PlymouthGeordie

Great that Trippier is done and Botman, Diego Carlos, Digne and dare I say it Vlahovic are amongst our targets but I think we're starting to see how difficult a window this could be with clubs either demanding a "Newcastle premium" like Lille and Sevilla or players not prepared to join because of our league position (Vlahovic/Digne) Our need for early arrivals makes things more difficult because I do think the longer the window goes on without Digne signing for Chelsea the more likely he'd be to join us. That said, it's so refreshing the club are bring proactive and ambitious with their targets. Long may it continue.

Wilshere and PEA are awful options. PEA unavailable until Feb and clubs aren't taking Wilshere for good reason. Even Ramsey I'm not keen on given his injury record.

Trippier and Digne as our fullbacks instead of Krafth and Ritchie. A serious upgrade. Manquillo and Lewis as back up / rotation would give us a bit of depth in those positions for the first time in years.

If he's available for 20m it's surely a no brainer? Give him a relegation release clause of 20m, ASM on the left, Traore on the right and both could cover upfront too.

More noises today that Chelsea could try and get him with a last minute approach.

I think this game being postponed means we're more likely to stay up than go down. If Spurs beat Watford tomorrow, we're 2 points behind and we've only played a game extra. Burnley and Leeds play each other so someone is guaranteed to drop points there. ASM will be back for Watford along with hopefully Trippier and at least one or two more. Feeling pretty positive now.

Yeah true. Hopefully it gets rescheduled, that is definitely the best outcome for us.

I think a player only has to have EFL experience to count towards being 1of the 13 outfield players.

Beginning to get concerned that this match is going to go ahead. A two week break before we play Watford (who will be decimated by the AFCON) could transform our season.

He's only 21 so doesn't need to be registered and because he has PL experience he'll count towards the 13 outfield players.

Outfield players that I can think of are: Krafth Lascelles Schar Hendrick Shelvey S. Longstaff M. Longstaff Murphy Joelinton Almiron Gayle 11 players with Fraser and ASM touch and go. I think the club recalling Matty may mean this one goes ahead.

Given the imbalance of the games played across the bottom 6 (Burnley and Watford having multiple games in hand) it is almost impossible to judge how likely we are to stay up. I would say we're capable of winning 7 and drawing 3-4 of the last 19 games which would give us a chance. It will need a real turn of fortune and for ASM and Wilson injuries to be short term though. Could really do with the Everton game being postponed.

I think it's clear we need both a new RB and new LB. An injury to Lewis or Manquillo means we're immediately playing a winger at full back because Krafth is awful and Dummett is never fit. Tripper would sort the RB position out. Anyone's guess as to who we could target at LB. At least one pacey CB is needed, preferably good on the ball and left footed. I'd say Ake has to be in with a shout given he's played under Howe before and is likely attainable for a certain fee. In CM we need a Bissouma/Ndidi type player. Never seen Kamara play but some of the reviews given on here seem to indicate he's a similar type of player. And backup/competition for Wilson is needed. Solanke, Morelos, who knows. I'm sure Howe and Nickson will have targets in mind. If we wanted to try and weaken rivals we could target Sarr, Tarkowski etc but depends how much money they're willing to throw at it.

On the head injury, it is a reason for stopping the game, it happens every week. See lascelles on jesus today. On the Maddison thing, if we'd have got the first goal Leicester may well have collapsed given their prior form and confidence; the ref robbed us of that opportunity. Agree to disagree on the others as can't be bothered to get in to a continuous back and forth.

Fraser pen (vs Liverpool) was at 2-1 with 10 minutes to go. Hayden head injury was at 1-0 up, regardless of opposition it's a key moment. I know VAR doesn't get involved in yellows, but why did Rodri get a warning and Hayden didn't? If we get the pen to make it 1-2 today we're back in it. We'd still likely lose but it's not a reason to not give it. Maddison was at 0-0 approaching half time.

