Benwell Lad

I thought it was an excellent performance. Bolton pack a midfield like no other team and are probably the hardest team in the Prem to play against and break down, they will get points against the so called "big four" and beat a lot of lesser teams with that horrible style. We had to be patient in possession - we were and waited for the breakthrough. I thought the new signings all looked very good and Michael Owen - what can you say he just makes it look so easy.

Er...no, it was evens (1/1) and the bet was soon withdrawn from the website/expoure limit met as it was a ridiculously good offer Thanks mate. That makes more sense !

You've got a steal there mate. Our top centre half a lot stronger and more reliable than Taylor. In fact I'd go as far to say it could be the shrewdest £2.25 your club has ever spent. He's just the type of defender you need if you're gonna stay up. Amdy Faye is not as bad as many on here say, he's no worldbeater and had a rough time at Newcastle but could do a decent job.

And get Graeme Danby to sing Blaydon Races before big games like he did against the macums last season. I'm sure Keane's rabble completely lost their bottle when they walked out into that atmosphere.

Last week nufc.com mentioned a bet with Paddy Power - Newcastle to beat anyone of the big four home or away at evens or something. Does anyone know if this available with any bookie as I can't find it ? Anyone else taking any interesting seasonal bets ?

I reckon Wigan will do OK, Boro will struggle but survive, we'll improve on last year and Sunderland will fight a relegation battle with the outcome dependant on whether any of the promoted 3 finish above them. Keane has bought badly, much like last season but no one in the press seems to mention it. Yet.

A bit like the bible I guess this is way more plausible than the bible tbf Very selective editing there Dr.V - you a jounalist or a politcian or something ? political journalist actually, and i practice law in my spare time Shee-it - I'm keeping out of your way - I'd rather take on 3 night club bouncers all at once !

A bit like the bible I guess this is way more plausible than the bible tbf Very selective editing there Dr.V - you a jounalist or a politcian or something ?

A bit like the bible I guess, and virtually every other thing read or spoken about on the planet. If information was never passed on more than once we'd be living on a very quiet very ignorant planet. Of course sort the wheat from the chaff and decide for yourself, but this post has a lot more credibility than anything I've read in the press for a while. In my opinion that is.

Very plausible. Ashley has put NUFC on a stable financial footing and is starting to get serious about running it in a business like way instead of the circus we had become where we were every tabloid and Sky TVs favourite for filling column inches. Ashley is a consummate winner, he may not be in this to make money but he will want to be a winner. Stuff like this is exactly why it is worth looking at decent forums, let's face it you would never get the truth in the Sun or the Gaurdian. Mind you this forum probably has a bigger readership than the Guardian nowadays.

True. To most people there is only one significant football club north of Manchester, so if the Gaurdian need to employ a north east correspondent then she will have to write, in the main, about us. The fact she has a huge chip on her shoulder about Newcastle - like many Wearysiders, do make her ramblings a little bit biased.

Zany! Mind he probably thiks the macums beat us 1-0 a few years ago and Chopra, Luque, Zog and Shearer's goals didn't really count as substitutions had been made by that time.

Am I correct in thinking Caulkin isn't responsible for the headline writing? I would have thought someone else does that, aye. For the record http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/aug/11/newcastleunited.premierleague1?gusrc=rss&feed=football She really should be writing for a Sundlund fanzine or in their programme rather than for a once serious newspaper.

Shouldn't our manager's opinion - one of the greatest men ever to be associated with Newcastle - count more than that of certain spectators. From what I've seen Smith has woefully underperformed for us by the standards of the England international we bought from manu, however I played in quite a few teams where the lads who were most popular and worked hardest for the team were not the eye catching favourites. Keegan said :- "He's a smashing lad, he's very very popular at the club and he can play in a lot of different positions, so he's a valuable player for us." I may not necessarily agree, but I'm gonna concede that Keegan's opinion is the one that counts.

I thought Keegan looked in great shape and extremely relaxed in post match interviews. Probably happy that he HAS succeeded in bringing extra quality to his squad - just as he said he wanted to. Don't suppose the papers will be reporting that though. Strange how the thug Keane who was allegedly throwing things at his own players last season and looks like he may well have wasted another shed load of money bringing in overpriced rejects (Spit the Dog etc) seems to get an easy ride from the newspapers. Will that change soon ?

Well said Binnsy - no true Newcastle fan would boo anyone in a B&W shirt. Criticise them down the pub by all means - but never at the match.

Given, Harper, Krul, Fraser Enrique, Cacapa, Beye, Faye, Taylor, Edgar, Bassong, Coloccini. Barton, Guthrie, Duff, Zog, Milner, Gutierrez, Geremi, Butt, Martins, Owen, Smith, Shola, Viduka, Carroll. Plus a few other young uns and maybe a couple more shrewd acquisitions, not the worst squad in the PL by a long way and definitely the best in the north east. Can we be allowed just a tiny bit of optimism for the new season ?

threw sir bobby's faith in him back in his face by being a t*** about being asked to play on the wing and chucked the captain's armband on the floor iirc. sir bobby wanted to make him vice captain with a view of taking over from big al. dyer also - - - dodgy video's with lampard, out on the piss in town too much for a pro footballer, crashing his porsche into the swing bridge... Don't forget chucking out tenners from his car as he drove along the quayside, total tosser. urban myth ? Dyer may not have done himself many favours in PR but he was nowhere near as bad as some of the stories made up about him.

Roy Keane - for making referee baiting part of the game and deserting his country in a time of need. Diouf - apart from spitting on anyone who gets in his way and hitting women probably the most odious player around in the last 10 years. Chimbonda - just plain horrible and a cheat to boot. Anyone detect a theme ? Just to dispel any accusation of bias I had a lot of time for Peter Reid, Mick McCarthy and Kevin Ball. All real football people and great sportsmen.

One of last nights NE news programmes (think it was ITV) said on their sports bulletin that "Sunderland had been by far the most successful NE team in the summer transfer market" leading into a story about Saha. I'm not sure they have. Chances are that Keane has merely continued in last summers vein of reckless spending. I don't think any of their signings would have excited either Newcastle or Boro fans, in fact I think they smack of desperation and the salaries they are having to pay to get these average/squad players to move to Wearyside proves that. The pick is probably Malbranque who was good at Fulham and ok at Spurs, but lets face it if he'd had realistic options he wouldn't have gone to Sunderland. We'll see, but as normal with the mackems it could all end in tears. So local broadcasters be careful before you use words like "successful" about Sundeland's transfer moves, it may just be that Keegan and Southgate's more patient, astute approach and Keegan's stated policy of only buying when players better than those he already has become available, may prove to be more SUCCESSFUL in the long run.

Quality ! Obviously written by someone who understands football and not your average journalist.

What next ? "LORD WESTWOOD FOUND ALIVE IN ALPINE RETREAT PLANS TO REGAIN TOON FROM ASHLEY IN £750M TAKEOVER"

So we should pander to what the papers say? Nope we should do what families do when they're attacked and stick together and show unity. Many so called NUFC fans have given them the lines they want in order to attack us, sometimes you've got to be big and hide true feelings for the benefit of the bigger cause. Anyway who cares what they say, once upon a time they were educated, accurate and even handed nowadays their opinions are worth no more than some drunk's at the end of the bar. Take luvverly Luoise for example - there is no way the Gaurdian of old would have employed that lying slag.

The mackums look like they're doing a huge favour for Spurs in taking the overpaid deadwood off them and freeing up a big chunk of budget for new players.

I'm actually starting to feel sorry for the kid and I NEVER thought I'd say that.