UEFA Europa Conference League - Alkmaar, Legia and Zrinjski

[Nii Lamptey]

Newcastle and Spurs are the games I badly want to win. Put both of those fuckers and their rubbish fans in their places

+1... Absolutely! It's a ridiculous long shot that relies on a lot of things going our way (Geordies especially), but how sweet would it be to pip BOTH of them in the table.

[martyn ellis]

Newcastle and Spurs are the games I badly want to win. Put both of those fuckers and their rubbish fans in their places

Verging on the category of generalisation, wouldn't you say? I know some very nice fans of both Spurs and Newcastle - I even met a nice Blues fan (once). I'd still want to beat them though.

[Monty]

Sure, we all know it's bollocks this clubism. That said, a Newcastle fan who's still and uncomplicated Newcastle fan has made a moral calculation I know I wouldn't make.

[SoccerHQ]

Liverpool beating Arsenal about 3-0 is just about the most typical result to put us back in our place.

Hopefully Arsenal win that comfortably and Liverpool chuck the season in as they're still a danger as a sleeper team.

We can certainly finish above Brighton now, they have a tougher run in than us and still have FA cup in play.

It's annoying Newcastle have won five straight just as we've hit form, they were in very indifferent form up to the cup final and I was hoping them losing that would kill their season. That idiot handballing in last minute for Forest which gave them a last minute penalty was the luck they needed to kick on.

[Axl Rose]

Newcastle and Spurs are the games I badly want to win. Put both of those fuckers and their rubbish fans in their places

Verging on the category of generalisation, wouldn't you say? I know some very nice fans of both Spurs and Newcastle - I even met a nice Blues fan (once). I'd still want to beat them though.

No!

[Axl Rose]

I can't even quote, properly. That's how much I don't like them

[maidstonevillain]

Liverpool beating Arsenal about 3-0 is just about the most typical result to put us back in our place.

Hopefully Arsenal win that comfortably and Liverpool chuck the season in as they're still a danger as a sleeper team.

We can certainly finish above Brighton now, they have a tougher run in than us and still have FA cup in play.

It's annoying Newcastle have won five straight just as we've hit form, they were in very indifferent form up to the cup final and I was hoping them losing that would kill their season. That idiot handballing in last minute for Forest which gave them a last minute penalty was the luck they needed to kick on.

Its a shame. Before last weekend there was a realistic possibility of us sneaking 4th place. But it needed Newcastle to lose to ManU and Brentford before playing the Villa. Next weekend is now a 3-pointer rather than a 6-pointer.

[algy]

Liverpool beating Arsenal about 3-0 is just about the most typical result to put us back in our place.

Hopefully Arsenal win that comfortably and Liverpool chuck the season in as they're still a danger as a sleeper team.

We can certainly finish above Brighton now, they have a tougher run in than us and still have FA cup in play.

It's annoying Newcastle have won five straight just as we've hit form, they were in very indifferent form up to the cup final and I was hoping them losing that would kill their season. That idiot handballing in last minute for Forest which gave them a last minute penalty was the luck they needed to kick on.

Its a shame. Before last weekend there was a realistic possibility of us sneaking 4th place. But it needed Newcastle to lose to ManU and Brentford before playing the Villa. Next weekend is now a 3-pointer rather than a 6-pointer.

How I'm looking at it is, we basically have to play every team between 3rd &10th, plus Wolves.

Right now, I think putting space between us and Brentford, in 9th place, is the thing to aim for. I think at the start of the season most of us would've been at least satisfied with a top 8 finish. Then we're in a race with Liverpool and Brighton for 6th place. That'd be great given where we looked to be going under Gerrard.

Of the teams above us, Spurs look just catchable as long as we beat them. Anything else, even a draw, and it'll be tough. Not expecting us to finish in the Champions League places. Think we'd need to win practically every remaining game to have anything like a chance. Seems unlikely, but to be honest if you'd said to be at the start of the season that 4th looked unlikely but 5th was within the wit of man, I'd have been utterly delighted.

[IFWaters]

I looked back over last 10 seasons. No team winning at least 19 games has ever missed out on at least the Europa League. So we have to get 5 wins from 8. Tough but possible.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Could do with Liverpool losing today. Their run in looks fairly easy after today. Us and Tottenham are their hardest fixtures on paper.

[SamTheMouse]

Sure, we all know it's bollocks this clubism. That said, a Newcastle fan who's still and uncomplicated Newcastle fan has made a moral calculation I know I wouldn't make.

Absolutely.

Although let's face it, the situation is exactly the same with Abu Dhabi City.

[Monty]

Sure, we all know it's bollocks this clubism. That said, a Newcastle fan who's still and uncomplicated Newcastle fan has made a moral calculation I know I wouldn't make.

Absolutely.

Although let's face it, the situation is exactly the same with Abu Dhabi City.

I'd say it's slightly worse? But yes, both way past the line.

[pauliewalnuts]

How marvellous to be even having these conversations.

I know our run in looks tough, but to be honest, I think we look better against better sides. Brighton, Man United, Spurs, Chelsea. All excellent, tactically superb, disciplined performances.

I know we lost to Arsenal, but 2-4 doesn't tell the whole story. Taking the lead twice, and being 2-2 until gone 90 minutes and then a 4th as the keeper had gone up for a corner, and the 3rd a shot which bounces down and in off the back of the keeper's head.

That's unlucky.

I honestly feel more relaxed and convinced we'll get something going to Spurs or Chelsea or Brighton or the likes than I do against some of the lower table sides, I think we raise our game against sides who play football.

Again, though, not too long ago we were genuinely talking about relegation. What a marvellous turnaround this has been.

[hilts_coolerking]

Sure, we all know it's bollocks this clubism. That said, a Newcastle fan who's still and uncomplicated Newcastle fan has made a moral calculation I know I wouldn't make.

Absolutely.

Although let's face it, the situation is exactly the same with Abu Dhabi City.

I'd say it's slightly worse? But yes, both way past the line.

I take your point but what is a Man City or Newcastle fan supposed to do?  Not go?  Support someone else?  Never watch the matches again?  Not feel happy when the club does well or wins stuff?  To criticise the owners, the source of the money, fine, but the supporters of those clubs have been put in a position they could do nothing about - a position which a lot of top clubs might find themselves in in the future.  Of course there are the arseholes who will try to ignore the issue or defend the ownership but I'm reluctant to condemn all the fans absolutely because I've never been faced with that choice.  No doubt some Villa fans would go down that route if it happened to us.

[Meanwood Villa]

Could do with Liverpool losing today. Their run in looks fairly easy after today. Us and Tottenham are their hardest fixtures on paper.

Just checked their fixtures myself. Seems unlikely we'll be able to hold them off unless we're close to perfect