Good solid first half performance and looks like Pog is going to be good forus. I did worry when he went down injured a few times and it could have been worse as one of his tackles looked a bit tasty. It would have been typical if he joined the injured crowd after just one game.
After Pog came off we were a different team - just awful. Very nervy last 20 minutes.
Ruiz was dire all 2nd half but he did have a good first half. I'm still really hoping he will come good. I watched him closely all game, some nice touches but just goes through the motions when challenging with a header with no belief at all that he's going to win it.
Murphy did well to keep his nerve bearing his history with Stoke.
On the positive side, many reasons to be pleased tonight.
. Agree with Dempsey as MOTM - so unlucky not to be on the scoresheet again and didn't stop fighting for the cause. Also thought Dembele did well in the first half in a slightly deeper role next to Murphy, although he wasn't quite so impressive in the second half. I'd like to see him play a few more games in that position.
because he insulted Jol's golden boy it looks like he's going to be frozen out.
I want Ruiz to come good I really do, but the guy has had half a season and still looks no better a player than he was when he first came here.
When Joey Barton came out and said that Gareth Barry shouldn't be in the England team because he wasn't good enough nobody bat an eyelid, I don't remember any sort of punishment from either the FA or Newcastle, because what he said everyone knew was true. Frei has every reason to be unhappy that he's lost his place to a player who has done barely anything since he came here to justify his inflated price tag. If you had been replaced at your job by someone who had been performing worse than you, would you be happy?
Bidders, Ruiz hasn't had a decent game since Arsenal. I'm willing to give him a chance like all players but how can Jol justify picking him if his performances aren't up to scratch? Jol just doesn't want to lose face by dropping him. If before we signed him you were to be told that he by this time in the season would only have scored two league goals, would you have agreed to pay the £10 million?
Hope he's not badly hurt, but I guess he's got a couple of weeks to recover.