Title race 2023/4

[Marka Ragnos]

3 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

Man City will hit their stride and walk the second half of the season. 

Just a gut feeling or based on last year's pattern? I hope you're wrong, as I'm sure you do, too.

They never fell below 2nd place last year, despite losing a few matches before February. I think this year is so different. Personally, I think the players are 1) complacent after the treble 2) aware they're at a corrupt club that could be handed massive sanctions in the coming years.

[stewiek2]

I'm a believer mate

© world cup winner Emiliano Martinez

I dare you to bet against this man

[brommy]

56 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

Man City will hit their stride and walk the second half of the season. 

Pfft, walk? If we get a bit of a jog on, the title is ours. I like it, a lot!

[maqroll]

Of course the teams around us drop points too. 

[Villan_of_oz]

1 hour ago, maqroll said:

Of course the teams around us drop points too. 

Yep we really have blown a big chance to seperate ourselves at the top. 

Even worse is the teams that picked up points are chasing the same European spots we will be.

A bit depressing really

[Powehi]

1 hour ago, maqroll said:

Of course the teams around us drop points too. 

For the second week in a row, I don't understand this. Aren't you painting yourself into a lose-lose here?

We messed up in our game. But then the teams around us messed up too. If we mess up, that's surely what we want? Otherwise, the Arsenal & Spurs games have no bearable outcome.

I'm still gutted about our result, don't get me wrong. But these results have taken the edge off, just a little.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Powehi

[Awol]

57 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said:

Yep we really have blown a big chance to seperate ourselves at the top. 

Even worse is the teams that picked up points are chasing the same European spots we will be.

A bit depressing really

Or looking at the same results another way, almost everyone around us dropped points, we are  one point of second, three points off top, and through some good luck are still right in the mix. 

I reckon Newcastle fans would be thrilled to have blown it as badly as we have so far  

[maqroll]

11 minutes ago, Powehi said:

For the second week in a row, I don't understand this. Aren't you painting yourself into a lose-lose here?

We messed up in our game. But then the teams around us messed up too. If we mess up, that's surely what we want? 

And for the second week in a row you don't seem to grasp why someone can be of two minds on the matter! Its great that our rivals lost, but annoying when we aren't able to exploit these losses by our rivals, either before or after they lose.

Surely this isn't a esoteric concept?

[useless]

Any fan of any team can handpick results and say if this and that had happened we would be in such and such place, when you do it if with us in the form we've been in it's very close to saying if we'd have won every game we would be top of the league, of course we would if our already exceptional form was any more exceptional than it already has been, but we're not world beaters, we're going to drop points here and there.

Could just as easily say if we lost to Spurs, Man City, and Arsenal, we would be eighth now, nine points off fourth place, and thirteen points off the top of table.

[Powehi]

17 minutes ago, maqroll said:

And for the second week in a row you don't seem to grasp why someone can be of two minds on the matter! Its great that our rivals lost, but annoying when we aren't able to exploit these losses by our rivals, either before or after they lose.

Surely this isn't a esoteric concept?

It may not be an esoteric concept, but it is a concept that strives for perfection in ourselves and completely beneficial external results that seems exhausting to me. 

Basically what useless says above.

These results help cover for our failings in this round of fixtures. What result in the Arsenal and Spurs games would have not made you annoyed after we'd already lost to United? 

[Villan_of_oz]

1 hour ago, Awol said:

Or looking at the same results another way, almost everyone around us dropped points, we are  one point of second, three points off top, and through some good luck are still right in the mix. 

I reckon Newcastle fans would be thrilled to have blown it as badly as we have so far  

You can have your opinion, and I can have mine. If making yourself feel better by looking for some alternative view to mine, then I'm ok with that.

I have spent enough time coaching various sports and running various businesses to know that you either take your chances of you don't.

We did all the hard work and then blew it.

I understand that people will disagree with me but I'm not going to try and change their views as mine won't change...

[Villan_of_oz]

1 hour ago, Powehi said:

It may not be an esoteric concept, but it is a concept that strives for perfection in ourselves and completely beneficial external results that seems exhausting to me. 

Basically what useless says above.

