Tonalu

[Zippity]

Has recovered from the 'injury' that kept him out of the derby.

Funny that.

Michael Owen fucked us off to make sure he was fit for England.Has Tonali done the same?

It would appear so...

[Ragatino]

Has recovered from the 'injury' that kept him out of the derby.

Funny that.

Michael Owen fucked us off to make sure he was fit for England.Has Tonali done the same?

It would appear so...

It's not a good look for sure. However, the injury was sustained in Barcelona match on the 18th. It was said to be not so critical & Eddie commented that it wasn't a season ender.

8 days of recovery, it's possible that he's recovered.

I prefer to give Sandro the benefit of the doubt. No one is a selfish or arrogant as Owen.

However, with the bruised egos of the fan base after the p!ss poor derby performance, it isn't a good look for sure.

[Zippity]

Aye, if it is coincidental, the timing is...unfortunate.

We've all kinda forgotten he came here knowing he was going to be in trouble and didn't tell us. His committed performances-and, obviously, his talent have maybe helped to hide the fact that he's already shown us who he really is?

Dunno...

[HughieG]

It's certainly unfortunate, but I still believe our season would have been a(n even bigger) catastrophe without Sandro, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I hope he stays with us in the summer and is part of getting us going again next season. Great player. Hope he's not a pr!ck at the same level as Owen.

[Ragatino]

I would like to think that Sandro will give Eddie the respect of 1 more season.

He Agent in on levels with the Rat's man.

On the flipside, he's contracted until 2030.
The cost is 120m quid of anyone money.
Lamine Camara is 30m Euro, say 40m quid to get it done.
Elliot Anderson is gonna be 90 quid

40+90 = 130/5 = 26m in the minus column per season.

Sandro wants to go back to Italy, He'd probably take Madrid as a detour. I just don't see the man moving to Manchester or Liverpool. London ... maybe as an outside shot but again Newcastle are not going to sell to a Prem team easily. They'll bleed them dry like the rat deal and hold on until the last day of the window.

[Jammy89]

That is bad timing - I hadn't noticed, have to admit.

I'm going to give benefit of the doubt as well.

I see the journo's have gone into over-drive that he's off today - club have come out and said no gentleman's agreement with him etc.

So if he does move, it'll cost and hurt whoever gets him.

[Jammy89]

That is bad timing - I hadn't noticed, have to admit.

I'm going to give benefit of the doubt as well.

I see the journo's have gone into over-drive that he's off today - club have come out and said no gentleman's agreement with him etc.

So if he does move, it'll cost and hurt whoever gets him.

[Jammy89]

He's just scored a cracker for Italy.

[Ragatino]

I haven't seen the goal but I heard it was a scorcher.

TBH, I am not bothered if he goes.

It's a position we have strength, Bruno, Miley & Ramsey with the wrecking machine Joelinton. Willock leaves in Summer, last year on his contract it makes sense.

The lad from Monaco Lamine Camara is a great replacement as a ball winning/playing midfielder.

Sandro has a contract until 2030. The pundit-a-ratti in Scholes et al stated that Tonali was the best CMF in the Prem last season, better than Rice, Enzo et al.

Rice - 100m, Enzo - 106.8 m in 2022 - Prices don't go down, transfer inflation dictates the best CMF in the prem has a higher value than those two. It's 125m+ quid all day long.

Lamine Camara is https://www.transfermarkt.com/lamine...spieler/918969 valued at 25m quid. 35-40m quid gets it done.

125m should cover Camara say 35m & a decent 90m bid to bring Elliot Anderson back home.

That business makes absolute sense to me.

[Guybrush]

I see the journo's have gone into over-drive that he's off today - club have come out and said no gentleman's agreement with him etc.

Well, let us say there is a gentlemans agreement

Surely it would be a two way hand shake over a plate of biscuits on a table with both arms getting longer until they meet somewhere between the two parties

But, if Tonalis agent wants a deal to get him out, surely our guys would say,

Okay Son, we stood by you, supported you through your gambling problems before you barely kicked a ball for us. We gave you the platform to get you back in to your national side.

We can put you in the shop window, and you can put in the performances that get us back in to Europe for next season, then providing a club reaches our valuation of you, we?ll hold the door open on your way out.

But - No Europe No deal 🙅🏻*♂️

If the players want European football, then they need to step up and take responsibility on the pitch to get us there. They are a talented enough bunch and they have let themselves down this season.

[Ragatino]

If the players want European football, then they need to step up and take responsibility on the pitch to get us there. They are a talented enough bunch and they have let themselves down this season.

This is exactly the point I've been making for months.

If the likes of Gordon et al think they are that good why aren't they achieving those levels here?

These players have dropped 25 points from winning positions. That's not tactics, coaching, man-management. That's weak mentality from the 11 on the pitch. Cowardly lack of determination, plain and simply.

The heart wins derbies, not clever passing or neat interplay. It's who wants it more. That's what made this team feared a few seasons back, the animalistic aggression and dogged relentlessness.

The other point. Gentleman's agreement? If it's not in a contract it's BS, worthless, nothing the lad can do unless he wants to be a pr!ck to the club, fans and city that supported him whilst he was being a criminal and gambling like a muppet.

The only way he leave is if a top clubs puts 120m quid on the table. Regardless of any verbal agreement all that matter is what the contracted stipulations of a potential release state.

