Novocastrian

Thanks for posting - great insight into Rafa's backroom team.

Maybe Rafa's been told the club will be changing hands in the near(ish) future so he's hanging on for a brave new world.

Papering over the cracks.

A liability who won't be our first choice come May. Doesn't have the athleticism, confidence or physical presence to take a ball in a crowded box which is a problem in English football. His powder puff 'punch' near the end of the game was embarrassing and may have cost us another goal. A horrendous, career defining error seems likely at any time.

Watching Mitrovic stroll round the pitch after being on for 5 minutes with 5 minutes left brought back my worst memories of Shola.

Ref sent Vardy off for that! What a chump.

Shame he won't have 15 games to save us rather than 10.

Hope Doumbia has 12-16 goals in him before the season is out, anything less and we are doomed.

Shelvey started pointing, midfield general style.

Guivarch would have converted that, and Frank Pingel.

Most games, even crushing defeats, have a least one player who has performed. Not one of our players is even a 4/5 out of 10 at the moment.

10 people voted yes to the ''do you want Newcastle to get relegated'' question. I think we are watching them now.

There's doubts about Sissoko's commitment and consistency but when he is up for it he is a force nature breaking from our half with the ball. Considering we have, by accident rather than design, evolved into a counter attacking team I would see him as critical to our success this season. Certainly don't see Townsend as a replacement.

Compared to Bournemouth last night we are a joke.

If you want to play at a stroll in this league you need a Berbatov's sangfroid, first touch and speed of thought. De Jong is just too slow in every sense to make any impact. Maybe in a team of runners or with more space he would be a threat but I don't think he's cut out for this league.

Can't wait for the game on Sunday, I don't get back to the NE very often so been looking forward to this one all year. Er........... I'll get me coat...........

When we played Liverpool in the 1974 FA Cup final we were actually the more successful team with 11 major honours to their 10. Since then Liverpool have won 5 European Cups/Champions League, 2 UEFA Cups, 10 league titles, 6 FA Cups and 8 League Cups =31 major honours. We've won nowt, not even by accident.

''Colback played well but is still an utter c*** who I'll never give my 100% backing to''. Why? I thought we looked decent and ''contained'' Citeh for most of the match. We lack a bit of a cutting edge but anyone on here could have predicted that before the match.

''Colback played well but is still an utter c*** who I'll never give my 100% backing to''. Why?

Not seen him? This Thought he was our best player today. Maybe, he was up there. We have had pedestrian midfields before with static players keen to pass sideways. This player is happy to take the ball and run with it, putting pressure on the opposition and creating space, that's what we've been missing and something you don't see that often, see the England team for confirmation. Isn't that what football is about? No?

Colback was a million miles better than him today and arguably just as positive, despite his deeper role. When did Colback take the ball and run 40 yards at the opposite defence? You are not comparing like with like. Sissoko has power, pace and strength, he is missing poise but why compare him with Colback? Might as well compare him with Krul.

A fantasy player in the mould of Ginola, Asprilla, HBA etc. What's the point though? He will sold once th big boys come sniffing about.

A total mediocrity. When I watch Keegan's 'I'd love it' clip on YouKnowWhere it makes me want to cry. That was a manager who players would run through brick walls for, who would never give up and would make the opposition worry about us. Pardew is the antithesis of all of that. Depressing

Yep. The old guard of Gerrard etc. weren't good enough in their prime but they're doing a nurturing job and like you say 2016 onwards should be even better. If this squad is being thrown together for 2016/2018 in mind then Gerrard shouldn't be in the squad. You would run the risk of ruining the young uns without an experienced nucleus guiding them. It's why Lampard is there. And it's why Ashley Cole should've been there. Exactly any arsing about by the young lads and Cole would have shot them.

We've shown enough to win the next two games. Italy were no great shakes, they exploited the weakness on England's left until they went into catenaccio mode. Meh.