Football 2022/23

[pink_triangle]

8 minutes ago, charlierc said:

This was unquestionably a golden chance for Arsenal to win it and they couldn't make it happen, so there's unquestionably gonna be a disappointment they missed out. Equally, their defence just stopped being as reliable when William Saliba suffered a season ending injury, plus those who watch Arsenal more often I do said that Saka and Martinelli have looked burnt out in the last few weeks. They were good at St James' to beat us, but that's been one of the few occasions of late, and losing at Forest kinda hinted they've run out of puff.

 

I’m not sure losing at Forest really proved anything, they knew they had lost the title by this stage. To me the Southampton game was the one they knew the game was up.

I felt Saka was never the same player after the World Cup. In the last couple of months I have seen him miss so many chances he previously buried. Still second on the 5th biggest budget is pretty decent.

[pink_triangle]

1 hour ago, squirrelarmy said:

This is it. Relegation is 99% confirmed. 
 

This is a lesson to all football clubs. Do not try the American model of football.

Ever since the San Francisco 49ers decided they wanted a go at “soccer” Leeds have been on a downhill spiral.

The US management and players they brought in have shown they are championship quality at best which is exactly where they are taking us. 
 

Just shows if you try to sell yourself for a quick “buck” you end up with nothing. 

Big Sam will still get a decent pay day! The American owner is very popular at Wrexham, but maybe it’s the Canadian influence that makes it ok!

[kaosmark2]

Being back in the Champions League is crazy. Absolutely delighted! Obviously slightly tainted by Saudi owners, but when you consider how much Chelsea and Everton have spent in the last 3 years and where they are it highlights how well Howe has bought and managed.

Insanely good job.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, kaosmark2 said:

Being back in the Champions League is crazy. Absolutely delighted! Obviously slightly tainted by Saudi owners, but when you consider how much Chelsea and Everton have spent in the last 3 years and where they are it highlights how well Howe has bought and managed.

Insanely good job.

Everton net spend in the last 3 seasons is something like 40m. It's a bit of a myth Everton spending a lot of money. Certainly in comparison to the top sides. 

Even over 5 seasons only 5 teams in the league have better net spend than Everton. Crazy how high Newcastle are, when you think it's over a short period of time with them. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/uk.sports.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/premier-league-five-net-spend-134509929.html

Edited May 23, 2023 by thetime

[lost]

43 minutes ago, thetime said:

Everton net spend in the last 3 seasons is something like 40m. It's a bit of a myth Everton spending a lot of money. Certainly in comparison to the top sides. 

Yep everyone is obsessed with spending when its really salaries that screw clubs over. Everton with James Rodriguez and even Mina being on more than Mane was at Liverpool. Leicester are a great example of a club who have bought and sold really well but still ended up with no money and needed to get Kasper Schmeichel off the wage bill to meet FFP rules.

I can see Newcastle hitting the same issue unless Saudi Arabia get creative with getting money into the club and then there is obviously the same issue that hit Everton if Western nations turn against their regime for siding with China/Putin.

[squirrelarmy]

The issue with the spending breaches is the inconsistency when it comes to application of punishments. 

Certain clubs are getting away with major breaches while smaller clubs are sacrificing league status in order to comply with the FFP rules.

Everton are avoiding relegation for the second successive season because the punishment for the breach they have been charged with has yet to be applied.

Obviously waiting until a point in time where a points deduction won't send them down.

[charlierc]

3 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Being back in the Champions League is crazy. Absolutely delighted! Obviously slightly tainted by Saudi owners, but when you consider how much Chelsea and Everton have spent in the last 3 years and where they are it highlights how well Howe has bought and managed.

Insanely good job.

There's a childhood nostalgia for me tbf - an early season as a kid being a Toon fan was seeing them in the Champions League with Bobby Robson leading a team of Shearer, Bellamy, Ameobi, LuaLua, Solano, Dyer, Speed, Robert, Given, with the drama of Feyernoord and being the first team to get out of the group stage after losing their first 3 games, and being unlucky not to beat a star-studded Inter in San Siro. So I'm happy to see them back in the fold.