If there isn't a pounds sterling amount denoted a legally binding document then the market value of the player is dictated by the club.

I stated in about 9 other posts the cost of Rice & Enzo 3 yrs ago at 100-110m quid. Sandro is that level + 3 seasons player inflation and the 4 season contract - 120m put up or shut up.

[Nufcian]

IF Tonali was performing dialysis then the club would have known.

IF he was there must be a reason for it, and that points to more trouble in the dressing room than we think is going on… though performances this season do not inspire me with confidence that it is a happy camp.

Look at the goal he scored last night, remember them last season? He had obviously been asked to play deeper this season, maybe after last seasons performances that is not where he believes his career should be going.

I still remember Bruno saying “it was a mess” after the away derby leg, and Howe obviously correcting that in an interview… I think that has been forgotten by many but I do worry that was an early sign of issues in the dressing room.

I do also remember the “saying we need a Plan B implies Plan A isn’t working” comment… anyone really think Plan A is working? Maybe Tonali, and others, have lost a bit of patience?

It could be I am being 1 + 1 = 7 here, but it could explain why we have been very very poor for the majority of this season if the dressing room is not a happy place.

I do also think there is merit in him being able to recover in the time for last night since the Barca game, and it has been 5 days since the mackems.

[Ragatino]

I do also remember the “saying we need a Plan B implies Plan A isn’t working” comment… anyone really think Plan A is working? Maybe Tonali, and others, have lost a bit of patience?

Playing players in different positions, going to 3 at the back in some games.

Bringing Woltemade into a midfield role to play as a playmaking deep lying forward.

Not sure what people think a 'Plan B' looks like. These alternatives to the 'Plan A' haven't worked due to lack of training and cohesion because the lads haven't had time on the training pitch.

When Senior players, Tripz, Bruno, Burn et al & Eddie Howe in dozens of press conferences have clearly commented that the lack of training has meant that the tactical development with the new lads has had to happen 'in-game' against teams who are well drilled and set up to be hard to beat.

Hence the inconsistency.

Needs must ... coupled with that ... injuries to Bruno & Miley in CMF, Tino at RB, at times the team has been down to it's 3rd choice player or a player out of position to cover or injuries has impacted the ability to be versatile & flexible tactically both on a match to match as well as an 'In-Game' basis.

Once again, these points have been made of dozens of occasions by Senior players, Tripz, Bruno, Burn et al & Eddie Howe.

The narrative of all the above being pushed by the negative Anti-NUFC MSM press is lapped up by the fan channels whilst being complete nonsense to anyone with a pair of eyes.

Bizarrely enough the same fan channels regurgitating this pish are the same single digit IQ clowns crisising Howe for 'Playing Woltemade as a Midfielder, when he's clearly not a CMF.'

MAKE UP YOUR MIND MUPPETS, which one is it?

However, as ever lads, you can't teach stupid!

[Nufcian]

Germany away to Suisse this evening, if Woltemade plays well up front, then that is also going to raise questions

[Nufcian]

Playing players in different positions, going to 3 at the back in some games.

Bringing Woltemade into a midfield role to play as a playmaking deep lying forward.

Not sure what people think a 'Plan B' looks like. These alternatives to the 'Plan A' haven't worked due to lack of training and cohesion because the lads haven't had time on the training pitch.

When Senior players, Tripz, Bruno, Burn et al & Eddie Howe in dozens of press conferences have clearly commented that the lack of training has meant that the tactical development with the new lads has had to happen 'in-game' against teams who are well drilled and set up to be hard to beat.

Hence the inconsistency.

Needs must ... coupled with that ... injuries to Bruno & Miley in CMF, Tino at RB, at times the team has been down to it's 3rd choice player or a player out of position to cover or injuries has impacted the ability to be versatile & flexible tactically both on a match to match as well as an 'In-Game' basis.

Once again, these points have been made of dozens of occasions by Senior players, Tripz, Bruno, Burn et al & Eddie Howe.

The narrative of all the above being pushed by the negative Anti-NUFC MSM press is lapped up by the fan channels whilst being complete nonsense to anyone with a pair of eyes.

Bizarrely enough the same fan channels regurgitating this pish are the same single digit IQ clowns crisising Howe for 'Playing Woltemade as a Midfielder, when he's clearly not a CMF.'

MAKE UP YOUR MIND MUPPETS, which one is it?

However, as ever lads, you can't teach stupid!

Playing 3 at the back to… defend a lead we don’t hold on to.

Lack of training time… yeah, because every other team in Europe is poor in the league this season.

Lack of training time… yeah, it’s not like they are professional footballers, and no other manager is able to adapt tactics successfully with such a schedule.

Not sure if you are even supporting Woltemade being played in the middle or not, but if you think that is working and should be applauded then I have some magic beans you might be interested in.

There’s a middle ground which is probably closer to the truth than either of our posts, but apart from the few experiments Eddie has played the same approach ever since he joined, regardless of who is available or how some players are performing at the time… it’s square pegs in round holes to fit HIS system 99% of the time.

I criticised Amorim for doing the same.

Given the lack of central midfielders we had recently (about to easy with Bruno and Miley coming back), and lack of goals from open play… I’m amazed we never once saw a 4-4-2 with Wissa and Woltemade up front… over 100m on two players sat on the bench and a bloke played through the middle that admitted in an interview he nearly didn’t score (the easiest tap in) because he kicked his own foot.