Four Points the Hard Way

Sometimes in golf I'll have a 20 foot putt that I totally mess up and make it say, half way to the hole. Then I drain the difficult 10 footer.  Okay, it was always going to be two putts but did I have to make it so hard?  Newcastle managed the football equivalent this week by stumbling to a 2-2 draw at St. James' Park against lowly Bristol then rallying for a come-from-behind 2-1 win against then first-place Brighton.  Four points was a reasonable goal for the week but damn, the Magpies had to do it the hard way, the really hard way.

Down 0-2 early to Bristol, the Magpies spent the rest of game peppering the goal with shots, for a long time with no success.  Lost track of how many times the online commentary was "He really should have scored there."  They eventually got things level and even had a few chances to win.  In the end, it was two points lost and they were lucky it wasn't worse.

Now the trip to Brighton became a tricky but must make 10 foot putt.  And of course, Newcastle fell behind early.  Though many will dispute Bobby Madley's award of a PK to Brighton, the resulting 1-0 lead was not entirely undeserved.  Watching on beIN Sports, I could feel the existential question brewing - why am I following this team?  Then they started to play better, even dominating play, but without scoring.  I lost track of how many times I said "he really should have scored there."  This is a theme to which we shall return.

Newcastle then got an amazing stroke of luck.  Christian Atsu totally scuffed a shot that spun off at a 45 degree angle towards Mo Diame, who adjusted his leg in an attempt to make any kind of contact and sent this soft lofted ball just over the Brighton keeper's reach.  Nothing lucky about the game winner.  A beautiful long ball from Ritchie which Atsu crossed (intentionally this time) into the box, which Perez fired between (through?) the legs of several defenders for a game winner.   Easily this week's YouTubeableMoment for me.

What amazes me is how Newcastle continue to get points (21 of 27 possible since loss to Blackburn) when they are really not playing all that well.  Wait, that doesn't apply to the back line.  But they can stink up the place for about twenty minutes with sloppy midfield play, then dominate without scoring.  Gayle may be back sooner than expected, which will help.  I'm not totally down on Gouffran but if Newcastle play a lone striker, I'd much prefer it be Daryl Murphy in Gayle's absence.   Even if he's not scoring, it seems like somebody is when Murphy's on the pitch.


Relegation's the Thing

Some quick observations on the abbreviated EPL fixtures last weekend.  Chelsea shrugged off a late first half goal from Swansea and stopped the Swans attempt to break away from the relegation pack with a 3-1 victory.  Harry Kane found his scoring touch and Tottenham rebounded from some recent disappointments about as well as Spurs fans could have hoped in a 4-0 win over Stoke.

Down in Relegation Land, Jamie Vardy and Leicester only added fuel to the speculation fire that a) there was a mutiny against Claudio Ranieri and b) Jamie Vardy led the mutiny.  Under caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare, Vardy scored twice (first EPL goals for him since December 10th) and the whole squad looked much more like the Foxes we saw last year.  Rumors are flying that former England manager Roy Hodgson is set to take the helm for Leicester.  And for Liverpool, this is their third loss to a side which recently sacked their manager (2-3 loss to Swansea in January, 0-2 loss to Hull in February).  The spread from 15th to 20th is five points and if Bournemouth are not careful, they'll soon find themselves tangled up in this relegation fight too.


Hardware for Mourinho and Manchester United

Ibrahimovic scores the winner for Man United

Hope you had a chance to watch this more than worthy exhibition of the beautiful game.  Man United went 2-0 in the first half despite Southampton having the run of play.  Southampton continued to dominate in the second half and drew level with two from January acquisition Manolo Gabbiadini. From there it was back and forth with neither side able to break through, leaving me to fear that a great match like this was going to be decided by kicks from the spot.  Though I would have preferred to see Southampton take home the hardware, I was happier to see the game decided without the dreaded spot kicks.  And Zlatan Ibrahimovic's header off a Herrera cross was an emphatic game winner.  Only downer for me was that Southampton likely had an early goal disallowed for an incorrect offside call.  All in all, a great watch.


Virtual Update

Real life has limited my time on the virtual pitch but Chester did manage to smash Notts 5-0 in the FA Cup 5th round replay, squeak by Birmingham 1-0 in the 6th round and beat West Ham 3-1 in league play.  We'll face Liverpool in the FA Cup semi.  Champions League not looking so good as we head into the second leg, at Real Madrid, down 1-2.  Ouch, two away goals.

From Football Manager Stole My Life, we have this excerpt from when author Iain Macintosh submitted to a real session with a therapist to determine if he had a problem.

Therapist - Is it a problem? Or is it just something you enjoy? Is it negatively impacting anything in your life?

Macintosh - Well, sometimes my wife gets offended if she's watching a Jennifer Aniston movie and I play it on my laptop on the sofa next to her.

Therapist - Well, you've got a problem.

Macintosh - I have?

Therapist - Yes, Jennifer Aniston movies are almost exclusively awful.

Macintosh - It's not just me, is it?

Therapist - Nope.

Schedule

Newcastle stress test continues with away match at Huddersfield; maybe they'll still be shellshocked after 1-5 loss midweek to Man City in the FA Cup replay.  Then the Magpies again have to turn around quickly to face Reading, again away, on Tuesday.  The chase pack will be taking on mid to bottom table sides.  Losses would not be devastating but would leave Newcastle with a bunch of 10 foot putts for the rest of the season.  Two points from these matches would be just fine, mostly by denying points to key rivals.  Saturday's match is not televised, probably because beIN Sports is running La Liga or some similar nonsense.  Hoping that maybe Tuesday match will be on.

A so-so set of fixtures in the EPL.  Probably want to check out Liverpool-Arsenal (12:30 Saturday, NBCSN I think but it might be moved to CNBC) and Tottenham-Everton (8:30 Sunday NBCSN).  Chelsea will likely be okay but need to be careful on the road to West Ham (Monday 3 pm NBCSN).  Man United has Bournemouth at home (7:30 Saturday NBCSN) and while City goes to the Stadium of Desperation to face Sunderland (Sunday 11 am NBCSN).

For those who like their matches with a dash of relegation, I recommend Leicester-Hull (Saturday 10 am CNBC).  If their revival is real, the Foxes should be able to deal with Hull, especially at home.

Don't forget, the Union kicks off the 2017 season in Vancouver Sunday night at 9:30.  Here's a few articles from SoccerAmerica Daily including What's New  and a team-by-team Ranking.  At 17th, the projection will not thrill Union supporters but it does hold out hope of a better upside depending on the performance of newcomers.

And some of us will also be taking in the USATF Track and Field Indoor Championships this weekend.  Clear the dvrs!