Really good to see insightful commentary on this. Much of the discourse from the Newcastle fans I know is born out of muddy understanding of an increasingly complicated offside law.
Yeah we've been on the end of horrific VAR stoppages as well. We were minutes away from doing the double over PSG in the Champions League when the European interpretation of the handball law gifted them a penalty and the equaliser. That one VAR stoppage cost us 2pts, progress into the knock out stages, and the riches and 'glory' that comes with it.
Yep. As you say, Howe like everyone has his weaknesses and often it's just the flip side of a strength. Loyalty (and Eddie is super loyal) means he sticks with players a bit too much. He certainly did that here too. Mind you. This season with the injuries, he hasn't had much choice. I think he demands absolute loyalty too, which might sometimes be a bit unrealistic. Ultimately, players need to think about their own careers. Apparently, he fell out with a few players here because they were unhappy they weren't being played or challenged him. I personally think it's okay to express discontent in a job or challenge the manager as long as it's done respectfully. Maybe the players weren't respectful, though. Not sure. I think the Fraser situation is interesting. I was furious with RF when he did what he did in the 2019-20 season, but that was 4 years ago and he has struggled I think, so I wish him no harm and think he has a right to move on and learn from mistakes. I actually think he would have been useful to you this season. I also think he was within his rights to request a move if he wasn't even making the bench. Not sure what he did wrong there, and maybe that wasn't well handled by Eddie and more to do with what had happened at Bournemouth than Newcastle? Maybe you've heard more about what went on.
There's the rub because technically, technically, it was correct. As the handball laws in the European fixtures differ from those in the PL. In Europe if the ball hits a defenders hand in an unnatural position, it's a penalty, here if it comes off a bodypart then strikes the hand/arm it's not.
Derek, do you actually think the decision against us was correct in a proper sense or just 'correct' in a technical out of context sense?
To be fair RF was behind Saint-Maximin who is, by orders of magnitude, a bigger attacking threat than RF. And then Gordon came in and Fraser has no hope of taking that position.
Yeah, Eddie probably cares a bit too much, I guess. Easy trap to fall into as a manager.
Did the foul occur before the offside offence? If they occured simultaneously then the rule doesn't cover it.
Exactly. As soon as you introduce all these definitions of what constitutes offside (such as challenging for the ball) all you do is raise a whole new set of questions. Such as when does running towards the cross with a defender becomes a challenge for the ball rather than just running? It all becomes subjective and then every ref will have their own view.
Surely they both occurred at exactly the same time.
So, when everyone is fit, Burn ostensibly plays as a leftback, but really he shifts more centrally to provide a trio of CBs while Trippier bombs forward. That left flank is protected by Gordon at the top end, an ever-industrious Joelinton on the left of a midfield 3, and Nick Pope sweeping up behind.
I guess it was often a topic of debate here - Eddie's single-mindedness or stubbornness (depending on perspective) is both a strength and a hindrance.
