I'm most pissed off, not by another home no score, but that at 30 mins in sky bet had 0-0 at 4 to 1 and I didn't lump a tenner on it! Bah!
Ipswich stretch further ahead of us. They actually have no money, but still got in good strikers for this level. They had 3 shots on target and scored 2 goals.
You lot drawing again cost me 269 quid on my coupon. You would think after having you last three games I would learn. Geordie fan in peace just wanting to know your thoughts. Is your gafffer playing for draws at the moment. I had you nailed on for at least play offs this season but you seem to be drifting out of it. I have a soft spot for you as I went to school with holty.
He's sorted out our defence and reduced the wage bill. That's about it. Doesn't seem to learn from any game. Just keeps doing the same things. So we keep getting the same results. Play-offs have been out of the question for a lot of months now, because he doesn't know how to win games. We needed at least 1 solid striker in the Summer again. Didn't buy one again. Needed 1 of 2 strikers in January, and we sold 1, and bought in a kid who doesn't look up to this level at all yet. If it wasn't for Maddison wonder goals, we would be around the bottom 3. At least now, he has been starting to say about how we need a goal scorer. It's taken him a long time to realise, about 35 games, but at least the penny has dropped now. Hopefully the board will realise soon too.
Sounds like Tetty doesn't want to sign a new contract with Norwich, even though we have offered him one. Nelson didn't play because his attitude wasn't right....So, down to you now Srbeny. Hanley getting a lot of praise again for his performance last night. He's on fire at the moment. Can he play as a target man?? Did Leitner get MOTM at the ground? He was star man in a few reviews I've read. That another good thing. He looks like he could fill the void left by Maddison. Hernandez sounded bright. Tetty and Josh getting pelters again. Can we not just try Nelson and Srbny up top together? Play with 2 strikers for one game, just to see if playing strikers leads to goals or at least some excitement. If not them, bring some kids in, they are doing well at youth level. Throw them in, there's nothing to lose anymore.
I guess its maybe too late for this season for a striker. Goals are very important and if your not scoring your not winning. Having said that are finances available? On a side note, whats your thoughts on Murphy (the one we signed) as since he has come he has some flashes of being a good player but by enlarge seems a little lightweight. GG
Yes if we had a goal scoring striker we'll be in the top six. We have a strong defence, a well balanced midfield, pacey wingers, but just lack a clinical finish. As for Jacob, I felt it was early for him to move up to the PL, but he will come good for you as he develops. Good luck with the rest of your season. I have two nephews who grew up in Whitley Bay and are Magpies through and through.
Some will disagree, but we started the season with two strikers capable of getting to 20 goals. Thesystem the manager plays means that even Aguero would struggle to make double figures because we create so few good chances. Most of our goals come from long range pot shots, because we move the ball so slowly we cannot get the ball or bodies in the box in threatening positions. I think you have described Murphy (And a lot of young wingers) to a T. Great with their pace and sometimes their finishing, but can go missing too often. I like Rick think he has the right attitude and will come good, the raw ingredients are there, give him time. Big step up the Championship to the PL and he had not played that many championship games. If you haven't learnt your lesson and are going to persist with betting on City, I suggest you bet on 0-0 or maybe 1-1 for each home game and 1-0 wins away, if you want a chance to increase your winnings maybe even add maddison as scorer, no other bugger seems to! Bah!
I think in general the step up is massive for most players as you say. I still believe we have signed a good player in Murphy but the lad seems to lack confidence. A worrying thing is that we keep hearing noises that he is missing his brother etc although it is understood he is a NUFC fan. On your point re scoring goals we have the same problem. We don't have that much in creative players who can really cut the mustard. Not many teams do and I think the premiership is seriously over rated and boring and predictable. The managers now seem to think its all about ball retention and pass completion ratios and this is clearly rubbing off on the players. Passing the ball sideways many times against teams that are sitting back is just bloody boring to watch but the stats show the player as being a passing machine. I suspect you do this as a review of recent games suggest you have significant ball possession without creating many chances on goal. We on the other hand seem to just sit deep and try and hit teams on the break. This is also boring to watch. We sit back to try and get a 0-0 result because its points that matter to keep us up. This means that we invite pressure on and inevitably end up losing most games against top half sides. Money has created this problem. To get a good goalscorer at even championship level now your talking 10 million plus. Bloody crazy IMO!
The Murphy's are both young and whilst after previous loans it is not the first time they have spent time apart, it will feel pretty permanent and between that and the step up it's a perhaps understandable struggle. We to have a Murphy who so far this season has failed to progress and has been more often than not a burden to the side. Footballers are no different to the rest of us in that they have ups and downs and who knows, the seperation may be having a depressive effect? The issue for us, is not a lack of creative players in my opinion. Maddison, Hoolihan and to a lesser extent Trybull & Leitner too all look or have demonstarted that they can be creative sparkes, but the slow buildup tactical template stiffles them too (That or they just aren't as good as we think they are?) We conceded a lot of goals early in the season, the manager went defensive had some success with it and hasn't come out of that shell since. Our manager is definitely one who subscribes to the more is more for possessions sake, he wants to control the ball and tempo of each game, trouble is too slow! The ironny is the games inwhich we have less of the ball than our opponents have yielded in the main better results. At least we are now tough to beat even if we are easy to contain. You're not wrong, a proven striker at Championship level is at least £10m worth, we live in hope that our recruitment guru and DoF can pull a rabbit out of the hat in the summer. Bah!
Srbeny sounded like he was totally isolated and not getting any time on the ball or balls to run on to. In that case we may as well play with no orthodox striker and just stiffen the midfield with the extra man?
He does like to get forward. He has said he's ready to talk with the club about a new contract but they hadn't responded yet. That was a few weeks ago.
