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What is next for Newcastle United after their ABYSMAL Derby defeat.
9 Plays1 day ago
After technical issues meant our post-match reaction couldn't go out. (Probably for the best...) Michael provides a half-match review, half looking ahead analysis on what Newcastle United need to do to rectify their dreadful performance and lack of effort in the Tyne & Wear derby.
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Transcript
Defeat and Reflection
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sometimes in football you lose games and you even lose derbies. But what's not acceptable is losing a derby that forces a club to look in the mirror.
00:00:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Newcastle United's defeat to Sunderland wasn't just another loss. It wasn't just another bad day at the office. It was unacceptable. It was embarrassing.
00:00:36
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And the most crucial thing is they're not my words, they're the words of Newcastle United captain Bruno Gamares. One shot on target, an XG of 0.25 and 10 league games without a win against arguably one of the worst Premier League teams in history.
00:00:59
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And that's not discrediting Sunderland's titles from way back when, but over the last 20 years, they've been dreadful. And over the last 15, we haven't been able to do anything against them. ah The big question, it's not what went wrong for Newcastle, because that's pretty effing obvious, if i'm honest.
00:01:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sunderland didn't steal the game, Newcastle didn't turn up, quite simply. And to lose a derby on spirit, passion, it's not acceptable. And I'm not going to go through what went wrong, because that's that's obvious. um The real question is what comes next for Newcastle United, and how on earth do you right this wrong?
Identity Crisis
00:01:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And before we get to that, let's... If people differ now already, let's see why this cuts a bit deeper than West Ham or Brentford, where we were all so absolutely pathetic.
00:01:56
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This was a derby. A tiny and weird derby. A game where form goes out the window, where effort is the only non-negotiable.
00:02:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Unless you're Newcastle United. Our fans don't does that demand perfection, we demand fight. And the only thing we were fighting for was to see who could get off the the pitch at the stadium I like quicker.
00:02:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Embarrassing. Bruno in his interview, he said it himself. No shooting, no crossing, no passing. That's not a system problem. That is an identity problem. This Newcastle side used to terrify every single team who came up with our intensity. Intensity is our identity. And that wasn't just a slogan. It was real.
00:02:45
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The high press, front foot football, the emotional energy, and when we needed to grind things out, we had no fear of putting ourselves to the sword.
00:02:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And again, Sunderland, well... Fear was the only thing that I saw. And I never in my life have agreed with the serial spitter, Jamie Carragher, but he nailed it when he spoke about the game. Newcastle turned up not wanting to lose and not wanting to win. And in a derby, that is the mindset that absolutely kills you. If you go into a derby, it doesn't matter whether it's Tynan, Weir, the Midlands, Sheffield...
00:03:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brighton vs Crystal Palace any tin pot derby you can think of and I'm not saying they're tin pot I'm going as far as to say the worst derbies you can think of you at least have to go into the game with the mentality of we're going to win this and when you look at the performance the stats are absolutely brutal two shots on target We've mentioned the XG already. Sunderland's wasn't much better, but barely any sustained pressure at all in the game. And you're wondering when the...
00:04:04
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I knew Cassie United going to turn up. And the worst part was Eddie Howe, pleased Eddie Howe seemed at the end of the game with the performance. He admitted the plan was to be compact, solid, cautious in the first half.
00:04:18
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And right there is the first red flag and first alarm bell that I've seen where I've gone, you know what, there's no accepting that. I can accept bad form. I can accept bad substitutions because in hindsight, that's when you say they're bad.
Strategic Concerns and Critique
00:04:34
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Let's be honest, at the time in certain games when Eddie Howe has made terrible decisions, at the time, it's 50-50, he's made the wrong decision. Fair enough. It happens to every manager.
00:04:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
But at Newcastle's record against newly promoted sides, we've lost one in about 22, something like that. To go to Sunderland.
00:04:58
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The team that albeit having a great season. Came up through the playoffs. And we go. You know what? Containment first. And yes.
00:05:10
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We did defend reasonably well in the first half. Sunderland did as well. But football matches like this. Aren't won by being tidy. They're won by courage. And Sunderland simply showed. More in Newcastle. Well actually.
