That fucking short corner again. Symbolic of how shite this team is at all the basics.

What is the opposite of "the stars are aligning"...?!

A pretty disastrous 45 mins all round. Relegation looking likely, never mind possible

Jesus. So much positivity being burnt to the ground so easily.

I share that worry. But this is where a manager can come into their own by using the game tonight as a motivational platform for the weekend. From what I've seen so far, I think Eustace might be particularly good at that. I'm now looking forward to the next few league games, whereas, before tonight's game, I had been dreading them. If some fans are feeling that, I bet some players are feeling similarly, too.

Yeah, fair enough. I guess my feeling is OK, then, and the alternative is, too. Not an important issue anyway. Hyam, like everyone else, was superb.

All good points, Eddie, and I agree with them. There is no criticism from me, just stating a preference for attacking players taking penalties due to their more frequent striking of a ball towards goal - but it is no more meaningful or scientific than that! I was interested in the definite assertion that there were plenty of center backs that can take a good penalty and I wondered if there were or have been specific examples who play at championship level, and the evidence for that. Otherwise I think I'll keep going on my instincts and preference on this and be happy to be convinced otherwise.

I was genuinely interested in any examples at a similar level. My total lack of footballing experience isn't really relevant to my question. But the answer to yours is, no. Hopefully helpful.

Very occasionally a game comes along that reignites my love for, and pride in, this football club. This was one of them. A brilliant effort by every one of them, and by the manager.

Which championship-level center backs would you name? I respect the captain stepping up but I'd rather see an attacking player take a 'final' penalty every time. Same goes with England.

No person in the world!

Yes and not very good there either. But he is playing cm tonight and he is shit

I think Moran might be one of the worst central midfielders I have ever seen play football

Virtually Newcastle's strongest 11. Aside from any other aspect, their central midfield is going to rip ours apart. A painful couple of hours ahead. As said by others, I do fear the potential terminal damage to the flimsy morale if we take a thrashing here. Let's hope I'm being way too pessimistic about this....

That'll get picked up in a urine test, at some point.

The stuff of Post Traumatic Stress Disorders!

Same here. I got my Rovers shirt on, began to convince myself we might just nick something here. Then I saw the line up and that central midfield. Demoralising. Inevitable really with the squad we've been left with. Also, a big game, big experience, and it is being given to some loanees who haven't done much at all in league games. Developing other teams' (dubious) prospects. The magic of the FA Cup.

And with that, the gap to the relegation zone is down to 4 points. Need wins. Others are getting them when it matters. We aren't good enough.

If anything sums up how awfully our squad has been ripped up, it is these words.

Have our scumbag owners, their representatives, or employees (Broughton) made that trip over to negotiate a "pre-contract", yet? Surely not another lie...

I agree re PL. But a Middlesbrough, Hull, West Brom etc, or one of the relegated teams would jump at the chance. As he would with them and, frankly, who could blame him.

Qpr winning at Bristol City. Lose this from 2 up and I really, really fear for our confidence levels

Looks like Wharton is in the starting 11

I'll be hugely surprised if we get anything from this match other than comfortably defeated

Horrible performance. Absolutely dreadful and doesn't bode at all well for the next games.