Craig

2-1 to us. Wissa opening his PL account with a brace.

Aye. Demonstrated in how he conveniently avoids this type of discussion and goes back to the point being debated earlier. He’s never once addressed the accusations from what I’ve seen.

Apparently the vote was ‘unanimous’ … the reality would appear anything but. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp84pxvp87eo

Do you reckon there should have been 4, like last year?

I was concerned for him early on in the first half - seemed like a fish out of water a couple of times at RB, but he grew massively into the game and proved those concerns unfounded.

I think, given what we've seen so far, a lot of us are questioning it. Seldom questioned it in the summer though when we were pursuing him - the consensus was it was a great signing.

Yeah can only show frustration at this rather than blame. I don't believe we're maverick in that area and should have taken a lot from the situation where Botman played on and shouldn't. Hopefully it's precautionary, but we just can't seem to catch a break with defensive injuries.

Nice one Renton - must be really welcome to know that's one less thing to worry about.

The mere fact he couldn't get back to his feet for ages confirmed to me he'd likely cracked a rib at the very least - possibly even the ribcage given the height of it. For him to accept he was unable to continue was one thing, for him to do it in his first tyne-wear derby was another. Last thing he'd want to do was leave the pitch.

They might not have improved to the same degree as those listed further up, but each one of them definitely improved on what they were prior to working with Howe. Too early to throw any of those we obtained in the summer under the bus though. Gen-Z mindset - expecting almost instant results.

I know a Mackem called Keith. However he can barely work out how to switch a TV on let alone mod a forum so I'm fairly confident it isn't him.

$5bn?! And there'll be daft right-wing cunts in this country oblivious to the fact he's effectively making a claim against the UK economy.

Have a feeling this one might go the distance and be settled on pens. Can't call it.

Has Keith posted that in response to now, or yesterday? Fucking weapon

The talk is understandably about Xhaka in terms of leadership, but it's not just him. Ballard embodies everything they're standing for at the moment and is rightly called out as a massive benefit to them and undoubtedly a leader.

I never doubted it for one second.

All hail CT, the 'anti-Gemmill'! If that's your idea of victory sunshine, it's a horrendously hollow one.

As I said to one of the ones I work with today, they didn't beat us ... we beat ourselves.

It's fucking atrocious that he finds it appropriate to denigrate a successful Hollywood director in the wake of his violent death simply on the grounds that he dared to question Trump. Free speech really isn't a think in the US any more is it?

... and the set piece coach truly does need binning off. We used to be so effective from them. WTF has gone wrong there?!

The jury is still out for me, but I do wonder if he lacks the dynamism to quickly recognise when something is no longer working, or his opponents have worked him out. Feels rotten to say it given how he played Slot like a fiddle for the Carabao final but there's been one too many times this season that he's put of the same game plan that quite clearly isn't working.

I get the dilemma of this. In the ideal world I'd want us to go as far as we can in every competition we enter, but realism determines we're not going to win them all so there is a need to define priority. For me it's 1. Qualify for Europe (preferrably CL) 2. Go as far as well can in this season's CL (to boost our UEFA Coefficient) 3. FA Cup 4. Carabao Cup.

I do think there are some within the squad who have hit their saturation point. We always said that the squad he would initially bring in would be to start the journey and be interim. That group of players undoubtedly outperformed expectation and the impact of that is our expectations have been naturally elevated as a result.

The truly tragic point is that pre-President Trump, the notion of POTUS saying anything but pleasantries about someone in death would be deemed a heinous act that would command all the leads. These days, it's almost expected of the orange buffoon. He's not just making himself, but also the office he represents an absolute joke. Perhaps that's his bigger goal - to dispense with mainstream democratic politics at the expense of autocratic, capitalistic, business leaders. What a sorry, sorry mess.