Newcastle away, Sunday 17th May 17.30

Soneone's got to bite the bullet on this one, so here goes.

The most important game of the season until, possibly, the next one.

Win this and we move ahead of Spurs before their midweek fixture away to Chelsea who may, win or lose, have a hangover from their FA Cup final on Saturday. A draw or defeat against Newcastle and we could be down before our final game of the season at home to the same Leeds team that did us a bit of a favour on Monday by holding Spurs to a draw.

COYI ⚒️⚒️⚒️

Over to you ASLEF.

Comments

  • I just hope that the FA cup final is a win in normal time for either team, as extra time could be detrimental to Chelsea beating spuds. They only have a couple of days rest between games. But as I keep saying we can’t rely on other teams, let’s focus on beating the Geordies and hope that rumours of Gordon being transferred will unsettle them.
  • Could go either way, DJ. They could be deflated by the poor season/manager uncertainty etc, or those nice quiet Geordies could push them into playing out of their skins. But we'll beat them anyway.
  • Could go either way, DJ. They could be deflated by the poor season/manager uncertainty etc, or those nice quiet Geordies could push them into playing out of their skins. But we'll beat them anyway.

    Just as an aside, Newcastle fans will obviously be urging their team on to finish above Sunderland.
  • It's really simple for us, we must get three points to ensure we take it to the final day. On a tense final day anything can happen.
  • edited May 14
    Hermansen
    Wan-Bissaka - Mavropanos - Disasi - Diouf
    Bowen - Fernandes - Souček - Summerville
    Taty
    Wilson

    Win & pray Chelsea do, too.
  • I’d still start Pablo, personally. We’re so much better as a team when we’ve got the two guys with energy up top than when Wilson comes on. I know he carries a bigger threat, but I’d rather not see him before 60 minutes
  • Thing is, we need goals.

    Wilson takes his chances.
  • Thing is, we need goals.

    Wilson takes his chances.

    I just don’t think we get many chances if one of our strikers can’t move. And the opposition keep coming back when we don’t hold the ball up top
  • I live on a claret and blue island within a vibrant red and white home so whenever we play Newcastle there always exists an element of banter, but this time,……the stress level is off the charts and whilst I am generally comfortable in holding my own, I think that it will be a slightly strange atmosphere in the house on Sunday.

    I have noted that the boys have strangely been reluctant to suggest the normal family full English

    I think that even they sense that it will be better if I watch this one on my own.
  • alderz said:

    I’d still start Pablo, personally. We’re so much better as a team when we’ve got the two guys with energy up top than when Wilson comes on. I know he carries a bigger threat, but I’d rather not see him before 60 minutes

    I think at this stage of the season, the performance of the team is not as important. We need 2 wins, which means goals. We haven’t scored in our last 3 away games. With Pablo on the bench, we get to bring him on for fresh energy in the second half, whereas usually we’ve run Taty & Pablo into the ground & we end the game with Wilson & an extra midfielder.
  • Lukerz said:

    alderz said:

    I’d still start Pablo, personally. We’re so much better as a team when we’ve got the two guys with energy up top than when Wilson comes on. I know he carries a bigger threat, but I’d rather not see him before 60 minutes

    I think at this stage of the season, the performance of the team is not as important. We need 2 wins, which means goals. We haven’t scored in our last 3 away games. With Pablo on the bench, we get to bring him on for fresh energy in the second half, whereas usually we’ve run Taty & Pablo into the ground & we end the game with Wilson & an extra midfielder.
    We haven't been able to grind out results, so I think the chances of us winning are synonymous with the team performing well now.
  • edited 10:23AM
    Something odd at Newcastle, its not so much who's been in the starting line up recently but whose been on the bench

    They've got a few injuries at the back with Schar, Krafth and Livremento all out. Thiaw and Botman have been the centre pairing with Burn at LB.

    With Livremanto unavailable CM Lewis Miley was preferred at RB to Kieran Trippier, out of contract at the end of the season, then when Miley got injured Howe played LB Lewis Hall.

    In the middle Tonali and Guimares are back from injury, starting the last three together.

    Up front Osula has started five in a row and has scored three. Behind him Murphy has started on the right the last three and Joelinton on the left the last two but last weekend Willock was replaced in the middle by Woltenade after two starts

    Gordon, Ramsey and Elanga were all on the bench for the last two but none of them were used, add in Wissa who hasn't started since the beginning of February and that's £224m in transfer fees on the bench

    Someone who seems to thrive as a substitute is Harvey Barnes who scored in the last two games after coming off the bench

    Against Palace

    Pope
    Hall Thiaw Botman Burn
    Tonali Guimares
    Murphy Woltenade Joelinton
    Osula
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