Whitley mag

Feels like a big transfer window all of a sudden with season unraveling quickly. I think they’ll back EH all they can, but just hope we don’t try some short term quick fix like Phillips. After watching last few games it’s hard to know where to prioritise at the minute, be interesting to see how they approach it with so many upgrades now seemingly required.

Still the man for the job but today was a shocker no escaping it. Said before the match our tactics are stale and we’ve been sussed by the opposition. In mitigation though Howe hasn’t had the time between games to tweak things tactically and injuries have limited his options. We’ve got no excuse now though, there’s full weeks between games without Europe and we’re right to expect a massive improvement in 2nd half of season. Players are playing without discipline and he must tweak our attacking play, the obsession with inverted wingers cutting in without a playmaker to break down defences is to easy to read. If he’s backed with money in January he must veer from wanting players who can simply run and are physical. My biggest fear for Howe is his transfer business, it undone him at Bournemouth in my opinion and appointing his brother on the transfer committee rang major alarm bells.

Sad state of affairs not sure what the answer is now think the horse might have already bolted.

Couldn’t agree more he’s reverted back to being an absolute liability, I get he might be frustrated but his ill discipline needs addressing by Howe urgently.

He’s looking every bit the liability he used to be in a flat back 4 prior to his resurgence. Very indisciplined at the minute and all over the fucking shop, needs to be reminded defending is his primary job.

Reading this glad I called it a day after Dortmund at home, sad but can’t see me heading back up to St James any time soon, find the whole experience depressing as fuck even when we’re winning.

For all Tino is more exciting I agree with Burn at left back, we need to get the back 4 back to being solid and if that means going back to basics so be it. However, it’s hard to argue on current form Trippier should be ahead of him at left back.

Very true, but think the signs were even there earlier in the season that both of them just cutting in continuously had become predictable, we need another string to our bow at some point.

We’ve become a bit predictable in our attacking play with these inverted wingers, should have enough today but needs a tweak or two going forward. Think even Gordon is becoming easy to read for the opposition at the minute, front 3 need to be more interchangeable, hopefully Isak’s movement helps with this today. HTFL

Yasir’s number 1 choice was Howe, I think people do PIF a disservice thinking that they’ll be itching to pull the trigger without an improvement soon. I get the impression they’re very clued and will privately acknowledge that this season was a difficult ask to start with and that’s before the injuries and Tonali. I said at the time the Tonali ban was disastrous and so it’s proved, he was our blue chip signing to help us bridge the gap this season. So many things have conspired against us this season, we all owe it to Howe to back him to the hilt for the remainder of this season. If Howe got the bullet it would leave a massive sour taste, we all want him to be the one to end the trophy drought it would be a beautiful thing. Newcastle United will never be defeated, keep the faith and back Howe to the hilt would be my advice to everyone.

Aye, I’m forgetting about this match until after Xmas now already making me feel nauseous.

He’s not immune to constructive criticism it’s just the nature of the game, but all these takes that his job could be on the line are ridiculous. The notion that our British owners will be overruled by PIF and fire him are also fanciful, Yasir was on record as saying Eddie was his number 1 choice and it was other members of the consortium who wanted Emery. From what we’ve seen so far PIF are far more clued up than some of these American owners and they’ll give Howe all the backing in January that they can to improve us. Eddie and co just need to be careful how they spend it, as this is one of the few criticisms I would lay at his door after the summer.

The home end surrendered yet they’re all in the South Stand opposite ?

People definitely need to keep a hold, but losing to the mackems would provoke a meltdown of unprecedented levels. We all need to keep the bigger picture in mind and though I do think he has some flaws, he’s undoubtedly the best man for us in the foreseeable.

Losing to the mackems is hard to recover from as an NUFC manager, in recent times only Robson recovered in my opinion. I certainly wouldn’t want us firing a manager on the back of losing to them cunts they’d love it. However, this is massive for Howe to keep things on track and moving forward in the grand scheme.

One of the few who can actually pass the ball as well, its a sign Howe is slightly struggling to find answers at the minute and was very out of character to make an early change like that.

Apart from Bruno and he can be hitty miss when we start chasing the game, who actually out of our midfield and wide players is good at passing and looking up ? If Howe wants a quick, pressing, power based running team, it’s just not going to cut it unless we get a clever player slotted in somewhere. We are massively missing St Maximum’s unpredictability and creativity, he got this massively wrong in the summer and has left us very predictable and pedestrian.

Got it wrong in the summer apart from Tino and where paying the price now unfortunately. Yeah nobody could foresee injuries to Barnes and Tonali ban, problem is neither we’re what we needed in first place.

Yip lack of players with real technical quality, running and physicality isn’t enough unfortunately, especially when we’re gassed.

Tinpot club tinpot fans.

Tino can play midfield if required.

Aye row Z should be his first tactic today in tight spots.

Feels big for Trippier today needs to avoid any major ricks.

Win today and we start to haul the likes of Villa back in the New Year. HTFL

Today could be a good indicator on how we’ll fare in this game, Luton might be more physical than the mackems, but keen to see how we go in these surroundings today and how composed we look.