Shola - Comments

I think its going to be a recurrent problem as, by reputation, management or bookie favouritism, Newcastle have been cast as the pond's big fish, or at least one of them. Sort of how Manchester United or City coverage is almost always about them, or in La Liga, where Barcelona/Real Madrid defeats are more about their shortcomings than the other team being any good.

I'm not sure Fulham weren't that good, tbf. Their game plan was one of those "let the other team have possession domination", similar to how Leicester played in the first half of last season.

What a load of utter drivel.

He tried to sign him once as a striker before he fell off a cliff? At any rate, you're talking about a man that subbed John Terry at half time and then started phasing him out after playing him for every minute of the season before.

Already said Rooney won't play in midfield.

For the right wing. Played most of his football there for Dortmund. Think it should work out alright, Valencia worked really well with Mata overlapping and giving width and Mhki works harder and has more pace than Mata (hopefully if pre-seasons anything to go by Valencia's remembered how to cross too).

Fair few interesting bits and bobs from that opening weekend... Forest v Burton looked like a great match, Blackburn look doomed already, Grant Ward had the debut of a lifetime, more people turned up at Blackpool than I thought would (least judging by highlights), and I had no idea Jay Spearing was still at Bolton. Is he still pulling wages over £40k a week?

I'd say the team that got hammered 4-0 on the opening day by Man City in 2013 looked in even less of a season opening match ready condition than Friday's did. But whatever.

Maybe the Benitez hype was too much, but at least it makes a change to be positive about someone after the uninspiring appointments of McClaren, Carver or Pardew. Incidentally, McClaren would've overdone the positives had he been in charge, and its a bit much he's a pundit on Sky going about what he'd do in Bentiez's position when if he'd done his fucking job better last year, we wouldn't have gone down. Its usually the case with Newcastle that anticipation has a habit to set you up for disappointment, anyway. JFK had more games than RB, so making that comparison is odd.

I don't really think it feeds into that whole idea of letting players walk all over us by saying Ritchie and Hayden did alright in a losing performance (although not everyone agrees about the latter, and both said we should've done better yesterday), or that favourite targets like Anita, Dummett or Colback were shite. Haven't seen any real praise or criticism of Gayle, given he didn't really do anything. Still think we need an extra winger anyway. Or a more muscular presence alongside the lighter Gayle (Diame, maybe?). But in terms of yesterday. it was a slightly different version of our away form over the last 4 years - more possession than usual, but a whole load of nothing. There's work to be done, but hopefully its a sufficient enough slap in the face to those who thought this would be a walkover.

As far as I can remember, Tiote wasn't fully fit for those cited first four games after Benitez took over, plus was the weak link at Norwich, and in any case wanted out in January. Though he may still resurface. As for the departed England winger, how do you know Townsend wasn't asked? We don't know what conversations are held behind closed doors, and if he was that desperate to get back into the England set-up, he may well have already mentally gone. As opposed to that sulky git Sissoko and his meme-bait team photo.

Townsend was not going to stay when England offered him the Euro 2016 preliminary place and the incentive to want to go back up to that league above. But a winger is required and pretty sure one of those new arrivals suggested will be If "best CM" is a Sissoko reference, he's still not fit after his post-Euros break AFAIK, while if its Tiote, he's leaving and can be problematic. Better than Colback, mind, whose apparently threw a very petulant strop after being subbed for a shit performance..

Calling our squad "dreadful" after one defeat on a noted bogey ground that could've gone the other way with a referee who can spot handballs is a massive overreaction. But it does underline that the mentality away from home needs to change, given this reminded me of many of the slumbers under Pardew, Carver and McClaren on the road.

That fruit was so low-hanging it was probably your balls, boo.

Sell Ameobi, Gouffran and Riviere too - both not good enough unless they're willing to be 3rd/4th choice backup. Gouffran and Riviere might find their level at Championship standard but if we're looking to bounce back first time then they'd need sold next summer anyway, Ameobi only managed 8 starts for a below average Cardiff side last year so might need to drop even further.

We need a left back - Dummett is hopeless and Haidara is even worse - and is injured constantly.

Presuming the 3 are sold that I'd like we'd need 6 signings.

LB
DM
CM
W/F
CB
ST

We're far from the finished article but the way we've handled our business this summer has been way better than in the past and hasn't seemed as scatter gun - although I can't see us making another 6 signings, I think we'll make do without any more centre midfielders/left back which is a worry.

Largely agree (not even sure Portugal are a good side though), yet think they're completely justified in celebrating reaching the semis.

Unrelated note, France's penalty was never a penalty, lest we get into the 'deliberate' handball debate again.