Paddy Power’s Fan Denial returned to pay tribute to some of the most impassioned and comical reactions to Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace against Newcastle United. 

Taking a new angle, the operator looked at how fans of Newcastle responded to Steve Bruce’s post-match comments, as the Toon manager did all he could to salvage some positives from what was a tough afternoon for his side. 

The misery of Newcastle fans was elevated as the result compounded a tough start to the season for their side, with some immensely pessimistic fans already resigning themselves to relegation and a return to what they described as ‘Sunderland land’. 

The performance of the goalkeeper Freddie Woodman was also a vocal point of discussion as Bruce took satisfaction in the fact that the keeper hadn’t made too many saves, whilst fans felt he should have done better on the shots that did come his way.