the 85th minute – by that time the game was gone.
Bruce has since blamed match officials for the loss, saying the penalty decision was the big turning point, yet in truth we have ourselves to blame.
We never looked comfortable at the back, gave their front four too much room, lost possession in bad areas for two of the four goals and were guilty of some Sunday league marking, at times.
The first half display offers a source of encouragement moving forward into next Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa – who lost 3-2 to Watford yesterday – however our midfield was easily bypassed far too often and our defence looked slow, anxious on the ball and half asleep for most of today.
Time to get Joe Willock up to speed, wrap ASM and Wilson in cotton wool and sign a new defender or two, with us crying out for a centre-back who can add some pace, athleticism and confidence on the ball to our ageing back line.
Starting XI (5-3-2): Woodman – Murphy, Krafth, Fernandez, Clark, Ritchie – Shelvey, Hayden, Almiron – Saint-Maximin, Wilson.
SUBS: Gillespie, Schar, Lascelles, Joelinton, Lewis, Hendrick, Fraser, Gayle, S. Longstaff.
Our 3 CBs today were probably our back up ones if all are fully fit. You’d expect Schar, Lascelles & Dummett would start ordinarily.
There was no leadership in the back line & the defending at times was comical – even having Dubravka would have given a bit more leadership – though I don’t think Woodman did badly considering it was his PL debut.
I can’t blame Bruce for such shambolic defending coz the mistakes today were basic – tracking back, closing down & putting a bl00dy tackle in. I don’t doubt Bowen and Benramha would have been identified as their danger men – but our defenders clearly felt they could be left. The players own their mistakes today.
But I do blame Bruce for not acting sooner. The same mistakes kept happening & he didn’t change anything. I would have took Krafth off & put Lascelles in to try and control the defence a bit better.
I know I may be in the minority here, but I don’t rate Almiron as a PL player & never have really. He’s a good player, but he’s struggled with the physicality of the PL & has games like today where he contributes very little. I’m not saying he a bad player, he just doesn’t have enough to make a good enough contribution on a regular basis imo. He done very little in that second half – he runs a lot but that’s about it.
There are 17 days left of the window. I think we definitely need that powerhouse midfielder to control things more in there, and after today, our back up CBs aren’t good enough.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Bruce post match is our defending was poor today – and then some really but at least we aren’t getting stupid excuses.
Said the game turner was the penalty. I’m not sure it was the turning point as WH were punishing our defence far more than we were theirs – but I agree with him, it was not a penalty in a miles years!!.
It was a bad reffing decision, but wasn’t what lost us the game – that was our shambolic defending.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I’m totally disgusted in the Ref and VAR. var was meant to stop total travesties like that. Murphy took the full ball, never touched the player and that dive was spectacular. Horrible decision. If that was city, manure, Chelsea etc no way is that a penalty. That said, our defence was a horror show today. Shocking.
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Defensively the writing was on the wall from the very beginning and Sharpy I cannot agree with your choice of centre backs. IMO Schar is not strong defensively and at the moment Fernandez is still our bast centre back but no doubt Schar would be better than Krafts
Groucho(Quote)
Too many of our little guys are bundled off the ball far too many times. WH totally over ran us in the second half just by being big and physical. Ritchie, Murphy, ASM, Miggy, Donkey, Krapth just swept off the ball time after time. It’s a moyes speciality – sign big powerful guys.
It wasn’t a disaster and there were some positives But we were overun in the 2nd.
georgio(Quote)
Gilly – Cantwell put a similar challenge on Salah and it was immediately waved away by the ref.
VAR only get involved in a clear and obvious error – I think it was but it’s a matter of opinion. They need to go one step further imo and say ‘I’m not sure, I need to look at it again’.
It was a fast moving passage of play & to make such a definitive decision – sometimes they will have confidence to say yes or no, other times they should be allowed to look. They do it in cricket & rugby.
It shouldn’t be a case of VAR having to step in to correct a decision – it should be an acceptance from the refs that they can’t make the right decision every time with a split second look at something.
If not that, then give each manager a challenge per game.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Groucho – yeah defensively Fernandez is a better defender – he’d be in my 3 ahead of Schar, I was more thinking of Bruce’s preferred 3.