00:05:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not hard for Sunderland to show more because Newcastle United showed none. And one of the most telling moments happened after the whistle. ah we started it We started showing a bit of passion with two, three minutes left. And you could tell by Bruno's interview that he realised we'd effed it up, that we didn't turn up on the day.
00:05:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah he said the mentality wasn't there. It makes him angry. The fans are right to be annoyed. And, yeah... That matters. it felt To be honest, he it felt like he was one of the only players that did care yesterday. um And he was probably one of the only players that didn't have a terrible game.
00:06:06
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um But the thing that matters for me is when your captain comes out and slates you publicly like that, it tells you one of two things.
00:06:17
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One, the dressing room knew it wasn't good enough. The dressing room knew that the mentality wasn't good enough, should I say. And two, everyone is recognising now that Newcastle United's standards are not just slipping.
00:06:32
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They're on the floor. And every single player seems to to feel it. I'd seen um Sky doing a demonstration of, oh, it was actually Newcastle United's leadership that ended up costing us the game. I don't think that at all. um They cost Eddie Howe the game, should I say.
00:06:52
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i have to say I don't think that at all. I agreed with almost every bit of the line-up originally, it except from Anthony Alanga. Why put him in a game like that when all he's had is criticism?
00:07:03
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You are asking for the Swedish winger to get criticism, get hatred, and ultimately, there's not a single person on Tyneside that's happy with the signing at the minute.
00:07:14
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A player like that, you need to protect at this stage, particularly when you've got Harvey Barnes in great form, Anthony Golden coming into good form, don't get me wrong, neither played well when they were on the pitch, but it it just didn't make sense.
00:07:28
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And if there was ever a game to rotate in, it was Burnley. We did so. And then we went, you know what? The Champions League, it's important. We need to win that game.
00:07:39
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We turned up. We played well. I actually liked the performance against Leverkusen. I will say all in all, we lost it right at the end like we usually do. And then someone come to town and you're thinking, this is the one where we turn everything around.
00:07:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it was passionless. It was horrendous. And that brings me to Eddie Howe. I've said numerous times on this podcast that Eddie Howe has so much credit in the bank that you can forgive terrible defeats against the likes of West Ham, Brentfuss.
Pressure on Eddie Howe
00:08:14
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Where that credit runs out a lot quicker is when you can't motivate your team for a tiny and weird derby. if you can't motivate your team for a tiny way derby, you shouldn't be in Newcastle.
00:08:29
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And that pains me to say it because I love Eddie Howe. I love Jason Tindall. I love the whole coaching team. And I think they're excellent. But there is something wrong in that dressing room right now where the players can't get motivated for these games.
00:08:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I don't know why. And if we can't fix that soon, the season is good as good as over. so Let's be honest, Eddie Howe has not all of a sudden forgotten how to coach.
00:08:57
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He's a Carabao Cup winner with Newcastle, two Champions League qualifications and he is one of the most transformative figures in Newcastle's modern history. Let's be honest...
00:09:09
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In the course of the Premier League era, Eddie Howe is up there as one of Newcastle United's best ever managers. The owners know that. The club's hierarchy have made it clear.
00:09:20
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They want a response, not a reaction. So there will be no knee-jerk decisions, no listening to the social media noise. And it's really important that we all remember Eddie Howe isn't above scrutiny.
00:09:33
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Maybe last year, before the Arsenal and the Nottingham Forest game, when it looked like his job was a little at risk. I remember him actually being the favourite at one point to be the next manager at B-SAC. That was a little reactionary.
00:09:47
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That was a little too far. However, you cannot start the season like Newcastle have and not be scrutinised. It has been stop-started, the intensity is gone, and tactically, we look overly cautious, reactive, and scared of pretty much everywhere we
Transfer Window Challenges
00:10:06
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go.
00:10:06
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St. James' Park used to be the fortress. Now it seems like everywhere we go is a fortress we're scared of. And how even remember admitted that once we went one nil down...
00:10:20
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The pressure almost list lifted off us and they played better. I mean, I'll be honest, we played better because Sunderland went, ah, how the f-, did that happen? We're in the lead now.
