There’s no easy way out as Newcastle fashioned another lifeless performance that will no doubt be lost amongst innumerable others, falling, as they did, to a Zheng Zhi header and a Jerome Thomas penalty at the Valley.

What went wrong this time? What can be done? What replacements would you like to see? How long will it be before Newcastle are where you want them to be? Where should our expectations be at right now? What do you hope for this season? You’ve seen the cloud, can you see the silver? Have your say.