People are free to voice an unhappiness both that we've spent our way there with big dollar and that they don't like our owners, and I'm not going to stop people from making these points, but even accounting for this, I don't think anyone expected us to get to the top 4 so soon. I'd have been happy to maybe sneak top 6. We've done really well to get 3rd with a squad that is still fairly reliant on players that pre-dated the takeover.

It'll make an interesting summer tbf. Many of those who were back-up this season are set to leave, plus I think some midfielders were targets anyway, but this is a new dimension to prep for. I'd be happy just to make sure the depth is all there given our last European campaign in 2012/13 saw the depth required underestimated, an injury crisis and a relegation battle.

Edited May 23, 2023 by charlierc

[lost]

18 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

The issue with the spending breaches is the inconsistency when it comes to application of punishments. 

Certain clubs are getting away with major breaches while smaller clubs are sacrificing league status in order to comply with the FFP rules.

Everton are avoiding relegation for the second successive season because the punishment for the breach they have been charged with has yet to be applied.

Obviously waiting until a point in time where a points deduction won't send them down.

As far as I can see the issue with Everton is the offence happened last year and so Burnley, Watford , Norwich have a claim. I think its been left more from incompetence rather than anything deliberate. A combination of Russia invading Ukraine taking the FA by surprise and then not knowing how to act as ownership is structured differently from Chelsea.

I can still see Everton going down though, no fullbacks or striker against Bournemouth potentially and if not this season probably the same again next with the salable assets going and a few makeweights singed. They definitely deserve it.

Edited May 23, 2023 by lost

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, lost said:

I can still see Everton going down though, no fullbacks or striker against Bournemouth potentially and if not this season probably the same again next with the salable assets going and a few makeweights singed. They definitely deserve it.

I'm expecting a close final day. On paper, Everton should beat a Bournemouth side with nothing to play for and who were many people's pre-season relegation favourites, but the lack of depth is catching up with them.

Leicester have a winnable final day game with West Ham having a Conf League final to prep for and Spurs' implosion means Leeds beating them can't be ruled out, although Leeds' awful display at West Ham and own lack of strikers doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

[Neil]

Man city didn't win the league, arsenal gave it to them . And hopefully justice will be done and financial fair play rule breaking will take that title away again.

[kaosmark2]

6 hours ago, charlierc said:

There's a childhood nostalgia for me tbf - an early season as a kid being a Toon fan was seeing them in the Champions League with Bobby Robson leading a team of Shearer, Bellamy, Ameobi, LuaLua, Solano, Dyer, Speed, Robert, Given, with the drama of Feyernoord and being the first team to get out of the group stage after losing their first 3 games, and being unlucky not to beat a star-studded Inter in San Siro. So I'm happy to see them back in the fold.

People are free to voice an unhappiness both that we've spent our way there with big dollar and that they don't like our owners, and I'm not going to stop people from making these points, but even accounting for this, I don't think anyone expected us to get to the top 4 so soon. I'd have been happy to maybe sneak top 6. We've done really well to get 3rd with a squad that is still fairly reliant on players that pre-dated the takeover.

It'll make an interesting summer tbf. Many of those who were back-up this season are set to leave, plus I think some midfielders were targets anyway, but this is a new dimension to prep for. I'd be happy just to make sure the depth is all there given our last European campaign in 2012/13 saw the depth required underestimated, an injury crisis and a relegation battle.

Yeah same. And having Shearer and Bellamy both suspended and still getting goals over in Camp Nou. I also remember the sheer joy in the city on the day Shearer signed. It's one of the few things that can tap into joyous childhood emotions for me, and I'm happy to admit that.

I understand the ownership problems and won't deny them. There's hypocrisy from others, but as you said, top 4 so soon was ridiculous. It is helped by Spurs, Chelsea, and Liverpool all being especially crap this season. My hope for this season was a comfortable top half finish and a cup run. Getting a cup final + top 4 is crazy good.

Transfer business has been really sensible so far, and I'm hoping it continues. I'm pretty sure it's just newspaper talk referencing PSG stars.

Edited May 24, 2023 by kaosmark2

[thetime]

14 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

 

I understand the ownership problems and won't deny them. There's hypocrisy from others, but as you said, top 4 so soon was ridiculous. It is helped by Spurs, Chelsea, and Liverpool all being especially crap this season. My hope for this season was a comfortable top half finish and a cup run. Getting a cup final + top 4 is crazy good.

