Ed Vinegar

After a wobbly period in the first half we recovered well I thought. Showed some decent stuff in the first 15 of the second half. Nice to see two hulking brutes scoring headers. Great to see Hall back. It wasn't exciting but it was professional and exactly what we needed. Still unreal to see us racking up win in the champions league. Brentford will be tough so good to get this one won without having to try too hard.

We're really making this hard for ourselves. Think Gordon might benefit from being dropped for a while, something must be going on with him.

We're playing with the same enthusiasm a 13 year old shows at having to go to a distant relatives wedding.

Proper omnishambles. Guess you can blame Burn for the own goal but our whole team got bypassed with a single pass. It looks like we've never played together before.

That was grim. Grim as fuck!

We are getting rinsed here like. Pressed to bits by one of the worst teams in the league.

We're gonna have to switch on a bit here. Good job Thiaw has drank his coffee this morning.

Jacob Murphy permanent purple patch

Spurs look shite here. They had so many players up when Caicedo was robbed just there and Kudus totally wasted the opportunity. So many loose passes and poor decisions.

Watching the highlights, the chance he makes for Barnes is brilliant. Escapes two defenders, rapidly plays a precise and dangerous ball. Deserved a goal. That reel is full of great highlights, what a player looks to be.

I think this is set up for polarised outcomes - we either batter the fuck out them or succumb to a placid 2-0 defeat. So it's a 0-4 I'm hoping for.

My best mate is a hearts fan and has regaled me many times about that season (he wasn't born yet but his dad and uncles were regulars at Tynecastle). Love seeing them do well!

I'm not really on board the "just getting lucky" train, but that said... The defending for their winner yesterday was dog shit. Chelsea all but stop playing because they think they've won a foul, two defenders on Brobbey do an alright job not letting him shoot but the Chelsea midfield totally fails to pick up the runner. I wonder if teams not taking them seriously is playing a role. Or maybe Chelsea are just shite. They'll never keep this pace up long term but realistically they now only need another 20/21 points to survive with 3 quarters of the season left to play.

Got sent his players tribune article this morning, it's a great read if any of you haven't seen it yet. https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/bruno-guimaraes-brazil-premier-league-newcastle It's from a few years back but still. Very heartwarming.

We've had exactly the same start this season as we had last season. 12 points from 9 games in both. I think Howe has had to deal with more disruption this time round so it's an improvement really. Once we build a winning run, which we know we're capable of, all this wobbly chat will look daft.

You can do well in the first 9 games and not have it last TBF. Le Bris does seem a bit less of a joke manager than Phil Brown though (and Hull did stay up from here). Anyway Osula will come on as a sub in the Derby and score a hat trick so no worries.

I live in London and have done for 15 years. It doesn't seem any more crimey now than back then to me, but individual perspectives aren't that valuable I suppose. I know a couple of people who've had their phones snatched but not in the last few years. It obviously happens though. I don't think I know anyone who's scared of crime or who doesn't want to go out because of it.

Isak would be in my top five but not my top three. I expect that's the case for a lot of people, not sure. Top five would be Trippier, Burn, Bruno, Tonali, Isak.

Trippier is number one. Kick-started the project, wonderful, cultured player and a good professional with positive influence on the team. Burn is second. Ever-present, playing for his childhood team, scored first in a cup final that we won, incredibly likeable and good with the media, now playing for England and raising the club's profile. Third is Bruno*. He's the captain, loves the club, loves Newcastle, wears his heart on his sleeve, just a great player and man. *If Tonali hadn't been banned his first season I think it would be too close to call, as he's the best midfielder, maybe player, I've ever seen at Newcastle.

Did some good work today. Held off his man really well and played a nice pass for the assist. Imagine if it all clicks for him, he'll be a handful.

After a bit of reflection, we didn't deserve to win today. The way we lost stings but if they'd scored twice during any of the long periods of pressure they applied, we couldn't really have moaned about it. I find it hard at the moment to see what we're trying to do during games. Sitting back so deep that their keeper is taking possession at the halfway line can't be part of the plan. Our attack isn't really working and our midfield seems lightweight, which is bizarre given recent seasons. Botman and Thiaw looked good. Woltemade looks good and I'm glad he scored. Tonali was decent but also had to put in a hell of a lot of work and couldn't do it all himself. Pope can't be trying kicks like that one at the end. Could have just fallen on the ball there and got us some space. Worrying start TBF.

Pope's kicking is too much of a risk. We conceded directly from that fuck up. 97th minute and he's trying to launch a quick counter to players who haven't looked like scoring all season. And he just gives it straight to arsenal.

Not fucking good enough.

Fucking shite cunts

Great from thiaw, he's been very good.