You can never accuse Paul Merson of being a fan of Newcastle United, and his prediction today for our Sunday game against Chelsea at home reflects that.
After just two games Paul says we are struggling even though we gave Spurs everything the could handle in the 2-1 defeat on the first day of the season.
And we should really have beaten Cardiff last week, but that’s not what happened and rather have say 4 points we have only one.
Chelsea are an expensive side with some outstanding players, and it will be tough for the lads – but we did beat them in this fixture last season 3-0 in the final game of the season.
Paul Merson – says Newcastle are struggling
This is what Paul Merson has said about the game:
“I think Newcastle are struggling. Why did they let Kenedy take the penalty against Cardiff? He was having a nightmare.”
“There’s a bit of a feeling around Newcastle at the moment, and I think Chelsea will take advantage.”
“Chelsea don’t look amazing at the back, Arsenal ripped them apart at times, but Newcastle don’t have what Arsenal have going forward.”
“Maurizio Sarri said he wants Chelsea to be pressing at all times, and it’s a danger when they don’t, even for 20 minutes.”
“I just can’t see Newcastle picking them off here. Away win.”
Paul predicts: 1-2 (7/1 with Sky Bet)
With those comments, it looks like Paul with have us fighting relegation again this season.
We really hope he’s wrong about that.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
79 comments so far
bettyswallocks
Aug 23, 2018 at 3:51 PM
Comment #1Lesh……. I don’t read any news websites other than sports ones. I sometimes watch BBC news to catch up on world events but don’t need to listen to or read any media propaganda to formulate an opinion.
Please accept this into your thick brainwashed skull and there will be no need for us to clash like this again.
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 3:54 PM
Comment #2jail and who ever else agrees with the comment Murphy has hardly had a chance, because of ritchie and Kennedy, your just showing what clowns you are.
Kennedy signed in Jan, Murphy and Atsu signed last summer, both of them were fighting for the wing spot, and both were not up to it, hence getting Kennedy on loan.
so your really saying our world class manager put the cart before the horse, by buying back up before the first choice.
honesty comedy gold. the truly amazing thing is the amount who back each other up with out thinking first. very scary
Jail , lay off the young thai girls,
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 3:57 PM
Comment #3Betty
100% correct
brain washed they are. but the BBc are as guilty of editing to suit their narrative.
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:02 PM
Comment #4Robleenio believes the church convinced the christian world it was flat almost 500 years after pythagoras hypothesised it was round.
propaganda pusher
bettyswallocks
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:07 PM
Comment #5Catchy…..Ll.ll.llYes you’re quite right that’s why I only listen to the headlines and don’t get bogged down with all the different agendas of the various media outlets unlike some obsessed morons on here.
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:09 PM
Comment #6catchy, the point is that the Ancients knew the World was round (see Greek depictions of Atlas carrying the Globe on his shoulders) and that the Earth orbited the Sun. The Christian doctrine taught that the Earth was the centre of the Universe with the Sun and the other heavenly bodies orbiting us and discouraged the common man from thinking too much about cosmology.
This included encouraging the myth that the World was flat. Literally shaping the World to suit their purposes.
Ashley and Bishop with their media buddies are engaging in a similar exercise to distort the influence of Ashley over NUFC. You support that campaign every time you tell lies about Rafa’s record in the transfer market.
Optimistic Panda
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:09 PM
Comment #7All sense and reason has disappeared, youre now entering the twilight zone.
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:19 PM
Comment #8robleenio
I think your backing my argument up. you said that 97% of fans that turn up believes in Rafa.
I said 99.9% believed the earth was flat.
now your saying only a few new it was round and that the church convinced them it was flat,
meaning the .01% were correct all along.
which might equate to the 3% who like rafa as a person, but think his tactics and treatment of some players is very poor could also be correct.
could it be his tactics suit better technically gifted players. ? and not the rubbish he seems to buy for us?
Rob1971
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:22 PM
Comment #9Catchy you turn on managers quite quick, you wanted Rafa here to start with and within months you started slagging him off, no matter who we get as manager you will turn on them if they don’t play football the way you want it, yet the 1 person who is ruining our club (Ashley) you never say a word against him!
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:22 PM
Comment #10Rob
you dress it up which ever way u like. his signings speak for themselves.
i don’t need someone to tell me there poor. in fact if i was so media biased i think i’d be thinking more like you, most media think Rafa is doing a great job.
but her there must be a secret web page that only 3% have access to, it couldn’t possibly be that we see things different on our own.
bill
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:23 PM
Comment #11Personally, I find it difficult to understand which player was bought by whom. The reasoning behind each acquisition either by purchase or loan is surrounded by many different factors. I’m sure that we would all like to know which players Rafa really wanted, and how we ended up with some of the rubbish we have. No doubt it will all come out in a book at some point.
