Number 1 - Comments

Championship final day seemed like a very exciting free-for-all. Fuck knows what it must've felt like for one of those with a team in the eye of the storm.

Also when I was idly wondering about promotion favourites, I don't think a Cardiff City team mainly composed of freebies and discards was a first choice up there. But credit for Warnock. He has a legion of detractors, but he is excellent at what he does.

I suppose in truth, my expectations were hurt by a summer window that promised more than it did. Maybe its a sign of not paying attention, I don't really think many of our summer arrivals have made that big an impact, although Murphy and Lejeune have had their moments. Dubravka and Kenedy in January have certainly been better acquisitions (although we've just about got away with Slimani for Mitrovic, which was definitely an error, and highlights someone better than Gayle is a summer must).

I was happy enough to scrape 17th given my natural pessimism, which is a mindset that carried on first when the form collapsed before Christmas, and then we drew our way through January and February. From that point, I'll take it. But I do agree that this conclusion to the season isn't good enough. Spurs and Chelsea have shown somewhat indifferent form, so I think we might get something off one of them, but they're not first choice games to snap out of this. I'm also aware a hangover can go on. It looks from the outside as though Stoke, WBA and Southampton all slept through the final part of last season and none of them have really woken up for this one.

Saying that, Burnley had a crap second half last season and are now Europa League bound, while Watford rarely win games in April/May but seem to dust themselves off quickly enough, so... who knows. Maybe predicting the future based on this period is a totally fucking pointless exercise.

I'll be slightly more generous and say 7/10 for the black & whites, because we don't really have the most amazing squad, and the spring run that booked survival has been fantastic, but the run of form between Halloween and Christmas was soul crushingly shit, and the fact beating Arsenal has been the cue to slack off is disappointing.

Bloody nora West Brom, having been dead and buried since about January/February, could actually pull this off.

Well... provided Southampton and Swansea both fail to win another game this season.

Still feel its likeliest to be a straight fight between Southampton and Swansea, which means that the game between the two at the Liberty Stadium is potentially a "winner stays up" affair.

Not a done deal tbf, given West Ham's porous defence and Huddersfield's having the toughest fixture list. Don't think Stoke or WBA are getting out of it, while Brighton might well stay up with their current points total. But hey, I'm no prophet.

Well, its already confirmed that we're staying up... all that one can really say is a positive from the non-events at Goodison and then yesterday. Must be on a "reach 40 points then go on autopilot" vibe.

Its been a while since I checked the works of Nostradamus, but isn't Wenger quitting one of the harbingers of the apocalypse?

41 points, with a 13 point gap on the relegation zone and 5 to play... if we go down now something has gone horribly wrong. Newcastle have been excellent in the last two and a bit months, and its been a hell of a ride.

I thought Mustafi was poor in the Arsenal-Southampton game last week, so helpful for us he essentially again repeated his brain fades when it came to low crossing.

First instinct was penalty, if a soft one.

West Brom are gone, and sacking Pardew as they did earlier is basically the PL equivalent of rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, although if nothing else it gives his permanent successor enough time to assess who needs to go.

Stoke's defensive problems means I don't think they'll manage it, and that's even before Shaqiri apparently slagged off his teammates' quality, thus indicating dressing room tension. I don't think anyone of the 4 above is safe yet, although Swansea's form is probably good enough. If Huddersfield beat Brighton next week, that does alter the picture a little as the Seagulls have an appalling run-in.

This genuinely might be the first time I've felt confident enough to say we'll be staying up.

Not that I can boast that quickly, given we're not over the line just yet, but I think the ball's in our court to wrap this up.

In a further development, they have sacked their manager.

Most of their fans seem bemused and irritated that it didn't happen sooner, judging by relevant Twitter hashtags.

Is there much else to say about Carragher other than he's been a dingbat?

Certainly, judging by his failure to score or really look like scoring, Guido Carillo is not the answer to their problems. But one would agree with Pellegrino's assessment that they gave up.

It might well be that because he's got them to the FA Cup Quarters, that's keeping him in post - maybe even moreso if they beat Wigan next week to reach the semis. But they have a terrible run-in and struggle to score, and in a straight fight, I'd have Palace as likelier to keep their heads above water at present.

