Fresh off of a 2-1 win over the Wolves and heading into today’s St. Patrick’s Day game against Nottingham Forest I am refreshed and ready for the push for Champions League football. Earlier in the season I was wary of getting into the Champions League places. It was irrational but I was concerned that with the Champions League came bigger signings and bigger egos that would destroy what Eddie Howe has put together. I also wanted to have the growth of the club to be gradual so that I wouldn’t have to read how Newcastle had bought there way into the Top 6. Now I am in a different mindset now that the afterglow of the Carabao Cup Finals is in the rear view mirror. It is this. This is a challenge that was unexpected at the start of the year. and this team does not backdown to challenges. Newcastle has a favorable schedule going forward and we have 2 games in hand against Tottenham and a game in hand against Man U and Liverpool. Tottenham and Liverpool are the Leagues best Jekyll and Hyde and I don’t know which team will be showing up from game to game. As much as I would like us to catch Man U, there fixtures until the end of the season is pretty light with only us, Tottenham and Chelsea although they do have to play Fulham twice. Surprisingly, Liverpool has the hardest schedule all the teams fighting for Champions League spots with games against Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal the next three weeks.

So looking at the remaining schedule including the previous Wolves game I predicted we would finish 8-4-2 which give us 69 points at seasons end which would match the 2003 season with Sir Bobby Robson in which they finished 3rd. This would equate to the 5th highest point total in the last 30 years. Is my prediction a bit optimistic? Sure, but I also don’t think it is far off. Based on previous seasons this point total ranges from 5th to 3rd place but the majority of the results are a 5th place finish. I really seems that just like 40 pts is the safety line against relegation 70 points is the line needed for Champions League play. Turning those draws to wins is the key to our success and here is to hoping for another winning streak and unbeaten run to the finish.

Now, let’s discuss today’s game. I think it is very important that the team starts fast and puts pressure on Forest. I believe that our press will produce opportunities for Newcastle. It appears that Forest will be without some key players including Johnson which would be a huge setback for Forest. Eddie Howe did something last week in the Wolves game that I think will pay huge dividends for the squad. He left Almiron on the bench to start the game and he allowed Murphy to play an entire game. I think this move will light a fire under both players. I don’t think that Howe will do the same thing for this game but it was a masterstroke for the Wolves game. I believe that Almiron will start again as well as Isak up top. Isak brings so much to the game and his abilities allow him to be more involved in the game. I love Wilson and think he has contributed so much to the club but right now Isak is the person to lead the line. It doesn’t hurt that St. Maximin also enjoys their partnership and has improved his game immensely. I think the rest of the squad will stay the same and this I think we will enjoy the results. I predict a 2-0 scoreline.

Howay the Lads!!

As you can probably guess by the number of entries Kevin and I have written this year that this little endeavor has suffered from from lack of attention. I wonder why that happened? My love for Newcastle has not diminished. Nothing has happened in my life that has taken over the time I would have spent writing. Is it that I don’t have much to bitch about concerning the Magpies of the northeast. Has Eddie Howe weaved a spell over me that has just allowed me to go about life with one less thing to concern myself with? That’s it. Damn Eddie Howe! How can he just take away years of anger and disappointment for me to complain about. Why did you turn Kevin into a ray of possibility and not the dour old slug of pessimism. Heck, he has left me for another medium, that new fangled Podcast thingamajig. I need to complain about something. By the way the Podcast is “A Mischief of the Magpies”. Check it Out, it is pretty good for two Americans talking about football.

The year has continued to shine brightly. Although we have fallen off our torrid pace in the Premier League an have fallen out of the Top 4 I find it hard to find criticism in our team. Yes, it would have been nice to have changed a few of those draws to wins with a bit more cutting edge in front of the opposing goal. And there have been a few cracks in our defense of late, but again we were on a hell of a streak with clean sheets. Falling to the mean was bound to happen. We lost the Carabao Cup to Manchester United and sandwiched that with 2-0 losses to Liverpool (Who look like the light switch turned on and are scary good) and Man City. Through all of that I am content in knowing after watching all of those games that this team does not backdown and plays good football. That is all I ask for and that is what they are giving me. I am happy and content.

