Beren

I've been keen he has at least the season to turn it around. But inreasingly I see the sense of an earlier switch. If we are going to move on, and the trajectory is clear - it gives a new manager at least a bit of time to understand what they have and don't have - before they have a transfer window. And maybe even a new manager bump to sneak into Europe. The remainder of December is absolutely critical. Needs results and performances.

Wonder who would be on the realistic shortlist.

Yikes.

Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth, Forest and Fulham would swap squads with us in a heartbeat IMO.

Liverpool performance was fantastic but if those players can't play again on the weekend, it's not sustainable. I don't know why the starting XI changed, or keeps changing for that matter. Is it a stream of niggly injuries? I dont know if Howe doesn't know his best XI, or if he's selecting his XI to game plan for his opponents - but I really don't like it tbh We don't have a consistent identity yet, for parts to rotate and the team philosophy to seamlessly remain intact.

Looks like I managed to watch the only spell of the game where we were good. Did catch their third goal mind you. Set piece weakness again. Lots of fixable things which haven't fixed for ages. Frustrating year.

Missed the start but Newcastle look good. I like that Isak is moving around a bit, and he's often playing a bit deeper to be more influential - but that there are others further advanced than he is. Makes the attack way less one dimensional Joelinton looks a bit leggy.

Fly 000s of miles to watch Isak inexplicably spurn open goal tap-ins. Doesn't sound that that appealing tbf.

He's incredible. Pretty uncanny he has so few multi-goal games and IIRC no hattricks in black and white. Liverpool absolutely swarmed to him whenever he got the ball second half. Understandably, like.

Thanks for the invite mate.

Underrated storyline: did anyone see all those Nick Pope catches and that dinked kick which only fucking went to a player playing wearing black and white?!

It is quite annoying the ref blows it dead when we are 3-on-1 dead on the 95th minute, with five minutes of extra time. When the other day, they got about 107 minutes of football to get a result.

Wasn't intended to be a major dig at Hall. Gordon was the outball, so couldn't protect him as much as the game got stretched. Hall's defensive positioning was a bit questionable, but he's young and learning. Full credit to Salah mainly.

Howay man, the adrenaline is pumping, they've just left it all out there. Emotions are high. It's not the craziest reaction to want an explanation

Well, it was a fantastic performance with a non-familiar outcome. Far more good to talk about than bad. I'd not swap Isak for any centre-forward in the league. He's absolute magic to watch in top form. Gordon was class, worked his socks off. Tonali was absolutely amazing - what a motor, thriving in a fast-paced game. Absolutely battering the best team in Europe for long periods of the contest. We were repeatedly exposed on our left-hand side. A steep learning curve for Hall, who got repeatedly schooled by Salah. Have to say - I utterly loathe Liverpool, but you have to tip your fucking cap to Salah. He really is phenomenal and strangely non-loathesome for a Liverpool legend. The way he shifts the ball from one foot to the other and makes his second motion - all in one move - is spellbinding. Ref got some right, some wrong - but that ending was a bit of a farce. We looked like Champions League finalists. How the fuck does a squad capable of that so regularly produce the performances we see vs the Hammers etc

ARGHHH man.

Isak is so, so, so fucking good man.

Goddam.

Things haven't broken for him a lot, but his effort has been there. Not all critics have taken the same approach tbf.

All the people shit-talking Gordon, like he hasn't been one of the key protagonists to catapult Newcastle into top half of the table last two or so years.

Haha love the celebration!

Loved that first half! Almost don't want to watch the second, that was perfect

Probably the game I want to win most this season.

Whose job is it to motivate the team/make them confident? Why are top drawer talents consistently underperforming? Why can't we close out games? Where is our defensive steel against non-Cartel clubs? I would personally want satisfactory answers to these questions before you reload the squad with a new crop of talent, and potentially shave a few years off our football-watching life.