Number 1 Activity

Considering Benitez's absence and more defensive injuries, I had low expectations but it was a good performance overall that probably deserved it. Swansea may not have looked great, but we did still do enough to pick the points up. Very nice to see b...

Initially I thought it was a borderline yellow/red call, but a red is pretty justifiable. Meanwhile, can De Boer really help it if his players are prepared to play wildly awful backpasses?

Bet Barkley leaves on a free next summer anyway.

Its Ashley-era Newcastle. I can't even pretend to be surprised anymore.

Well... clearly the West Ham fans I read suggesting their team would provide an easy obstacle to overcome for teams in need of wins and goals turned to be correct. Very satisfying to get off the mark after the misery this week has mainly been made up of.

The rule needs changing as much as anything. I accept celebrations can be overdone to the point of aggravating opposition in certain contexts, particularly in derbies, but in this one, it feels wrong. Same with the shirts off rule.

Roll on the international break.

Christ alive as if this season's start wasn't shit enough... Incidentally why is the draw for the next round being done from Beijing at 4:30am UK time tomorrow morning?

Don't think Merino-Hayden has even been the worst CM pairing Newcastle have put in the PL, let alone worst ever, although in truth it didn't play very well either (Merino gets bonus negative points for letting Mooy get away before the winner). D...

Hmmmm... like last week, did alright without threatening in the first half and fell to shit straight after half-time and didn't look like recovering. Which was understandable in the context of Shelvey's idiocy last week, but less so in this one....

Our forward play has been really lethargic throughout.

Also that, but I think their owners are wealthy enough to afford this without such sales. Although I've heard Barkley's move might be on ice for the moment as he's injured his hamstring. Baxter rejoining is weird, mind. They hopeful of a...

The Premier League has been getting out of control since about 2014, but this year has taken the cake. Sigurdsson probably is worth that figure to Swansea because they wouldn't have stayed up without his goals and assists last season, but it is still...

There were a few positive signs, and I do wonder if Kane got away with one for the foul on Lejeune, but Shelvey has ultimately decided the game by behaving like an enormous bellend.

I'd say Ruud Gullit with Rob Lee is the closer parallel than Souness-Bellamy. That was more a case of two abrasive personalities rubbing each other the wrong way over claims Bellamy refused to play out wide. Somewhat ironic given that's where Be...

If Conte wanted something to back up his calls for more investment, I think he has it. Fucking hell what a dreadful start.

It might well be it was exaggerated, but the Championship this time felt tougher than it did in 2009-10. Either that or back then we had a more street-wise squad with some proper buggers like Nolan, Smith, Barton, Butt, etc. I'm not as bothered as I...

I'm getting bored of the bulk of NUFC seasons descending into a perceived farce on at least 5 different levels before its even started. Maybe one year it'll run smoothly enough. I'm aware we're in a sell-to-buy scenario by virtue of b...

Tbf I don't really rate Joselu as a signing. Weirdly a fair few Stoke fans hate the idea of selling him, although I'm wondering if part of that is because they still haven't really replaced Arnautovic for goals, and their main alternatives...

I'd have liked Haidara to do well after he recovered quickly from the McManaman assault in 2013. But clearly few saw Paul Dummett being a consistent first team starter coming. Shame but it happens. I was under the assumption Gamez was staying given h...

My expectations with Spurs is that the new stadium move and having to borrow Wembley means Spurs are probably not going to have as good a season as last year. But then I didn't think they'd advance on 3rd 16 months ago, so what do I know?

I'm puzzled as to how PSG can afford this reported Neymar fee and contract.

I like the navy/pink kit but the electric hoops is a bit more hit and miss for me.

New light blue away strip for NUFC is smart, even if it has Puma's daft spotty sleeve stripe thing. Although I think it would've looked nicer with light blue shorts. As for another newly promoted side clad in Puma gear, I can't tell if I...

Not sure if Jacob Murphy is a £12million player, but the transfer market is increasingly nonsensical so figures Norwich would charge that and we'd pay it. Manquillo is a curious signing, although I guess we needed an extra full-back with Anita...

New kit is like that but with gold sponsors. I like it, but its kinda ruined by the fact Puma launched dozens of other kits in the same colour scheme for various other clubs worldwide at the same time.

Is it no longer just not enough to say "We've signed this player"?

Nike look like they can no longer be arsed with kits full stop. Seemed evident when they gave the majority of their teams the same Vapor template for the Euros and consequent season. Spurs' are the better of these selections but still a bit boring...

While Matic may not be as highly rated by Chelsea fans as I clearly thought, it still strikes me as strengthening a potential direct trophy rival. To be fair Kante is a powerhouse capable of doing the work of 2/3 midfielders at once, so yeah, I can get...

I know kit makers like having a new gimmick but this weird dot stripe thing is bad enough when used as a sleeve accent. For full stripes its shit. Least Puma stuck to conventional stripes on our new home kit. Also, as said, why do Plymouth have a green a...

Matic to Man U is heavily rumoured at the minute. Bit of a curious one, that one.

The monthly "Rafa about to quit Newcastle" story is on a few back pages tomorrow. Bored of that now tbh.

Southampton's home kit I think is meant to be a reference to a strip they wore in the 70s. Though they never look right in anything other than stripes... that red and gold kit when they had Pochettino, Lallana and Shaw looked more like a rejected Man...

Southampton launching their new kit with a bespoke animation that takes a pop or two at Ronald Koeman is pretty funny.

Southampton have sacked Puel. Bit of a weird one really. 8th is not terrible for a team in L1/administration not that long ago, but they were crap after the League Cup final. Tbh I thought he'd been fired a while ago. Yeah. I guess its the nature...

Fairly pleasing symmetry, given our first game in the PL-era top flight and our last one were home games against Spurs. Hopefully they make another slow start.

Its been strangely quiet so far but its slightly mental how not so long ago, fees like £16m for Maguire would've been ludicriously over-the-top and now, in the cash orgy that is the Prem, its like buying teams are going "Meh, solid price&q...

Most of the media are reporting takeover talk, with Chinese groups among the front-runners. A year ago I would've welcomed it but we seem in a happier place at the moment than for most of Ashley's decade in charge. Plus I dunno - a part of me i...

Maybe its time to tear it all up and start again.

I'm really not feeling positive at all. So no change there then.

Wow. That's pretty terrible news. RIP.

I'd rather have Reina than Caballero, even if it is a bit of a "bringing the band back together" move, but given we already have Elliott, Darlow, Sels and Woodman, plus have Krul returning from loan, I doubt a new goalkeeper is that big a p...

Both?

Didn't even know we were linked with him at all tbh.

Impressively done. Must be gutting for Reading to miss out courtesy of the pain in the arse way that is penalties.

I usually hate the new home Newcastle kit when it comes out - the weirdly fussy design in 2013-14 and the overly blue one 2 years ago in particular - but I do like our new one. Would like it more if it had a more subtle sponsor, let alone the fact its ano...

Its Watford. He'll be gone by this time next year.

The more interesting story would've been Exeter completing the turnaround from bottom in November to play-off success in May for their fan-owned club. Alas, not today.

First FA Cup Final I've seen in 3 years and I thought it was a good view. Chelsea really did look oddly off colour.

He's put out a statement effectively confirming his retirement. For the right manager, Palace do seem like a decent opportunity. Yet they never seem to find anyone able to do anything for more than a couple of months then who finds a way to let them...