Shola - Comments

Its a weird one all told. Its an easy excuse but the performance against Wednesday was bad. Yesterday was as much the issue of nobody stepping up to get goals when Gayle was effectively muted, but the midfield was still pants going forward. But it goes back to stuff I wondered earlier in the campaign about not asserting ourselves during games. Clearly we haven't learned.

Strangely its been pointed out that at this point in 2009/10, we had 52 points and were 6 points clear of the team in third - on those two stats, its identical this time around. Only this time we're winning a shitload - more wins than anyone else in the division - but guilty of being shit when going behind, and there's also stronger competitors. Brighton are probably going to win the league, and the likes of Reading, Huddersfield and Leeds are providing a stronger challenge than I thought they would. Certainly its a stronger league than it was 7 seasons ago.

I don't think we're as sure a bet as everyone thinks. We're winning lots of matches, but we're losing games we need to draw, and we're way too cautious in certain games. We seem unable to respond to going behind, as if we lack the something Brighton has, and our back-up options are not working. This pair of defeats to Wednesday and Blackburn is a hefty slap in the face, and the teams below us all winning is a worry. Couldn't care about the title - avoiding the fucking play-offs is the must.

We're going to have to make signings. Especially in midfield - Hayden & Colback lack creativity as a duo, Shelvey is still banned, Diame and Atsu are off to ACON, Perez isn't looking the answer, Ritchie has gone off the boil.

So. Yeah. Happy New Year.

I feel damn dirty watching that.

Shame we conceded that goal in the end and missed a few chances otherwise we could have given that cunt the twatting he deserves.

Not saying it's not the case, but why would Wolves be bothered about trying to derail Newcastle's promotion push? They're 18th, and you're gonna go up anyway, no matter what.

There is something rank rotten about this affair: We do not know either the name of his accuser or what it is that Shelvey is alleged to have said, and it seems that Wolverhampton Wanderers will stoop to any level to try and derail Newcastle's promotion push.

The irony is that whatever Shelvey did or did not say, the fact is that he'd have been better off jumping in on the bloke with both feet and smashing his ankle. It is amazing how the FA has done sweet FA for decades about paedophile rings in football, yet something supposedly said, if indeed it was said, in the heat of the moment attracts a 5 match ban. The entire episode stinks to high heavens and reeks of hypocrisy.

Was at the Newcastle game the weekend (mate's birthday, so went over for the game and weekend up in Newcastle). Blues were shocking, so many basic mistakes, none of the Newcastle goals were brilliant, just people standing still and not tracking their marker.

Shocking decision to sack Rowett.

Should have won last night, Gayle was rubbish and Selz was dire.

Outplayed a Premier league team for 80% of the game though which is a positive.

Comparing Benitez to Pardew is silly, though.

I hope Newcastle fans are ready for managerial genius Owen Coyle to mastermind their downfall on Saturday.....

In four of the last six seasons, Dwight Gayle’s 13-goal haul would have been good enough to at least equal - but in three cases better - the number of strikes scored by Newcastle United’s leading marksmen in each of those campaigns.

The current Newcastle No 9 has reached the 13-goal mark after just 13 league appearances - averaging a strike every 85 minutes - and we are not even close to the midway point of the campaign yet.

True, Gayle is firing in those goals in the Championship and not the Premier League, but that should not - and does not - dilute his achievements so far this term.