There's a rabbit off

[Zippity]

,,,but what is it?

This isn't a complaining or having a go thread; nor is it, imo, an over-reaction to our first defeat of the season.

As we all recognise, given the way we've played this season, this defeat has been coming.

Tonali doesn't start, Gordon's head doesn't look to be in the game, Bruno is nowhere near his normal levels, other players are also well off the pace with, perhaps, the exception of Barnes. Most tellingly, though, is our approach to games.

I know I've mentioned this before but Pep Guardiola was saying he expected the Newcastle of 2 seasons ago and, to be honest, I think a lot of us did. 'Intensity is our identity' is plastered all around the training ground and our intensity 2 seasons ago with ostensibly the same players was key to our success. Our pressing, tracking, movement, passing, breaking-everything was done so swiftly (and so well), lots of teams couldn't cope with it.

Where is it now? It's gone. And if it was our identity, what is our identity now?

From the way we're playing, we don't have one and I can't work out why,

What's going on, man?

[toptoon]

Too many players off form for me. Who is actually on form at the moment? Barnes and ……..no one else I can think of.
We’ve had periods like this in previous seasons and last season we played like this in most away games.

We lost it in the first half today where we were ripped apart IMO. Our central midfield is too open at 4-3-3 when our players aren’t on their game and I think EH needs to look at a formation that strengthens that area, especially if we want all our best midfielders on the pitch at the same time.
I was actually relieved by our improved second half performance but the first just isn’t acceptable.
No blame on Bruno for the third from me, we had 2 minutes to score and he rolled the dice and lost.
Still hurting but let’s stick that one at the back of the drawer and look forward to the next one.

[Jammy89]

I was going to start a similar thread Zip.

My thought processes though were going to board room/senior management.

Something is off there for all the talk of "resolved" something clearly isn't.

How much is it that Mitchell wants his own manager in, someone that doesn't have seperate connections to the board/ownership (even with Mandi gone).

Is Eddie focusing on this internal fight for lack of better words and therefore we're not seeing the effects on the training pitch.

I don't know but something is off.

[Cannylad]

I think you're spot on Jammy, I don't think Eddie handles internal political strife well and when Amanda was here she was probably a buffer for him as they got on very well. It wouldn't surprise me at all that Mitchell wants to put his stamp on the club and Eddie is in his firing line now that she is gone. Could be wrong of course but it wouldn't surprise me to see Eddie take the England job if offered and I wouldn't blame him one bit.

[Guybrush]

Funnily enough I thought we seemed to play better when the game was already lost and we had nothing left to lose

We saw that press come back, right up to putting their keeper under pressure!

And for large parts of the second half were the team from 2 seasons ago!