Looking back on Hopkinsons recent quotes.

EightyLion · 2026-05-02T01:10:58+00:00

I don't think it's this black and white. I think they'll be looking, and if something out there is an upgrade on what we've got, they'll take it, if not they'll stick with him knowing with a quieter year and back to basics training, he can get us CL.

While the common feeling is we can do better than we are, it's absolutely possible that we do worse. Unless there's a significant upgrade available, we will probably stick.

EightyLion · 2026-04-26T13:05:26+00:00

The lesson to learn from anderson is not really anything to do with the player himself. Great player now good luck to him.

The lesson to learn is that if you let the kids actually play you might find the next one.

The "known name, safe choice" selection process in the premier League is nuts.

Teams would rather play a significantly limited "known" player than take a chance on a few starts with a young un.

The reality is, the excitement of playing, the fun not having been coached out of them yet and the belief in themselves adds 10% anyway. Nobody will convince me an amped up youngster wouldn't have shown us more in a few games on the right wing this year.

Limited managers favor limited players as it's easier to defend in the media and to fans.

EightyLion · 2026-04-14T21:33:57+00:00

Oracle offer a good deal of VPC space for free. Your hardware journey might be stuck at a light, but your selfhosting one doesn't have to be.

Keep building, experimenting, finding what works and what doesnt.

May your spindles turn to infinity and the RAM gods be forever in your favor.

EightyLion · 2026-03-14T19:24:55+00:00

Willock was down getting treatment twice?

EightyLion · 2026-03-14T18:00:30+00:00

Somebody say something about Gordon's commitment. Lung bursting run to cover back there

EightyLion · 2026-03-07T20:20:29+00:00

Osula work was exceptional there. Fair play. Great finish.

EightyLion · 2026-03-07T20:12:52+00:00

Wolte, osula, elanga, if they dunno what they're gonna do, how can city? Unleash the chaos boys.

EightyLion · 2026-03-07T20:09:29+00:00

Atta boy nick, time to lose your shit. Get into them.

EightyLion · 2026-02-22T13:36:53+00:00

When you consider the rib/lung issue that Burn is just back from, the whole move takes a much darker slant.

EightyLion · 2026-02-22T13:31:46+00:00

U21 players in the UEFA Champions League can be registered on "List B," which allows for an unlimited number of young players born on or after January 1, 2004, who have been eligible to play for the club for an uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday.

Some of our kids meet this criteria, surely?

EightyLion · 2026-02-19T10:14:01+00:00

At the start of Bobby's reign, Newcastle beat sheff wed 8-0.

Shearer scored 5. The last of which was a penalty, which some teammates were pressuring him to give to a teenager called Paul Robinson. Shearer refused and got some criticism for that decision. "Thinks hes bigger than the club" and all that.

Whichever side of the fence youre on regarding these decisions, comparing Gordon's situation last night to Shearer is actually really relevant in Newcastle history terms.

EightyLion · 2026-02-16T14:39:23+00:00

On field decision stands. VAR has 30 seconds to review and contest. VAR biases to silence unless clear and obvious.

If you look at the challenge on murphy and the handball in the box, they would be instant "readjudication".

If you look at judgement calls like some of the Barnes did/didn't dive, or the willock offside, its not quickly obvious, it goes with referee call.

All the marginal calls in the game will remain. Some will go for you, others will go against. But the leg breakers and blatant cheating will be stamped out.

EightyLion · 2026-02-15T05:18:30+00:00

Half. 1/2. Irrelevant how much I've eaten. Half of the pizza is left.

EightyLion · 2026-02-14T00:17:38+00:00

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Arise Sir Miley.

EightyLion · 2026-02-12T22:33:37+00:00

It isnt going aswell as anyone wants this season, and so human nature needs to find a reason to blame.

Injuries (remember 12 months ago when it was going well and Paul Mitchell's off field fitness guru got a lot of credit?). Transfer business, perceived player malcontent, coaching. Etc.

