STM

Watch Joelinton, looks sluggish

Bruno and Joelinton want a kick up the arse. Anderson would show more spirit.

Gordon is a sending off waiting to happen.

Also, Barnes is absolutely ideal on the break against these lot, second half.

Because our manager said so. Literally one week ago he wasn't match sharp, according to Howe. By the end of the season, Hall will have displaced Targett IMO..... but he will still have Burn to shift too.

What a deranged comment. What would you have done? Played a right back at left back or put Lewis Hall straight in, despite the fact he's not match ready? Targett is next in line. Its not hard to work out. If he's shite here..... different story.

I'm buzzing for it. Reckon we will be a wounded animal.

I think more over, its more the idea that Howe will "dabble" with something he has never done or at least not done in the best part of 18 months. It's Lascelles/Schar for RCB slot and Botman/Burn for LCB. Both young Murphy and Dummett will be seen as last resorts.

I will be surprised if Howe does something that he's never done before like.

Yeah, I think Anderson is waiting for that key injury.

I think Botman will play. Howe said Botman is doubtful, which is the biggest indicator that he's absolutely fine. If Joelinton and Botman are missing, it must be Anderson and Targett. Lascelles can't play LCB, nor can Schar and as far as I can remember Howe has never done that. ... and on Anderson, if you are picking Longstaff LCM over him (or shifting Tonali to accommodate Longstaff) what's the point in Anderson not going out on loan? He had a class pre season... play him. When Willock gets back, it's not going to get any easier.

I've had time to digest this and fuck me I'm buzzing. 6 games of pure drama. Pure quality.

This is fun like. Want that feyernoord group.

Joe Cole doesn't belong.

I still wish they had one game on ITV though. Felt like even your average housewife ended up watching the footy and getting into it. It's definitely lost something without a free game on.

So I'd fancy us against: POT 1: Sevilla, Napoli, Benfica, Feyernoord. POT 2: Porto, Leipzig, Inter, Atletico, Dortmund POT 3: All of them. So we are going to have minimum of 1 "nice" opponent in CL terms and a pretty good chance of 2 but not unthinkable that we could end up with 3 favourable opponents.

What the fuck is Douglas on about. There's no way Lascelles slots in at LCB. I don't think he's played there once under EH, not in pre season or anything. It will be Burn LCB and Targett LB. I honestly don't think these journalists know their arse from their elbow.

Na it's genuinely not but I also understand how ridiculous it is. I don't take defeat well. I think my fear is that we have these amazing CL nights and ruin it by fucking finishing 10th?. It's irrational, I know.

Liverpool loss has taken the gloss off this, for me.

Also, don't forget the players themselves are culpable. Howe will be furious at their lack of savvy.

Few views on this... Firstly, of course it's OK to say "I think that sub was wrong", "I think he should have made changes sooner" or "I think he should have started x player". I don't think anyone thinks this isn't OK to discuss. Last season, around the city away game I was open in saying I thought he waited two games too many to bring Maxi, Isak and Murphy into the side. I think loyalty to certain players cost us.... however I also "got it", sometimes you have to show loyalty. Its a fucking tough job. However, I don't think any of this is what we are REALLY talking about. We are talking about the post defeat knee jerk apocalyptic types. The ones who jump straight into the thread by slating Miggy or Burn, despite neither having a bad game. Slating the manager for not doing what they wanted, despite it not being absolutely clear that what they wanted would have helped. Everyone is captain hindsight. I'm sure Howe will look at the Liverpool game with regrets but he'd be mental to beat himself up. The great thing about Howe and the reason I love him so much, is that he's not the finished article... he will never be the finished article. He's his own biggest critic. That's why I wouldn't change him for the world. I guess my own thought is that I'm in dreamland with this manager and the mere insinuation of a world without Eddie Howe pisses me off. Its short-sighted, reactionary and just not the Newcastle United I want to be. I've no doubt that with Howe at the helm we will continue to improve long term but there will be some bumps along the way, so just relax, take the defeats on the chin and get behind the lads.

In hindsight, something simple like swapping Isak and Gordon would have been killer. Isak would have given TAA a terrible time and Gordon would have had the hustle for the defenders.

It's genuinely the most gutted I've been, when that second went in. Wish we were playing tommorow.

Calm down man. You are just noising off because we lost.

We played Man City. When Man City are 1/3 of your sample size, stats will be skewed.