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Pre Match Pre Match - Newcastle (A) - Monday 20:00

He played over 70 mins against bournemouth and has 9 days rest before the next game. He'll definitely be starting against newcastle.

Not sure about that given Gravy is coming into the side again. If he wasnt suspended for Bournemouth I think Macca would have started on the bench. Szobo isnt getting benched away to Newcastle given their physical playing style. Who drops out?
 
I have a horrible feeling we are not going to win this game and at best I can see only a draw. My reasons being:

1) They will be so up for this game, to the point where I think our players will not be able to handle it - when I say our players I mean the majority of them - the Isak thing will have them so aggressive plus the crowd will be for us being Romans against a Barbarian horde.

2) Last season this fixture was Gravy's first bad performance - if you recall he had to be subbed. Of course back then it could have been due tiredness.

3) If Slot persists playing Mac/Grav/Wirtz - then there is no hope of us winning. Quite simply in our current midfield setup - if we have to face any physicality then Szobo is a MUST - the rest of them have game/technical ability but not enough physical ability against their midfield. There is this myth on this site about how great Mac is for us, yes he has had great moments etc, but other fans/teams don't see it that way - his overwhelming weakness is that he suffers against a press and is unable to get away and often losing the ball.

4) So many are asking - so who plays in midfield ? - admit it, don't be a fucking pussy about what you want to say - you don't think Wirtz will be able to handle it do you ? - but at the same time all that money on that one player - how can we leave him on the bench is what is going through are balls and arse and mind. If he is not going to be played on the left in place of Gakpo then our 3 midfielders have to be Szobo/Gravey/Wirtz.
I don't see a place for Mac and I don't see a team getting out of that match without Szobo.
 
They're going to be up for it.

It's their early cup final. Unfortunately, we've made a rival of the Geordies now. Another fiery game to add to the calendar. It's not like we think of them as rivals, but they now think of us as rivals, and with brutes like Tonali and Joelinton in the midfield, we're going to have to be on it from minute 1.

The good thing is, they don't appear to have a recognised CF, so their main threat will come from sitting back and hitting us on the counter with their speed merchants. The bad thing is, we seem pretty susceptible to counter attacks recently and don't have many good attacking options to change the game if it's not going our way, as we did last season.

I just hope we don't get a weak referee who will allow their players to kick ours, and allow the temperature of the game to reach fever pitch. I sense Sky and the football world are already licking their lips over the possibility of us being bullied there.
 
I have a horrible feeling we are not going to win this game and at best I can see only a draw. My reasons being:

1) They will be so up for this game, to the point where I think our players will not be able to handle it - when I say our players I mean the majority of them - the Isak thing will have them so aggressive plus the crowd will be for us being Romans against a Barbarian horde.

2) Last season this fixture was Gravy's first bad performance - if you recall he had to be subbed. Of course back then it could have been due tiredness.

3) If Slot persists playing Mac/Grav/Wirtz - then there is no hope of us winning. Quite simply in our current midfield setup - if we have to face any physicality then Szobo is a MUST - the rest of them have game/technical ability but not enough physical ability against their midfield. There is this myth on this site about how great Mac is for us, yes he has had great moments etc, but other fans/teams don't see it that way - his overwhelming weakness is that he suffers against a press and is unable to get away and often losing the ball.

4) So many are asking - so who plays in midfield ? - admit it, don't be a fucking pussy about what you want to say - you don't think Wirtz will be able to handle it do you ? - but at the same time all that money on that one player - how can we leave him on the bench is what is going through are balls and arse and mind. If he is not going to be played on the left in place of Gakpo then our 3 midfielders have to be Szobo/Gravey/Wirtz.
I don't see a place for Mac and I don't see a team getting out of that match without Szobo.
It's going to be a test of our mental resolve.

It would be a statement win, if we're able to deal with their fire.

I agree that the midfield is the biggest worry. But we either go with our most physical midfield in Jones/Endo, Gravy and Szobo, and try and out run/battle Newcastle. Or we go with Wirtz, Macca and Gravy (our most technical midfield) and try to out play Newcastle.

