There are two big games that our fans will be watching today.
The first is the Championship playoff final between Fulham and Aston Villa at Wembley where the winner joins Wolves and Cardiff City in being promoted to the Premier League and all the big money.
We are hoping that Fulham win because they were unlucky last season and we are hoping Aleksandar Mitrovic – on loan in London – can score the winner for them.
He’s already helped them out this year by scoring 12 goals in just 19 appearances for Fulham.
Fulham’s talented Serbian manager Slavisa Jokanovic has already said he wants to sign his compatriot Mitrovic if the club gets promoted today and he is also interested in Dwight Gayle.
So we could even see two of our strikers move to Fulham if they can get promoted later this afternoon.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – Magpies’ striker on loan at Fulham
It’s going to depend on how the players react to the big occasion, and at least £100M is at stake for both teams – maybe Villa skipper John Terry can bring that patience and calmness to the Villa team?
Geordie Steve Bruce will lead out Aston Villa, and he’s done an excellent job since joining them as manager in October 2016 – this is his first full season in charge.
That’s one game we are really looking forward to, and it can affect some of our players being sold.
The second game is the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid and will take place in the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine.
Liverpool have won the European Championship (Champions League now, previously the European Cup) five times in their history and the last time was back in 2005 in Istanbul, Turkey.
That’s when current Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez was the Reds manager in his first season on Merseyside – and he produced the “Miracle of Istanbul,” and Liverpool won the game on penalties after the Reds had been 3-0 down at halftime to Milan.
Rafa made one or two tactical changes at halftime.
🙂
Real Madrid have won the European Championship 12 times including three of the last four years, and they won the trophy the first 5 times it was held from 1956 through 1960.
The favorites are Real Madrid – but we wonder about that.
Comments welcome.
Note:
Jack Farish is currently studying for a Master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology at Northumbria University.
His thesis project looks at Premier League fans’ team identification – how well they support and identify with their team.
Jack has put together a relatively short questionnaire of team identification and satisfaction with life; it should take no longer than 10 minutes.
You can help Jack by filling out the survey here.
236 comments so far
martoon
May 26, 2018 at 5:51 PM
Comment #41lochinvar – It wasn’t Ryan Sessegnon, it was Ryan Fredericks!
davetoon
May 26, 2018 at 5:52 PM
Comment #42Villa no chance of promotion based on first half
GeordieTwo
May 26, 2018 at 5:52 PM
Comment #43We need another pacey player for the counter attack and Mitro definitely isn’t that.
Jib
May 26, 2018 at 5:54 PM
Comment #44All Mitro has done is assault Tom Cairney
when he scored
davetoon
May 26, 2018 at 5:55 PM
Comment #45Looking good so far for Fulham. How much will they be able to pay for Mitro tho?
Munster Mag
May 26, 2018 at 6:00 PM
Comment #46I missed the goal. Assume mitro killed cairney 🙂
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:01 PM
Comment #47There’ll be more than Fulham just interested in Mitro. Unless there is a clause in his contract with a fee agreed I can see at least Wolves and once again Brighton taking an interest too, a few overseas too.
If we get less than £20m it’s a failure in negotiation.
Don’t think we’ll see movement on that front until after the WC though.
Bianconeri
May 26, 2018 at 6:04 PM
Comment #48From previous thread ” Thomas Jones
@tomj191
#NUFC hope to sign Kenedy permanently and are keeping close tabs on Le Havre’s Oswald (Sky Sports)”
I thought Le Havre Oswald shot Kenedy
I’ll get me coat.
lesh
May 26, 2018 at 6:05 PM
Comment #49Bettys
I’ve always aspired to emulate though Donald Duck’s my preference over Trump. They should swap roles to make the world a safer place and ……Disney’d make a fortune.
AndyMac – yup, I overlooked Ashley’s more discreet activities. We could hope he gives any land he’s purloined back too. Every little helps.
Ilovetoon – the club’ll always be up for sale – Ashley sees it as a cash generator for SD and he has no emotional attachment to Nufc, not one iota. He’s like a leech that sucking the life blood out of our club.
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:08 PM
Comment #50Mitro almost set up a goal there
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:09 PM
Comment #51Bianconeri
That was the original joke, but you dissected and killed it.
