saintant

RM is reactive rather than proactive.

Agree.

Taylor can cover at centre back as well as fullback so I'm guessing that's why Wood misses out.

Judging by past experience RM will integrate new signings gradually. He'll include them on the bench and give them some minutes until he feels they are ready. He does not normally throw new signings straight into the side. If we sign a goalkeeper that might be different but I doubt we'll see any new signings in today's starting line-up.

If we can get Bijlow plus a decent quick, powerful centre forward who knows where the goal is this will complete a very good transfer window in my book. Fail to sort out a keeper and striker and we will have again failed to sort out two major weaknesses.

Another potentially very exciting addition to the squad. From his clips he is a player who is adept at playing killer passes to his forwards so hopefully the likes of AA, Archer and Brereton Diaz will thrive off his service. Looks a real prospect for his young age and is likely to get some game time judging by RM's comments. The squad is taking shape but we still need a goalkeeper and striker

I'm patient - maybe I just consider the goalkeeping position more urgent than you do and with good reason. We haven't had a decent keeper in ages and there is no real excuse for it because they are and have been available and some at reasonable fees.

If we are looking at bringing in a new goalkeeper we cannot afford to enter into the games of brinkmanship that go on late in the window. That risks us ending up with no one. Maybe that is how the club will sell it to the fans - we tried but it fell through at the last minute. If we are genuinely looking we need to get a deal done sooner rather than later. It still leaves me feeling the club want to stick with McCarthy until Baz is fit so I suspect that is what will happen. It could prove to be a huge mistake.

This one has gone quiet.

It's ok for them, they have another 7 to pick from whereas we have McCarthy or Lumley 🙂

Ah, didn't realise that was the rule.

Surely one of the 8 or so goalkeepers at Chelsea would do a job for us on loan.

I doubt RM will put Ugochukwu straight in - he tends to integrate new signings starting from the bench.

As others have said it smacks of us bumbling along with make-do until Baz, who is not very good himself, returns from injury. I hope this is not the case and that things are being done in the background to solve the goalkeeper issue.

We're going to need a selection of good quality midfielders to cover for injuries and suspensions otherwise, as Harry used to say, we're down to the bare bones.

Unless I'm missing something this clip shows a series of repeats of one pass?

He seems to be a goalkeeper who can save the ball and pass it as well...what's not to like, get him on board the bus and give him a seat up top at the front.

The goalkeeping mistake was absolutely crucial in this game. It came just before half time and lifted the Geordie crowd and gave their team something to hold on to in the second half. Without it we'd have almost certainly got a point and possibly all three.

Exactly right. Can you imagine how someone like Guimaraes would have reacted - he'd still be rolling around clutching his head now as thousands of Geordies screamed for the perpetrator to be sent off. Schar was stupid and deserved the red card.

Is this genuine?

Just one question - have we signed a goalkeeper yet?

Rightly there is a lot of frustration among the fans but I think you are wrong to say it will be a miracle if we stay up. We are all gutted at getting nothing from this game because Newcastle never laid a glove on us, went down to ten men after 30 minutes and we still contrived to hand them 3 points on a plate thanks largely to McCarthy but RM shares some of the blame because of his insistence that we play out from the back - there are times to hoof it. Had McCarthy put his foot through the ball we certainly wouldn't have lost and might well have come away with the 3 points our performance probably deserved. Having said all that there were many good signs that our football will be suited to the Premier League - we must however sign a goalkeeper, a striker and a creative midfielder and stop overplaying from the back. Having slept on the result and performance I think the positives outweigh the negative. The criticism from many is born from sheer frustration more than anything if we are being honest and I am guilty myself on that so hold my hands up.

He's played in 12 games for us mainly when we were struggling. Never been given a fair chance.

So why are we putting in corners and free kicks as though he's playing? Crazy.

It's known as poor decision making. It was knee-jerk based on a couple of decent games but proper football people would have been much smarter - they'd have thanked him and sent him on his way knowing his wages were being saved for someone better.