Beren

Midfield is a bit lightweight without big Joe. Need the good Longstaff who stays on his feet today.

Good result without really showing much. Isak holding and holding and holding his runs for balls that never came. Oh well. Burn was so good and physical at the back. Need some more players back.

Not complaining but... why?

Just erased five minutes. We'd be browning our kegs repeatedly.

An absolute clinic in game management by Man City here after the goal.

Best case scenario this is all orchestrated with Joelinton's consent, and that they're seeking to stop other clubs marking up their players and charging NUFC a rich-owner premia whenever we are looking to buy players. Otherwise feels a bit Pardewy.

Just seems completely unnecessary to discuss this level of detail with the press. Feels a bit small time. If we're looking to attract top level talent this summer, this is not sending the right message about our ambitions to prospective players IMO. It's uncharacteristic, like I said, but weird all the same.

It's uncharacteristically Pardewy if we're being honest. Especially combined with being overtly flattered Bayern are interested in one of our players.

There is something to be said for him being a progress stopper for Tino, but then again Tino could probably learn a fair bit from him too. It's a no-lose situation IMO. I'd probably be marginally in favour of shifting him if we can recoup £20m+.

The future of NUFC. I'm not suggesting we sell him for a packet of crisps, but Tino will almost definitely be better than him in two years time - reasonably close now. I don't think he's the second best player either. He's been important in transforming the culture in the team, but we need to look to next season now really.

Fond of Trippier, but that'd be a great move from Newcastle tbh.

Tbf you don't need to have medical knowledge to know medical advice isn't being followed. Apparently, this is quite intrinsic to Howe philosophy and elements of this are reasonably self-evident from what you see on the pitch, how the team presses, how it manages games, how it doesn't rotate players and what we even saw "backstage" in the Amazon doc. But beneath the surface Howe hasn't historically bought players who might be overworked. If a player has a niggle, he will test them at 125% of their max in preseason. If a sub comes on for 5 minutes and doesn't demonstrate exemplary fitness, they don't get another opportunity (which spectacularly backfired wth the injury crisis). At least one person at the club was aghast but the sports science team are all Howe-appointed "max out" bros and refuted medical challenge (although apparently they are finally beginning to relent with this latest Joelinton issue - as he was the latest example of a player previously flagged at being at risk getting injured, they are now re-examining the return to play protocol). But this is not the first instance of this, of course, most prominently with Jacob Murphy when no one was listened to by management and predictably lasted all of 5 minutes. It's not terminal or anything but as I have more subtly implied previously, management needs to evolve off the pitch as well as on it over the summer. Your primary (only?) strategy to compete can't just be outworking opponents across three/four competitions - it's unsustainable. Particularly with questionable quality in even the first XI - which is just a reality of FFP we need to live with, and address over time.

I've heard different. Watching injured players hobble around the pitch for 90 mins (where Howe definitely has responsibility) leads me to believe this.

Yeah a little bit. NUFC get stage fright around me IRL.

I'd be interested, but would prefer NUFC progress tbh.

Gordon too I think.

I said a while ago that the team goes as Joelinton does, and the first half performance typified that. He's such a boss Opposition just back the fuck off when he's in the area, it's great. And with good reason. I know he's not Zidane but he can really dictate games. Think he's in my favourite all time NUFC XI now, you know.

Credit to the players and Howe for turning up from minute one. Set the tone immediately. Surprising lack of resistance from the mackems but still a good professional job from Newcastle.

My unpopular, non-local view: play the second string vs the mackems. Have Bruno, Joelinton, Isak and Gordon on the bench to change the game if need be (for 30 minutes max) in the second half. The mackems are local rivals, but they shouldn't be rivals anymore really given the club's ambition. If the second string can beat them and the first team effectively get a fortnight off it could reset the squad for the second half of the season in the league. Even if we don't progress, it would still be more beneficial for NUFC long-term than a third-round win against a Championship opponent, followed by a fourth-round draw at the Nou Camp against a Guardiola-era Messi/Xavi/Iniesta Barca. If Newcastle's second XI lose, it's fewer games and the mackems beat a reserve side. So what. Nee chance, thankfully - so you can all unwrinkle your noses and get the looks of contempt from your local-faces

That's a cracking couple of bets tbf

I disagree with this (and maybe don't fully understand it). We finished where we finished last year, and deserved it I reckon. If you think that was an overachievement by the squad, fair enough. That doesn't really exculpate the team this year from underachieving. There have been injuries, but the performances and management of the squad have IMO been disproportionate to the severity of those injuries. I would like some reassurance Howe is learning before the season has finished. I'm not breaking out pitchforks if not, but I'd personally be a bit uneasy if we start next year without a refresh to the approach to squad management and an alternative style of play to outworking-the-opponent. I don't think we're on course to finish between 6th and 8th either FWIW.

That's pathetic Just grim. Forest are a naff side. Chris Wood is one of the very worst forwards I've ever seen play for Newcastle. It's beyond parody he'd scor a hattrick. I'm not sure I agree with the posts which say we need to shithouse more. If you need to shithouse more against Forest at home, I don't think you're where we want to be. This is just the bill coming due for not managing the squad/fitness properly (which you can control/influence) and some unlucky injuries (which you don't control). Painful, and hope Howe learns from it for next season. Need to put together a somewhat passable second half of the season to attract half decent players with something beyond money.

Assume Tino needs a rest. Can't imagine Trippier or Burn start ahead of him.