I think that there were a few things that resulted in us dropping to 6th in the table. The first thing is for as great as being in the Carabao Cup final was I think that the thought of playing at Wembley hovered over the club and affected their game. Follow that up with losing Bruno (God, is he good) for three matches against beatable teams, losing Pope for the Cup, the tragic news of Christian Atsu, and include games against Liverpool and Man City you can understand the results. I am disappointed with the results but not angry. Now, let’s talk about the Carabao Cup! I loved it! (I hate Man U with a passion I used to reserve for only the GD Yankees) It was the first time in quite a while where I paced and watched the game like I was little kid. I was so stoked for the game and just got even more excited after seeing the videos posted of the Toon Army invading Trafalgar Square. At that moment I realized I should have done something to go to England. Never been, but this seemed like the way to go. I also had plans to go to the bar where the Chicago Toon Army watch the games but that was all for naught when they plastered the over 21 requirement. You see, this was a game that I wanted to watch with my two boys, although they are 17 (Everton) and 19 (Arsenal) fans. I screamed at my TV and texted my thoughts throughout the game. (That first goal was offsides and nobody will convince me different) It was great, I never thought we were out of the game and just soaked it in. It was great when Eddie Howe brought on substitutions that just said “Fuck It” we are going to win this game 3-2 or lose it 0-6. Didn’t happen but I love the thought. In the end we lost we a score line that didn’t represent the game but I was ok. We played a final for the first time since I became a fan, we showed up and played well and didn’t get the result. I used to let losses ruin the remainder of my day but lately that doesn’t happen. I hope it never happens, I hope that I remember the shitty times when we continue to improve and get trophies and become Champions so that I don’t become like a stinking Man U fan or any Top 6 fan and expect it and cry when my team is fucking 4th. Fucking 4th? Try getting relegated a few times, it may help you become a better fan. It has me.

Howay the Lads!!

AND LET’S GET F’N FOURTH!!

Hello dear reader! It’s been quite some time since I’ve written, with no good excuse to give you. To be honest, I think the reason I’m writing today is that I have come down with Covid-19 again, and without the ability to leave this room I’m in, there’s not much else I can do! So I thought I’d spend some time to check in again, provide an update on some of my thoughts regarding Newcastle, so that we have a more enlightened view than Jeff’s on this website.

Eddie Howe

Eddie Howe gets the first slot in my update, because honestly, this all comes down to him. The players added (which will get to) have been immense, and are key to our 3rd place status, but Eddie came in on day one and completely changed the attitude of the team from top to bottom. Steve Bruce was a bad tactical manager, but was also a bad leader of training. Eddie instilled a rigor that the team badly needed, and it’s one of the things we’re lauded for now that we’re flying. On top of that, he’s remained calm in all of this turbulence. He’s a calming figure on the sidelines, and indeed the training ground, and that’s needed for these young boys who keep hearing how they’re the “bad guys” of the league now. They have come together around Eddie, and are a family, who are able to keep the positive vibes going when there are so many detractors around the league. Tactically, he knows what he wants to do, he is creative in how he gets it (see Joelinton for example) and once he finds the formula, he doesn’t change it. His formation has ALWAYS been the same since day one, and his lineups are following suit – even if a good player comes back from injury and a less prolific player has taken his place to great effect, he will not bring the original player back unless there’s a reason to do so. See Alan St. Maximin for this example. Alan is a difference maker on the pitch, but if the team has broken records for longest unbeaten streak, why change that? To be honest, it’s not gone over well with Alan, and I think we’ll see some anger out of him – but from Eddie’s perspective, it’s all about the team, not one player. And if ASM can’t understand that this winning team is greater than him individually, he can move on.

The Players

To go through every player will take days, so I’ll quickly highlight a few.

Miggy Almiron – the obvious place to start. He’s been Eddie Howe’s biggest victory, and has proven that even players at the highest level NEED TO BE COACHED. I’ve said this for years, and I always pointed to Mourinho’s time at Manchester United as proof. If a manager can’t coach and improve players, the team will languish and go backwards. Eddie has shown that he can take a player like Almiron, tweak his runs, tweak his shooting in training, and unleash a monster. We’ve all always loved Miggy, and his resurgence (not even bringing Jack Grealish into this) has been probably the thing that’s brought the biggest smile to my face all season.

Sven Botman – In all of the new signings we’ve brought on, Sven probably gets the least discussion. But I think he’s quietly proven himself to be the most important signing so far for the new regime. Our defensive record is the best in the league, and we’ve always had a problem finding a center back pairing that’s consistent. Sven is strong, capable, easy with the ball, and just always puts in a shift when needed. He’s the rock of our defense – almost robotic in his consistency – and our defense has been the reason why we haven’t lost games. I’ve never seen this many clean sheets from NUFC, and Sven is a huge reason why.