I personally don’t like Schar too much – he’s a defender with an attackers mentality. Every challenge he hits the deck and rolling around.
I think we were right to extend his contract, but that should be to get a fee when we sell him, rather than lose him for free.
I must say, I think our defenders are better than what they were yesterday, but that we some of the worst individual & collective defending ive ever seen – Antonio’s goal being the pick of the bunch.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Bruce in his post match comments said that signing Willock was great news for the club, but it puts us back to how we finished the season last season, and we still need to add a few more.
He is obviously right, but credit to him for saying it coz a lot of previous managers & Bruce himself in the past would probably stop short in praising the signing and not mention the fact more is needed.
We need some muscle in that midfield imo. I’m not sold on our defence – particularly Krafth and I still don’t have a great deal of faith in Gayle as back up. I don’t see us getting 3 in – but we need to be harder to score against coz I think we have players that will nick goals.
Sharpy17(Quote)
This result was always going to be on the cards when we set up to play attacking football. The defence was not the issue, it was our central midfield. Shelvey should be dropped. Hayden needs to be the defensive mid when Willock starts.
The alternative is the bog std boring defensive footy we have played for so long.
Look at Leeds, they went out to attack Man U and got caught on the counter. Very similar to our game.
We will need to find a good attacking/defensive balance. Miracles may happen.. 🙂
Aussie(Quote)
Aussie – the midfield wasn’t great either, but sorry mate that defending was an absolute joke.
You look back at Antonio’s goal – no tracking back and Clark neither got closer to Antonio or cut the angle for the pass out.
What should have happened is when the wing backs pushed on, Hayden drops back to provide cover – so when the counter happened, Krafth moved over to RB, Clark over to LB and Hayden in the middle with Fernandez if needed. There was no organisation, communication or leadership at all when we had to defend.
It only 1 game and a slight positive is it was THAT bad Bruce picked up on it & hopefully it will be worked on in training.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy, you could have driven a bus through our midfield when we were counter attacked. There was no pressure on the ball carrier and they could pick easy passes. Yeah the defence was all over the place but there was no protection from the mids. Shelvy is not mobile enough and Hayden was played out of his preferred position.
We need to sort that if we are not setting out to defend a game.
Aussie(Quote)
I see the Taliban have their headquarters in Qatar. Possibly an off shoot of the Premier League.
Groucho(Quote)
I think Sreve Bruce might be running the US military at the minute.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Groucho mate. This is insane. You probably know I live in the USA because you read this blog.
The USA have 78,000 troops in Japan, 50,000 in Germany and 28,000 in Korea. The US military is the biggest employer in this nation. More than 2 million, plus contractors. That’s the population of Scotland.
What’s going to happen is they will let it fall apart. Another Bay of Pigs, Saigon, Blitzkeig into Holland and Belgium.
This is fixable but will be a disaster. Like modern day tibet and mayanmar.
Send in 20,000 troops to secure the airport in Kabul. Take back the guns and bombs that you idiots gifted the taliban. Send in 100,000 troops to fix this fcn mess. From Japan, Germany and Korea. They wont do it though.
The USA have gifted 2 TRILLION DOLLARS to the warlords of Afghanistan. How can you be so stupid? The Afghan President just skipped town without putting up a fight. leaving women and children to be killed and raped.
I hate Trump, but Biden needs his head examined for this.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
This will be a disaster on the level of The Boer War, Dunkirk (which was not heroes, it was a military catastrophe), 1776, Somalia, Blitzkrieg, Vietnam, Hittler’s invasion of Russia…
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Agree mate, for all our defensive frailty’s our MF is non existent, Shelvey wasn’t too bad first half but he can’t run more than 5o mins imo. Hayden as you say out of position too. We badly need a Tiote type of player .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Said pretty much the same to my daughter today, explained to her that the Russians had also had a go years back but ended up leaving. It’s a bloody mess now, our wounded ex servicemen must wonder what it was all for.
