Sean Dyche:

"There is a mentality here that is very, very strong, and it's been there all season. People have said to me, 'You must be pleased with the belief now' - I was pleased with it at the beginning of the season.

"The performances over this Christmas period have been absolutely outstanding. How we didn't get anything against Liverpool is a head-scratcher in itself; we were excellent at Manchester City and I thought we were excellent today.

"We have just played five out of the top 10 and taken five points over that Christmas period with a lot of games - very good signs about what we think we can do this season.

"I don't do excuses, I haven't got time for excuses at any level of football, and certainly not at this level of football."
 

This should have been a doddle - the match report I mean, not the actual game.

Pen a few lines on the anticipated home win, add some guff about genial Geordie John Carver and exit for the alehouse via brief musings on the first Newcastle boss since Gordon Lee in January 1977 to decide that the grass was greener somewhere else.   

This being Newcastle United though, the best-laid plans routinely lie in tatters by full time and the first day of 2015 proved to be no exception. Six goals yes, thriller no. Much to digest, none of it easy to swallow. 

The first sign something was in the wind came after the Everton win, when the always-welcome sight of their manager in twisty-faced mode (answers on a postcard what Dave Whelan used to call him at Wigan by the way) was replaced by talk of Alan Pardew's hasty departure back Darn Sarf. 

That brought the man known as JC to the microphone, unprepared for this unexpected public speaking engagement and with little to add save for a line about eating pies - and certainly not of the humble variety after a morale-boosting home win to eclipse a quartet of losses.

Of course that situation was soon rectified and once the news that Alan Pardew had eloped to be with his childhood sweetheart (and a large bag of swag) was confirmed, our interim manager held court at his press conference, although one could be forgiven for wondering if it was a talk-in.

Summoning up the ghosts of colleagues past though quite literally put needless extra weight on Carver's shoulders - and sadly invited comparisons of the unfavourable variety. Invoking round ball giants did fleetingly seem like a bold but feasible plan when United struck early and looked like they were in the mood to demolish a Burnley side who were dropping like flies.

Of course reality intervened. The limited but committed visitors rallied and it became evident that Carver was in temporary charge of the same footballing pygmies that had provided disappointment in abundance throughout 2014. Which of course was always going to be the case. 

By the end this looked as comfortable as an old shoe: quickly losing its shine and liable to take in water at the slightest hint of a downpour. Our theory has been that a change in coaching would make these players a better team, but if that change is merely getting rid of the figurehead, then the message doesn't change, just gets delivered in a more palatable style. 

To square the circle, is there really any difference between Carver and Chris Hughton in football management terms? To dump one four years ago and then appoint the other now would look like a lack of imagination bordering on laziness - unless preserving the miserable status quo really is the name of the game (no, not the band, try and keep up with this random rambling).     

To the game then, and accompanied by Steve Stone and Peter Beardsley, JC looked on as three of his fellow Geordies net inside the opening 26 minutes but one of those, Paul Dummett, unfortunately headed an OG for the Clarets.

Burnley had already hit the woodwork before Steven Taylor headed United in front. Dummett's moment to forget then followed, but Colback looked to have spared the left-back's embarrassment when he fired United back into the lead. 

That marked the end of the first half scoring but the visitors had to use all of their substitutes with just 37 minutes gone, Jason Shackell, Dean Marney and substitute Kevin Long all replaced.

Emmanuel Riviere missed a golden chance to extend the lead before half time when Moussa Sissoko pulled the ball back for his compatriot who seemed to get the ball stuck under his feet six yards out.

Handed a first league start since September, Riviere had some success in attempting to work the channels and hold the ball up. Heading narrowly over, he demonstrated one delicious bit of skill to backheel his way towards goal but was again unable to get anything on target.

That failure to exploit the disjointed nature of Burnley's first half performance by scoring the goals that their dominance warranted would come back to hurt United - as would not having a certain Senegalese goalscorer on the bench when Riviere inevitably tired after the break.  

Ayoze Perez had a penalty claim turned down and soon after both Ings and Barnes struck the woodwork as United looked increasingly jittery and flat-footed.

Adam Armstrong replaced Riviere and the injury jinx started to affect the home side when Taylor ruptured his achilles tendon, Mike Williamson appearing as Burnley went firmly on the front foot.

The Clarets levelled when alleged toon target Danny Ings collected his fifth Premier League goal with a flicked header. Massadio Haidara replaced Yoan Gouffran with 20 minutes remaining as United looked to flirt with a 3-5-2 formation and from a rare piece of cohesive play in the opposition half, they regained the lead through Sissoko.

Once again excellent, Perez claimed the assist via Armstrong and although Sissoko blasted in his side's third, the chants of the home fans acknowledged another piece of Spanish magic - this lad just gets better and better, a genuine worry with the spending season just about to restart.

That should have been the clincher but with Newcastle's main attacking strategy a brainless route one strategy to the diminutive Armstrong and Cheick Tiote a danger to his own team, Sean Dyche's side saw plenty of the ball and had every encouragement to attempt a third equaliser.

It duly arrived with four minutes remaining, when Boyd netted for the second time against us this season. And having managed just seven goals in nine away league games all season, Burnley visitors looked for a fourth of the afternoon in added time, forcing free-kicks and corners that were thankfully dealt with before referee Mike Dean blew the final whistle amid mild booing.

So with players soon leaving for the African Nations Cup, Taylor out for the rest of the season and a number of existing injuries, this team will have their squad tested to the full. But with rumours of big-name departures persisting, this may be another eventful January transfer window, if Mike Ashley possibly thinking we're safe for another season and looking to recoup cash as a consequence.

Certainly recruitment is urgently required, not least in the goalkeeping position where Alnwick needs to be put out of his misery and replaced very quickly unless either Tim Krul or Rob Elliot are in line for the speediest of returns. The loss of Taylor meanwhile leaves a question mark over the composition of the back four, the flaws in the Coloccini / Williamson combination apparent to anyone watching the games or number-crunching the stats.

With no realistic prospect of a recall from AS Roma for Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, the only option left to Carver is fielding Dummett at centre half and leaving Haidara and Santon to fight over the left back role, or blooding one of the unproven pair of Remi Streete and Lubo Satka.
 
27 points collected from 20 games leave United tenth, ten points clear of the relegation zone and five away from the poisoned chalice of a Europa Cup place. It seems like a high water mark.

Defeat in the FA Cup on Saturday would surely end our season in terms of any positive outcome though, unless the appointment of a credible manager follows - and he receives support, both in terms of transfer activity and in a positive response from the players. 

We're not holding our breath on either of those, but if nothing else we're pleased to see the back of the self-congratulatory, grubby round the edges bloke we've tolerated since 2010. It's got nothing to do about where he comes from, rather where he's been and where he's been allowed to take us.

That he walked rather than being pushed tells you everything about this club's ambition levels. 

Quite simply if Pardew's unpalatable recipe was to the owner's taste, then there's no need to alter anything. Just stay on the same course, with the same crew. Now that's depressing.   

Biffa