Benwell Lad

The usual spirited performance we reserve for dark nights at SJP but ultimately coming up short again (see Liverpool, Barcelona). Hope my cynicism is totally misplaced and we win by whatever method it takes to win a difficult game.

Always fun at the old Baseball Ground, that shared stand along the side with a bit of string meshing to segregate the fans

Shame Hit Here got hounded out, seemed a canny lad and made decent points.

Since the first play off semi final to now I don't think they've dominated a single game on stats or XG but have achieved a bizarrely consistent run of results. Stats can be pretty meaningless over a single game or even short term, but that's a remarkable run of defying the odds and you'd think unsustainable. They also seem to be getting away with an awful lot of fouls and cheating, almost like refs haven't picked up on them yet. No doubt they're enjoying it for now as it just seems to keep on rolling along but there doesn't appear to be any real foundation to it. Sheff Utd must be kicking themselves

Hopefully it's addressed because in the VAR leagues and cups even the most minimal of contact induces a fall to the ground to get the penalty. Minimal contact needs a very clear definition if it's not to become zero contact.

We just didn't look fit yesterday, tired and weary. It was always going to be a leggy end to the second half for us and it causes poor decision making too. We're just not managing the squad and number of games effectively and it doesn't bode well for what's coming up. Those adrenalin fuelled, intense midweek atmospheres at St.James' are distorting the reality of things.

Which two PL referees, one in real time and one with the benefit of multiple slow motion replays, didn't think was

4th out of 4 who have played CB so far this season. In fact nothing he has done so far would put him ahead of Jamaal really.

Irrespective of the merits of the first penalty claim, it is not within the rules of the game to later correct a wrong or dubious decision by a retrospective action. However that did appear to happen yesterday and both referee and VAR should face the strongest sanctions for effectively "making it up as they go along".

The Dan Burn at left back debate is so meaningless. I don't think any fan, Eddie Howe or Dan Burn himself really wants him to be playing left back. What's not up for debate is that wherever he plays he has to be in the side somewhere. He just brings so much t the team.

Like being put off beer for life by that first pint of Fosters you had when you were 16

It genuinely feels like it. River running through city with a replica of the Millennium bridge, post industrial shipyards and coalmining, strong sense of regional identity, great buzz about the place and it's fair share of rain and very cold winter weather. San Sebastian is arguably a prettier town (in fact it's stunning) and Santander just along the coast (though not Basque) is beautiful too. The whole north coast line is mountainous, very green and incredibly beautiful.

Being a Basque chef definitely seems to carry some prestige throughout Spain.

You've got to be kidding ? I'll admit to preferring beer to wine generally, but which particular wine are you referring to? There are over 600 wineries in the Basque (Rioja) region producing thousands of varieties, surely they can't all be rancid?

Possibly only surpassed by doing it in San Sebastian

They'll struggle to find the availability and quality of wine they have in bars at home in Bilbao Always found it amusing when blokes who looked like they'd just finished on a building site were swirling fine local wines around in their glass.

Said it before but we just don't look like a serious football team at times and certainly not one that has the ruthlessness to win awkward, difficult away fixtures. Doing it under the lights at SJP is great, but that alone doesn't take us to where we need to be as a club. Yesterday was a nadir of a performance, the worst for many years but it's the greater context which is more concerning. Criticism could be levelled at almost anyone yesterday, and justifiably so, but I'm going to single out our Brazilian midfielders as they've probably been put on a pedestal more than any. Great players undoubtedly but they give the appearance of taking their places for granted, they get more leeway than others when careless in possession and giving away stupid free kicks in bad areas. Give yourselves a kick up the arse lads and get back to doing the basics right and think about how you ended up on those pedestals in the first place.

But you're thinking logically while I seem to be unable to

Would rather be playing a team in good form than one who haven't won in X number of games.

Spot on. Only head injuries or something really serious should stop play. And how about hand ball for falling on the ball to try and win a free kick as well.

Coming together nicely, at just the right time, after a stuttering start. Encouraging how we can use so many options in the squad but essentially look like exactly the same team.

Completely forgot about that Must be because it was Tottenham against Man Utd in the final and they were both nearly bottom three in the league.

Kind of know where you're coming from, but no team ever, ever really does that. Sure you have to manage games and squad but whoever plays. they're highly paid Premier League players and they have 4,900 fans backing them. Also Newcastle are by no means unbeatable and it's your best chance of ending your trophy drought this season.

That as well. Standard fare though. Watching police dogs savaging pretend scallys was much more entertaining.

Too many Where were you when you were shit? Watching police dogs at half time.