Heartbreaking to think what those trying to flee will suffer.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Newcastle’s engine room needs an overhaul
As Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek exerted control over midfield, Steve Bruce must have rued Newcastle’s failure to register Joe Willock’s £22m move from Arsenal in time for the new boy to be involved. Willock made a habit of scoring important late goals from the bench during a loan stint at St James’ Park last spring and his game-changing skills were badly needed as his new side ran out of ideas and energy. Yet if Newcastle crave Willock’s advances between the lines, West Ham’s ruthless counterattacking ability will surely have convinced Bruce of the need to sign another, more defensive-minded midfielder before the transfer window ends. A semi-fit Jonjo Shelvey is no enforcer at the best of times and his struggles emphasised one of his team’s principal weaknesses. A lot of games are won and lost in central midfield and, without added steel in this department Bruce’s side will struggle.’
Louise Taylor
KIMTOON(Quote)
Aussie – I don’t disagree mate ive said our priority before the window closes is a DCM – Choundry ideally for me.
I have said for years that Shelveys a one trick pony & even that doesn’t come off consistently – but he had the captain’s armband on so Bruce obviously likes him ??♂️.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy I’d have Kamara well ahead of Choudery who I’m not at all keen on. Hayden’s not up for it either.
georgio(Quote)
Shelvey should not be near the first team but dumb *** loves him, enough said on our tactics
icedog(Quote)
Stewie: Trump kicked this off. He met with the taliban and said they could have the country. That was more than a year ago. He actually wanted to meetb with them at Camp David on Sept 12 last year.
Biden didnt reverse the policy and just made it worse.
This is a disaster. Insane. They can get 50,000 out and then 50,000 young girls will be raped by these evil bearded rapists. Such a sad situation.
It will despabilize the whole world. They have let thousands of Al Qaeda and ISIS prisoners go from the gaols/jails. Didnt they learn anything from Syria?
Afghanistan borders Iran and Pakistan. You are letting people take over who have 13th century mentalities. It also borders China and former Soviet Republics.
This could not be more stupid. They have come up with a plan to hand a country back to terrorists with billions of dollars of US weapons. Normally I would blame Trump, but Biden had a year to change this.
A refugee, humaitarian and military crisis of previously unknown proportions is on the horizon.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart mate. I have talked to you a little bit about your business and know you know the region. I know it a bit because I have been to Egypt and Isreal. I know it is fkn nuts and handing American weapons and Humvees to terrorists is insane.
I was in Israel during the 2nd Iteiada 30 years ago. It was just a fcn mess and it hasnt got any better.
This new phase with the Taliban will not end well.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
INTIFADA
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I sort of know about this stuff. My ex-wife is half Armenian and her Dad was a refugee in Beruit before living in a Seminary for 10 years in Jerusalem. I know what it was like. I met him there, in Jerusalem. They had closed the place down due to the 2nd intifada. Means “uprisiing”. They didnt have any weapons though.
This is going to be much worse because the USA have given them the means to fight whoever they want. What a fcn nightmare.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It’s a bit odd because we will end up back in their in a couple of years because it will be a mess. Pakistan’s have nuclear weapons ffs and a very porous border with Afghanistan and the new emboldened Taliban on their doorstep! Imagine if this happens there…
Stuart79(Quote)
Perhaps Biden doesn’t care. In 2010, he told Richard Holbrooke, President Obama’s special representative for Afghanistan, that the U.S. had to leave, regardless of the consequences for women.
Holbrooke records in his diary that, when confronted with America’s obligations to ordinary Afghans, he replied: ‘F*** that. We don’t have to worry about that. We did it in Vietnam. Nixon and Kissinger got away with it.” What a guy! Imagine if Trump said that?
Anybody yet to understand the entire hypocrisy of our media need not look any further than this evidence. But for good measure I will give another example. The official spokesperson for the Taliban has a Blue tick Twitter account. Yet someone like Donald Trump isn’t even allowed to have a Twitter account. There’s a meme going around now seeing this and someone asking “But have the Taliban ever done anything really horrific like misgendering someone?”
Priorities….
Stuart79(Quote)
Folk have to remember that the Taliban are Afghan people. They have massive support outside of the coalition protected few cities.
How long do we stay – 10 more years? 20?
georgio(Quote)
Just how little resistance they have received as they have swept across the Country supports that mate.
Forget how long we stayed there – how many of our service men & women have suffered or died being there.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I can tell you the numbers for US troops.
