Will we finish above Newcastle?

Ludens the Red

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Would have laughed at this idea at the start of the season but it seems the “incentives” these Newcastle lads are getting from the owners are driving them on. Had a look at some statistics and they’re outperforming us in some interesting metrics. Pass completion, possession, crosses, xg etc. They’re also winning the ball back better than us. Can’t be ignored that they are probably in the race for the 5th-7th European spots with us. They’ve only lost once this season and their good form is now going for a good year now. Next Sunday at old Trafford will tell us a lot.
 

DWelbz19

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My god do they love their petrodollar takeover - tifo (is it?) display and all. Pathetic really but whatever and whataboutery at me all you want but every point we win in this league isn’t tainted by a dodgy owner or state sponsorship. Creaming themselves over a victory we handed to them on a plate - I’d be shocked if they finished above Man Utd and I hope they don’t.
This shite? :lol:
 

vanrooney

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we had two unexpected bad results at the start, allthough both brentford and brighton had a good start themselfes. after that 4 wins also against arsenal and pool and a loss to city, where everyone will loose. we are doing quite well and will comfortably be ahead of the likes of newcastle. it will be city 1st and arsenal pool chelsea tottenham and us for 2nd to 4th
 

redshaw

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Teams around us have improved, we're still stuttering and have a seemingly dead Ronaldo, a player in Martial that might shatter anytime soon and be out for months.

If we can't dispatch Everton today I feel our trajectory will be around 6th. Going to be interesting to see where Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea Newcastle and Pool end up with City in first place. Difficult to see us higher than 5th and perhaps nudged down to 7th in a close group all aiming for 4th spot.
 

croadyman

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we had two unexpected bad results at the start, allthough both brentford and brighton had a good start themselfes. after that 4 wins also against arsenal and pool and a loss to city, where everyone will loose. we are doing quite well and will comfortably be ahead of the likes of newcastle. it will be city 1st and arsenal pool chelsea tottenham and us for 2nd to 4th
Think Arsenal's strong start has pushed them into second comfortably,therefore would say it's only 3rd and 4th up for grabs
 

Leftback99

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There's really not much in it. With them likely to strengthen in January too.
 

James35

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I reckon we finish between 8-6th so maybe…maybe not. We are 100% not getting top 4.
 

thegregster

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Unlikely now. They will probably bring in 3-4 players in January.
Last season was probably the last time we will have finished ahead of them. We haven't finished ahead of city since 2013.
 

Betson

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I think we are more a top 8 team rather than a top 4 , Newcastle look like a top 4 team right now and if they bring in a few impactful players in January it will be hard to see them not finis top 4.
 

Josh 76

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I think we are more a top 8 team rather than a top 4 , Newcastle look like a top 4 team right now and if they bring in a few impactful players in January it will be hard to see them not finis top 4.
They have no Europe
Don’t have many players at the World Cup
Should strengthen squad in Jan

Maybe title ?
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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Of course we will.
Good grief.
Do you think Howe is better than ETH?
Without a doubt. Newcastle, for all their money, still has a very very average squad
It is a ridiculous question because a season is 38 games. Our players had downed tools second half of season.

We will finish at worst 6th this season. Newcastle have nowhere near a good enough squad to finish 6th. West Ham, Leicester, Brighton all have better chances of finishing above Newcastle.

A big wallet doesn’t get you up the league. Players and managers do.
Not much between the best XIs? :lol: My god some of you are losing your marbles.
Mate, you do realise form is form and just that. They are not doing that in a whole season.

By your logic Newcastle should finish above Arsenal, Chelsea, Utd, West Ham, Spurs and Leicester too right? Because Newcastle had a better second half of season than every team in the league except the top 2.
What a stupid thread.
Ammm yes; their team is wank, and Howe is prone to being spanked regularly.
Yes, no doubt about.
Was the same most game
Some snorts of derision when I made this thread but I know ball better than most and I thought that finishing ahead of Newcastle would be a good benchmark for us this season. Four points behind them at the moment with a game in hand. I still think we can do it but it won’t be as easy as many above thought.
 

