Mags must find their missing consistency

FOR goodness sake will the real Newcastle United please stand up. The emotional roller coaster is draining us poor Geordies.

Can we park the excuses, legit or not? Can we forget about the horrendous injuries, VAR, kicks where the sun doesn’t shine, the world not being admirers of ownership, and over-achieving last season?

Can we just buckle down, show organisation and the ability we saw in every individual bought, and produce some consistency.

Luton was a big letdown after Aston Villa, may Nottingham Forest not be another.

This is ominously reminiscent of United v Luton – you know, a shock defeat despite high expectations leading to a fear that revenge would not be as automatic as hoped.

United lost against the Hatters and then could only draw 4-4. They lost up here to Forest so will it be a double defeat or sweet success? Maybe neither – a point a’piece again.

United’s total inactivity in the last transfer window was down to a fear of FFP which is gripping many PL clubs. Forest apparently are not one of them. They have signed players like Billy Bunter gorging himself in the school tuck shop and have inevitably been charged.

Regardless, it would appear Forest are not about to totally mend their ways. They may have a new manager in Nuno Espirito Santo but they retain the same old transfer policy under an impatient Greek owner.

Three more joined the Nottingham holiday camp at the death of the January transfer window – keeper Matz Sels for £5m, Portuguese striker Rodrigo Ribeiro, and United States midfielder Giovanni Reyna, who is the son of former Sunderland star Claudio.

The man standing directly in Newcastle’s way of making it four successive away victories in two competitions is of fleeting acquaintance. Sels, now 31, played nine Championship games for us and 14 in all under Rafa Benitez having signed for a £6.5m fee back in 2016. Blink and you missed him.

However, at a time when the Toon Army can justifiably moan over bad luck with injuries persistently piling up, furrowed brows have been soothed somewhat with the news midweek that Forest had run into a little heavy traffic themselves.

First and foremost, while Magpies were resting in their nest, our Nottingham rivals were forced into an FA Cup replay which lasted an exhausting 120 minutes even against Championship opposition.

Not only that, star man Morgan Gibbs-white picked up a knock but was unable to come off due to Forest

OWEN HUMPHREYS/PA WIRE Big Dan Burn was rinsed by Luton speed merchant Chiedozie Ogbene