2400 dead
20,000 serious injuries, like amputations.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The US had less troops in Afghanistan than they have in Korea or Germany. But they were a very good deterrent as were our troops. In fact it’s been quite a few years since the US lost any troops in action in Afghanistan.
Stuart79(Quote)
I dont know if anybody on here know about history but these people have medieval beliefs. Take an apple from a grocery stall and they will cut off your hands. Sharia law also allows for rape and public stoning to death. If you look at any of the TV footage it is all men now. The women are too scared to even go out.
If anybody thinks this will end well – Biden, Trump – then you are idiots.
Sharia law allows for the most brutal oppression of women and anybody who disagrees with anything they say which is based on a book from 800 years ago.
This will be a humanitarian crisis like we have never seen. Unfolding on TV. Worse than Somalia. Worse than the slaughter of Native Americans. Possibly worse than mass slavery in the US. These people dont care about human life and Biden and Trump are abetting them by stepping away. It will be on TV, because that is how it is now. Everybody has a camera phone.
The US and Britain cannot be the world’s police force but it is in their self interest to keep these people out of power so they do not set up a new ISIS, Al Qaeda and try to force their beliefs onto the rest of us.
This is a catastrophe. A world run by Mullahs is a world gone mad.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The US has 50,000 troops in Japan. 30,000 in Germany and 25,000 in Korea.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – and how many Afghans in the last few weeks?. Their military far outnumbered the taliban and yet with little resistance at all they walk through to Karbul in a matter of weeks. The President of the Country is said to have left bags of money on the tarmac because he couldn’t fit it all in his get away chopper as he fled leaving his people behind.
People blaming Biden & Bojo – it’s not down to us to govern other people’s country’s. I hope we don’t make the same mistake again.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stuart, mate. The US did a deal with the Taliban that if you stop shooting at us we will let you have the country. No matter that they had poured 2 trillion dollars into trying to get rid of Taliban thinking.
If you had a single brain cell you could see what is going to happen. They are leaving all of the arms and humvees and bazookas for these people to take. Wouldnt you say I am shipping all of those back to Kansas before I leave and before they can be used against our allies?
It is not like this script hasnt been played out before. Syria. Iraq. Germany. A few fanatics usually conquor a complacent majority who will turn a blind eye to the attrocities hoping it will not happen to them.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is like if you said to the prisoners in Durham Prison that we are opening the doors and there will be no prison guards after August 15th. We trust you not to rob, murder or rape. And here, have a few guns and bazookas on us! Oh, and we know you are medieval religious bigots who will kill anybody who disagrees with your idiology.
But here, have the keys to the car, the Humvee and the jeep. We trust you!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’m certainly not being flippant about how bad it’s likely to get in Afghan now & I know what Eric is saying about the punishment & suppression there – but after 20yrs of support & fighting, the speed in which their Country has fallen leaves me baffled.
I also look at other Countries like North Korea, China and Syria which has equal or worse atrocities, yet there is little to no intervention.
I have family and friends both serving and who have died whilst in the military, so have nothing but admiration. But I have always struggled with people dying fighting other Countries wars – and it always seems to be Countries with natural resources for our governments to gain from.
Sharpy17(Quote)
On a side note – RIP Sean Lock. One of the funniest comics I ever got to see perform.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Luckily ISIS and the Taliban hate each other.
I’ve been in Afghanistan, loved Herat, a nice little city. Medieval country apart from areas the west occupied. Don’t know why we’re even interested in Afghanistan . . .
georgio(Quote)
Exactly, Eric. There’s more justification to have troops in Afghanistan than in Germany. Biden has already done more damage to the world than Trump could ever have.
Stuart79(Quote)
But back to football. The tragedy that is about to occur in Afghanistan is nothing compared to keeping Sean Longstaff, Keiran Clark, Jimi (Jeff) Hendrick and Fabian Schar. They should all be sent to Sunderland.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think the point is Sharpy that even a small number of troops in Afghanistan like there was until recently is a big deterrent to the Taliban and it allowed the country to live without fear unlike now. Surely NATO aren’t short of a few thousands troops for Christ sake to keep the west safer…
Stuart79(Quote)
Because that is where Osama bin Laden developed his plan to fly planes into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon with the aid of the Taliban.
I understand what you are saying, that we (US, UK, EU) cannot be the World’s police but you also cannot just give up and leave something in such a mess.
