Other clubs aren't playing high intensity football every 3 days using the same players. It clearly doesn't work as along term pathway to success. The side had burned out in the last one or 2 games before international breaks and picked up more and more injuries until now reaching the point we have burned our 2 games into the Xmas schedule and have barely any players available. I've been sighting this for a while, but apparently it's all just down to luck!
And i think we have a chance at this one, as we usually do well against Spurs, but Chelsea in the Caribou is the big one for me.
As I said, Chelsea and advancement in the league cup is what I care about. Would happily take losing this if it meant beating Chelsea.
By the time we get to the bridge we're going to be fielding the same players if we're lucky. The fixtures over the next month are relentless and our players are already absolutely wrecked...they look tired, leggy , pastey and with dark circles under their eyes. I truelly want Newcastle to win the cup, but really they're in bother.
They're football players not crack addicts! Chelsea are awful atm and have crappy home support, get the right motivation and we have a great chance to progress.
So as we went into the season, what has become alarmingly apparent is Howe struggles with squad management and lately it's been a poor transfer plan. Why wasn't Tino getting games instead of Trippier or Burn if he's so good either side? Why wasn't Miley getting a look in instead of running Longstaff into the ground? Why not bring Lascelles in now and again to give one of the CB's a break (Schar's literally minutes away from breaking down now)? Why not recall Minteh and let Almiron have a break? Why not move Gordon central earlier when we had Anderson, Barnes, Willock and Joelinton able to play on the left to give Wilson/Isak some rest? Why isn't Hall making more sub appearances, he cost more than Estupinan, Zinchenko, Akanjji, Malacia, Udogie, etc., etc.? Tonai's not the clubs fault, per se, but how CM was a priority will forever remain a mystery. Howe may have time in the bank, but for me Unai Emery is showing why he was first choice. Big reckoning ahead, with Bruno's £100m departure having echoes of Coutinho and Grealish. Howe should have plenty of time in the bank but does he have too many shortfalls for the road ahead? The stupidest thing for me is throwing massive money at subs or youth when the first team still has so far to go, if it's to challenge.
I'm beginning to agree with you actually.... Newcastle needed 2 or 3 bits of quality on top of what they managed to do in the summer. Having said that if we went with depth surely if we're sighting squad management being the issue we can't blame recruitment aswel? Howe hasn't rotated at all really he's only used the likes of Livramento Hall miley lacelles etc when players have been injured. Perhaps if he believed in them in the 1st place and gave them starts we wouldn't be in this mess?
Sure, but depth where?! Left back?! Who spends £38m on a substitute left winger then has to choose between Murphy and Almiron?! Who pays £55m for a midfielder who plays the same position as your best midfielder, because he's nothing like your worst one (Longstaff)? Who pays £30m for a third choice left back when you're one injury from starting Lascelles? They're both to blame. Targett and Livramento should all have played more early on. Barnes should never have been signed, we needed a first team player - Diaby - on the right. Tonali's like a Kalvin Philips signing - solid backup for Bruno (Rodri) - but we're light years away from a Man City squad. We needed a young CF more than we needed a third choice left back. We hired about 25 scouts since the beginning of the 22/23 season, what the **** do they do all day?
I think I'm ready to agree mate Hall seems a wasted signing , Barnes for max wasn't a pressing matter at all and tbh neither was Tonali. Simply signing a cb a rw and Livramento would have been better. I suppose if they do that it might still prove to be have been a beneficial.... after all its about the next 5 years not just this season.
You have a team worth £50 that'll be struggling with the likes of Scunthorpe and Fleetwood soon enough. Roll on jan! Bitch.
Sunday acca: Everton to beat Chelsea West Ham to Beat Fulham City to beat Luton Spurs to beat us Gets me 20/1....same but with us beating Spurs gets 28/1...what I do?
Insurance bet innit, considering the other results are likely. Fiver on that, so if we win great, if we lose I get £100.
