YouUnastanFren

Their goal looked like a sleeve was offside to me. If that was us it would've been ruled out

He catches stuff that other keepers could only hope to punch, often not even a catch-bounce-catch either. He just straight plucks that mfer out the air.

Don King Prince Phillip The Queen Bernie Ecclestone Bob Dole

xG and xGA are far better predictors of future performances/results than any other underlying stat imho. I'd say they're actually better predictors of future results than actual goals and goals against are. For instance after our losses against SOU, WHU and BHA people were saying we were defensively weak because we'd conceded 8 goals. The reality was our xGA was just 3.07 total for these games. That suggested we were solid just unlucky and that we'd be likely to concede less if our performances remained the same. Sure enough since then we have had 4 CSs in a row (and a total xGA of 2.4). Naturally over small sample sizes teams are likely to over or under perform both metrics by a large percentage but over the course of the season they tend to be fairly accurate. xA is a fair bit more abstract and difficult to use, but then assists are more abstract than goals so that makes sense. The possession stat alone is for all intents and purposes completely useless. When it's divided into territories it becomes more useful but when passing it along your own back 4 is worth as much as passing it in the opposition box it's not going to be a good predictor of anything.

You love to see it

It's a shame we've been so unlucky this season, the underlying stats for our performances show us to be among the very best sides in the league xG/game: 2.09 - 1st xGA/game: 0.99 - 2nd behind Citeh xPTS/game: 2.05 - =1st I would be fascinated to see any of the Sky/BT/BBC pundits discuss how much we have been dominating everyone this season. The most acknowledgement I've seen us get is that we're doing "quite well"

I think he strained his eyes trying to see what was happening down the other end.

He uses his knee to shove Zaha away from JM which is why the movement is slightly unnatural but if Mings wanted to stamp on him he would've been stamped on, this isn't his first rodeo. The fact his foot came down hard was just momentum from his run and the knee shove.

Over 20 sprints a game, what the ****. Jesus Christ Ollie, give these poor CBs a break

Watching Newcastle is like peering into an alternate universe where we beat Fulham in the playoff final and are still owned by Xia with Bruce in charge playing turgid hoofball.

Worst recruitment of any team I can remember. None of their squad would look out of place in a mid table championship team. Actually that's not true, the keeper would look out of his depth at that level too.

Eh? He was doing fairly well first half of last season considering where we were in our evolution. 4G, 3A in our first 14 games. He lost confidence second half of the season and finished it poorly. Then as soon as he got back in the side this season Grealish gave him a pen and he's been full of confidence and creating chances since. He's basically had half a poor season in his entire time here imho.

When did he get booked today? Some places have suggested he was but I didn't see it and it wasn't mentioned

Such a complete goalkeeper. £16m plus £4m add ons We should be investigated for fraud on that one

They don't add to his YC total. He's serves the 1 game ban and is still on 3 YCs for the season

El Ghazi has a foot like a traction engine

I agree but I think his fitness still isn't up to the level required to play with a man less for 50 minutes

There wasn't a stamp but the second booking was very silly.

Unlucky to have to be the one sacrificed. He was a constant threat. Scored, hit the post, good delivery. 9/10

3 goals in his last 3 and started all of them. Only game he hasn't started recently is when he was suspended. Hause dominating him in the air will be very important today I think.

Jores Okore looked brilliant against Chelsea in the CL, felt like a coup when we signed him, lightning fast with bags of potential. Then he ruptured his ACL in about his 3rd **** match and never looked anything like the same player again

He's quickly becoming the face of the league. Ridiculous how fast his stock is rising.

Never got a chance here under some absolutely dreadful managers and then wanted a chance at first team football so was swapped with Adomah to a team also in the Championship. He was clearly happy to prove himself at that level, just wanted a fair shake. Don't remember any discipline issues other than rumours as he was leaving, just tactical naivety and poor fitness levels. Iirc he was highly rated and well liked by the other players in the squad, just not by Sherwood, Garde, Black or RDM. **** my life, that is a shit list. 

But it's vital that he gets the service he needs