Sort it out. Bring your people home and your weapons back to Kansas FFS. Protect the people who helped you.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: Trump did a deal with the Taliban that they could have the country. Biden went along with it. He was a moron for doing so. Now there are a bunch of religious fanatics with a country that is fantasrically richer than 20 years ago because of US money – 2 TRILLION $$$$s. They are bigots, murderers and rapists who live by rules of the 13th century.
This will not end well. The US are not going back except for a very limited time to get US citizens out – Aug 31. Their former allies will die brutal deaths. What a cluster fck.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stu – I know what you mean mate. But they also have their own military forces who seem to have put up zero fight. Reports watching the Taliban just drive into towns & citys unchallenged.
Sharpy17(Quote)
We caught Osama in Pakistan. Not much difference between the Mullahs in Pak and their taliban and the Afghan taliban.
Protecting Afghanistan and exploring Mars. The billions wasted on stuff that’s got nowt to do with us. Wasted. Put that money into the NHS or real levelling up.
georgio(Quote)
Olly: seriously? 10 mil for Sean Longstaff?
That is 9,999,999.99 more than he is worth.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
That particular deals came with conditions. Conditions the Taliban didn’t meet so Biden and Harris have been unbelievably naive. For someone with such experience it’s rather worrying.
Stuart79(Quote)
Do I believe in God? No. I think religion is insane, and they are all basically cults.
But what am I on about?
Maybe there is a God and he hates Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas.
He now has Covid after banning masks for schoolchildren. The Old Testament said that God was a vengeful God.
When Greg Abbott was 25 in 1984 he went for a jog. A giant oak tree fell on him and he has been paralysed from the waist down ever since. If that doesnt say that God hates you I dont know what does. Now, after his latest stupidity, he gets covid even after a vaccine. God really hates this guy.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The conditions were a cease fire and a US withdrawal. Trump gave the country back to the taliban and abandoned all of the US allies. They just didnt realise how totally stupid the “deal” was and Biden has made it worse.
I know you are a right winger Stuart, but open your eyes. There are mistakes here by Trump and Biden. I see stuff every day here and Trump is totally off his nut, a crook and corrupt. You (Stuart) seem to want to defend him because of your right wing ideology. He is absolutely crazy.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
But, Stewie mate. There is no denying that Biden has fcked this up royally. He took the ball handed to him by Trump and scored a touch down in his own end zone (to use an American Football analogy).
He has scored about 10 own goals and these last few days will live on in imfamy and destabilize the whole world. This is a war crime and he should be booted out of office.
He only talked to Boris about this today and I dont think he ever talked to Merkel or Macron.
This is rank stupidity.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Back to football though. It is almost as stupid as thinking you will get 10 million for Sean Longstaff 🙂 C’mon Rafa, show us the money.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’m not defending Trump and I will be interested to see where I have. But, forget Trump. Trunk has gone. He did a deal with the Taliban but Biden started it and completed it. He didn’t need to. He could have reversed it quite easily – he didn’t want to. I don’t hold Trump responsible for this particular action. Trump might have done a deal with them (and they really didn’t adhere to the conditions Eric) but Biden implemented it.
Anybody would think nobody saw this coming. Biden was always going to be a disaster and it’s shown to be the case and very early. Worse still – his VP who will more than likely take over has actually taken credit for some of this ffs! Unbelievable!
Btw Trump would probably have also implemented it but he didn’t it was these two clowns.
2,500 troops. I can’t even work out what was going through their minds. Bodens cognitive issues can be mitigated circumstance but not Harris’
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: I dont think this is a cognitive issue with Biden, I think it is a judgement issue. He wanted out of Afghanistan for a long time and did whatever it took, leaving the world in peril.
That is not an exagerarration. The world is a much less safe place with the Taliban back in power, with US weapons and especially with US aircraft. This is a monumental screw up, started by Trump and ending with Biden.
Biden should be thrown out of office for this. This will be his legacy. The 1975 Helicopter evacuating US officials from Saigon moment.
I cannot really explain how much Biden and his cronies have messed up. I could believe it from the Orange Man Baby but these people were supposed to know better.