Bruno Guimaraes – Another new signing – this one who gets ALL the headlines – and usually its justified. Again, Bruno isn’t flashy, he doesn’t crave attention, he just goes about his business and improves the team game in and game out. He has the ability to transition his game from defensive to attacking, he tends to quietly slip around the middle of the pitch and distribute quickly and effectively (the quickness is something we’ve been missing for a long time). But I’ve been most impressed with his desire to defend – he has this habit of celebrating after a big tackle, and is ALWAYS back whentheother team is pressing – something you’ve not seen from Newcastle central midfielders in a while.

Nick Pope – Nick Pope. Of Burger King Twitter fame. Just look into it. This guy’s a legend.

There are stories and chapters to be written for every one of the players who contribute on this team, and hopefully I’ll go into them more in the coming weeks and months – but I have Covid and my fingers are tired.

The Team

So, you add the management and the players together, and you get THE TEAM. The season actually started pretty slow, where after an easy win over Nottingham Forest, we couldn’t lodge another victory all through August and September. A horrible refereeing display at Liverpool saw us lose our first match, and besides that it was just a bunch of hard-fought draws. But then October happened. 6 games, 5 wins and a draw, 16 goals for and 3 against. I don’t think we’ve ever had a better October, and this catapulted us into the top 4. November kept on going, with 7 points out of a possible 9, and now, 3 matches after the World Cup break, we still haven’t lost. We need to start scoring goals again after a couple 0-0 draws, but all is well, and our defense is IMMENSE. We’ve played the Top 7 teams and have only lost 1 match. What’s funny is that when you’re 3rd in the league, you look at matches like Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, and you think they look easy. So we have to now take our good start, and not get cocky and restful, and win the matches we should win. I think we’re also quite thin on our bench, which is noticeable when guys like Jacob Murphy come on in matches – he’s a great, industrious player whom everyone likes, but there’s ZERO finish on his balls, and he just isn’t as good as a top-3 side needs him to be – especially if we get a couple injuries in the 2nd half of the season, and he starts more regularly. So, I think that we need to strengthen in January, or we’ll drop down to 5th or 6th or 7th – which wouldn’t be bad, honestly! We’re all dreaming of a quick return to the Champion’s League now that we’re in 3rd, but I don’t think any of us would have demanded that at the start of the season.

SOOOOO….we go into the business end of the season with some SERIOUS potential, and excitement. I’m having more fun watching this team than at any time over my 20 years of following the Toon, and I can’t get enough.

Howay the Lads, and let’s beat Sheffield Wednesday today, and get serious about a Cup run!

I would like to announce today that Newcastle will no longer be the stepping stone to other clubs. This fact is not even about the amount of money that Newcastle has in its War chest to buy players. It helps, but that is not the reason. It is because of a vision that one person has been able to instill on a “Down on It’s Luck” team a little over one year ago. I am sure in the near future the Magpie’s will be a bunch of hired guns brought together to win everything but forget about what makes being in the Northeast on England on The Tyne so special. But that is not us now. I don’t want to become what Manchester United is now, I want Newcastle be what Manchester United was 20 years ago. I think what happened with Man U and Ferguson is what is going on right now at Newcastle. At least I hope it is. Eddie Howe is the reason players re not going to leave for greener pastures elsewhere because the grass is pretty f’n green right now under Eddie’s feet. The one caveat to all of this is that we do have the ability to keep our own players.

I keep reading how the big boys are coming to get Bruno G in January. All the pundits are claiming that it is a done deal because “Why wouldn’t he?”. I will tell you why, because it looks like he is going to get a hellacious payday of $200,000/wk. and be at a club that saw his potential to be a building block to something better. I hope this is the start of something where players don’t jump to a bigger club to sit on the bench and waste away like so many of our past players. I continue to hope.