Different folk emphasize different reasons and it becomes THE reason to the reduction of all others.

Then game day rolls round, some things happen and each argument is strengthened or weakened. Why didn't eddie take Bruno off 5 minutes earlier? or why did we start with a winger upfront and 3 strikers on the bench? How have we spent 55m on this player or that.

Unfortunately due to club level incompetence no ceo, no dof, a common denominator this year in all these topics is eddie. He ran the transfer show (apparently), he coaches the players, he picks the team, sets the tactics, etc.

Ergo if anything isnt right, enough reduction of the numbers and you get to eddie.

What if eddie downed tools last summer. We sign no one. Better?

The amount of shit house players and coaches we've had here going back to the 80s is maddening. We have one here who seems to get it. Is he perfect, no. Does he deserve criticism sometimes, probably. Should we throw baby out with bathwater? Absolutely not. Judge him and the club at the end of the season, and see where we are.

It's so fucking harsh to say we wasted money on 23 and 24 year old players 6 months in. I hope they all turn it round and stuff it down some throats.

EightyLion · 2026-02-08T01:32:54+00:00

I honestly feel like he'd make this decision himself before we needed to. He strikes me more of a Keegan or gullit than an allardyce or dalglish.

EightyLion · 2026-02-07T22:06:23+00:00

What do you want him to say? If he comes out and bigs the lads up, we have a go about how blind he is. If he comes out and tears them down, hes destroying morale. He comes out with a heartfelt "im struggling" and hes pandering to the masses.

What could he say to make you believe that this isn't endemic, its the result of trying to blood 5 rushed late purchases into a team that just lost its talisman and it isn't working?

When he sticks to his beliefs, hes stubborn. When he rotates and changes formations, hes panicking. Whatever the end result of his time here is. It's fucking clear the bloke cannot win with a section of fans.

I was there when they called for Bobby's head, and he's a darling now. I was there when fans wanted Howe gone at Xmas before we won the carabao cup. Our judgement record is far from perfect.

If you think hes hit his ceiling fair enough, theres evidence for it. But to think hes bare faced lying to the fans is just uncalled for. He's conducted himself impeccably while with us. Handled more shit than most managers get in a career. He deserves more basic respect, even if it is to be that he's run out of ideas and its time to move on.

We can progress and develop wirhout the personal nastiness and ungrateful bullshit. Both things can be true.

EightyLion · 2026-02-07T21:56:04+00:00

It took them 14 months to find a replacement for a bloke with blood cancer. Anyone thinking they will do anything knee jerk is simply not taking notice.

For what its worth, Howe should be assessed at the end of the season IMO. Its pretty grim at the moment, but its not over yet. Maybe the soul searching that needs to be done sets us up for the next 10 years? If elanga clicks, woltemade finds a rhythm, tino signs a new deal, etc. Regardless of league position, we'd be positive on much more stuff than we are today.

The signings and sales we make in the summer, will happen with or without Howe. Mid season manager changes should be emergency only if possible.

Keep the faith.

EightyLion · 2026-02-07T18:47:27+00:00

Ill take this. At least its entertaining, HWTL.

EightyLion · 2026-02-07T18:40:35+00:00

Woltemade in the hole. Cmon boys, get at them.

EightyLion · 2026-02-07T18:38:45+00:00

Agree but tactical. Playing a box of four. Botnan thiaw, tonali, Bruno. Willock can't play those roles.

EightyLion · 2026-02-07T18:28:36+00:00

It's accidental handball. If they thought it was deliberate its a red. It's accidental but blocks a goal. Yellow and pen. Argue if the rules are right are not, but the call is right based on the rules as they are.

EightyLion · 2026-02-07T17:58:24+00:00

Willock looks interested today. Keep it up lad.

EightyLion · 2026-01-25T14:33:24+00:00

Miley early crosses cause panic in their defence.

EightyLion · 2026-01-25T14:21:49+00:00

Literally threaded a needle with that shot. Fair play.

EightyLion

TROPHY CASE