75 min Wissa robs Dasilva and feeds Toure, whose square-pass is intercepted, just. It’s getting frantic for Coventry, far too early; if they’re to see this out, they’ll need more composure than they’re currently showing.

74 min “At the end of the Leeds debacle, I sent you a somewhat hysterical email nailing us on for relegation, which I’m grateful you didn’t publish,” says Craig Scott. “But seeing this I certainly think we’re in for a grim season. No credible goalscorer, real lack of creativity, shaky defence and a systems manager who doesn’t seem to have the players for his system or to trust our more incisive ones. Early days and we need to stay behind team and manager, but it’s not looking good.”

Botman takes possession 25 yards out and Coventry sit off because what’s he going to do with it from there? Er, this: move the ball forward and left, creating an angle before, from the edge, flinging all of his not insubstantial corporeality into a sensational donkey kick, which burns into the roof at the near post. Lampard will be raging at the defending, but that finish is an absolute outrage.

55 min Coventry are flying now, Thomas-Asante crossing well from the right and Botman making a bottix of his clearance, diverting the ball directly to Cherif! But where, just a few minutes ago, his composure and connection were perfect, this time, he swings with one foot against the other, a terrible shot squirting wide.

Oh, this is brilliant, a joyous, beautiful moment for the 19-year-old making his first Premier League start. The long throw is cleared to the edge by Botman but even when Cherif takes a touch to control, on the half-turn, there looks to be no danger. But then he spins to flow a shot – the kind that he’ll have barely felt, the connection is so pure, like the way boxers talk about a knockout punch – and it somehow rinses low through a crowd of defenders and in! The ground explodes and rightly so.

48 min A ball into the box, a dummy from, I think, Rudoni, and Cherif doesn’t read it. Still, from the clearance, Coventry have another chance to hurl a ball into the box, something they tried a few times in the first half.

46 min This is the kind of game that, if Coventry are to stay up, they need to win – a probable mid-table side at home. They might need another goal, though, because at some point you have to think Newcastle will create something unmissable. But, in the meantime, Willock and Van Ewijk leap together for a high ball and neither enjoys the landing … but both should be fine.

43 min Gonzalez, who’s gone quiet, clips a fine pass through the middle that I think Thomas should cut out. But he doesn’t and Fernandez-Pardo hares through the middle; he’s in! He might shoot, but opts instead to go around Rushworth then, when Thomas runs in behind the keeper, doesn’t lift his finish, instead shooting into the defender’s legs. allowing the clearance. That should’ve been the equaliser, but that was, for the third time tonight, tremendous box-defending from Bobby Thomas, whop thoroughly enjoys the crowd hollering his name and why not? What a feeling that must be.

37 min “Not at all impressed by this showing at all from Jaissle’s Boiz, says Chris Paraskevas. “It’s been yet another slow, passive start to a game, giving ourselves a mountain to climb before a ball has barely even been kicked. We need focal points to our attack and midfield – Osula and Joelinton mgfht have critical roles to play, regardless of their fitness levels...”

Joelinton brings bite, but what I think Newcastle are missing here is class. I’d like to see Steur and Toure.

33 min “Am I the only person who finds the outrage at Man City’s behaviour a little synthetic, at least as it relates to the onfield impact?” wonders Richard Hirst. “Yes, if they are guilty they should be punished severely, but do we really think that, for example, if Mancini had not, allegedly, had two contracts City’s results would have been any different?

Given my team are bottom of the league I will clearly be delighted if City are placed below us, but let he who is without sin cast the first stone, and given that we had al Fayed, it certainly shouldn’t be Fulham.”

You’re certainly the only person i’ve met who finds it synthetic. In the first instance, it matters not what the effect was but that the rules were signed up to then, in the opinion of an independent tribunal, broken. But perhaps Mancini only goes to them because the money is good, and perhaps players then sign to play for him?

28 min Newcastle attack down the right and Murphy cuts back for Fernandez-Pardo to sweep home a shot except he … dummies … to, er … no one? Maybe he got a shout from a defender, but even so. And then Coventry counter, Cherif, quiet so far, racing away at inside-right. He might pick a pass but instead shoots, and Hornicek saves. Poor decisions from both.