Cronky

Micah lost it a bit yesterday. I think he got frustrated and felt that Keane and Neville were patronising him. However, whereas Keane and Neville were coming out with the usual ex-player stuff about the current team not putting in enough effort, Richards was at least getting at the underlying cause - ie the ridiculous position that Rangnick has been put in / put himself in. Yeah, he acts like a big kid at times, but he's not stupid at all. I like him.

That was all compulsive viewing. Micah has this loud, clownish manner but he actually has some good and original points to make. I agreed with him about the Rangnick appointment, which was very unusual in its nature. Exactly what is he? He's acting as a caretaker manager, but also one who, by his own admission, actually sees himself potentially recommending his own appointment to the permanent job. He's supposed to be taking a detached, overall view and making long-term recommendations like a DOF, but he's also in the thick of coaching the players himself on a day to day basis. Are the players actually going to take him seriously, given all that? It certainly looks like they don't. And when it's all gone belly up under his interim management, who can take his recommendations seriously? Who can tell whether it's a truly objective, distanced opinion that can be relied on, or one that's coloured by the players' reaction to him as a coach in that very fragile position. Neville was talking about it all being part of a master plan of making a long-term appointment, but any top class manager coming in is going to want to make their own assessment. They're not just going to follow Rangnick's plan like he was some guru. Particularly if his reign has been a cock-up which has set the team backwards.

The one thing that worried me before his signing was that he seemed to have an appetite for taking risks in possession deep in his own half. He needs to adjust a little bit, because the challenges come in that bit quicker and tastier in the Premiership, and our refs are more lenient when it comes to the physical side. But overall, he's a fine player with an imaginative range of passing. And I'd agree that he needs to start now. Our midfield has been unchanged for a number of pressure games, and things need freshening up. Given our situation, I can understand Howe's reluctance to make changes, but we did look tired.

For some reason, Southampton are the most unpredictable of sides. I can't work them out. Maybe something to do with their manager. So reasons to be cheerful.

As long as this lad stays fit, we'll be all right.

Brighton looked very fit. Their high press was very effective, but it's what happens at both ends of the pitch that counts. Their goal should not have stood. A Brighton player backed into Dubravka and had hold of him by the arm. A more vigorous protest might have led to a VAR reversal.

Seeing he's been allowed to do this before, it would make it more difficult for Howe to refuse. But that doesn't make the situation a satisfactory one. It's hard to believe that the fact that this so-called 'specialised treatment' happens to be in one of his old stamping grounds is just a coincidence. It looks like he'd simply prefer to have his treatment there for personal reasons. I'm assuming that he hasn't been flying back to Newcastle for his fitness tests, and then returning to Monaco. In which case, the decision about his fitness doesn't really rest in the club's hands.

He's been helped greatly by the new signings - particularly Dan Burn - but even allowing for that, I've been surprised by the transformation. He's taken the fear out of our game. After the last five years of defensive football, I was very unconfident as to whether his more positive approach would work with the squad. I went to West Ham, expecting a defend and counter attack strategy. The game kicked off and West Ham didn't touch the ball for the first five minutes. We had 53% possession playing away to a team that was 4th in the league. He's made some ballsy decisions - committing Joelinton to a three man midfield, keeping Willock in the side and not rushing Bruno in - and they've come off. I was actually quite moved by the recent interviews with Willock and Fraser. And by that photo. Perhaps nice guys don't always come last.

I was responding to a post from Pardiola, who does seem to be an Administrator.

As an administrator, do you not think you should be setting a better example?

Shirley I can't be the only person who's worried that something else is going on here. Why is he in Monaco? Howe strikes me as very keen on a spirit of togetherness. Is there some kind of specialised medical unit next to the casino? Last week he was in training, but wasn't even on the bench at West Ham. There's not much clarity about how severe this injury actually is. He plays very much as an individual, and we've tended to treat him as our saviour. I think Bruce indulged him a bit. Howe's mentality seems to be that it's just as important to get that bit extra out of the weaker members of the squad, so maybe ASM isn't getting the attention he thinks he deserves?

He did look like a player who didn't want to be here, so it's great to hear he's more settled. His performance against West Ham was a bit of a revelation.

I get the feeling that we'll need a situation where we're a goal down with 30 minutes left before we see him for any length of time. Either that, or an injury to Joelinton, Shelvey or Willock. Points are precious, and Howe doesn't want to take a risk from a good position.

He's very right-footed, so creating something going forward was always going to be a problem yesterday. I was a bit surprised to see him out on the left, but he did okay.

It was quite strange. For the first 5 minutes, we completely dominated possession. I don't think West Ham got the ball in our half once. It's ages since I've seen us do that to the opposition.

Best I've seen him play for us, including his goalscoring run last season.

Hmmm.... it doesn't sound like ASM and Howe were in total agreement about his fitness. ASM tends to make a meal of it when he's hurt during a game. What we lost today in terms of his ability to get past opponents, we gained in terms of fluency of passing and teamwork. It's hard to imagine him not starting at Brentford, but Howe has a policy of rewarding good performances, and he may feel the need to assert his position. Ultimately, he decides who plays and who doesn't.

Well done, Dr Jinx. I pointed out more than once that the only time I saw him play at Hoffenheim, he was in central midfield with two strikers ahead of him, but no, I never advocated trying him there. Partly because he didn't look that great in that position in that Hoffenheim game, and partly because it didn't look to me that he would have the mobility to survive in midfield in the Premiership. I'm still a bit mystified how he does it, to be honest. Occasionally, that lumbering footwork lands him in difficulty, but then he'll use his strength and good reading of situations to really open things up for us. Always shown a good attitude though. Never hid or complained, and now he's getting his reward.

I think that's quite generous. I wouldn't say he was lazy, but he didn't seem to want to take responsibility and impose himself on a game. He may do better in a club and a situation where there's less pressure.

That seems the obvious choice. It's hard to see what Willock has got that Bruno hasn't. Willock's goals have dried up, and even then Bruno looks like he'll be given the licence to get into the box on the end of chances. From the point of view of squad morale, Howe is right to reward commitment on the part of the old guard, and Willock might retain his starting place for that reason. But I think it's only a matter of time.

Playing 3 CBs could be a response to West Ham's power in the air, particularly from set pieces. Just a thought.

According to the Sun, we're preparing a £45m bid for Eberechi Eze. Yes please. One very good player.

I agree. They're not going through the best of times as a club, and we have some momentum. If we can keep it level for an hour or so, I'd fancy to do them on the break.

Trippier will be missed, but following Sunday's game, Big Dan is the player I'd least want to see injured. At any level of football, CB is a crucial position in the sense that you can't afford to be weak there, and he added so much in terms of composure, intelligence and strength. We defended a 1-0 lead against a good side for over an hour. This season, that feels like a breakthrough.

In his six or so minutes of play, Bruno has twice fed ASM into good situations with passes that were delivered quickly and accurately. I'm dying to see more of him. But I'm now accepting of Howe's reasoning. If he'd instantly pitched in all five of the newcomers, he'd have given the message to the others that they're a bit rubbish. We're going to have to rely on those players to turn in performances at various stages, so their morale and sense of being part of things is important.