I think Slot will go with the latter, and I think it would be good enough if our defenders/attackers don't turn the ball over cheaply (Salah the biggest offender) and leave us open to counters every minute. We have to be super secure in possession and effectively play like Citeh do. Otherwise, perhaps you're right and we go with our most physical midfield and then bring on Wirtz + Macca once the game slows down in the 2nd half, and Newcastle tire.
 
Slot has something to prove after we got comprehensively outplayed in the Carabao final.

Hopefully he's got the players up for it and the tactics dialed in.
 
only question marks i have over selection are kerkez v robbo and who drops out for gravy.

i lean towards robbo and maybe dropping gakpo to shift wirtz a bit left. either that or drop wirtz altogether, or leave ekitike out to allow him to be false 9.

i really want szobo to play for the legs but slot will drop him.
I really don’t think Slot will drop Szobo.
 
I have a horrible feeling we are not going to win this game and at best I can see only a draw. My reasons being:

1) They will be so up for this game, to the point where I think our players will not be able to handle it - when I say our players I mean the majority of them - the Isak thing will have them so aggressive plus the crowd will be for us being Romans against a Barbarian horde.

2) Last season this fixture was Gravy's first bad performance - if you recall he had to be subbed. Of course back then it could have been due tiredness.

3) If Slot persists playing Mac/Grav/Wirtz - then there is no hope of us winning. Quite simply in our current midfield setup - if we have to face any physicality then Szobo is a MUST - the rest of them have game/technical ability but not enough physical ability against their midfield. There is this myth on this site about how great Mac is for us, yes he has had great moments etc, but other fans/teams don't see it that way - his overwhelming weakness is that he suffers against a press and is unable to get away and often losing the ball.

4) So many are asking - so who plays in midfield ? - admit it, don't be a fucking pussy about what you want to say - you don't think Wirtz will be able to handle it do you ? - but at the same time all that money on that one player - how can we leave him on the bench is what is going through are balls and arse and mind. If he is not going to be played on the left in place of Gakpo then our 3 midfielders have to be Szobo/Gravey/Wirtz.
I don't see a place for Mac and I don't see a team getting out of that match without Szobo.

I think Newcastle being so up for it could work in our favour. They might be **too** up for it. We need to be shithousing from the start, get them riled up. Nick Pope is shite, so let's pepper his goal. Trippier seems to be at full back, Salah & Frim can destroy him.

I think our success in this will be to use the flanks and stretch the play.
 
We need pace to counter piece so Kerkez and Frimpong start. Macca will have had another 8 days to get fit - he stays and will be better in his burnable starting position.
Wirtz obviously starts.

I could see Wirtz on the left but I think Szobo drops to the bench.

-------------------Ali-
--Frim---Konate----VVD----Kerkez --
------------------Grav------------
--------------Wirtz ---Macca--------------
-----Salah-------Ekitike------Gakpo----
 
I think Newcastle being so up for it could work in our favour. They might be **too** up for it. We need to be shithousing from the start, get them riled up. Nick Pope is shite, so let's pepper his goal. Trippier seems to be at full back, Salah & Frim can destroy him.

I think our success in this will be to use the flanks and stretch the play.
You are delusional, we will get a proper bumming like no other bumming.
 
It's going to be a test of our mental resolve.

It would be a statement win, if we're able to deal with their fire.

I agree that the midfield is the biggest worry. But we either go with our most physical midfield in Jones/Endo, Gravy and Szobo, and try and out run/battle Newcastle. Or we go with Wirtz, Macca and Gravy (our most technical midfield) and try to out play Newcastle.

I think Slot will go with the latter, and I think it would be good enough if our defenders/attackers don't turn the ball over cheaply (Salah the biggest offender) and leave us open to counters every minute. We have to be super secure in possession and effectively play like Citeh do. Otherwise, perhaps you're right and we go with our most physical midfield and then bring on Wirtz + Macca once the game slows down in the 2nd half, and Newcastle tire.
Jones is more physical than Macca?!?! 😂 😂 😂
 
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