Beren

Goals aside, amazing sweeper play when Villa went direct and hunger throughout.

Lewis Hall too IMO.

Cracking game. My 7 year old went mental

It's mad.

Played Wolte.

Can all the Tonali body language experts shut the fuck up now?

Someone buy Elanga some decent studs man Amount of time he falls over in space

Why on earth is Trippier the last man back with Watkins Christ

Cracking gameplan from Villa here: Let Trippier and Murphy have the ball.

This tie has clearly been sponsored by VAR Villa are a very irritating side at the best of times which I begrudgingly respect them for. They focus on details, and that's how they are so consistent at winning low-scoring games. The overwhelming majority of Newcastle possession that half felt like big waves in the ocean that collapsed harmlessly at Villa's feet when it reaches the shore/their box. Not much danger posed whatsoever. Felt like that half went the way Emery wanted it to... until the end. However I actually thought that was one of Newcastle's better halves, and some of the passing in defence and midfield was better than its been for a while, Woltemade was good with back to goal in deep areas... but as we advance up the pitch it's the same passing patterns and optimistic crosses from wide areas as it's been for a few years (with no Shearer-type presence in the middle). 45 minutes to beat 10 men will be tough, as their default gameplan is to counterattack anyway, but I'm banking on the cups this year for a fun season... so hopefully we can unpick the defence one way or another. Hopefully when a chance does come we have our shooting boots.

It wasn't great alertness but you have to give them credit for the vision and installing it from the training ground.

It's off but it's a great routine.

Probably my favourite ever NUFC player. I know it's a highlight reel, but did things that make it seem like a different sport to today's lot. Just unreal. What a privilege to have watched him

Fair old limp on Bruno there.

Proper shit off that Three points though, whatever.

Yes, IMO. Freekicks: Laurent Robert (Ryan Taylor as back-up ) Leadership: Bruno Tackling: Woodgate

Yup! Lots of overheard conversations from the home support how they preferred this as a watch.

Went to Arsenal Women vs Man City Women today - it was class! Only 1-0 but very attractive football IMO. Very little set piece nonsense, players stayed on their feet where possible and really good passing/movement.

No offence, but based on what? Howe has had gimme games over the course of multiple seasons with a fit squad and an uncongested fixture list, and he's never deviated far from outworking the opposition. Even this year in the CL against dross, when we were less injured/fatigued, how did we win? It's just his style. I don't want him to go (*unless we win the managerial lottery) and he remains a fantastic ambassador for the club, but I just don't see what supports your statement that I've seen with my eyes. Just seems like wishcasting.

I'm still here. No one better available AFAIK. Eddie's secret sauce of "playing with intensity" is, sadly, easily replicable and has a very low barrier to entry. He can't run a CL European campaign alongside three domestic competitions. He'll run the squad into the ground every single time. Hopefully next year we'll be competitive in cups.

Would have been a goal if not for the arm. Fair enough. Not an enjoyable season, is it? Even at 1-0 up, it's a dour bloody watch. An ugly corner (which I've come to hate - thanks Arsenal!). Not much football being played. Just running in straight lines. We're not achieving anything in the league this year, at least entertain and play some football. Never know, it might actually work and all. Lewis Hall is everything. Thank goodness for him.

I agree with you on a lot of things, but don't think we'll ever see eye to eye on this one. We've discussed before. The club's response means having a four year contract, a five year contract, or a six year contract with a purple is effectively worthless. A cartel club just needs to flash their wallet, and there is a proven blueprint to agitate successfully for a move. The only long-term vision of success, I can think of, which can withstand that squad-building vulnerability is a) we have a squad full of people as committed to Newcastle as Dan Burn or b) PSR gets scrapped. Neither feels realistic. Yes we got a lot of money, but this season has been an almost perfect illustration of the false economy of transfer fees. (It's all about wages. £130m does not provide replacement value for a star, because you can't afford a new star's wages). I hope I'm wrong but I can't help but feel the club's lack of resolve was a horrible precedent to set in an environment when the deck is already so stacked against non-cartel clubs. The next part is a bit tongue in cheek: Would we that much different this season if we hadn't bought Wissa and Elanga? Isak sulks until November, then started playing.