TheBrownBottle

8 or 9 out of 10 for me. Strengthening the back line - GK, LB, CB - made perfect sense to me. We look so much better at the back, that it isn't causing the ripples of panic elsewhere - we aren't having to play as deep. We now have our average players looking ... average. Which doesn't sound like much, but they were utter shite under Bruce. Adding Isak gets into 9 out of 10 territory to me. I would've liked to see a RW, but you can't have everything. I suspect those most disappointed may be those who really did think that massive - rather than large - sums were about to be dropped on the squad. Staveley said 50m above what the club could have spent on its own each window for two and a half years - and based upon what we've spent, those sums look about right to me. NUFC with its current revenue streams should be able to drop c.50m per window on transfers. Might be time for some to actually listen to what the club are saying - more evolution than revolution. The fact that Howe has done an outstanding coaching job has probably pushed up expectations even further.

I'll echo everyone else - he's never a 1st choice centre half for where we're aiming to be, but as long as he's understanding of his place as a squad CB (4th choice at that), I'd be more than happy for him to be here for a couple of more years at least. I like him as a bloke and a professional - I also think he's a decent lower-echelons of PL class defender. He'd be a starter at most PL bottom six clubs.

Three minutes. They scored in the 98th min

Referee robbed us there

Watching different game to me tbh. We’re matching them here - doesn’t mean we’ll win, but this isn’t Rafa stuff I’m watching.

Ooh ya fucker that’s a finish

I’ll go 1-3 here. Can see us scoring, can’t see us outscoring Liverpool at Anfield. A good performance even in defeat would be nice, though.

The quality of our squad players is precisely why it’ll take years not a couple of windows to really make a dent in this league. Not to say they aren’t good pros, but there is an obvious lack of quality there.

Aulas’s comments were typically twatful, but ultimately he’s right, isn’t he? Paqueta has been available for some time, and no-one was breaking down the door for him. Arsenal looked nailed on for Bruno before he came here. We had to fight Milan for Botman. I never understood NUFC supporters’ obsession with the bloke - there’s clearly a rabbit off with him. As mentioned above, West Ham’s natural ceiling has been reached - they’re unlikely to get any higher. This isn’t to say he won’t prove a good signing for them - but the fact that no top club has even been linked says a lot to me.

Yep, was thinking that same thing yesterday. Inverted wingers is a really bad fit with an immobile big man up top

Yikes ?

Those saying Trippier was struggling and likely didn’t want to aggravate it further are on the money for me

How good has Anderson looked in this cameo?

GETTIN MAXI LAD

I don’t think anyone has played well today. Somehow Wolves are worse yet a goal up

Literally give the ball away softly with his first touch of the second half. It’s precisely how he’s performed in the match I’m watching

Lost possession quite a few times. Seems to think he has more time than he does.

I really don’t want to see Burn LB ever again. Or Longstaff, generally.

I honestly thought Bruno looked like he was struggling towards the end of the Man City game. Winning cup games means a great deal to me, so I’m not going to complain re the manager utilising his best players - though I can sympathise with the thought that bringing on a knock-carrying Bruno against though vicious bastards when 2-1 up with 5 to go wasn’t Howe’s finest moment

Back line and keeper are far better than they were a year ago, and the Wilson-less forward line isn’t anywhere near as worrying as it was in the past. Nee need for panic lads and lasses

I’ll stick to my original 1-1, though less confident of mebbes snatching a win now.

Is Starforth doing the same as Waugh? ‘Knock’ looks sarcastic. If he’s injured, he’s injured. What is it with NE football hacks?

Fuck knows. That man is too bland to play cryptic clues. Say what you see Chris, FFS

Remember when we didn’t have to worry about EU players needing clearance? Still though, blue passports all round, so job’s a good ‘un