ljkeane Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 22 minutes ago, Mark Antony said: Well thank god Liverpool took it seriously. Even if we don't win the final and get CL there was so many awesome moments in the Europa for us this year. I think that was somewhat dictated by us drawing United then Dortmund. It didn't really feel like it was getting taken any more seriously than normal prior to drawing the high profile ties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Antony Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 36 minutes ago, ljkeane said: I think that was somewhat dictated by us drawing United then Dortmund. It didn't really feel like it was getting taken any more seriously than normal prior to drawing the high profile ties. Yeah fair point but of course it's gonna feel like it's getting taken more seriously the farther you go and the tougher the competition gets. Either way I definitely would rather be in Europa league than not be in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncalagonTheBlack Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Wow,Sunderland are now 3-2 up against Chelsea. Newcastle need to score soon or it's bye bye PL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Goal crazy for a second there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Newcastle have squandered a few really good chances. Mitrovic should be getting that header on target at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Have we all seen Gaston Ramirez' horrible injury from earlier on for Boro? Warning, graphic- he was wearing those stupid kiddie shinpads and a high studs-up challenge took a massive chunk of skin and flesh off. Feel for him, but that's why we wear proper shinnies, yeah? Also, West Ham were dreadful today. More of the same on Tuesday please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Horse Named Stranger Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 2 hours ago, polishgenius said: It's absolutely dreadful how much we miss Rashford and Martial when they aren't playing. Really hope these rumours of us splashing out on Griezmann are true, although we could use a true creator too. Fucking lol. We went 1-0 up against Norwich and LVG switched an attacking sub (Januzaj was warming up) for a defensive one (Schneiderlin). Good grief. So? You are not going to catch up with City on goals (+30 vs +13), either you beat them on points or you won't finish 4th. So just defending a 1-0 lead for the last 15 minutes looks like a pretty sensible decision to me. Or do you expect to win your last games by 10 goal margins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 We should be more than good enough to be putting a few extra goals on the break past a Norwich team who suddenly desperately, desperately need to score two. It might not make any difference now, LVG's reflex to timidity is a big part of why City are so far ahead of us on GD. And in any case, results aside I prefer watching good football to dull football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Horse Named Stranger Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 You can try to run up the scoreboard when you are already up a few goals. But in that situation it would have been playing with fire. If van Gaal went gung-ho and his team conceded the equaliser on a counter that would have been the final death blow to any hope whatsoever to get 4th. As it would be then 3 points plus GD, instead of 1 point and GD. So now it's just hoping for City to slip, and drop points someplace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustavo Fringed Sleeves Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Look, I'm as much a follower of EPL as of La Liga (well, thanks to TV rights in my country it's a lot harder to follow EPL than a few years ago), and all the excuses for English clubs not taking the Europa League seriously are wishful thinking. The impression I get (and that a lot of Spaniards do, forgive their bias) is that even Sevilla or Celta would have a go at the EPL title this year. If we take Leicester winning (no offense to their fans), MCFC's unwatchable performance against Real, Arsenal's being Arsenal (despite doing the double against Leicester), MUFC's mediocrity all around and Chelsea's unmitigated collapse, it all points to the EPL's level being in an all time low. Sorry, but as much as small British teams might give up less easily against Barcelona and Real, they'd be thrashed mercilessly all the same. They would win the EPL easily. OTOH, the consensus from Spanish fans is that next year things might start to turn around again. Coaches such as Pep, Conte, Klopp, etc., with EPL money, could bring about another little era of 3/4 UCL semifinalists being English sides. It might take a while to get there though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustavo Fringed Sleeves Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Oh, and it's over now for Newcastle. Hopefully they bounce back as they did last time, but with Ashley out of the club finally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 53 minutes ago, Notone said: You can try to run up the scoreboard when you are already up a few goals. But in that situation it would have been playing with fire. If van Gaal went gung-ho and his team conceded the equaliser on a counter that would have been the final death blow to any hope whatsoever to get 4th. As it would be then 3 points plus GD, instead of 1 point and GD. So now it's just hoping for City to slip, and drop points someplace. It wasn't about going gung-ho. Subbing Januzaj in for Lingard would hardly be that. The move he did make was just conservatism that didn't gain us anything, because what we gained in control we lost in threat, allowing Norwich to get more aggressive and make more chances. And Norwich are a very fragile team- pushing them to break is probably the lesser risk to letting them recompose themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorshach Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 So we resigned this match - quite clearly - congratulations to Leicester btw, for doing the job properly. What struck me, however, was our goal. Martinez wants to keep the ball, to move it, to keep it, and to create as a team. Fitting, then, that our goal today was in no shape or form