ThisIsSammy

I don’t mind his football - but how he enacts that style with this squad in a relegation firefight with seven games to go is another matter. I do mind his temperament and attitude. And I do mind how he communicates and what he has said in the past. Massive risk. Rewards unclear.

A five year contract on a significant salary plus bonuses for RDZ belies a panicked exec team, clearly not future-proofing their “strategy”. If we stay up, and then in 12-18 months the inevitable scorched earth combustion arrives, what will it cost to pay him off?

@jonoblain Their ability to be idiotic should not surprise me and yet it does! They have not for one second considered the chaos of EFL fixture obligations - indicative of not properly contemplating relegation. And then the PR optics of announcing New Zealand tonight of all nights! Muppets.

Add these pre-season tour announcements to 'Newcastle is Category B'. We could be playing Chelsea in Australia a week before the Carabao Cup 1st round.

This would of-course require actual corporate competence, proper internal comms and operations systems, individual accountability and clear senior leadership direction and instructions, alongside public relations nous. So, yeah, on reflection maybe a bit beyond this lot.

It’s not a pre-season tour to the other side of the world that’s bugging me. Every team does it, though carbon footprint concerns are valid. For me it’s the timing of a New Zealand announcement TONIGHT. Why tonight? It’s not rocket science. Hold the press release by a week or so.

Honestly, who is in charge of the comms? This is a perfect encapsulation of the utter incompetence draining the Club into a permanent state of farce. Not a single shred of evidence of any kind of joined-up strategy & direction from senior leadership. A masterclass in ineptitude.

I recently asked Jewish students at a leading UK university if they saw a future for themselves here. Not one said yes. Today Hatzolah ambulances, whose sole purpose is to save life - ANY life - are burned in London. A country where Jews no longer feel they have a future is already in crisis.

Wondering if the hearts of those frustrated by small acts of petty symbolism, by the feeling that smashed windows and graffiti on bakeries are simply not enough, are cheered by the upgrade to burning ambulances this morning.

There’s so much wrong, so many to blame, and such sadness and desperation about the whole sorry state of it. But given that you can’t change players between now and May and the owners aren’t going to sack themselves, the only thing we can do is change the manager again and pray.

The changes destroyed fluidity, created an imbalance & reeked of panic & confusion. Major structural amends plus two subs at half time do not breed confidence. They communicate terror. The players were a shambles, but the guy on the touchline also managed them into that mess.

I try to be balanced. I know my football. I’ve watched & played in tens of thousands of games. If there’s something to praise, I will. If there’s something to criticise, I will. In that spirit I was happy to give Tudor credit after the Anfield draw & the win against Athletico.

@jonoblain Assume eye test will be Porro as “false winger” & Danso is behind him. i.e. heat map will show a 4-4-2 based on average positions but in a defensive transition Porro becomes a wing back and Danso becomes right centre back with Romero and VDV… thanks for listening to my TED Talk.

Maybe VDV LB

A strong performance, playing with confidence, determination and - yes - actual running! Sunday is a completely different game, in both style and stakes, but in football you earn your wins, and momentum, through hard work, commitment and unity. So: onwards. Keep it going. COYS.

Richy you beauty. Exactly the mentality we need right now. Start him every game. So delighted just to feel something! Well done.

Awful from the keeper. Nicely struck free kick but come on mate, that’s so poor. It’s not right in the corner, it’s not particular high, and you’ve got your hands on it. Has to be saving that. So poor.

@adamdnathan @jonoblain Literally assemble the avengers.

@ThisIsSammy @jonoblain Maddison should have a role too. As I said on the show in Feb, whatever decision they make now is going to be a farce. May as well shake off any sense of shame and logic and lean entirely into vibes, as that’s all we’ve got now to save us

It really isn't too late to save this. They have to find someone who the players (diddums) and fans get behind for the last nine league matches. Who that is, I've no idea. Ben Davies?! Can he even manage us without badges.

@jonoblain Basically refused to speak! Monosyllabic answers, a lack of effort to show empathy & solidarity, no passionate defence of his plan (such as there even was a plan) or a sense of his way out of this hellish hole. Just blunt, arrogant, passive aggressive miserliness. Waste of space.

@ThisIsSammy I missed what he said. Go on...

People scoffed at Southgate because they thought we should have won the Euros and he was a bit dull to watch. We'd not be 4/4 defeats right now that's for sure.