Jack14Bojangles

I think Nick is having a good game today. Some good runs where he unfortunately wasn't passed to. The assist was so delicate.

His worst game so far. It started with sloppy passes, then he got outpaced on the wing, then his stumble, yellow card, and finally the handball penalty he conceded. Eddie shouldn't let him back on the pitch in the second half. A complete lapse in concentration from Thiaw today.

The midfield simply isn't good enough. There were two instances today where Wolte made a run forward, and instead of being given a vertical pass, the ball was played out wide again. You could see how it should be done with Wirtz's first goal: a short through ball into space, and he slotted it past the goalkeeper.

It's really infuriating that after a dominant lead we always become so passive and switch to a 5-4-1 formation. Every single time.

And once again, after taking the lead, they drop back into a 5-4-1 formation. And there's no more pressing.

It took me until this evening to process yesterday's game. Now I can approach the upcoming match more objectively. Against both Chelsea and Manchester United, we were actually the better team, but we failed to score more goals and conceded some silly ones. Luck certainly wasn't on our side. What's clear, though, is that Toon is on par with the top teams in the league. Champions League qualification is possible, if we get the luck of the draw and can eliminate our individual errors. That's why I'm confident we'll beat Burnley. They simply don't have the quality of our team. And quality will ultimately prevail on Tuesday.

Exactly. We need to introduce options that will make us more unpredictable. Wolte and Wissa together on the field is one of them. And for me, a very good one.

Eddie, put John Ruddy in goal. That will be the game changer.

Eddie hasn't even tried it yet. We're playing so ineffectively right now, we should be willing to experiment. It can't get any worse.

By now, I have no positive expectations for away games. My hopes, that Big Nick will play alongside Wissa will be dashed again. It doesn't matter who starts. There will be a 1-1 substitution in the 65th/70th minute. We might play another good half, but in the end, we'll be left with little to show for it. Maybe a point. I'm very frustrated.

What I criticize about Eddie is his rigidity towards his system. He's unable to adjust his tactics during a match. He's too inflexible and not brave enough in that respect. Why didn't he play Big Nick and Wissa together in attack in the second half? It was practically a one-sided affair in the second half. Even Schär was often running around in the opposition's penalty area. I wouldn't leave a 2-meter-tall striker on the pitch when the team was that dominant. Gerd Müller was often barely visible for 90 minutes, but he almost always still managed to score. I have the same opinion of Wolte. I like Eddie a lot, but he needs to improve here.

If not today, when? The second half was a one-sided affair. Manu was completely exhausted. Eddie shouldn't have substituted Nick; he should have played him alongside Wissa.

Even though Wolte didn't play well today, he shouldn't have been substituted. It was a one-sided game, with lots of corners and crosses, so I'd leave him on the field at 2 meters tall. Especially since he's proven he has the composure to score a goal. He has 7 goals in the Premier League. I would have loved to see Nick together with Wissa.

To blame him partially for the goal is nonsense. Why was Dorgu so free, especially after the ball had been in the air for so long?

All his flanks were terrible today!

And Dorgu, this pussy, is a diver!

He was our best player today!

My doubts about Eddie are growing! How can you take off your best goalscorer after 67 minutes in such a one-sided second half (Manu was practically knocked out)?! I'm playing with two strikers, damn it – Wolte and Wissa! Schär is playing striker in some situations, and Wolte, at 2 meters tall, is sitting on the bench! I'm so angry with Eddie today. And Gordon only played terrible crosses!

My doubts about Eddie are growing! How can you take off your best goalscorer after 67 minutes in such a one-sided second half (Manu was practically knocked out)?! I'm playing with two strikers, damn it – Wolte and Wissa! Schär is playing striker in some situations, and Wolte, at 2 meters tall, is sitting on the bench! I'm so angry with Eddie today. And Gordon only played terrible crosses!

Our pressing is insufficient. It's simply bad. We parked ourselves in a 5-4-1 formation, and Manu just slipped through our lines. What on earth is going on?! The goal they conceded was simply ridiculous; nobody was near the penalty area. Where was Ramsey?

I had a bit of a discussion today when I explained to my wife that I was commandeering our living room TV tonight to watch the game with a beer and my Toon jersey. She would have to make do with the TV in the bedroom.

Like me....

Beautiful scenery and charming little villages. If I weren't such a coward, I'd emigrate to your island. I've only been to Great Britain twice for short trips, but I've fallen in love with the country and its people.

From KICKER, Germany's leading sports magazine: Woltemade outshines everyone: How the 28 Germans are faring in Europe's top leagues Several German players are currently playing in Europe's top leagues. In the first half of the season, Nick Woltemade particularly stood out with an impressive goalscoring record. But lesser-known names also diligently accumulated playing time in England, Italy, Spain, and France. Premier League In the summer of 2025, two Germans attracted attention with their multi-million-pound transfers to the Premier League. Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade, however, experienced completely different first six months in England: Woltemade is Newcastle's top scorer with seven goals in his first 14 Premier League matches. Wirtz, on the other hand, has yet to score a single goal for Liverpool in over a thousand minutes of playing time and only managed his first league contribution shortly before Christmas. Perhaps somewhat under the radar in Germany, but all the more frequently on the pitch in the Premier League were Kevin Schade and Bernd Leno. The Brentford international and the Fulham goalkeeper have by far the most German playing minutes (Schade: 1323 minutes/Leno: 1440 minutes) in the world's best league, while Merlin Röhl and Kai Havertz have been plagued by injuries. Also remarkably good: Malick Thiaw, who followed Woltemade to Newcastle in the summer, recorded an outstanding tackle success rate of 70.6 percent, even if he did make one unfortunate error recently. ...

I never would have thought I'd end up with two Big Nick jerseys in my wardrobe. The Toon jersey is already in use at every game, and tomorrow I'll have the national team jersey under the Christmas tree. That'll be for international matches. I'm really looking forward to the World Cup.