Rob1971
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:24 PM
Comment #12My mistake Catchy, you never said a bad word against Mclaren or never criticised his style of play, even though we lost nearly every game under him
Rob1971
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:26 PM
Comment #13Catchy all managers make bad decisions on transfers, so did fergie he bought some horrendous players, are you telling me all Rafas signings are duds? if so you hatred of him is blinding you, we all know you don’t like him and want him gone
Lindisfarne
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:28 PM
Comment #14alternatively read this:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/aug/23/bobby-robson-fought-failed-earn-respect-barcelona
Rob1971
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:28 PM
Comment #15So when Rafa leaves at the end of the season Catchy which manager do you want that you can back to the hilt?
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:29 PM
Comment #16Rob71
well i’m not going to go wasting my time to dig up old post to prove what i have said.
i will leave that up to you to prove i have backed Ashley, of which i’m 10000% positive you will never find.
and yes i thought Rafa would be a good manager, in the same way i thought Shteve would have been, I gave them a chance.
but I am allowed to change my mind. and i am allowed to voice an opinion, it’s called free speech.
I and others don’t come on here to argue, but to chat about NUFC, but it seems people can only have one thought.
Lindisfarne
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:34 PM
Comment #17What was the score against Cardiff again?!
Lindisfarne
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:39 PM
Comment #18Apparently Stephen Warnock nearly played for NUFC.
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:40 PM
Comment #19Rob
that’s where your buying into the miss information on here, yes I backed Steve, but you will find plenty of posts where I question what or why he did certain things. but you only read the others posts miss quoting what i said.
on Rafas signings, yes i think he has gotten so many wrong, and i honestly cannot think of any reason why Rafa should have ever trusted Ashley, he never backed any manager before him, what was going to change, he gives them enough to get by, barely.
Dubravka hit
Ritchie hit
D Murphy Hit
the rest i’m really struggling to think of a player he bought that he hasn’t lost money on or will make money on, even though these players have proved they can get out of the championship, that alone should have increased there value, 100 million up for grabs. but no.
Hayden is a typical example, came from a top prem team, won the championship, 1 season in the prem, value 4 million. should be at least 12 in this crazy market.
20 million on 2 wingers only to replace them both 6 moth later with Kennedy. sounds like a forward thinker.
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:42 PM
Comment #20zidan.
pep
sarri
let’s go crazy eh. give you something to slate me for
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:43 PM
Comment #21Catchy, I’m not going to debate percentages with you, it’s futile and confusing honestly.
The main point is that throughout history a few powerful people have used communication devices to pull the wool over the eyes of the masses. Whether that has been through propaganda films (Pathe for eg) during WWII , the broad reach of the Catholic Church during and after the Dark Ages and Medieval period via their clergy or Bishop and his network of friendly media outlets telling everyone Rafa and the fans are ungrateful, deluded and overly demanding.
You (and others) accuse me (and others) of being shills for the regime by sticking up for Rafa, supporting the players and suggesting that although things are not perfect, Rafa will see us right. I suggest it’s more likely that you are a shill for continually running down the one person in our club hierarchy who we can trust to do his best and be honest with what he says.
You seem to set great store by his signings, but I’m not sure he’s been able to get his number one targets over the line since the Summer after relegation. How is it Rafa’s fault that some of his signings haven’t worked out when he didn’t really want them in the first place?
lesh
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:46 PM
Comment #22An old saying…
You can take a horse to water but cannot make it drink: You can take a whore to culture but you cannot make her think!
Just a fan
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:53 PM
Comment #23I was talking to someone yesterday who said the world was flat.i asked her if the moon was flat to.no she said in all seriousness it’s a hologram.
Rob1971
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:58 PM
Comment #24So Clarke, diame, Yedlin are all duds even though they are 1st team regulars, gayle was a dud even though his goals got us promoted?
bill
Aug 23, 2018 at 4:59 PM
Comment #25There seems to be a lot of people on here who cannot see what is going on at NUFC, or think clearly. I’m not sure if this is through a lack of intellect or just blind faith. All I seem to see from them is “let’s get behind the lads”; as if Ashley has not already recognised this as our weakness. A longer term view needs to be taken by us all. I believe that he will keep milking the club and supporters for as long as he feels safe in doing so.
Rob1971
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:01 PM
Comment #26Catchy I never said you defend ashley I said you never criticise him, it’s a big difference, it’s always the managers fault with you never the owner, you never slated mclaren as much as you have rafa this is on a par with your rantings over pardew
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:06 PM
Comment #27Rob1971, I’m more convinced as time goes on that catchy is an Ashley stooge. In that context, it makes sense that he wouldn’t slag off his Lord and Master.