Good day for the black and whites, and a pretty good performance. They looked more up for it and more assertive, and its good to see it worked in a key game.

Although granted it did help that Southampton were awful and spent most of the game looking like they couldn't be arsed. Had them down as a possible top 10 side in pre-season but its hard to see them staying up if they keep playing like that.

West Brom have had a poor enough campaign without their prep for this involving senior players allegedly stealing a taxi in Barcelona at 5am. The fuck is going on there?

I'll be honest, I wasn't anticipating that.

What a great performance & result that is.

Chelsea doing as well at this defending champions thing as well as last time then.

At some point, the "at least we didn't lose" positive isn't going to be enough. Especially given our fixture list has already used up most of our 6 pointers. Saying that, a team with more accurate shooters than Palace would've run away with it after half time.

What a chore this season is turning out to be.

Irritatingly, there'd have been a bit more security had either the lead been preserved or Joselu could finish.

I'm aware some sources have cited he wanted to return to the West Midlands to be back with his family. But its also plausible we refused to pay the loan fee and his wages. Its also not out of the question that given he scores nearly every time he plays us, that it could be one that bites us on the arse.

I think we can squeeze on to the other side, as we've shown we can win games and its a tight league where we're in a potential 3 teams down from 11 fighting to stay up situation. But it'll be an harder task with our Championship grade squad, which seems an unnecessary harder task given we've spent less this season than we did last season in the Championship (albeit from making a profit last year and still spending less than Aston Villa spunked away on their way to a midtable finish). Still, its the Ashley era, so I can't say I'm surprised.

I don't think walking out is likely though, mainly because Its been widely suggested by various sources that Benitez would have to pay £6m to resign.

Apparently he turned down Newcastle to move there.

Figures.

We did look in the game for the opening half hour, but didn't do enough with our pressing along with the odd woeful pass, then duly conceded two silly goals and that was it, really.

Meh. Suppose I'll live with it if we stay up. Would be nice to go beyond Round 4 in this tournament for once though.

Might be hard for Dubravka to be get more caps for the Czech Republic given he's a Slovakian keeper. Faintly unremarkable an intent, mind. Although with any luck he won't be Sels flappy if he turns up.

I'm still not convinced anyone will be joining tbf.

If nothing else, the antics at Anfield seem to show some of the kinks in VAR use need working out a bit. Though its still premature IMO to be slagging it off as a game ruining invention.

So that's now 14 goals in 12 against Newcastle for Aguero... least we don't have another league game against him this season barring an improbable January transfer.

My own presumption was that Staveley was some form of middle manager for an enterprise, which seems to have been the thing with the Reubens that was in one of the Conn articles. It wouldn't surprise me if there's previous involvement, given I seem to recall hearing the Sheikhs who bought Manchester City were sniffing around Newcastle shortly before they bought them. Whether that's an urban legend... dunno.

Certainly I'm also aware of the previous attempt by Staveley to buy Liverpool that Benitez was involved in, although given the High Court essentially forced Hicks and Gillett to sell Liverpool, it wouldn't have been that big a surprise they would've been turned down regardless of whether she was genuine or not.

While I'm fairly confident Ashley will not be in charge in 5-10 years time, I'm not so sure it will be through this one. I don't necessarily think that its a sham, but the whole thing is a strange and far more convoluted affair than it needs to be. Certainly moreso than the time Ashley bought it, but then no due diligence happened while Hall was desperate to sell, and I guess its not going to be the same structure.

Maybe it's best just to shove it aside for the moment and revisit it in the spring or summer.

Its a bit of a weird signing all told, but meh. If you've got it I guess.

Wouldn't be surprised if Mourinho still found a way to complain about spending, though.

Not to put too much on Staveley being the hope because in all truth I knew nothing about her before any of this, but what previous failures does she have? Only previous football thing I heard about with her possible involvement was being involved in the Man City takeover, which seems to have worked out well for them.

Bit vague that their company still seem to be saying the deal is on, but it seems likely that there was activity in October/November, then nothing since. If anything it feels reminiscent of Ashley's failed attempt to sell Newcastle after the first relegation in 2009.

Not even surprised we're stuck with Sports Direct for the time being.

Well... we didn't lose. That's about as good as yesterday gets.