joey_big_nose

Yeah I like Lineker a lot but thought he seemed strangely unenthused by the first half. It was a really good game start to finish I thought.

I think the mentality around it is important. We've yo-yo'd from a team who expected to make top six but missed on last day of season, to a team expecting to be in the playoff conversation as recently as November, to a team genuinely concerned about relegation at the end of a terrible run in January. We've now corrected the key issues I think that led to the December and January collapse, and while we need to get the results to prove it, it would be crazy for us to hold onto a mindset that we are going to get relegated. We should be looking up the table not down. I guess what I am saying is to think that avoiding relegation by a point as a good outcome is not right. We should be expecting a lot more from this manager and group of players. They have the quality to do a lot better than that.

I just can't credit relegation at all - Eustace obviously knows what he is doing tactically, we look motivated, we have the leagues top scorer, we have tightened up at the back. Any neutral person looking in won't see us as in any serious danger. We should be looking up the table now, trying to get into the top eight of the form table between now and end of the season I would say. That would be about 20 points from the last 36 to get in there, and while it wouldn't get us into the playoffs (probably finish around 8th-10th) it would give us optimism for next season.

Yeah exactly - I would stick with the solid defence approach personally and then open up later if needed. If you start attacking and open and fall behind you have nowhere to go, also the players tire out. Got to focus on keeping that goal conceded column down.

Thought Isak was supposed to be the next big thing but looked really poor last night.

I think the key was playing the two technical players as the centre mids, total game changer as they could find the right forward passes which has been our big problem. I imagine we'll play the same way on Saturday. Why change it? Especially when Swansea are exactly the sort of team who will try and get on the front foot.

Really impressed with everything about how Eustace approached the cup game today. Made some innovative decisions like starting Buckley and Moran together in a two which worked very well, made us very organised and compact, and had the team well motivated. If he carries that into the Championship games I think we might have made a very good choice as manager.

Well absolutely amazing effort - think how well we were setup and motivated is a very very good sign about Eustace. Want to see exactly the same on Saturday against Swansea.

Think I might be more excited about Eustace than JDT

Are Koumetio and Chrisene both playing left wing back?

He had an awful first 5 mins but I think hes done pretty well since then.

Do we gave more subs?

Koumetio seems to have found his legs, no longer absolutely abject.

Tell you what, Pears has been first rate. Never thought Id say that.

How many more subs do we have?

Markanday might look like hes from the number 9s but he cant half strike a ball.

Yeah Moran and Buckley have been great - want them fresh for Swansea.

Markanday does look like hes snuck on from the under 9s

Fucking hell Sigurdsson is just jogging about while everyone is pressing

Sigurdsson on. Please please please put the effort in.

Think hes done really well, hes looked after the ball well and found some good through balls. I can see if we had Garrett in there we just wouldn't be able to break so well. Buckley however has looked different gravy. Looks top notch, sure a few Newcastle fans will be saying "whose this guy"?

Yeah its mad isnt it, but take him out of the side and we have a big problem defensively. And all our other strikers are just as bad offensively so we might as well stick with him.

Without the ball hes been excellent...

Moran and Buckley has worked really well. Humble pie for me and a few others...

Have to say been very impressed tactically by Eustace. Were so compact but breaking with some really slick football. Nothing at all like the hoofball nonsense thats been peddled around.