 

This season has been a bit weird for league placings and points total, Newcastle have certainly taken full advantage. I personally don't see them in the top 6 next season. 

Liverpool have there lowest points total since klopp 1st half season. Spurs and Chelsea have been dire, that will improve.

Arsenal 1st top 4 in 6 years, Brighton and Villa chasing European places. Brentford and Fulham having great seasons for them. 

I fully expect it to be back to normal next season.

Early prediction.

City

Liverpool 

Chelsea

United

 

[pink_triangle]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

This season has been a bit weird for league placings and points total, Newcastle have certainly taken full advantage. I personally don't see them in the top 6 next season. 

Liverpool have there lowest points total since klopp 1st half season. Spurs and Chelsea have been dire, that will improve.

Arsenal 1st top 4 in 6 years, Brighton and Villa chasing European places. Brentford and Fulham having great seasons for them. 

I fully expect it to be back to normal next season.

Early prediction.

City

Liverpool 

Chelsea

United

 

I think Newcastle will be up there. Champions league football is a good platform to start the big spending.

[thetime]

53 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I think Newcastle will be up there. Champions league football is a good platform to start the big spending.

Will be interesting how they cope with European football. Newcastle have been quite unscathed with injuries this season, 12 players playing over 30 league games this season for example. 

There back 5 missing 4 games between them all season, is pretty unheard of nowadays. Can they do that another season? Especially with rest periods being less.  Another aspect is most of that back 5 is 31+. 

Which is very high compared to other teams, for example united and spurs have had 5. 

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by thetime

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

This season has been a bit weird for league placings and points total, Newcastle have certainly taken full advantage. I personally don't see them in the top 6 next season. 

Liverpool have there lowest points total since klopp 1st half season. Spurs and Chelsea have been dire, that will improve.

Arsenal 1st top 4 in 6 years, Brighton and Villa chasing European places. Brentford and Fulham having great seasons for them. 

I fully expect it to be back to normal next season.

Early prediction.

City

Liverpool 

Chelsea

United

 

I think it's impossible to say before the transfer window. Chelsea could have another mare, that Spurs squad is both aging and so reliant on Kane. Arsenal's stars might leave or they might get a couple of really good players to help round out their squad. 

I think Newcastle need 4 players really. 2 defenders, a midfielder, and another attacking option. There's quite a lot of squad players who'll be moved on. I also think some of the signings like Dan Burn would still be happy enough playing ~20 games/season across all competitions, as long as they're genuinely involved.

[kaosmark2]

33 minutes ago, thetime said:

Will be interesting how they cope with European football. Newcastle have been quite unscathed with injuries this season, 12 players playing over 30 league games this season for example. 

There back 5 missing 4 games between them all season, is pretty unheard of nowadays. Can they do that another season? Especially with rest periods being less.  Another aspect is most of that back 5 is 31+. 

Which is very high compared to other teams, for example united and spurs have had 5. 

I mean, Isak has spent half the season crocked, Wilson had 2 months out, ASM 7 months, Almiron 6 weeks, Guimares 4. You're right about the defense largely being intact, but our attack has been badly hit at different points.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, kaosmark2 said:

I mean, Isak has spent half the season crocked, Wilson had 2 months out, ASM 7 months, Almiron 6 weeks, Guimares 4. You're right about the defense largely being intact, but our attack has been badly hit at different points.

Almiron 6 weeks? he has only missed 4 league games this season. 

I think we can all agree Newcastle are ahead of there development this season, perhaps 2 seasons ahead. Hey I did not envisage man utd being top 4 to be honest. But the demise of liverpool, chelsea and spurs made it possible. Going to be much more difficult next season. Will be interesting what type of player newcastle go for in the summer.

[charlierc]

It's too early to predict next season. Looks like everyone is going to be investing heavily with some big changes, so we won't really get much of a picture until closer to August, to say nothing of the fact that a few clubs are something of unknown quantities.

We don't know how much this year has broken Chelsea, or if Liverpool will get the right midfielders to reboot their project, or if Spurs will manage to stop being Spursy for once in their ridiculous existence, or indeed if Brighton or Villa end up pushing on from their success this year.