The only saving grace is that Trump would probably have nuked Kabul and the 5 million people there including all of the Yanks and Brits. At least Biden isnt THAT stupid. Although he is showing himself to be monumentaly stupid on this.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Last thing on Trump, Stuart. I think he is crazy. He was never a Republican. He was always only for himself. I have no idea what Biden’s agenda is here. I think there will be lots of blaming from the rest of the world for this debacle. DESERVED BLAME. Biden should resign.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Talk that Bruce is ready to let Longstaff & Hendrick go & let you Matty go out on loan.
Personally I wouldn’t stop there, I’d shift Shelvey as well if someone would take him.
But it just shows there is a lot needed to be done with our midfield & not much time or money left to do it with ?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Saw what I would only describe as a pit of snakes yesterday acting as MP’s. Savaging the PM for what’s going on in Afghanistan. How sad and pathetic that they use people’s lives to score political points. Do these people expect the UK to stay on our own to sort Afghanistan out after US left? I knew the government would get criticism for 20,000 refugees coming here. It’s never enough. If they said 100,000 Labour would be saying it should be 150,000. They actually got criticised for not getting the 20,000 out now. What planet do these imbeciles live on.
Stuart79(Quote)
The planet that should have seen Afghans flown out months ago, not starting this week after the taliban arrived.
georgio(Quote)
Or maybe the planet where their own President made those arrangements or stayed and fought rather than fleeing with bags of cash.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Not to mention their armed forces totalling 300,000 troops and the top of the range equipment and weapons everyone bought them… Better to blame our government it’s easier.
Stuart79(Quote)
Remember a couple of months ago we took Leicester apart for 70 minutes? That team is pretty much available for Saturday apart from Dubs who will be replaced by the Championship goalkeeper of the season and Dummett who will be replaced by our captain, Lascelles. The Leicester team was:
Dubs
Murphy
Krafth
Fernandez
Dummett
Ritchie
Shelvey
Willock
Almiron
Wilson
ASM
That was pretty much a 5-2-3 formation.
Are we going to let a bad half of football against West Ham send us into a deep depression? We already have Covid and Afghanistan for that!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Mr Biden said recently that the Afghan army had some of the most high tech and impressive equipment on earth. That equipment is now in the hands of the Taliban who just released hundreds of terrorists from prison… 😯
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: this is incompetence on a monumental scale. Trump handed the country back to the Taliban. The Americans had a puppet and corrupt Govt who they had supplied with hundreds of billions of $s of weapons. The best case scenario was there would be a civil war and the worst case was Taliban terrorists and religious bigots would get their hands on the weapons.
Biden needs his head examined for following through on a Trump warped policy. I believe this will go down in history as a bigger disaster than The Bay of Pigs and almost on the level of Hitler’s invasion of Russia.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – don’t you think Trump put Biden in an impossible position though?.
The military out there is held up like the NHS over here – it’s one of the few things the whole Country is United on.
The second Trump said he was withdrawing the troops – if Biden reversed that he’d be accused of not caring about the military.
If he left them out there I think he’d have lost more support – and I think it was fair for him to assume that they would have put up more of a fight.
Sharpy17(Quote)
What annoys me a bit is it’s always on US & UK – where the F is the rest of the world to sort this out???.
Where’s all the neighbouring Countries or the European bystanders???.
It would be good to stick the news on and be told ‘it’s ok Pakistan or Spain are sorting this one’.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: Biden was handed Catch 22 – he either had a civil war or Taliban control in probably the 2nd most strategically important country in the world (Saudi Arabia is 1st). There was no good outcome but he has fcked it up even more. There were some options. The UN wanted to stay, with 6.500 troops and Spain would have been a part of that. Pakistan? They are as crazy as the Taliban. What sort of country elects a cricketer (Imran Kahn) as Prime Minister?
That is almost as mad as electing a B Movie actor, who starred alongside a chimp in Bedtime for Bonzo, as President and then re-electing him when he was obviously senile. Or a reality TV star? or Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of California.
