Cronky

Well, I guess we'll never know how things would have turned out, short and long-term, if at the start of that season, Robson had been allowed to replace Shearer. He wasn't given the chance to back his judgement. What was apparent was that, after his dismissal, no manager of repute at the time would touch the job with a barge pole, knowing what was going on behind the scenes. We ended up with our fifth choice man in Souness.

The situation was complicated, but Robson's say over the signings was limited. Freddie Shepherd was a poor Chairman, getting over-involved in the football side and listening to too many other opinions. Sir Bob's successor experienced the same problem. There were divisions within the dressing room yes, but Robson's position and authority as manager had been undermined. He needed and wanted to move Shearer on, but Shearer had become bigger than the club and one way or another was exerting too much influence. Shepherd had the dream of Shearer taking over the manager and both he, the local paper and most supporters ended up backing the wrong guy. It was like watching a car crash in slow motion. At the end of the day, we had three successive top five finishes. We've not come anywhere near that achievement since.

I can't believe it's on the cards, but the thought of Eddie getting dismissed absolutely terrifies me. He is our best chance of finally making the transition to the top level, and I've waited a long time for it. I don't live in the North East, so I can't really tell, but the support seems to be behind him. My only worry is that we have previous of turning against a great manager (Sir Bob), so I hope we all keep some perspective when we come across the inevitable bumps on the road. As for the Saudis, their thinking is a mystery to me. Yasir comes across as a likeable guy with some feeling for the club, but I don't know how much awareness he has on the ups and downs of football. It takes time. Amanda and co seem solid characters who will back Eddie. They all seem to be working well together, so I hope if there's any temptation to bring in a more glamorous name like Mourinho, they'll be able to resist it. (I think Mourinho would be wise not to take the gig anyway) I know it's probably all media talk, but I don't like hearing it.

We didn’t deserve to win but that was a lousy way to lose. I don’t know why Hall wasn’t given a go but I trust Eddie’s judgement. Given that the whole team were under the cosh, it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.

We're getting dominated physically all over the pitch. Looking at the bench, I don't know what Eddie can do to change that. I think we've just got to hope that our goal continues to lead a charmed life and / or we nick something on the break. Not much chance of either, but the latter is a bit more likely.

I can relate to this, I was 12 when we last won a trophy, and even that was a competition where the best teams didn't enter. The League Cup is a notch above that. It would be great to win something before I pop my clogs (not imminent, by the way), but this current journey is the best of times and I'm enjoying it whatever. We now have a manager with the capability of using the passion behind the club without being burdened by its hopes and expectations. He keeps his judgement on firm ground, and creates a kind of protective ring around the squad which keeps them focused. If we lose, it won't be through a lack of composure, or fear. This is a team that delivers its best.

I was wondering when someone was going to come up with that comparison. Having watched the highlights, at one point he received the ball under pressure with one touch, weaved his way past 2 or 3 defenders with great changes of direction, and hammered in a fierce shot with his weaker foot. The Bellingham / Vieira comparisons might not be all that fanciful.

I don't think Dalot gave the ref any choice. He got booked for an aggressive display of dissent and then he did exactly the same thing again. It's like backing someone into a corner - never a good idea. I still think LIverpool are looking for a main striker and Nunez isn't it.

Silva does seem prone to these fits of self-righteous anger. So many managers don't seem to be aware of their wider responsibilities. Acting like you've been the victim of an earth-shattering injustice when a decision goes against you is a syndrome that filters down all the way to kids football. It's the very worst image for the game.

Interesting point, because despite his work-rate and the number of games he plays, he's been remarkably free of injuries this last two years. We've been very lucky, because so much of our good play goes through him.

Sorry, me again. Eddie isn't that experienced when it comes to the very top level, and so maybe it's inevitable that his supposed inexperience gets cited when something apparently goes wrong. But I've just checked - in the two years he's been here, we've beaten Man U three times, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal twice and Man City once. Liverpool are the only team that's escaped. Results that would once have been exceptional have now become regular. But when we're beaten, he's 'naive' and been put in his place. It's bollocks. Eddie is at least the equal of any manager out there.

Whenever a team loses, it's tempting to come up with some overall explanation, and 'naive' has been coming up a lot. In reality, in a close game, luck will play a big part. We were fully committed to the win and were throwing people forward, and of course that comes with risk. And throwing defenders forward is part of the tactic of going for it. If the pass to Schar had been more accurate, it would probably have been a different story. It really boils down to whether we should have been prepared to settle for the draw. Personally, I think Eddie called it right, in putting the correct value on a place in the Europa League. You can say he was wrong, but not 'naive'.

