Benwell Lad

As things stand with a day and a bit to go I think we're marginally better off than we were a year ago, based mainly on Anita's arrival, although the kids we've acquired do look useful and as someone said earlier having Saylor, HBA, Cisse and Marveaux ready from the start is a big plus. Looking elsewhere I don't see any significant improvement with the exception of Everton, Chelsea and Man U (based on RVP alone) while some of our rivals have slipped back if anything and Liverpool just seem to be confused. There is much huffing and puffing down in Albania on Wear, as is the norm at this point in the season, but the extent to which they've moved forward is debatable and they were starting from a very low base anyway. Overall I'm pretty meh about it all, hasn't been bad or good for us, like everyone I'll be real happy to see a quality full back or forward added to the squad either tomorrow or if not in January. Have to say I won't be totally surprised if we receive an "unrefusable" offer before it ends either. Hope not though.

After 60 minutes of football where he had a poor game against an awful side that now means his future at the mackems 'doesn't look good for him'. What an awful evaluation. Brett you're obviously missing the point of this topic. It's all about ripping the piss out of the mackems - something which is part of a Geordie's birthright. There are plenty of other topics in which to indulge in serious discussion and opinions.

Not sure that theyve made any significant improvement overall apart from Johnson and he comes with a significant risk involved, especially having stated previously he was a Newcastle fan as a lad - and we all know how macums treat them when things start going badly! Cuellar in - Richardson out - mmm...probably a net loss there. Bendtner out - Fletcher in - not sure. Failed to score against a Unibond club the other night, doesn't look fit and the fans were on his back already according to the SMB. Then Artie goes and hauls him off half way through. Doesn't look good for him. At least he hasn't been out in town on a car wrecking spree with Cattermole. Not yet anyway.

Tend to agree. Also good posts from Ian and Consortium of One. It may be a disappoimting window but too many obituaries being penned before anyone's died.

Demanded parity with Johnson/Fletcher ?? Fair does as he's a better player.

Liverpool's owners are big boys. They win deals and lose deals. They will have bought stock high and sold low before, it happens. The Carroll situation is no different.

no where because no team in the top 4 wants him. and i doubt the teams outside the top 4 will match the wages he's on at liverpool or the transfer value. he made it clear AC wont leave on a loan. Those quotes though, sound like he wants the wages off if he cant sell him. Even if it does mean a season loan. Just trying to read between the lines of what Rodgers said. wont read anything rodgers is saying, he's clearly deluded and probably expect atleast 20 mill for the lad. i find it strange why he cant fit AC in the way he wants his team to play. AC is very underated footballer, he's not just a beanpole who gets on the end of things from long balls. Funnily enough lots on here seem to think he's one dimensional. I agree with you he is much better than that. Peerless in the air, very sweet left foot and one of the hardest working forwards I've ever seen.

Just about everything you post on here gives me the impression you are not a Newcastle supporter. Are you?

Just a little club who are hardly even noticed by anyone south of Teesside or north of Tyneside. Very different to ourselves. Must be galling for them to think that their star signings would have signed for Newcastle if we'd shown any interest, but they only seem to sign the kind of players we wouldn't touch with a barge pole nowadays.

Was looking online for a couple of tickets yesterday as I thought I had a freebie but actually didn't. Have to say all the areas I preferred were pretty much sold out - certainly couldn't find two together. I know L7 is not being sold but should still be an OK gate, probably about the same an an (untelevised) league match at the SoL.

...... and the way we go about our dealings also means that no one outside a small inner group, and that includes the best informed hacks, knows anything about what we're up to. Only expect the unexpected from NUFC nowadays.

Mackem/Shields for mate. Always thought it was a general north east - Tyneside/Wearside,Durham/Northumberland - expression for "mate". Not so long ago mackems called themselves Geordies and "mackem" was a derogatory term for Sunderland people (now they're proud to have the identity). Marra seems to be becoming a mackem thing.

Really thought they'd get a big gate tonight with not having played at home yet and new signings making their debuts. A lot of their old school, decent fans seem to have just given up on the place nowadays and left it to the heathens and inbreeds who've taken the place over.

When I hear those stories it always makes me sad that I'm so young to have missed those times. i'm the same, until i start hearing people being nostalgic about when people just pissed where they were standing. They didn't really. It's just one of those myths which has been bandied around so much people think it's the truth. Some daft sod may have done it sometime but I can't recall seeing it happen in many years of standing on terraces. That said, the bogs at the back of the Gallowgate were pretty third world.

Really disappointed - just clicked on this thread thinking it was a special offer for Sky Sports. Divvent fret too much just yet lads. It only seems like yesterday that many on here were criticising our transfer policy and holding up Aston Villa as the model we should be following..........

Xisco ?

I was moved and was pretty pissed off at the time, however bringing him from Glasgow Rangers has to be one of the best signings Newcastle have ever made. Met him through a relative and have to say he was a decent bloke. RIP.

Artie and Ellis will be a long way away when the shit finally hits.

Were Sunderland to get Dempsey and not lose their best player before Saturday then they can say they have acquired 3 decent players. How much the nett effect of those three will be on what is a poor side is debatable and remains to be seen. However they also look like typical, predictable Artie deals, i.e. British based, overpriced and financially precarious if things go wrong. Exactly the type of players/deals our recruitment team wouldn't touch with a barge pole nowadays, and rightly so imo.

Any other "professional" games in Britain postponed because of drainage issues this weekend ?

The rain today must have soaked through to your brain.

They do, the forecast is bleak... every fucking day! .....but they have more sun tanning shops than anywhere else in the world and as half the population live in them it really doesn't matter what the weather is like outside.

Debacle really. Weather has been wet but by no means extraordinary. If they have drainage/infrastructure problems they should have made a decision earlier to save inconveniencing fans travelling long distances. Quite embarrassing all in all and it makes you wonder how much they knew in advance about the state of the new pitch/drainage issues etc.

If local non league games are going ahead then some serious questions should be asked about whats going on at the SoS.