Another thread that continues to be sewn in the news cycles is that the only reason that Newcastle are in the Top 4 right now is that they bought there way into the Big Boy club. I don’t think we will ever get rid of this as it pertains to the club but it does miss the fact that this is not the case with Newcastle’s success. Again, Eddie Howe shows why he is such a great manager right now when he responded to that by saying that dismisses the work and effort of the players that have been at the club before he got there. In actuality, the play of players like Almiron, Wilson, Willock, and Joelinton are the reason that we have the fourth most “Goals For” in the League. Yes, we spent money on transfers but the players brought in enhanced the team they weren’t brought in to change the team. we didn’t even spend the most money. One last item that was said this week by Eddie Howe that showed so much about how he has been integral in the change at Newcastle. He stated that the team doesn’t have any goals for the season but to improve after each game. That is such a simple concept and what playing sports is all about. If they improve and learn after each game then the results will come without having to worry about reaching a milestone. This last weekend has allowed me to see what makes Eddie tick and in that how Newcastle ticks. I couldn’t be more excited about the future!

Howay The lads!

I have a confession to make. I started this after we tied Man U. So it has been modified to include last week. Which I may add, is awesome.

No, this is Newcastle. It doesn’t work as well as the original Field of Dreams quote but it sure does feel like a bit of heaven. I guess Kevin and I have been in a sort of dream state and I think I just woke up to find Newcastle sitting in 4th place and are just behind Tottenham in 3rd place. We have a record of 5-6-1, we are 1-2-1 against Man U, Man City, Tottenham and Liverpool (we should be 1-3-0, but I can’t even complain about that) and we lead the Premier League in goals against. I think that last part is the most impressive stat of the entire season so far. We are averaging .83 goals per game and we have already played Man City (3-3), Tottenham (2-1) and Liverpool (1-2) who destroyed Bournemouth 9-0. What is even more amazing is we have allowed the fewest goals by pressing high and being relentless on the pitch. I rarely see us hunker down for the point but rather continue to push for winners. It is such a joy to watch and experience this revolution on the pitch. Is it crazy that I actually thought we would get something out of the Man U game and I was not concerned about the mighty Red Devils at Old Trafford. I was even less concerned about going to Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium (My son thinks that is the dumbest Stadium name for English Football) I tend to agree. Do they even reference White Hart Lane anymore?

So, let’s start off with the results. As predicted by Kevin, we came away from Old Trafford with a scoreless draw. One more point against the supposed “Top 6”, which I think is impressive based on the fact that we didn’t even start our best 11. One thing that I have stopped doing this season is worrying about what lineup is going to be out there for a given game. Howe has done an amazing job of getting all the players to play to their abilities and play as a cohesive unit. That said, we really miss Maximin even thought we have gone on this crazy run without him. Jacob Murphy has benefitted from this but I think is one player who has missed a bunch of opportunities in the games. His crossing and decision making has been poor and possibly costs us some really good scoring chances. I think Howe saw that and was the reason he was taken off so early in the second half for Fraser during the Man U game and had him on the bench for the Spurs game. He is an impact sub and I think that is fine. It can be said that sometimes it is just better to get your best players on the pitch no matter what. I keep telling myself that when I see Dan Burn playing LB and having Targett sitting on the bench. I have to hand it to Burn because I thought having him back there was a one week trial. He struggled in the game dealing with Sancho’s speed but as usual his positioning and recovery on plays is always really good. I was so happy to see Joelinton back rampaging through the midfield and it was classic Jo when he hit the crossbar and the post in the first half of the Man U game. I even didn’t see him fall down in this game. I thought overall we played the Man U game well and got really lucky to get out of there with a point because Man U can’t hit the side of a barn sometimes even with nobody around. We went to Old Trafford got a point and didn’t sit back to get it and put them on notice that we are just going to get better and better.

I don’t want to disrespect Everton but this was the also ran during this 3 match set. Over the last 10 years I would say that our expectations of results when going to Old Trafford, playing Everton at home and playing at the Spurs we would be happy with 1 points and ecstatic for anything 3 points or above. Now we collect 7 pts out of 9 and I don’t think I blinked. Leaving Spurs with all 3 points and really looking like the better of the two teams for the majority of the match was just glorious. The icing on the top for everything this season has been the play of Almiron. I have always enjoyed watching him play and as Kevin can attest was his biggest defender. To see what Eddie Howe has done to his game is just unbelievable. He has unlocked Miggy’s brain somehow to allow him unlock the Miggy that we thought we were getting when we bought him. It was Jo last year, and now Miggy. Just great! I think bringing Bruno on board has also been an enormous boost for him. So we are in 4th. Are we going to stay there? No. Are the Top 6 scared shitless? Liverpool and Man City – no, everyone else you bet.

