A good night for Arsenal; a victory over Aston Villa where the score (3-1) in no way flattered us.
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The 2021-2022 Football Thread
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When Villa pulled one back I thought 'yup, this will end 3-3'. But Arsenal saw the game out.
We have our, potentially, hardest game so far on Sunday, Fulham at home. I’ll take a draw if I’m being honest.
Aww... I missed this post.Bruce has officially gone. He was always on to a hiding to nothing following up Rafa. The fact he’s one of us yet was willing to become the face of the regime while others begrudgingly walked away never did him any favours.
Steve Bruce leaves Newcastle United by mutual consent - Newcastle United
Newcastle United can confirm that Steve Bruce has left his position as head coach by mutual consentwww.nufc.co.uk
Good luck Gaffer.
Good point for Newcastle today. Honestly, the way Palace were controlling possession and the flow of the game, I think a draw has to feel like a win.
At present, I don't know where we are going to pick up points. This squad really needs refocused--and of course we need to bring in help during the January window.
At present, I don't know where we are going to pick up points. This squad really needs refocused--and of course we need to bring in help during the January window.
It’s going to be a painful couple of months just hoping we can stay in touch by January.
I don’t think it’s unlikely we go down this year to be honest.
Liverpool are destroying Manchester United.
At half time, they lead by four goals to nil.
At half time, they lead by four goals to nil.
5 now. It’s a shame for Ole. But good for the Hammers. Keeps us 4th after our win over Spurs earlier.
Wow. Being a fan is an emotional roller coaster...And for Liverpool fans this is one of those days that will be remembered long after the participants have passed on. Klopp, Salah and this Liverpool team have already entered the pantheon as an all-time great team, but this is one of the moments we will remember this team by.
Likewise, this is not the moment the OGS project was revealed to be inadequate - most agree that has come and gone already. But it was perhaps the moment his narrative faltered irretrievably.
Also, this is, for me personally, the moment Salah truly sealed his place above the likes of Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez as the greatest Liverpool striker of the Premier League era by a clear distance. (and, apparently, the first visiting player to score a league hat trick at OT in 30 years...)
Likewise, this is not the moment the OGS project was revealed to be inadequate - most agree that has come and gone already. But it was perhaps the moment his narrative faltered irretrievably.
Also, this is, for me personally, the moment Salah truly sealed his place above the likes of Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez as the greatest Liverpool striker of the Premier League era by a clear distance. (and, apparently, the first visiting player to score a league hat trick at OT in 30 years...)
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After spending my teenage years and my twenties having success rubbed in my face by many of my Manchester United supporting friends, this is one of those days that warms the cockles of my heart 
It’s a very quiet night on social media, I know that much.
Sorry, I know how much these defeats hurt, but have to take my turn lol.
It’s a very quiet night on social media, I know that much.
Sorry, I know how much these defeats hurt, but have to take my turn lol.
Scientists have demonstrated that being a fan makes you more miserable than happy...the net emotional effect is generally negative.
I can vouch for that. But today is one of those days for Liverpool fans where we get that shot of dopamine. Does this make up for The Slip, or Karius' implosion in the CL final? No. But it's still a great feeling, and you have to enjoy them when they come.
The one blot is the injury to Keita - he was arguably in his best form as a Liverpool player, and he looks to have sustained a serious injury after that challenge by Pogba. I haven't heard anything further but it looked bad based on the way he was treated on the pitch.
Never good to lose a player. I’ll be watching the highlights later. Was it a bad tackle? Or just unlucky.
Nick Hornby's brilliant book - Fever Pitch - described and explored the "pleasure as pain, or pain as pleasure" experience of being a fan exceptionally well.
Not unlucky but a very ugly and nasty challenge; Pogba thoroughly deserved to receive a red card for it.
Earlier, Ronaldo was also very fortunate to receive a yellow card, when a red wouldn't have been a miscarriage of justice.
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Club legend Steve Bruce who according to the national media is a brilliant manager is free.
I’d be having a lengthy bit of time off after the appalling treatment he’s had on Tyneside. Always had a lot of respect for the passion up at Newcastle, but changed my mind after that.
He's been very effective at a certain level, but I've never seen him ever described as brilliant at Newcastle, where I think it's fair to say he was he was out of his depth.
Newcastle now have the money to hire the best managers. But they don't yet have the profile. So it will have to be either a gamble on an up-and-comer or someone of the second or third rank in terms of reputation. Whoever gets hired probably won't be better than Benitez in terms of profile and experience.
The rumblings about Conte taking over at Man Utd are intensifying after yesterday, by virtue of the fact that he is arguably the highest-profile unemployed manager at the moment. Not exactly rocket science but the link does appear to be more than pure fantasy and rumors.
As we discussed earlier, I am skeptical that he would be a good fit for the club. Is he a better manager than OGS? Yes, undoubtedly. Is (the somewhat hotheaded) Conte and his 3-5-2 a long-term solution to putting Man Utd back into regular contention for league titles? Not so sure.
As we discussed earlier, I am skeptical that he would be a good fit for the club. Is he a better manager than OGS? Yes, undoubtedly. Is (the somewhat hotheaded) Conte and his 3-5-2 a long-term solution to putting Man Utd back into regular contention for league titles? Not so sure.