Difficult not to think the PL don't want us down. In the last 3 games alone: Maddison dived for the pen, VAR did nothing. A player down with a head injury in 6 yard box, ref plays on, we concede. Trent is last man, kicks through Fraser to get to the ball, no pen. Joelinton gets goal side of Rodri, brought down cynically, no booking. Two minutes later, Hayden mistimes his first tackle and is booked. Rodri then gets what should of been a second yellow for stopping another counter attack. Ederson cleans out Fraser, no penalty. Huge game changing decisions, nearly all of them clear as day and all given against us. Difficult to feel there isn't a conspiracy at this stage.

Feel pretty sick after that. First Liverpool goal should never have happened and just sums Mike Dean up. The Fraser pen is stonewall. He's goal side and Trent kicks through Fraser to get the ball. So many big decisions going against us, difficult to see how we survive this season. Thought Joelinton was superb again, really worked his socks off. Gutted for Lewis too. Another deflating result though despite some positives.

I'd bench/rest ASM tonight. Has a history of muscle injuries with us and we're going to need all 11 to put a real shift in, something he either can't or won't do. Ultimately, whatever line up we pick we're unlikely to get anything. I think I'd go 4-1-4-1. Dubravka Manquillo Lascelles Clark (rest Schar for City). Lewis Hayden Fraser Shelvey Anderson/Hendrick Miggy Wilson/Gayle So definitely resting ASM, Joelinton, Schar and maybe Wilson with a workmanlike midfield and pace in Fraser and Miggy to break. If we keep picking ASM and Wilson every game they'll just break down at some point. Basically just use the squad where possible.

He's exactly what we need in the middle of the pitch regardless of his off field matters.

Trippier is a no brainer. I'd prefer Lamptey but I'd still take him all day long. Hopefully he's followed by Bissouma, Ake, Tarkowski and a striker.

Absolutely this. There is so much positive, genuine news about the club that supporters don't need to go "searching" for the faintest bit of hope anymore. We've got our hope now, regardless of what league we're in come the end of the season we have our club back and it's once again worth investing in emotionally. With Ashley, there was a void that idiots like Wraith and the Dentist exploited but that's not there now. We have a club that is actually trying to improve and be the best they can be. Additionally the communication is transparent and regular: there really is no need or demand for these twitter "in the know" types when it comes to our club anymore.

Only his 2nd game back. His physical attributes i.e. pace and stamina are everything a modern full back needs. I have high hopes that Eddie can turn him in to a top full back and wouldn't rush to sign a left back if Dummett finds fitness. We're not going to go from relegation battlers to top 6 in the space of a year. I hope Lewis, Anderson etc get given a good chance to show they're worthy of being kept on as part of our long rebuild.

I personally don't want Lascelles back in. I just think Lewis has come back in after a long break and difficult run in the team prior to that. He put in a very accomplished performance and I wouldn't want to over complicate it by changing his position only two games in. I'd be going with the same back 4 that finished the match yesterday and sticking with it unless injury or suspensions arise. Part of the problem with our defence (aside from the low quality of Ritchie, Clark, Krafth etc) is it has never been settled, due to both personnel and formation changes. Willock, Jo, ASM could all do with a rest. I'd keep Jo because his physicality will be useful against Burnley but I'd be tempted to rest ASM for fear of injury (played every game so far this season and has been lazy/tired and off the boil lately). My team would be: Dubravka Manquillo Fede Schar Lewis Shelvey Hayden Jo Miggy (10) Fraser Wilson Although could see why ASM would keep his place given the must win nature of the game.

If Ritchie comes back in it sends an awful message to Lewis and won't reflect well on Howe. Full backs should stay the same. Last night was the first game this season where a full back didn't cost us a goal.

I don't understand this take. The period from August until now has all but decided our fate. If December is rough as you say (and as we all expect) we'll be looking at a maximum of 13 points from 20 games. It isn't impossible, but we need to accept nobody has ever survived from the position we're in before. We need the gap to be 6 points or less come the Southampton game. It is win or bust against Burnley. Until we get that first win, hopefully on Saturday, we can't even think of taking X amount of points from the next X amount of games. It's 1 game at a time, if we beat Burnley, I'll believe we can beat Leicester and if that happens we could then pull off a shock against one of City or Liverpool. If we don't beat Burnley, the road to 36+ points looks all but impossible.