something from his playbook - direct ball, solo effort. No team needed. He should be fighting for his job with results on the field, not banal stupidities and delusional comments. And this is what he delivers - complete surrender, and the bright light doesn't pay attention to his philosophy. I'm horrified that he isn't sacked already, as all he's got going is his mouth. I pray the silence from the board signifies the decision is already made, but f*ck me - nobody would lose anything if he'd been canned a month ago. Least of all Martinez, who sounds crazier by the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 1 hour ago, Notone said: You can try to run up the scoreboard when you are already up a few goals. But in that situation it would have been playing with fire. If van Gaal went gung-ho and his team conceded the equaliser on a counter that would have been the final death blow to any hope whatsoever to get 4th. As it would be then 3 points plus GD, instead of 1 point and GD. So now it's just hoping for City to slip, and drop points someplace. Er...the underlying issue is the conservative mindset of LVG which has resulted in us only managing a measly 44 goals. The substitution is just one in a long list of examples of LVG's negativity and that conservatism has actually cost us more than it has gained over the course of the season. And, really, subbing on Januzaj for Lingard can in no way, shape or form be described as "gung-ho"; instead it would have at least given the impression that we were still looking to be positive and seeking out a second goal rather than hanging on against a poor Norwich side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Newcastle unable to score against Villa to save themselves or United playing to hold a 1-0 against the atrocious defence of Norwich that would be exposed as they had to chase the game -- I can't decide which is sadder. LVG still doesn't understand the club or fans. I'm really surprised by the Hammers. Swansea were sleepwalking until Liverpool's second/third team gifted them a win last. I guess it woke them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas! Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 10 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said: I'm really surprised by the Hammers. Swansea were sleepwalking until Liverpool's second/third team gifted them a win last. I guess it woke them up. Swansea were clinical, but West Ham were dreadful in defense. I've been wondering when Antonio 's terrible sense of positioning would do us in, and yesterday was the day. I think he's a good player going forward, but he's not a fullback. Bilic obviously disagrees, as Tomkins and Byram are both healthy but can't get games. Tomkins hasn't played since he got thrown into that crazy back three we played in the first half against Arsenal. And he was poor, yes, but understandably so, IMO. Byram has been pretty good in the little he's played. Meanwhile, we are playing a mediocre Victor Moses or a sub-mediocre Emenike on the right wing. It's frustrating when that is so clearly Antonio's best position. We've been getting results (until yesterday), though, so Bilic has stayed the course, even though Antonio has looked shaky in defense all along. The owners are blathering on about breaking the bank on a new striker in the summer, but we need fullbacks! And someone else in the midfield who can link play the way Lanzini has. I wouldn't argue with a new striker, too, but it's not our weakest position by a wide margin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davrum Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 22 minutes ago, Nasrudin's True Love said: Swansea were clinical, but West Ham were dreadful in defense. I've been wondering when Antonio 's terrible sense of positioning would do us in, and yesterday was the day. I think he's a good player going forward, but he's not a fullback. Bilic obviously disagrees, as Tomkins and Byram are both healthy but can't get games. Tomkins hasn't played since he got thrown into that crazy back three we played in the first half against Arsenal. And he was poor, yes, but understandably so, IMO. Byram has been pretty good in the little he's played. Meanwhile, we are playing a mediocre Victor Moses or a sub-mediocre Emenike on the right wing. It's frustrating when that is so clearly Antonio's best position. We've been getting results (until yesterday), though, so Bilic has stayed the course, even though Antonio has looked shaky in defense all along. The owners are blathering on about breaking the bank on a new striker in the summer, but we need fullbacks! And someone else in the midfield who can link play the way Lanzini has. I wouldn't argue with a new striker, too, but it's not our weakest position by a wide margin. How many of the goals were Winston Reid's fault? Asking for a friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeor Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Well, barring a very unexpected final day, it looks like relegation is all done and dusted. Worst possible day for Newcastle and the manner of the draw must be galling - they really had chances to win it. At half-time you'd have thought the complete opposite was going to happen in both Newcastle/Sunderland games. I doubt Rafa would stick around for the Championship but with a fresh season he could have worked wonders for Newcastle. They have a lot of resources, a big stadium and a diehard fanbase. It would have been nice to see them get a first-class manager - no knock on Roeder, Hughton, or Pardew, but Benitez is a definite upgrade. The only remaining league table excitement then is that fourth place. I hope we can beat City. Not only for 3rd place and pride, but it would make the final round/s much more interesting with the Manchesters scrapping for fourth. But then again I have a bad feeling about this. City have to win and they've always got a good home record. We could be sliced apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 If you don't get at least a draw off City I'm going to be so mad at you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Well that's a bit of shit goal for Southampton to concede. Someone might want to go and get the ball when it's in the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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