The thing about Man United is they are where you were a few years ago. Lots of good players, big fan base, good history. But something never quite clicks. Every year they’d bring in good players, or a good manager, but it just never seemed to work out well. Too high an expectation? Too many players think they know best?
Not sure really. I suspect Newcastle to be on a similar journey over the next decade.
Meanwhile decent well run clubs with the right team spirit and management will continue to take points off them when they really have right to.
Johnathan Wilson's piece in the Guardian today puts the blame on the ownership, and I also makes a pretty good case for the severity of what I've just decided to call the Ronaldo Problem. His presence in the side makes it impossible to stay solid against equal or superior opponents. Even the best manager would struggle to build an effective team shape if Ronaldo had to start every match. At this point he should be an impact sub (or starter against less dangerous teams) but his ego will never permit that. And so Man Utd suffers. It's only part pf the problem, and OGS is not responsible for his presence, but I think Wilson is correct here. It's a vanity signing by a delusional ownership.
After FSG bought Liverpool, the owners hired an old club 'legend' (Dalglish) as manager. He brought a feel-good attitude and won a League Cup but had probably reached (exceeded?) his ceiling at that point and was replaced by an up-and-comer (Rogers). Rogers was, frankly, unlucky not to win the league (and how history might have been different!), but his project did subsequently develop a staleness for several reasons, and he was replaced with a highly-rated and proven foreign manager (Klopp) who delivered on taking his own career and the club to the next level. But that all took a decade to accomplish.
If OGS is compared to Dalglish, I think we can say he's done less with more and has been kept on too long. Like Dalglish, he has the right presence and attitude, but the product is not only not there, it's not coming (this is where I definitely disagree with OGS's claim that they are 'close' to clicking).
After FSG bought Liverpool, the owners hired an old club 'legend' (Dalglish) as manager. He brought a feel-good attitude and won a League Cup but had probably reached (exceeded?) his ceiling at that point and was replaced by an up-and-comer (Rogers). Rogers was, frankly, unlucky not to win the league (and how history might have been different!), but his project did subsequently develop a staleness for several reasons, and he was replaced with a highly-rated and proven foreign manager (Klopp) who delivered on taking his own career and the club to the next level. But that all took a decade to accomplish.
If OGS is compared to Dalglish, I think we can say he's done less with more and has been kept on too long. Like Dalglish, he has the right presence and attitude, but the product is not only not there, it's not coming (this is where I definitely disagree with OGS's claim that they are 'close' to clicking).
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Thing is whatever an owner or a manager does with a club also depends on what others are doing at the time. Are they in a rebuilding phase (Arsenal) or at the peak of their success (Man City). You can be unlucky with injuries or signings. Your star player (Payet or Arnavich at WH) can decide the grass is greener elsewhere. The fans might turn on the manager or the owner. There are so many variables.
That’s what makes football enjoyable. If the same club always won, who wants that. Take Spain for example. Over history either Real Madrid or Barcelona have been the dominant club. Rarely are they both about equal. Same in the PL. Man Utd (like Liverpool) had their period of dominance. Now they’ve got to wait and see if it happens again. If Klopp or Salah left, I think you’d struggle to find equaliy good replacements.
I don't think Ronaldo's lack of pressing or defensive work rate is really the problem, though it is true that Ole hasn't worked out how to fully integrate him into the existing attack. The defensive problem is down to how the other attackers and midfielders don't seem to work together to press in groups, and the back four have been utterly clueless. How do Maguire and Shaw in particular regress so much, especially after their standout Euro performances? It's just very, very poor coaching. No clear plan in attack, no clear plan in defense — utter coaching malpractice.
Conte is a bad cultural fit for United, but he seems to be the best available manager who's interested in the job. I'm struggling to think of a qualified caretaker who could even come in until May to right the ship until a permanent manager can come in after the season is over. Maybe someone like Laurent Blanc, but he hasn't coached a top team in quite a while now, has he?
Conte is a bad cultural fit for United, but he seems to be the best available manager who's interested in the job. I'm struggling to think of a qualified caretaker who could even come in until May to right the ship until a permanent manager can come in after the season is over. Maybe someone like Laurent Blanc, but he hasn't coached a top team in quite a while now, has he?
Correction: they are irreplaceable. When they leave the only thing to be done is find a new direction for success. It is possible that the post-Klopp era will be just as successful, but I doubt it.
I certainly agree that inadequate coaching of the team as a whole is a bigger problem than Ronaldo. Though I am in agreement with Wilson's piece that he can be more of a hindrance than a help.
Brucie? He's a better manager than Ole, is also a club alumnus, and could just focus on keeping things tight at the back, letting the expensive attacking players figure out the goals themselves. OK, OK, I'm not being serious, - but actually, I'd wager Bruce would not do worse than OGS with this squad.
Bringing in Conte means a full-on tactical rebuild that will take a season plus before we can expect to see it operating fully in his own image. So hiring him means skipping the caretaker bit entirely and accepting Conte-ball.
No idea who would be available and willing to be a caretaker...Frank de Boer could do it but probably considers himself above temp jobs. I vote Avram Grant.
Or Joe Kinnear? I would pay to hear him go off again like he did during his comedy stint Newcastle.