Once again, we assembled in Newcastle for our Christmas drinks special with the magnificent Strawberry pub playing host to an elite audience of friends, relatives, loved ones, and Others.

Eddie Howe's men suffered heartbreak at Chelsea on Tuesday night, but we're banishing negativity with a look ahead to the festive fixtures and that date with Sunderland in the new year.

It seems everyone associated with Newcastle United is getting a bit tired and emotional, so we also celebrate a late Thanksgiving by remembering our personal highlights of 2023.

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We're coming to you just 24 hours before Eddie Howe's men take on Chelsea in the Carabao Cup quarter finals and despite the best efforts of our resident gremlin, Chris Waugh.

A three-nil win at home to Fulham would be a nice result under any circumstances, but after European heartbreak in midweek, and with an unwelcome setback in our previously relenting injury crisis, it was a magnificent effort.

Lewis Miley got his first senior goal to break the deadlock and teammate Sean Longstaff was full of praise for his junior colleague, and Becky Langley's women won 11-3(!) to round off the calendar year unbeaten(!!!).

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Taylor Payne is joined by the world's unlikeliest hoody-wearer, George Caulkin, and Nostra-doofus Chris Waugh, to look back at the last emotional rollercoaster of our Champions League campaign.

The Group of Death went to the death, but sadly it wasn't to be as our desire to stay in Europe's premier competition saw us concede to a Milan counter-attack and exit European competition entirely.

Fulham are next and, while they have some good recent form, their away record is much like Newcastle's... bad. Huge excitement for Becky Langley and the women's team, though, as they booked a trip to Manchester in the Adobe Women's FA Cup.

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Taylor Payne and Chris Waugh are safe in the North East for our weekend review, with George Caulkin making the unexpected decision to broadcast from a building site in central London.

We have another dispiriting display to look back at, with Eddie Howe's knackered Mags downed 4-1 by a Spurs side whose "injury crisis" pales by comparison. Better news from Gateshead, where Becky Langley's women made it to the fourth round of the FA Cup and a potential meeting with the big hitters of the WSL.

Next up, a Champions League Group F finale with AC Milan coming to St James's Park on Wednesday. The atmosphere should be electric, but can that re-energise the players or will Leao and co spoil the party?

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The prodigal grandad returns! George Caulkin is back, which is good, because we need numbers to comfort each other with our resident Evertonian is on the smugpath. Newcastle lost at Goodison Park, deservedly so, but can we bounce back at Spurs on our own little Super Sunday?

Captain Lascelles hobbled into the changing room on Thursday: hopefully Eddie Howe can get some reinforcements soon because bare bones was about five injuries ago. Chris updates us on the rehabbers... twice.

And we celebrate the glimmer of light that was Lewis Miley, arguably Newcastle's best player in the first half on Merseyside.

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Eddie Howe's Newcastle United side, with at most fourteen fit first-teamers, barely got out of second gear in beating Manchester United at St James's Park.

Taylor Payne, Chris Waugh, and Jacob Whitehead review what is now a routine scenario, consider the FA Cup draw at Sunderland, and celebrate the women's team topping the table.

The men's team head to Everton on Thursday night when Jacob will be watching Anthony Gordon closely and the rest of us will be hoping Isak can recreate his freakish dribble.

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Taylor Payne is not a happy man; he's a bit less not happy than he was 24 hours ago, but not by much. Joining him to digest the indigestion of an ultimately unhappy evening in Paris are Chris Waugh and Jacob Whitehead.

Kylian Mbappe's penalty rescued a point for Paris Saint-Germain in Champions League Group F, but that doesn't even begin to cover the shock of a 98th minute VAR decision that seemed impossible given what had come before.

Did that moment steal the thunder of Newcastle's remarkable two-part performance? In the first half they pressed and pestered and scored a crucial goal through Isak. Then, as the eleven men tired and with no viable subs, they repelled waves of PSG attacks before that stunning final twist of the knife.

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Newcastle's bench against Chelsea showed how many players we are missing, but that didn't seem to matter too much as Gordon, Isak and co breezed through the Blues' swiss-cheese defence at will.

Lewis Miley also showed why the club's transfer policy was adapted to give him a first team squad role this season. He becomes Newcastle's youngest ever assister of a Premier League goal.

Plus, there's news from the PL shareholders' meeting, 26 games unbeaten for Becky Langley's women, and our Champions League preview on a must-win trip to Paris.

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Taylor Payne hosts an international break edition of The Athletic's Newcastle United podcast with reporters Chris Waugh and Jacob Whitehead, plus special guests Paul Karter and Thomas Concannon.

Representing the Newcastle United Supporters Trust and the Football Supporters' Association respectively, Paul and Thomas bring their experience with fan issues to discuss the difficulties with tickets and related matters that have arisen this season.

There's also news of a terrific win for Becky Langley's NUFC women and the latest from our men away on international duty ***touchwood***.

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Look, we're all tired. The players, the staff, the fans, even the podcasters have had enough. Defeat at Bournemouth prompted an outpouring of emotion, a cry of frustration, made more painful because the loss wasn't anybody's fault.

But, with the turning of a page, can we expect a fresh burst of energy? Unfortunately, given how crowded the physio room is, and how busy the fixture list, it doesn't look like things are getting much easier any time soon.

On the upside, the women's team keep churning out results, and the men have an international break when most of them will get a rest of some sort.

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