What is even more enjoyable is how the dialogue has gone overboard and gone in the other direction. Now there are articles about if we can stay in the Top 4. Or is there now a Top 7? I hate to tell them it really has never been a Top 6. It has been a Top 2 for the last 5 years with everyone else being an also ran. So, am I in Heaven? I think being in 4th in week 12 is as good a reason as any so Yes this is Heaven.

There are many ways to end this sentence I could have finished it with the classic WHAM! “Before you Go GO”, or I could have just written the tried and true “When it is Over” even the song “When September Ends” may work. You may ask why do I need to be woken up? The only answer I can give you is I am just SO TIRED of every possible player being linked to Newcastle. I actually think the second line of the refrain of the WHAM! song that goes “Don’t leave me Hanging Like a Yo-Yo” may be more apropos. It appears that every agent and team is linking our name to their players to try to jump the price or to try to start a bidding war. There are so many rumors that it is just become a tedious venture into the crazy and unrealistic. Don’t get me wrong, Gareth Bale? Yes Please, but come on!

EXAMPLES:

Get off the Pot – Sven Botman, I hope we have moved on from this guy. He doesn’t want to come here so screw him. Let him go to AC Milan and sit and spin for while.

Get off the Pot 2 – Ekitike, would love him but this doesn’t look like it will happen. Let’s move on , he seems a bit frail anyways. I think we may dodge a bullet if he doesn’t come here.

Agent /Team Fodder For Clicks – Where do I start , Let’s start here and let the diarrhea start . Christian Ericksen, Gareth Bale, Romelu Lukaku, Calvert Lewin, Alex Witsel, Boubacar Camara, Memphis Depay, Moussa Diaby, Ruben Nieves, Adrien Rabiot, Jesse Lingard aand so much more!

I can’t even list the players that we are “Leading the Race” for and then the good old “Player has been offered”. Which is generally a Top 6 team player and usually not a started so of course we would be interested in such as Eric Bailly, Jesse Lingard or a Dean Henderson swap.

I really shouldn’t complain, this comes with the territory, right? We are Mr. Money Bags and we can afford anyone if we want. I have begun to train myself to ignore all the news and just wait for the photo at St. James Park of our new signing. It is too easy to get distracted with all the madness and shiny things. The Newcastle team is ignoring the shiny things and appear to have a plan in place. Just look at the Bruno signing which was kept under wraps. I can’t wait to see what they come up with and see it blossom and just watch the results.

HWTL and enjoy the Summer!

It appears that everyone has decided to look forward to the 2022-2023 season now that we have survived for another year in the Premier League. Will Eddie Howe use these last two games to allow the fringe players to play to give Eddie one last look. I tend to think that this won’t happen. I believe that Eddie has gotten a pretty good understanding of the players and what their weaknesses and strengths are. I do think that we will see Wilson and Trippier in the starting 11 for the final game and maybe even this weekend. With that said what should we do with this team in the off season? Consider this to be Step 2 of a three year process to get to a level to be competing with the big boys consistently.

So get rid of Darlow, Gillespie, Clark, Lascelles, Fernandez (free), Dummett (free), Almiron, Ritchie, Hendrick, Hayden, Gayle and ASM. 12 players selected by me and I would say that only 8 end up leaving. I think the Longstaff Bros should be offered new contracts. In the offseason we should focus on the following spots. A CB replacement for Schar, a Midfielder to replace Shelvey and we need a prolific striker (15-20 G/season). We should also try to get Targett signed on a permanent deal.

This dreary Spring just continues in the Midwest of the US and somehow it doesn’t seem to be bothering me as much as it should. I continue to pinch myself when I think of where Newcastle sits in the table after such a horrendous first half of the season. Sitting 10th with 43 points and just 3 games left of the 2021-2022 season. Somehow we still haven’t assured ourselves of not getting relegated but based on being up 11 points and having 6 teams between us and Everton it is pretty much wrapped up. Since we got knocked out of the FA Cup by Cambridge United the club has a record of 10W-2D-4L. Victories against Leicester City and Wolverhampton were unexpected and joyously accepted after the thrashing receive at the Spurs. Strange enough the loss at Liverpool didn’t really even register. We played ok and we only gave up a goal to Liverpool. If our team would have understood the offsides rule we may have gotten something out of the game. It is funny, we still don’t have as many points as last year but there is no way that I would ever consider last year’s team better than this team. In fact, I remember scratching my head and trying to figure out how we finished that high up the table. With a victory against Man City Arsenal or Burnley we will have bettered our mark of of 45 points in the 2018-20119 season. Not bad.

