Gallowgate Toon

As always, we could do with someone to get a grip in the middle.

We've been excellent. Really had a go at them. Gutted we're not further ahead.

I wouldn't have played Thauvin today, tbh. Wouldn't wanted to have shifted Ayoze out from AM for de Jong, either. Should've just stuck Tiote in there.

I assume he's being played there to free Sissoko and Wijnaldum up to get forward more. Surely just put Tiote in there?

Perez just played the role Wijnaldum largely has, he just did it a lot better.

Ayoze dropped into the hole plenty and joined the midfield when we were defending. McClaren even said after the game it wasn't 4-4-2. Called it 4-4-1-1, to be fair.

We played 4-2-3-1 against Chelsea, man Just because the Chronicle keep on saying it was 4-4-2, it clearly wasn't. Ayoze was behind Mitrovic and we had 2 attacking mids in wide spots.

Pulled one really smart finish out against Palace, I remember

Lush cross.

Carragher missing the point, I think. The comments were mainly that was the standard intensity we should put into the game, not the standard performance.

To be fair to TCD, Mbemba seemed to have no problem playing some more direct balls out to the flanks, last week, and even went on a dribble or two form deeper areas to try and create space. They'll have some instructions and movements, aye, but they'll choose which options to take. SMC even said too many were taking the safer option.

Don't think it's exactly fair to say we rode our luck, tbh. Chelsea didn't even have a shot on target until the 78th minute.

His 13/14 season is probably the best individual season any of our signings have had abroad. Amazing what's happened to him. Confidence must be absolutely shot to bits.

Available outball to play up to made such a difference for the midfielders, we couldn't really knock it long or over when Cisse was there as he has no pace or strength. We still used a variation of that splitting tactic, mind, Anita just went over as fullback when Janmaat pushed up, instead of directly splitting. I wouldn't give up on that tactic, tbh, I think player confidence was really getting in the way of our possession build up but mixing it up with more direct play should really relieve the pressure on our other attackers more. It's something we should use to mix it up and should be re-integrated slowly over the next couple of matches, as long as we've got a more capable CM on the ball to come and link play. I would disagree that it was down to an available outball in the case of Anita. Anita only completed 60% of his passes which indicates a lot of those balls weren't on. We went more direct in every sense. Anita carried the ball further then he has this season. Wasn't content to "make things tick" by passing it to defenders, he tried to get it to midfielders and attackers. Definitely told to be more direct with his passing. Should've clarified, I didn't mean that Mitrovic was always free, just that he was someone the players felt comfortable hitting the ball up to in most circumstances. We've not had that with Cisse - they had a safer pass forward on Saturday whereas before the only safe pass has been sideways. I'd be interested to see his passing stats for the first 45 compared to the second, mind. Of course they'll have been told to go more direct than previous games, they knew the ball would've come straight back if we knocked it up to Cisse. He wouldn't have even really competed for the ball.

Ayoze's close control and ability to beat player is always an advantage Yeah. If Mitrovic keeps his link-up game up, there's automatically someone for our midfielders to combo off when trying to get through defences. Someone with that sort of presence opens up more spaces too.

He's at his best when dribbling against opposition, it'll be interesting to see how he adapts against more packed teams. I think de Jong will prove to be the best option there for games like that, even if he's only shown it fleetingly so far. Ayoze obviously has to play in those games, though, either as a wide forward or 10.

Bet Deuce is chuffed you've complemented him on it.

Tim Krul says Newcastle United’s players finally gave the club’s fans something to shout about – after finding their voices. Steve McClaren’s side were denied their first Premier League win of the season by an 86th-minute goal from Chelsea substitute Willian on Saturday. And Krul said: “I gave some quotes saying that we needed to be men and I think that’s what we showed.” United, seemingly in crisis before the game, had led 2-0 thanks to goals from Ayoze Perez and Georginio Wijnaldum, but Ramires sparked a comeback with a stunning 60th-minute goal after coming off the bench. Krul had called on Newcastle’s players to be “men” on the pitch before the match, which followed an abject Capital One Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday’s reserves three days earlier. "Some strong words were said after (the cup game). We had some meetings about it. It wasn’t good enough. It was far below par" United had lacked leadership in the cup loss and the two Premier League defeats which preceded it. And the goalkeeper – who denied Ramires a winner for Chelsea with a fine late save – felt the team’s improvement was down to talking on and off the pitch, with McClaren and his squad having held a series of clear-the-air meetings. “We need more people speaking, but unfortunately that’s not the style of some of the players,” said Krul. “It needs to happen, and it has happened. People need to take more responsibility, and I think we did that. “Some strong words were said after (the cup game). We had some meetings about it. It wasn’t good enough. It was far below par. “We know that, but at least we showed a reaction. “That’s the reaction we should have shown two or three weeks ago, but at least we’re showing something. That’s something to build on. “It’s a shame it wasn’t three points, but I think the first-half performance was top class.” Krul believes 19th-placed United have now set a “standard” ahead of Saturday’s game at the Etihad Stadium against second-placed Manchester City. The Holland international said: “That’s the standard we set. “We showed that we’re capable. The fans reacted to that, and it was a shame to throw a two-goal lead away, but you can’t complain about a finish like that from Ramires.” Newcastle’s better performances this season have come against three of last season’s top four, with the team having drawn against Manchester United at Old Trafford and played well against Arsenal at home. And Krul has acknowledged the need for “consistency”. The 27-year-old said: “It’s always easier when people don’t expect us to get anything. “But we need to be more consistent. But we’re showing signs. The manager said it. It’s going to be a long journey with ups and downs, but this is the start.”

Available outball to play up to made such a difference for the midfielders, we couldn't really knock it long or over when Cisse was there as he has no pace or strength. We still used a variation of that splitting tactic, mind, Anita just went over as fullback when Janmaat pushed up, instead of directly splitting. I wouldn't give up on that tactic, tbh, I think player confidence was really getting in the way of our possession build up but mixing it up with more direct play should really relieve the pressure on our other attackers more. It's something we should use to mix it up and should be re-integrated slowly over the next couple of matches, as long as we've got a more capable CM on the ball to come and link play.

Hazard is brilliant, man. Totally dragged Chelsea through when they were struggling last year, it was him that really opened up space against us too.

He's got some interesting decisions to make. I'm assuming he'll want us to play the counter game and defend narrow again, so will probably play the same team. If they've got Toure, Fernandinho and Fernando as the midfield 3 then I think he'll need to reshuffle our midfield structure. Really fancy Mitrovic to get the better of Otamendi and Demichelis.

I thought some of his link on the deck was really good, tbh. Some neat intricate passing touches too.

Haidara played well against Man U and Arsenal, like.

Southampton was decent as well, tbf. Although, to be fair to McClaren, even good motivational managers need the right blend of characters. Don't think Mitrovic's effort can be underestimated, his desire made sure everyone else had to play the same way. It's not like we've exclusively played well with this core of players against big sides, either, plenty of times they've just not shown up (Liverpool, Man U and Spurs home games all come to mind as being utterly abject)

They really dovetailed nicely. Mitro showed some great link-up and Perez moved well around him. Gini, as much as I like him, just hasn't brought that sort of energy to the AM role and has been a bit too continental in his style when on the ball. Although, to be fair to him, he's had Cisse to play off and we never looked comfortable using him as our focal point.