A Proper Response, But Don’t Get Carried Away

I’m still buzzing with that performance, to be fair. After a ropey start, it turned into one of those nights where you could feel the place dragging the team up the pitch. Direct, aggressive, and properly on the front foot. The kind of win that reminds you why the frustration has been so loud lately.

Pressing, tracking, and a bit of edge

What I loved most was the attitude. Pressing high, legs going, tracking back, and actually looking like we were built for the tempo we were playing at. Even with that “first 30 minutes aside” wobble, it ended up feeling solid defensively once we settled into it.

There was a bite to it as well. You could see players taking responsibility in the ugly bits: second balls, recovery runs, making it awkward. It didn’t feel like we were waiting for something to happen to us, which is half the battle when confidence has been low.

Ekitike, Wirtz, and a Konate goal you could smell coming

Ekitike and Wirtz both looked terrific in the moments that matter: sharp touches, brave decisions, and that sense they actually want the ball when it’s hot. That alone lifts everyone around them because suddenly attacks have purpose rather than just “get it wide and hope”.

And the Konate goal? I know how mad that sounds, but it genuinely felt inevitable. One of those where the momentum keeps building and you just think: this is going to get forced over the line somehow. When it finally came, it was pure release.

Salah, the role, and the uncomfortable future chat

The only real downer for me was Salah still stuck out on the wing trying to beat people. Truth is, it’s not his game anymore. He’s not going past full-backs the way he used to, and it’s turning into a bit of a dead end.

That doesn’t mean he’s finished, far from it. But he needs to be told, firmly, to stop forcing the take-ons and concentrate on creating for others. Keep it simple, pick passes, make the right final ball, and yes, find those shooting boots again.

If a big offer came in during the summer, I can see the club thinking hard. Personally, I’d keep him, but on wages that steadily come down because we have to plan for what’s next. Same idea with VVD: leaders matter, and having that example in the dressing room still counts for plenty.

The ref, and not letting it cloud the bigger point

Quick word on the referee: awful. Newcastle could easily have been down a man, and I thought the Gordon one on Alisson was a proper bottled decision. If that happens later in the game, or after the crowd’s had another 20 minutes to roar, it feels like a red gets shown.

Still, none of that should distract from the bigger picture. We’ve been poor for weeks, and certain individuals haven’t been at it for months. This was a reminder of what we’re capable of when we lean into our strengths rather than drifting through matches.

Maybe that’s linked to the talk of Arne Slot and the manager group meeting about changing things. Maybe it isn’t. I’m not convinced we’ve turned a corner yet because we’ve had false dawns, but at least we’ve seen the ceiling again. Now comes the hard part: doing it again, and again, without sliding back into the rubbish.

Written by Westwood666: 1 February 2026