With the season wrapping up we get to start to dream of players wanting to come to our team. Bruno and Kieran have showed them the way. I will get into who should go at a later time but right now I just want to enjoy the blue skies with rainbows of superstars just waiting to drop into that pot of gold. Who will the be the big signing this off-season? Who knows, but it better be someone that buys into what Eddie Howe is selling and not turn into a sour puss like so many of the Man U signings as of late. They are proof that there is more to it than being a destination for players. Eddie Howe has us believing and has us dreaming of Blue Skies. Howay the Lads! Now let’s get 3 points off those UCL losers Man City.

A quick note about Friday’s VERY important win vs. Wolves. I wasn’t able to watch the game, but listened to most of it on the radio. After watching the highlights, Newcastle looked very dangerous, very creative, and very attacking. But hearing everyone describe the match, it sounded like a drab affair, with very little enjoyment by either team. You could have fooled me – but either way, I don’t think any Newcastle fans really care – the three points were enough to make me happy! We are now on 34 points, which is 10 above Burnley, who sit in 18th place. With only 7 matches to go, we are well and truly safe. I don’t see Burnley getting 10 points out of their last 8 matches, but even if they do, we’ll grab enough points to secure our safety. Another quick side note – Burnley’s run in is MUCH easier than Everton’s, so Frankie really needs to be careful. Relegation is truly on the cards if they don’t get some luck. But my point is, we’re safe, we’re strong, and we can all sit back a bit easier and enjoy the last seven matches of the season.

Which gets me to my point.

The last seven matches of Newcastle’s season are VERY important – not for us, mind you, but for a few of the teams we’re playing. Our next three are Leicester at home, Palace at home, and Norwich away. We might be able to officially, mathematically relegate Norwich if the numbers work out – we’ll just have to see. But the following two matches are HUGE. Liverpool at home on 4/30, and Man City away on 5/8. After today’s wonderful 2-2 draw, only one point separate those two clubs. It’s going to go down to the wire with them, and Newcastle get to play them both. Of course, if we can steal points away from either one of them, it’ll be a miracle – but possible with our current form. Even if not, there’s a chance that this season will come down to goal difference, so if we get a drubbing in either of those games, that will truly matter to the season. On the 16th of May we get Arsenal, who might still be fighting for 4th place with Spurs (I don’t think so, but maybe). And then the final match of the season could be a HUGE one – Burnley away. The way it is looking, Burnley and Everton will come down to the wire for relegation – and if we beat Burnley, we could seal their fate. If we lose, Everton might have us to blame!

This season has been a roller coaster for us, and I’m happy with how it’s turning out. But I’m really excited for the last 7 matches – as Newcastle will have a huge say in a number of clubs’ fortune this season. HWTL!

I would have never considered that Newcastle would be sitting on 31 points in 14th place after the International Break. As Kevin as pointed out in his Moving On .. post Newcastle needed to get at least 10 points from the Chapter 1. So what does Newcastle do? We proceed to get 13 points of a possible 15 points and then win the make-up game to Southampton. So we are now the magical 5 points from 36 points which would probably get us to safety. I think we have solidified our chances of staying up with games against Norwich & Burnley still left on our schedule but nothing can be taken for granted. Our last game against Everton showed us that this team can’t set itself on auto pilot and get a win. Just the contrary. We fell into the same problems we showed prior to the winning streak began and the International break came at a great time for our team. They got to spend time in sunny Qatar and work to refocus the team for the final run to the end of the season.

So, what should we expect from this team as the season rolls on and our schedule becomes increasingly more difficult and we enter into Chapter 2 & 3 of our stretch run. We have already lost to Chelsea in a well played game and now we get to look forward to Tottenham on Sunday. This game should be interesting because the Spurs are one of the most unpredictable teams in the EPL. They have so much talent and right not Conte appears to have them playing their best football to date. It will be difficult to get any points from this fixture but we can hope. That is our hope for every game but now with the goal closer than we could have imagined what other expectations should we have. These are the ones I am looking to expect.

1. Beat Norwich and Burnley
2. Continue to play positive aggressive football
3. Get Trippier and Wilson back by the Leicester game
4. Continue to develop the midfield partnerships
5. Beat 2 of the Top 6 teams. (Preferably Man U and Spurs)
6. Ignore transfer rumors.

That’s all I want. It’s not too much to ask for.

HWTL