00:10:34
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Well, they don't look like scoring, so let's just sit back a bit and hit them on the counter. It wasn't because we played better. It was because they changed their tactics. um And ah you have to ask yourself, why did Newcastle only look free when they're already losing?
00:10:49
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And it's one of those where you can say, right, It's down to how, it's down to the players, it's down to the transfer window. Whatever it is, it's not just one thing.
00:11:02
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It is accumulative of all of those things. And I hate to go back to Jamie Carragher, but the one point that really shouldn't be ignored was... For two summers running, Newcastle United have had poor windows.
00:11:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
He said that Eddie Howe hadn't been backed. He was definitely backed this window. The little spit has wrong there. But the the year before, wasn't backed at all because of that financial scrutiny. We know exactly why.
00:11:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it has to be said why we're in that situation. in The first place is a little embarrassing. And whether you think Eddie Howes had too much responsibility, too much transfer influence, and then he was basically the de facto technical director at one point, um this isn't sustainable for a club with Newcastle United's ambitions.
00:11:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's be honest. PIF haven't invested nearly half a billion pounds to sit 12th and look second best in their own region. Now, let's be honest, we've said in the post-match, why better than Sunderland, all of that.
00:12:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I certainly haven't seen that this season. um And it was almost like all of the people that have been trolling a little bit online by going, oh, it's our third most important game of the week.
00:12:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's almost as if the Newcastle team looked at that and went, yeah, he's got a point, you know. Fulham will go through, we're going defend the cup. Champions League, we could get a ah draw at Leverkusen. That's lovely.
00:12:30
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And yes, we could have qualified for the top eight. it is The Champions League game was very important. But when you look at the in the long term, those two other games are important.
00:12:43
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But for the fans in the short term, and for the future of Eddie Howe, that was the one game you couldn't afford to lose out the three. You lose to Fulham at home, it's embarrassing.
00:12:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fair enough. You lose the Derby, it's embarrassing and other fans are now massively on your back. You get knocked out of the Champions League or you finish 23rd and you end up in the playoff round because you've lost away to Leverkusen, Marseille and likely PSG.
00:13:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're not going to hate you for it. It's just going to be seen as an underachievement. The Derby was the main one you couldn't lose and unfortunately the psychology was...
00:13:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
was all wrong. And it does feel like we're stuck in a phase of the project where we never really anticipated being. We've anticipated bringing in this depth and injuries wouldn't hit us as much.
00:13:34
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And all of a sudden, And we can't say it's because Eddie Howe keeps playing the same team because he keeps he keeps making changes, he keeps rotating. But it's just those players that have been brought in aren't up to speed and we don't seem to be a team. It's individuals trying to do bits and bobs. And then when we do play with a real drive,
00:13:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
there's someone in the wrong position and the pass just goes astray. And it's it's really difficult. um And I think it comes to as a big psychology problem for Newcastle because Sunderland came in into the game motivated angry driven by the memory uh that some of them had let's be honest not all of them but from the photo that we took in front of the away end last time out and by the way for anyone complaining that sunderland have done it i it's one it was probably the last thing i expected i expected the one in front of the ah the stand i expected one in the changing rooms and to be honest when you beat a t your local rivals and they don't lay a glove on you just like it happened in january you deserve the right to do that kind of shiz so yeah they played like a team who wanted revenge newcastle played like a team that wanted to get out of there as soon as possible we played like the team hoping that game would just pass us by and we could get a draw and get out of there and
00:14:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Derbies are the biggest sign of an emotional exam. You go in there, it's your mentality. Is it right for the club right now? And the answer for a lot of them was no.
00:15:10
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And hopefully this is the Brentford of last year where it forces those players to look at themselves and go, we're not doing good enough.
00:15:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And whether certain players are injured, ill, not 100%, don't know what it is. Maybe they've lost their belief in the manager. I do not know. If I had the answers, I'd love it. But unfortunately, the players are the only ones that know what's going on there. um well There's a fear, there's a hesitation, and there's a real lack of edge.
00:15:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'll be honest, that isn't something you fix with a new winger, a new goalkeeper, a new left back. That's what you fix with leadership, clarity and accountability. And whether we do have a tactical change at the back or not the back as such, up front, should I say, where we do end up playing Volta Mata and Wissa, we go to it's 4-2-3-1 instead of 4-3-3. It probably isn't going to change that
Rebuilding Identity and Future Outlook
00:16:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
much. But honestly, it can't get much worse than it did on Sunday evening. So what actually comes next?