Newcastle, I think, will have an interesting summer. For me, this is a challenging window as we will need depth to be able to compete in both Prem and Champs League, and also maybe challenge for one of the domestic cups, as well as the fact a number of this year's back-up players are said to be on the way out, but many of our prospective targets will see us as walking cash machines thanks to getting the UCL windfall.

I'm wary of repeating the messy 2012/13 season, when after finishing 5th and qualifying for Europa League, Ashley and Pardew seemed to underestimate the depth required, made just 1 signing while letting a few go, then when injuries struck in the autumn of 2012, we stuttered into a relegation battle.

Edited May 24, 2023 by charlierc

[charlierc]

19 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Yeah same. And having Shearer and Bellamy both suspended and still getting goals over in Camp Nou. I also remember the sheer joy in the city on the day Shearer signed. It's one of the few things that can tap into joyous childhood emotions for me, and I'm happy to admit that.

I understand the ownership problems and won't deny them. There's hypocrisy from others, but as you said, top 4 so soon was ridiculous. It is helped by Spurs, Chelsea, and Liverpool all being especially crap this season. My hope for this season was a comfortable top half finish and a cup run. Getting a cup final + top 4 is crazy good.

Transfer business has been really sensible so far, and I'm hoping it continues. I'm pretty sure it's just newspaper talk referencing PSG stars.

Shola Ameobi scoring in the Nou Camp and then grabbing a brace in a win over Bayer Leverkusen on Bobby Robson's birthday #preciousmemoriesoneandall

I saw a member of the public write to Football365 suggesting this could still have been possible had Mike Ashley shown the inclination and maybe that's the case, but equally, it was pretty clear long before 2021 he'd lost interest in the Newcastle project. Even then, pre-season, I'd have been happy with qualifying for the Conference League, given it's been so long since we've been in Europe. Howe has done something brilliant to even get us in the convo for the big 4 and get us back on track after a Jan/Feb wobble.

[The Nal]

Whos going to hire Lampard now? 

[kaosmark2]

On 5/24/2023 at 9:30 PM, charlierc said:

Shola Ameobi scoring in the Nou Camp and then grabbing a brace in a win over Bayer Leverkusen on Bobby Robson's birthday #preciousmemoriesoneandall

I saw a member of the public write to Football365 suggesting this could still have been possible had Mike Ashley shown the inclination and maybe that's the case, but equally, it was pretty clear long before 2021 he'd lost interest in the Newcastle project. Even then, pre-season, I'd have been happy with qualifying for the Conference League, given it's been so long since we've been in Europe. Howe has done something brilliant to even get us in the convo for the big 4 and get us back on track after a Jan/Feb wobble.

Shola is an utter legend. Those 2 European games and being an amazing Mackem Slayer is basically his entire legacy, but the moments when he scored were so joyous.

[kaosmark2]

On 5/24/2023 at 8:45 PM, thetime said:

Almiron 6 weeks? he has only missed 4 league games this season. 

I think we can all agree Newcastle are ahead of there development this season, perhaps 2 seasons ahead. Hey I did not envisage man utd being top 4 to be honest. But the demise of liverpool, chelsea and spurs made it possible. Going to be much more difficult next season. Will be interesting what type of player newcastle go for in the summer.

Maybe he got back sooner, or it was over an international break or something. I remember reading that when he got injured.

[charlierc]

So today, one of Luton or Coventry is going to be winning Premier League promotion, ending a journey that saw both in League 2 back in 2018. Both pretty remarkable stories, not to mention that both have been out of the Premier League for a long time and that both are more interesting stories than the yo-yo vibes Watford, Norwich, West Brom and a few others have been up to.

[charlierc]

18 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Shola is an utter legend. Those 2 European games and being an amazing Mackem Slayer is basically his entire legacy, but the moments when he scored were so joyous.

I remember the fan-art after his last TW Derby goal which was an equaliser against Sunderland in 2012. Proper meme stuff. Made him into a Batman character. Kudos to the imaginative types who make such stuff.

[pink_triangle]

Watching a few penalty shootouts in the play offs I have randomly started paying more attention to the coin toss! Why do they do 2 coin tosses and potentially give one team both advantages. Why not do 1 and let the winner choose which advantage they want?