My thoughts too. I've heard it said that he himself would like to be in CM. There's nothing wrong with his passing and close control so it's a possibility, but that area is getting a bit crowded with the emergence of Miley. It does look like something's not going right, and that he's maybe not learning at the pace that Eddie needs.

It’s okay to defend Ten Haag - Man U is not an easy job - but the comparison with Eddie Howe is plain daft. Eddie inherited a far worse squad of players and Ten Haag has had much more financial backing.

I agree with you 100% about taking the risk of trying to stay in the CL. It nearly came off - Schar wasn't a million miles away from scoring - and the Europa League is a different animal altogether. Basically, the best teams aren't in it. It would be great to attract the very best players, but we're not in a position to do that yet. FFP imposes restrictions, and we can't compete with the 'big six' when it comes to wages and transfer fees. It looks like we've tried (eg Maddison, Barella). We have to rely on Eddie's ability to get that extra 10% from every individual, at least for the time being. Thinking about it, there's a particular thrill about seeing players like Murphy and Burn performing at the highest level. And finally, great though Sir Bob was, Eddie's achievement is the greater, for me. I don't think I've ever seen a manager transform a team as dramatically and quickly as Eddie has done.

I appreciate that, but given what Eddie has achieved over the last 2 years, from such a desperate starting point, the idea that anyone else could have done better is unthinkable to me. Emery has proved himself to be a fine manager, but Eddie has overachieved in a way that I had thought impossible. At the time when he took over, anyone who had said that 18 months later we'd be in the Champions League would have been visited by the men in white coats.

Surely you jest, sir.

The quote from Eddie is interesting, because it's quite rare for him to single out a particular mistake as being crucial. Normally, he will generalise along the lines of 'we were not at our best'. The goal was a crucial turning point, because we had looked well on the way up until then. Lascelles got caught in two minds. The main thing that has prevented him from being a top-class defender has been indecision.

If Schar had managed to get hold of that ball into the box (and he wasn't far off), then most likely we'd have gone ahead rather than Milan, and then gone through instead of PSG. Fine margins. It would have been a great thrill to have reached the next stage of the CL, but in reality our squad doesn't have the depth or overall quality to cope with such a heavy load of fixtures. The Europa League is a something of a best-of-the-rest competition and does make big demands on a club, so I'm not that sorry about missing out.

This is what I thought too. He looked decent on the left, and benefitted from only having to play the half-hour. Later on, it looked like from the TV like he was switched to the centre with Joelinton on the left, and became less involved as a result.

Disappointing, because I don't think AC Milan deserved it. They didn't improve much in the second half, but the equaliser changed it. We then ended up chasing it and it became a lottery. Lascelles always had a tendency to indecision, and getting caught in no-man's land. He's done well over the last few weeks, but he was at fault for that goal. I'm not too sorry about missing out on the Europa League. We can concentrate on the domestics.

Lascelles back to his old ways - getting caught in no-man's land.

The way he hit that pass first time for big Joe made all the difference. It gave him the time and space he needed.

In the firing line again My chief comparsions were with Longstaff and Anderson. I think they and Miley will end up competing for one place. Some rotation will take place, and I think one will eventually have to leave - probably Anderson. Difficult to tell the time scale. Miley has a naturally good touch on the ball which is superior to the other two. That I'm pretty convinced about. Without being blessed with searing pace, I think he's quicker too - particularly in relation to Anderson. I can't see much wrong with his temperament or confidence either. What he's lacking at the moment is his ability to impose himself on a game. Longy is definitely ahead of him there - possibly Anderson as well. I've noticed that Miley often makes good runs, but doesn't always get found by his team-mates. He's new to the first team squad, let alone the first team, so it's perhaps not surprising that he hasn't developed that kind of presence yet. But I think that'll come - it's just a question of how soon. I'm pretty sure that if Longstaff is fit, he'll start tonight. His experience will count.

I know what you mean, and it comes down to the meaning of particular words, but it's a little bit like that issue of whether Messi could be considered an all-time great until he'd won a World Cup, like Pele and Maradona. Another factor with Eddie is that he's performed a similar miracle at another club. It can't be a fluke. What astonished me with Eddie is how bad the team were at the time that he took over, and how quickly he turned things round. We went from Sheffield United to the Champions League in no time at all. The amount spent does not explain that.