00:16:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
First of all, Eddie Howe stays. There is no appetite internally to sack him. And I believe rightfully so. The man has earned the chance to play through this Champions League campaign.
00:16:33
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We're not that far off in the league. it's a big big um loss i think it's one of those where you're looking at it and going If we lose, let's say, three, four games on the trot before PSG or before PSV, then you're looking at it and going, right, you've lost that chance.
00:16:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
But with just two games left in the Champions League until the knockout stages, he's going to get us to the knockout stages for the first time. Let's give him that chance. Let's push forward as a club and let's sort of try and get behind him Let's try and get behind the team again because, let's be honest, we were on an all-right run despite the terrible set-piece defending, the terrible la like loss of goals in the last latter stages and the terrible performance at Sunderland. It was 10 points from 12 before that in a good position in the Champions League.
00:17:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let's not overreact as a whole. but let's overreact to that individual performance because it was shocking and there's no getting away from that. The second is that January really matters now.
00:17:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not just signings, but statements. The squad needs fresh energy and competition. And I think you get that from having as many outgoings as you have incomings. Certain players aren't good enough for this team. And to be honest, they do need to go.
00:18:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
We need to get rid of the Deadwood when we can. Let's be honest. not many people are going come in for them. And you need fresh energy around the side and you need experienced signings.
00:18:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Newcastle's philosophy has been, right, let's bring in good young players. Quite clearly, we haven't got, and I hate the fact I'm saying this, a Granite Jagger with the experience to really build a team up by the scruff of the neck. I'm not saying Granite Jagger played well against Newcastle, I actually thought he was probably not the, not, he wasn't as good as Bruno and he wasn't as good as Noah Siddiqui, who I thought was great, and unfortunately.
00:18:42
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um But he has the experience in that dressing room and in the backing of the club to make big changes. Newcastle do not have that. Maybe Kieran Trippier was a part of that once upon a time.
00:18:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Dan Byrne potentially as well. But you need that big, experienced player who to come in and change things, reset the standards. And I don't care if it's not a big name.
00:19:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
It just needs to be the right name. Um, and third, I could not give a donkey's left nut if James Bunce says we can't play the way we used to play because we're getting too many injuries. The identity must return.
00:19:31
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Newcastle must rediscover who they are. High intensity, front foot football and bravery. No good coming up against the likes of Liverpool going 10 men down and then coming back to 2-2 in a heroic battle.
00:19:46
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and then losing 3-2, obviously. And then just to go, Sunderland will take a nil-nil. Doesn't happen. Terrible. Not good enough. um And the identity is gone.
00:19:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It has been sucked out of Newcastle, and somehow it found its way to Sunderland. um And that is just embarrassing. And if Newcastle drift again for the rest of the season, and it becomes another almost campaign like we had a couple of years back,
00:20:15
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The gap between our ambitions and our reality really widens. And finally, The players, the coach and staff owe the fans a response.
00:20:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not words, not apologies, performances. For once, shut the F up and start playing your heart out on that pitch again. Because I'm not lie, I'm tired of hearing about how we're going to turn things around when I'm not seeing it on the pitch. It is so easy to go, yeah I'm going to go do that. You know what? I'm going to change the world. I'm going to fix everything. It's so easy to say.
00:20:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
What you're not going to do is change a damn thing. And that is so, so upsetting because I look at the likes of Anthony Gordon. I look at the likes of Bruno Guimaraes. I look at the likes of Sandro Tonali, even Nick Valtomar. And I go, you know what? Yous are great players when you care.
00:21:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I just didn't see any of that at the weekend. And I haven't seen a lot of it this season. Nick, I can understand because he's just coming into a team. Let's be honest, everyone is different when um when they join a new club, particularly Newcastle. Every single person that's joined Newcastle has said, I wasn't quite at the fitness level required. Nick Valtomar is the same. He's been thrown into the deep end.
00:21:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
More than happy to give him a bit more. And to be honest, I've probably been a bit harsh on Bruno there because he has has been one of our best players. And he has been one of those players that's grabbed us by the scruff the neck and pulled us through games.