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:11 PM
Comment #52Don’t know who that Claret player was a few minutes back but losing the ball on a full run, unmarked… League 2 stuff there. Must have Bruce reaching for his meds.
DaveD1000
May 26, 2018 at 6:15 PM
Comment #53Son in Law is AV supporter and they are coming up on Sunday for 5 days………….C’mon Mitro fill your boots
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:15 PM
Comment #54Clarets pressing here… Complete reversal from 1st half.
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:18 PM
Comment #55C’mon Fulham… We know Jokanovic and Mitro are like brothers. Win and buy him!!!
Mitro missed header… 2nd opportunity he’s fluffed (though it would have been a difficult header to bang in right).
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:20 PM
Comment #56Is it me or are sky commentators Claret supporters the way they go on romanticizing every thing about AV?
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:21 PM
Comment #57AV are going to reget not taking tat sitter… brilliant set up, completely blew the finish.
Moonraker15
May 26, 2018 at 6:23 PM
Comment #58If Villa don’t win this game I hope Rafa will sign
Grealish! He is pure quality! He’s the number 10 we need!
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:26 PM
Comment #59Clear handball not called on Fulham
Then clear red not called on AV
AV is going to level if Fulham don’t get back in the game.
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:28 PM
Comment #60Moonraker
Grealish would be good to compete for the 10 spot but I’d prefer we spent more for the finished article!
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:30 PM
Comment #61What a cheating twat Kamara is.
Moonraker15
May 26, 2018 at 6:31 PM
Comment #62Willow
I think he would grace SJP with Shelvey behind him!
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:32 PM
Comment #63Fulham down to 10 now!
Will struggle to hang on to the lead I think, already were to some extent.
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:34 PM
Comment #64Oloi red!!!!
Fulham doing their best to lose this one!
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:35 PM
Comment #65Mitro missed a golden chance there, bad first touch.
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:35 PM
Comment #66Mitro nice attempt but off a defender
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:37 PM
Comment #67Jedinak rugby tackles Mitro as he powers past him and thought for a second he was gonna retaliate. Seemed to take it with a smile.
Fulham look more composed since they went down to 10 to be fair.
chicousa
May 26, 2018 at 6:38 PM
Comment #68Odoi is off….ffs!
Jib
May 26, 2018 at 6:43 PM
Comment #69Chico I’m fairly sure you must be
the only Californian who uses the
phrase “fer f@cks sake” ha ha ha
😀
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:47 PM
Comment #70Villa just haven’t created enough. Not even fashioned a chance since Fulham went down to 10. Only Grealish solo dribble through to speak of really when it comes to clean-cut chances.
lochinvar
May 26, 2018 at 6:48 PM
Comment #71Martoon@41
You just can’t trust these Ryan’s – they all look alIke.
Villa fans looking very miserable – that’s karma for you. They won’t even have Sunderland to play next season.
5 minutes for them to get the equaliser.
Tsunki
May 26, 2018 at 6:49 PM
Comment #72Please Villa, do your best to make sure you don’t win. No offence.
Jib
May 26, 2018 at 6:50 PM
Comment #73TV shots of AV fans in tears in the stands
Anyone feel any sympathy ?
SPRINGY
May 26, 2018 at 6:54 PM
Comment #74Jib
In a word nope……not one bit
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:54 PM
Comment #75Weird… AV were dominating and creating chances left and right right up until Fulham went down to 10 minutes… The the importance of the moment seems to have robbed them of their momentum and given cold feet. Must have dawned on them the magnitude of the occasion and they just lost their nerve.
willowdalerez
May 26, 2018 at 6:55 PM
Comment #7610 men not minutes
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:56 PM
Comment #77Ironically Villa lost all momentum when Fulham went down to 10 with the break in play.
Looked sure to score before that and were finally putting sustained pressure on.
Best team won over the season and on the day.
£20m minimum for Mitrovic please!
Hail Wor Ashley
May 26, 2018 at 6:57 PM
Comment #78Terry’s face, pretending he really cares about Villa 😆
Tsunki
May 26, 2018 at 6:58 PM
Comment #79Cheer up Stevie Bruce
Oh what can it mean to a
Sad mackem *+#&@*
And a shed end has-beeeen..
Jib
May 26, 2018 at 6:58 PM
Comment #80Well there’s a few quid added to Mitro’s price