Reagan and Trump if you dont get what I am saying 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There is a whole generation of young women in Afghanistan who have only known education, freedom to dress how they please and shop, go to beauty parlors and lead a relatively normal life for the last twenty years. Now they and everyone else are plunged into an archaic medieval existence because of a decision by powerful men far away. Yes their President is a greedy coward, so what, does that make it right they now suffer ? Their troops surrendered to a ruthless regime, but they won’t be spared, sooner or later they will pay for supporting the west . The Taliban are your worst nightmare and definitely a young girl or women’s. They will spare no one they deem to have disrespected their beliefs and ideology , it will be a blood bath over there and like it or not the USA and us have questions to answer .
On refugees, our government has been shamed into taking 200 thousand, they originally wanted to take 5000 . Why did we go in in the first place if we were not prepared to stay and help govern it. Trump was a manchild but Biden is an idiot and don’t get me started on Boris and co.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kimtoon. This is only the beginning. Everybody has a phone now and atrocities will be documented and shared on the internet. Make no mistake this is Biden’s fault. He was warned by the CIA and military operatives and went ahead with it anyway. He has reversed many of Trump’s idiotic policies so why not this one?
This will live in imfamy as so many women, children and indeed men are raped and slaughtered. If that is not their fate they will be forced to stay at home or wear those shameful tent dresses. They have 1 operational airport. What the F are you supposed to do if you live 200 or 300 miles from Kabul? Afghanistan is a big country.
I just watched some news over here and they said there are 2,000 armoured humvees that have been left. This is on top of machine guns and rocket launchers. What a cluster fck. Havent they learnt anything from Vietnam and especially Cambodia? Pol Pot, Killing fields, rooms literally filled with skulls of the murdered.
They left helecopters and airplanes as well with trained pilots. American trained pilots. They may not agree with the Taliban but they will fly those planes if there is a gun to their head. The cleanup has to start with destroying these weapons.
I cant believe that they have all been so stupid and think this should cost Biden his job.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon. Also… 60% of the Afghan population is under 25 so all they have known is war and US occupation. Now they are going back to the middle ages and the US have just abandoned them. Make no mistake, this is 99% the US’s fault but other countries like Britain, France and Japan should have been spreaking out as this mess was unfolding.
How can you countenance handing back a country to medieval warlords whose main source of income is opium?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
BUT…
Getting back to football 🙂
I still think Bruce is a bit clueless but I think he was instrumental in getting Willock and also recognizes our problems in central defense. We need someone with more pace there. Or we need Dummett to stay fit. And how many of us believe that will happen? Dummy is the best tackler on the team and the only CB with any pace. I dont care what others say. If he is fit, he plays at CB.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I read the transcript of Brucie’s interview with Radio Newcastle and the goalkeeping situation didnt sound too good. Finally he has addressed what is going on. I wish they would keep us more informed and up to date.
Darlow was in hospital with Covid and lost a lot of weight.
Dubravka had a broken metatarsal and got an infection after surgery.
This is the first time Bruce has really spoken in depth about the goalies. Sounds like they are out for another month, just reading between the lines.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I almost forgot this is a Steve Bruce derby. I think the Villa fans hated him by the end. I know they threw a cabbage on the pitch.
If we dont play well there will be derision from the Villa fans and probably some turning on Brucie from NUFC.
I cant predict this one. Hopefully Watkins will be out because him and Ings might be trouble for our flat footed centre halfs and wingers playing as wing backs.
BUT, BUT…
We also have players to worry them.
I have no idea on this one. That probably means a win as I thought we would be West Ham.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Villa have Mings and Ings. I dont know why I find that funny.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, I am sure I read yesterday that Watkins is back for our game. Think we could lose this one, not too confident in Freddy, doesn’t help he has a poor defense in front of him. MF needs beefing up, desperate for a Tiote type player to come in .
Bruce must be a bit apprehensive about the reception he’ll get from Villa fans, and if we lose or play badly it’ll be both sets at him as our travelling fans are less scared to voice their opinion than when we play at home .
Also my post last night i put one zero too many on the refugee number, it’s 20k not 200k .
KIMTOON(Quote)
On football we have almost zero chance of beating Villa.
Sharpy – I can’t believe Biden decided to withdraw from Afghanistan because he thought it would be popular. The US only had 2,500 troops there and they hadn’t suffered a casualty for years so I don’t see it being a contentious issue in the US. Certainly not with the friends I have there and they’re big democrats too. They have more troops in Germany.
Stuart79(Quote)