00:21:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
So mentioning Bruno there was probably a bit harsh. um But the derby hurts. And I'll be honest, there wasn't a single player that put it in there. And what made it worse was losing it without a fight.
00:22:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would have loved Joe Linton to start with hindsight. At the start of the game, i was sitting there going, oh, Miley, brilliant, local boy, come in. I'm sitting there now and I'm going, you know what?
00:22:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's one player on on that pitch who I can guarantee would have played with his heart on his sleeve, and it would have been Joe Linton. But now, how Newcastle respond to this is going to tell us everything we need to know about where the project is heading.
00:22:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Newcastle first need to beat Fulham. You get through to the next round of the cup, you get to the semi-finals again, and all of a sudden, fans have got something to look forward to.
00:22:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Secondly, you go on a run that gets you back into European contention. Newcastle United are not that far off European football. And to be honest, it doesn't matter if it's Champions League, Europa League, Conference League.
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Newcastle are four points off fifth. A good run fixes that. What it doesn't fix is the disgraceful nature of the derby. And the third thing they're going to need to do to fix that calamity is batter their local rivals at St. James' Park.
00:23:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm not talking a 2-0 where we score early and then finish the game off. I am talking absolutely battering because it is not acceptable to go into a season go, oh,
00:23:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
we won 1-0 against them, then we drew then we lost 1-0 against them. Let's be honest, it was a game Newcastle United could not win. And I'm not saying that because we didn't have the quality on the pitch.
00:23:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's because even if we won... everyone would go, you know what, Sunderland have done so well for a newly promoted side and just because they lost to Newcastle, it shouldn't get them down.
00:23:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, if Newcastle lost, which we have seen, it's the most embarrassing part of our season. And that's not a breakdown, it's not a tactical analysis which I usually like to give. It is plain and simple.
00:24:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Newcastle United have let the fans down. Whether it's the club, whether it's the coach, whether it's the players, every single one of them have let the fans down.
00:24:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we are 16 games into a 38 game The Champions League is not all done. We are still in all four cups. There is plenty of time for Newcastle to get it back and for Newcastle to get back the respect, the identity and honestly the pride that we should have had in the first place. But if Newcastle do get to the final of a cup and they do progress further in the Champions League and they do still get into that top six, seven, whatever it is,
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
It honestly means absolutely nothing if Sunderland come to St James' Park and win. Because you cannot let them do the double over us and make it 11 games without a win. I don't care if you fancied them to come up because you wanted the derby back or you wanted them to Rotten League 2.
00:25:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Every single person can agree that game in March is now top priority. Don't care. um ah And by the way, it does come three days after the likely Champions League playoff second leg that we have.
00:25:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
It only gets moved from after that if we make it to the EFL Cup final. So there's a lot there to take in. There's a lot to work on.
00:25:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we're going to see if there is a response against Fulham. I don't really think there will be. I think we're probably going to wait until... trying to think on when the best time will be. When do we actually have a break?
00:25:54
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We have a six-day break between Chelsea and Man United. You might see a response at Old Trafford. and But realistically, you are looking at in-between Leeds and Wolves, where you've only got the FA Cup third round.
Conclusion and Apologies
00:26:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
against probably a weakened Bournemouth side, that is when, well, between now and February is when you're really going to see if Newcastle United and the players actually care.
00:26:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm going to wrap it up because I could rant about the same thing over and over. And I probably have, to be honest, gone a little bit off the boil. I planned this for 15 minutes, but we didn't get to do the match review yesterday because of some technical issues. So I've got a lot to get off my chest. So I do apologize for that. And I do also apologize for the fact that no episode ah went out yesterday. We've fixed the technical issues and we will be back to our regular scheduled programming. ah There'll be a preview for Fulham tomorrow. I'll then be doing the immediate match reaction.
00:26:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hopefully I'm in a better mood than what I was on Sunday. If you want to hear more about the Daily Newcastle podcast, check us out on our socials. um You can find us wherever you get your podcasts and we're also on the radio.
00:27:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
with NUFC talk, TV, and yeah, let's hope things improve because that, that was bloody dreadful.