AFC NimbleThumb

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If I’m Newcastle I spunk a load in January to get into the UCL a season or two early.

Ourselves, Chelsea, Spurs & Liverpool aren’t really up to much.
 

RaulitoElCrack

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Erik needs to be backed in jan and big time this summer otherwise we will only ever be fighting for 4th place for the forseeable future. These guys have not really got their cheque book out yet but are looking good. If they get champions league they will attract top quality.
 

Carl

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I'll happily take anyones money that doesn't think we'll finish above Newcastle.
 

justboy68

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Newcastle are on fire at the moment but will surely drop away at some point. They don't have the quality to keep it up like this...yet.
 

Leftback99

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No Europe.
No extra playoff and PL games to fit in.
Highly likely to strengthen further in January.
Been without two of their best players (Izak and Saint Maximin) for a long spell.
4 points above (1 game more).
18! ahead in goal difference.

Not looking good.
 

kouroux

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Some snorts of derision when I made this thread but I know ball better than most and I thought that finishing ahead of Newcastle would be a good benchmark for us this season. Four points behind them at the moment with a game in hand. I still think we can do it but it won’t be as easy as many above thought.
I still have faith, we need to ditch Ronaldo and get a consistent scorer though
 

Nero

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Newcastle won't last at all. They'll finish around 8th.
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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I still have faith, we need to ditch Ronaldo and get a consistent scorer though
Yeah I think if we can do that in January it might make all the difference. Will we though? Murtough is already managing expectations re January window.
 

Mike Smalling

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It's looking like the top four battle may come down to Newcastle, Spurs and ourselves with City and Arsenal getting 1st and 2nd spots.

I'm not confident at all. We are too reliant on a few players, and we don't know where the goals are coming from. If we had a proper goalscorer we could have beaten both Chelsea and Newcastle, but instead that's 4 points dropped.
 

Leftback99

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Newcastle are on fire at the moment but will surely drop away at some point. They don't have the quality to keep it up like this...yet.
Where are they particularly lacking quality in comparison to us?
 

OldSchoolManc

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Unfortunately Newcastle are the 3rd best team in the EPL right now with no european distractions.
They will buy to improve in January too with the heady position they’ve reached.
 

FrantikChicken

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Newcastle are on fire at the moment but will surely drop away at some point. They don't have the quality to keep it up like this...yet.
What’s so sure about it? They’ve been in this form since the end of last January. It’s almost a year now where they’re playing better than almost every other team in the league.
 

JB7

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Some snorts of derision when I made this thread but I know ball better than most and I thought that finishing ahead of Newcastle would be a good benchmark for us this season. Four points behind them at the moment with a game in hand. I still think we can do it but it won’t be as easy as many above thought.
weird post trying to gloat after we've just lost a game.
 

Tigersam

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Erik needs to be backed in jan and big time this summer otherwise we will only ever be fighting for 4th place for the forseeable future. These guys have not really got their cheque book out yet but are looking good. If they get champions league they will attract top quality.
I'm sorry, but how is that going to happen as he has already spent the transfer budget for Summer '23 in his first window.
 

Trequarista10

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I'm sorry, but how is that going to happen as he has already spent the transfer budget for Summer '23 in his first window.
None of us know the transfer budget no matter how many ITKs we follow on Twitter, but selling AWB, VDB, if possible getting Ronaldo's wages off the books, and maybe even selling Maguire, plus there's also Williams, Tuanzebe still around, there's a chance we can free up some funds.
 

Tigersam

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None of us know the transfer budget no matter how many ITKs we follow on Twitter, but selling AWB, VDB, if possible getting Ronaldo's wages off the books, and maybe even selling Maguire, plus there's also Williams, Tuanzebe still around, there's a chance we can free up some funds.
United aren't going to sell Maguire weeks after he lifts the World Cup with England, that would be a PR disaster.....