It just seems strange to me that he appears at times of fan unrest and severe criticism of the regime and tries to point the fans’ ire towards Rafa and disappears when things are relatively calm.
bill
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:14 PM
Comment #28How do you land on a hologram?
A Pain in the Blog
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:15 PM
Comment #29bill #25
I have to disagree with your fundamental thinking that Ashley recognises our blind faith in the team as a weakness that he can use against us.
I believe that he does not take enough notice of the club, his manager or its fans to care or have an opinion about our strengths and weaknesses in our fight against him. He is just not interested.
He has bought and honed a very effective free advertising vehicle, which is now self-sufficient, so he can completely ignore it and us and get on with his big game of Monopoly.
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:15 PM
Comment #30do holograms smell of cheese?
Flat Earthers believe that there is a ‘giant Earth magnet’ which holds us all down and creates the tides. Hmmm
GeordieTwo
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:20 PM
Comment #31I’m very interested to see if we can match last season’s 10th place finish. To me the 20 teams in the division now are stronger than last season’s 20. I think we will struggle to get near 10th. We are a stronger side, but many of the others have strengthened to a greater extent. Fulham and Wolves look like decent sides to me. Forget about Cardiff. They are already doomed. As for us, I think the bottom half beckons. Rafa will do his best of course, but unless we strengthen in January it doesn’
t look good.
GeordieTwo
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:24 PM
Comment #32Aye Rob, the giant earth “magnet” is called gravity. In order for the Earth to be flat (a flat disc I suppose?) the total mass would have to be the same, so the thinner the disc, the larger the diameter would have to be. We would probably be looking at a diameter of several hundred thousand miles. Interesting that nobody has ever found a way to go further than 25,000 miles on the planet. Enough of this nonsense. The flat earhers are just attention seekers with very little education.
GeordieTwo
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:25 PM
Comment #3325,000 miles while headed in the same direction that is. Pick a direction, start travelling, and roughly 25,000 miles later you’re back where you started. How does that work on a flat earth?
catchy in norway
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:26 PM
Comment #34Rob
i don’t know how long you have been on this site, and it shouldn’t matter really, but you assuming i’m not critical or ever have been of Ashley is false, and i’m pretty sure even Jail will or should back me up, as I have had this chat with him too.
The owner I don’t like him, never have, i was not one of those thinking the new stupid billionaire had taken over our club when he came. he is a businessman with no affiliation with us in any capacity, demanding he change his business model is the stupidest thing i can think of anyone doing, it only makes people put there back up and dig in deeper.
The only way is for someone to buy the club, but if i was looking to buy a club like us, i’d walk a million miles away from us, our fans think it’s a great way to get Ashley out by singing Ashley out songs, but what signal will that send to potential buyers? boycotting his shops.
I don’t like him as much as you or any other fan.
the manager is a different thing though, I love Football, and if we have no chance of winning the league, i would hope that the manager would be a bit more offensive against certain teams, instead we have a slightly better version of pardew, very very negative tactics. Cardiff the perfect example. play like that against chelsea, 100% behind him, will settle 0-0 or even 0-1 defeat against them, but always hope for a win.
there are at least10 teams we are as good as if not better.
Like i have said many times now, Rafa is in charge of signings and targets, i think he has a poor eye for a player. even you and me could spend 30 million on a player and get it right, the pro he is should say that he can spend less, and use his superior coaching skills to help them become better.
i also don’t think he is good with our kids, premoniting them to the bench or given them a few mins, i can predict most of his subs, it’s the same every week, and more often than not, it’s never who we would chose
GeordieTwo
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:30 PM
Comment #35Never forget who wor top goal scorer is lads. Hoser Loo! As of now he’s our man! Goal scoring wonder, never makes a blunder, Hoser Loo!!!
Just a fan
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:31 PM
Comment #36The moon landing never happened either according to her.
GeordieTwo
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:33 PM
Comment #37If we can get some of the fat off him, should Rondon start against Chelsea? No wonder I was calling him Roundone for a bit.. Harrumph…
Black and white armpit
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:34 PM
Comment #38And when has Rafa spent £30m on a player? You’re a blinkered idiot Catchy, “I love football” aye that’s why you do the washing up instead of watching our games most of the time.
Jib
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:35 PM
Comment #39catchy in norway
Rob
Rafa is in charge of signings and targets,
i think he has a poor eye for a player.
even you and me could spend 30 million on a player and get it right
Stunningly arrogant
What a dick
Just a fan
Aug 23, 2018 at 5:39 PM
Comment #40At least with a lot of fans having a go at Ashley they are not venting there spleen or at least less so on our players.