coalman

I agree. In the first 20 minutes there was no passing option available to any of our players once the ball left the keeper and CB. So players either ran into trouble and lost it or we hoofed it. Either way it just invited pressure to come back at us. Until we can hold the ball and progress through midfield we're always going to invite an attack vs defence game against our defence. If we were lucky we'd get to close the centre circle then stop and come back. If our midfielders can't turn into space and break the lines then defending against Saints is easy mode for any team in the premiership. Every so often a long ball may come off or we'll catch the other side in possession but that's not enough to make a team out of.

5 at the back where you have Bednarek and Lyanco who don't have a working brain between them. KWP on the wrong side and Perraud on the bench. It's not just a stupid formation it's populating it with the wrong players.

Thus maintaining our manager's winning stats.

Odds on the ref blowing up on 97 minutes exactly?

Ref just going to check what Eddie Howe wants him to do here.

COYR!

Is the 88th minute when you've created one chance all half the time to bring on Mara? Seriously?

Nice pass from Bree.

How is Isak staying down for that?

Every single player mobbing the ref right now should go in the book.

Come on VAR

How much dissent does Guimares need to offer before he gets carded?

What a ball from Lavia. Armstrong wtf

We look like a different side to the one that started. Still zero cutting edge though.

We could have made a game of this if we hadn't started with that crazy line up.

Lavia >> Diallo Let's at least go out going for it and trying to play football.

Caleta-Car >> Lyanco Perraud >> Bednarek Mara >> Armstrong

Jones vindicated by that Adams strike. No need to change from 5 at the back now.

He's got a foot like a traction engine.

What this game needs is to take off one of Adams or Armstrong and bring on Elyounoussi.

On the evidence of this we'd need to drop a couple of divisions.

It's like every single player is playing on their own with no support. Whenever one of them gets the ball there is nothing on.

Ok. He set up to invite pressure and maybe nick something. But nicking something is no longer enough. There is no upside in continuing with this pattern of play. We cannot get the ball or keep the ball and it's just wave after wave of attacks.

"And the Longstaff family as delighted as everyone here in the Sky commentary box"

Let's be fair. Everyone loves these underdog stories where a small hometown club pulls themeslves up by their bootlaces and challenges the elite. Newcastle deserve every plaudit they get for their journey.