These results help cover for our failings in this round of fixtures. What result in the Arsenal and Spurs games would have not made you annoyed after we'd already lost to United? 

Draws, with 20 red cards in each match.

[maqroll]

1 hour ago, Powehi said:

It may not be an esoteric concept, but it is a concept that strives for perfection in ourselves and completely beneficial external results that seems exhausting to me. 

You're overthinking this.

 

1 hour ago, Powehi said:

 What result in the Arsenal and Spurs games would have not made you annoyed after we'd already lost to United? 

Who cares?  I'm simply expressing a feeling that isn't necessarily rooted in rationality. This is sports fandom, after all. The Spurs and Arsenal results deepen the sense of a missed opportunity, that's really all there is to it.

Edited December 29, 2023 by maqroll

[Villan_of_oz]

2 minutes ago, maqroll said:

You're overthinking this.

 

Who cares?  I'm simply expressing a feeling that isn't necessarily rooted in rationality. This is sports fandom, after all. The Spurs and Arsenal results deepen the sense of a missed opportunity, that's really all there is to it.

You are 100% correct!!!

 

[maqroll]

I have to stop and pinch myself at this very moment. 

It's New Year's weekend and we are having a robust conversation about our position near the top of the table. 

Let's all step back and appreciate this. 

Yes, the loss on Tuesday and the manner of the loss was hard to take.

But it wasn't the last game of the season. 

The next phase commences on Saturday and the transfer window opens soon after that.

This is going to be very entertaining!

[Powehi]

2 hours ago, maqroll said:

I have to stop and pinch myself at this very moment. 

It's New Year's weekend and we are having a robust conversation about our position near the top of the table. 

Let's all step back and appreciate this. 

Yes, the loss on Tuesday and the manner of the loss was hard to take.

But it wasn't the last game of the season. 

The next phase commences on Saturday and the transfer window opens soon after that.

This is going to be very entertaining!

You slag me off, and then embody what I was trying to say to you in the very next post.

What a strange interaction.

[Powehi]

3 hours ago, Villan_of_oz said:

You can have your opinion, and I can have mine. If making yourself feel better by looking for some alternative view to mine, then I'm ok with that.

I have spent enough time coaching various sports and running various businesses to know that you either take your chances of you don't.

We did all the hard work and then blew it.

I understand that people will disagree with me but I'm not going to try and change their views as mine won't change...

Sorry, but you're a poor coach if this is how you would move forward from what happened at Old Trafford.

[Powehi]

3 hours ago, maqroll said:

You're overthinking this.

 

Who cares?  I'm simply expressing a feeling that isn't necessarily rooted in rationality. This is sports fandom, after all. The Spurs and Arsenal results deepen the sense of a missed opportunity, that's really all there is to it.

Respectfully disagree, the Spurs and Arsenal results mean that the blow is lessened. Other teams dropped points too so we move onto the next one.

[DakotaVilla]

Talk about overthinking and over reacting. 
 

This is what happens when we are 12 months into a complete rebuild and way ahead of schedule. We have an excellent 10 of a first 11 (RB aside) and depth in a couple of other positions. However the Christmas volume of games + novelty of playing anti football low block teams + suspensions + injuries + players out of form (Ramsey and Diaby) is stretching even the strongest of squads. 

Let’s beat Burnley and then we are still ahead of the 2 points per game average and can then spend the next two weeks getting players fit and used to different tactics for the low block teams. Hopefully Monchi can then also deliver what we need in January to capitalize on the excellent start we’ve made this season. 

[HalfTimePost]

I don't think it's saying "if we'd won every game we'd be top of the league"

I'm saying that we were all over Sheffield, had a good goal disallowed, but even still we should have won that game. And it baffles me that we had SUCH domination against United for 30 mins, "Ole" chants after 15 mins, "Sacked in the morning" by 30 mins. And then capitulation.

The forest & Bournemouth games are in the past for me, but I'm not quite over those two yet.

Our season so far is incredible - I'm not *actually* annoyed - but it's hard to not look at the last week and think "we probably should be top with a 2 point buffer"

Edited December 29, 2023 by HalfTimePost