S-Clarke

I can't remember the last time we picked the same 11...? There's no continuity in this team, which is a lot of the problem as well. Chops and changes like there's no tomorrow. It's almost like he doesn't know his best team, but like you said I think he's overthinking and trying to be a bit too clever with tactics and personal adapt to certain situations etc. The obvious rules in football to me, very basic... 1 - Put out your best players every week so they build up a connection/familiarity. 2 - Keep the ball out of the net 3 - Score in the other net That's pretty much football in it's simplistic term and the most successful teams, like Newcastle, don't do anything fancy - they just do the above.

This is what really confuses me with all of this. They've shown ambition with their transfer outlays, more than we've ever spent and credit to them on that. They've shown ambition in getting the backroom people, like Wilcox and Shields before him (both highly rated across football circles). They showed ambition in the summer with Ruben Selles who has a huge coaching rep across European football. So, I thought moving on Ralph would allow them to the opportunity to show ambition in that area as well - but it couldn't be more opposite if they tried. A totally unproven guy, acts, talks and manages like a lower league manager which is all he is. Would love him to prove me wrong and I'm not one of those calling for him to go as there's no point wasting energy on a futile effort like that, but it was an incredibly weird and confusing move from SR and at odds with everything else they've done.

I think that's harsh. We haven't spent that on dross, we've spent a lot of it on talented young players and have got the balance a bit wrong. We've somewhat addressed that this window with more proven experience and international players, so we'll see where we go

The new players won't be in the mix though I wouldn't have thought, they're both still waiting for Visa's and haven't even trained with us yet. So I expect much of the same against Brentford with Elyounoussi putting in a diasterclass of how not to be an attacking midfielder.

Tight hammy, taken off as a precuation.

Not doing this again! We've filled the obvious holes (minus DM), need immediate goals or contributions from Ounacho but he looks to have the tools we lack. I still look at it being a very tall order for us. We're going to somehow need to find European qualification form for the remainder of the season, and I just cannot see how that is possible. This is not just on the players, but we have a manager who looks entirely out of his depth.

I was worried he was going to be our only attacking addition – luckily not! But this signing in isolation is still someone we needed. We have lacked quality and pace in the attacking third all season (and longer than that). We've had to put up with Moussa, Ely and co and they're just not good enough - add to the fact that Stu is crocked, so we have nothing. This guy will add immediate pace which we lack through the lines, looks direct and will win free kicks and all that stuff. It looks like a big fee, but it's an average PL transfer fee nowadays!

I can't judge him on that first half, as he didn't seem to know where he was meant to be playing. He was also being supported by Lyanco which isn't going to help anyone. Second half, in a more natural 4, he seemed at home. Good touch I thought, bit of physicality and height at full back (which we haven't had). 2nd half decent, 1st half to write off as he wasn't sure of his role. (which makes a mockery of him knowing Jones systems...)

They have almost certainly put their money with their mouth is, across both windows. They got the ballance wrong in the summer with a load of kids, but we've focused on proven experience this window which I think will hold is in good stead. You cannot say they haven't tried to fill the obvious holes with players we needed. The ambition is almost certainly there, the execution of it has just been wrong (so far). Still a bit nervous about DM, as our options outside of Lavia are totally inept, but that would have always been a bonus.

If you look at what we've been lacking, it's height and power up top. Obviously, we like to 'hoof' it up to Armstrong, which has about as much success as you'd imagine it to have - but this guy, at 6ft 7 will give us an immediate change in that regard. This will also give us someone to play off of, pop the ball up to him, get others in and around and closer to him. It will give us a totally different attacking dimension. He will win most in the air, potentially win free kicks in and around the box, be a target for corners and free kicks etc. I don't think he's a 'sexy' striker by any means, but we didn't need one of those, we needed a unit like this lad. Ticks all the boxes for me.

Can't see him ever playing a game for Chelsea, certainly not when they're happy to spend £105m to fix any hole they currently have, as they’re no longer in the market to wait for young players to develop. At least he has a decent bank balance now. Delayed his career by many, many years though.

No, just PL games against teams we need Newcastle to take points off of!

Would be a good Derby against Millbrook FC.

I think that's the case, both done as far as I can tell.

Where is this coming from? It appeared under Ralph as well, yet it's clear it never worked. New manager, still appears and guess what - it still doesn't f***ing work. It's light and day how comfortable the players look in a 4, how can they not see this. They've got an entire season of evidence to look back.

It's a fair view, and probably why we looked at that Leece fella - but I think, rightly, our priority dollar has gone on the attack which is the bigger issue right now. The problem with the DM area was created in the summer when we got rid of Romeu.

Don't disagree, I think it was a huge gamble - but they've gone all in on that gamble to be honest, that's not going to change up now. We will almost certainly need to score more than 1 goal to win games for the remainder of this season.

I've always thought he was inept to be honest. When he just defends and looses all his stupid emotion, he can pass as a decent player, but you can't coach that shitty OTT emotion out of him and he just dives in, jumps in, gets caught up field. Just terrible, an uncoacable player really.

He agreed it was a red card to be fair, didn't really listen to much of that reaction I was more worried about Edozie at that point. But Lavia got in Bruno's head, gave him more of a game 2nd half and you could tell he was boiling up due to all the fouls before that. Not sure if it was totally intentional, just miss timed and very frustrated.

Frustrating because we didn't give ourselves a chance. The starting formation simply didn't work, it was obvious Newcastle were going to go hard at the start of the game so we throw in a totally weak midfield. Absolutely dumb.

Yeah he's incredible, the best co-comm. Love the guy, adds real drama and emotion to any game he's part of.

It couldn't have got any worse than that first 20mins, but to be fair to them they did rally. But the biggest improvement came from, guess what? A switch to a back 4 and a proper CM in CM. The first half I felt Bree looked totally unsure of where he was meant to be, caught in two minds, Lyanco being a wally as usual. But second half in a settled back 4, he was comfortable on and off the ball. Lavia changed the game though, as soon as he came on we actually gained some control over the midfield which was such a huge issue in that first half. Attack wasteful though, but we knew that. Didn't really create anything clearcut (I don't class Armstrong being clean through as a chance tbh) and Newcastle were happy to retreat and play a low block, as we couldn't really play through them. Armstrong being Armstrong, simply not good enough and never will be. Didn't hold out much hope after last week, and my overriding emotion from tonight is that at least it didn't get too messy and we came out with a bit of dignity in that 2nd half. Massive questions as to why we keep starting with the wrong players in the wrong shape though, we keep scoring own goals before a ball is kicked.

Exactly, why do we have to go through this routine with the starting 11 every time. It was inevitable to me that the midfield would be gobbled up and spat out, and that's exactly what happened. How can a coach paid more than I could ever dream of not seeing that? I miss Ralph.

Armstrong has been terrible this half, the experiment of playing him in his supposed position through the middle has run it's course. What a waste of £15m he was. Wouldn't even want him in the Championship.