Chris_R

Think we've been OK but just lacked quality in the final third. We're tidy in posession but it's hard to see where we're going to create chances from.

He really isn't. He's had about 2 chances. If he was missing chances, I'd be worried but he's not. He's just not getting any because we're not creating chances for him. He needs crosses into the box that he can attack.

Even worse, not just cards sold but free tickets handed out but then unused. Absolute frauds, hence why in their last PL season they averaged about £9/ticket

Dubravka is fine. Clearly if we want to actually win things and be regularly in the CL, then he needs replacing. But he'll be fine next year for the level we'll be aiming at. There's far more pressing concerns, IMO. Though if the opportunity comes to sign someone amazing, of course we should. Though that goes for any position.

That was actually a really good finish, put it into the only bit of the net he really could when under pressure and having to buy it first time. Great delivery for the goal too. I'll admit I didn't rate him at all that Bruce, but it shows how you need a decent manager before you judge a player. I've fully changed my opinion of him.

Please explain why we finished 5th under Pardew.

Hang on, I thought the narrative was that KSA owning us was terrible for us, and the worst thing that could happen to us. Why on Earth would they want us to be sold and KSA to buy Chelsea? It just doesn't make any sense. It's almost as if they're deluding themselves....

I'd be devastated if we swapped Howe for Southgate. Seems a decent bloke, but he's not a tactician or a coach, he's just a manager. That works at international level where you get the players for a few days every now and again, you pick the XI, gee them up and they have to slot into what system you want to play, but it doesn't work at club level as we've seen with Southgate already. He'll fail if and when he ever goes into club management again.

Don't worry, global thermonuclear war is just around the corner to put us back in our place again.

You could justify any of Klopp, Dyche or Howe. I'd love to see Howe get it, but I'd be perfectly happy if he won it next month instead.

Small point, but I've seen a lot of people say this. Lascelles isn't his captain, he's Bruce's. He hasn't dropped 'his' captain.

Whilst Fraser's crosses lacked any strength or whip with his left foot, it was still great to see him put them in and quite effectively too. I'm a big believer in left footed crosses from the left and right footed crosses from the right because generally they mean the defender and attacker are running towards goal, instead of being more static when someone cuts inside and uses the other foot. I think it's something which makes a massive difference to the effectiveness of the cross.

I've lived in Bournemouth for over a decade after leaving the North East, and he's a legend down here. I've wanted him to get a chance to manage Newcastle for a long time, before Bournemouth even got to the PL, and I'm delighted that he is now our manager. I'm also very pleased that he's doing so well, however I will say that I'm not remotely surprised. I've seen first hand what Howe can do to a club. Anecdote time: In October 2014, toward the end of Alan Pardew's reign of horror, I got into a massive argument with a guy in a bar overseas in Fujairah, who mocked me for wanting rid of him. He was asking who we could possibly get who was better, I guess he hoped I'd name someone unrealistic and he could then mock me for being deluded but straight away I said Howe, even though Bournemouth were in the Championship at the time, because I knew he was a rising star. He'd never heard of Howe, which I guess was fair enough, but he still laughed and said I was being stupid and we should keep Pardew and intimated that because he'd never heard of Howe he must be crap and worse than Pardew. I hope he remembers that conversation now.

Those interview comments about Howe and how things have changed since he came in. Awesome and great to hear.

I've got to be so careful because of this. Have ruined goals for myself on the past so now I only check this thread when the ball goes out of play on the half way line or something to minimise the risk.

Because he can't afford the bigger fish. He's penniless.

There's hope for me yet!

I don't care if Wood never scores. For me, he can spend the rest of the season smashing balls into his own net provided we keep averaging 10 points every 4 games.

I love him, but every single shot by Joelinton is followed by me shouting "Fuck off Joelinton!"

Hadn't he consistently won loads of headers in all his games so far?

Fair enough.

He's an ex player doing well. Seems reasonable to discuss him? Especially in a thread with his name on, which makes it easily avoided if you're not interested in how he's doing

Why? He's a central midfielder. Howe clearly isn't going to change those players while we keep winning. I'm not remotely surprised. Bruno would make our side better today, but maybe the damage to morale isn't worth it? That's clearly Howe's take anyway.

Yeah that's a defeat today. No idea where any goals are coming from. Oh well, Bruno was never starting until after we next lose so at least we should see him soon. Hopefully he gets the last 30 today.