Beren

Really, really good game this.

You just know which game that will be, too. Sadly I do, Murtaugh.

Better from Silva. Get the impression Man City will be very slick once all these players get to know each other's games and gel together a little bit more.

Waiting for the Enckleman moment now.

Hart is playing ridiculously.

Roberto Mancini loves a DM. Still reckon City are miles off a title push, especially if thats going to be there starting XI. Got about as much creativity in there as we have. I understand the logic behind his selection tbh. Away from home against a promising Spurs side - probably wants to counter late on in the game as Spurs get frustrated and commit too many forward.

Man Utd Chelsea Huddersfield Rangers Ajax PSV Oldham about 7/1 as I recall. Separate lump on Chelski too.

I'm no great seer Otter (or even a half-decent better for that matter ) but Blackburn can be pretty strong at home and Everton can be fairly unadventurous away from home!

Opening weekend fixtures: Considering an unwisely large lump on a Chelsea/Manure double.

Stop at Boxing Day!

Would have had 93 points, if the whole season wasn't abandoned because of their controversial unplayable match against Sunderland.

Thought I'd have a crack at it instead of being a mean sod and laughing at other people's http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8756/bychristmas.jpg Got to Boxing Day, and I thought feck it! Made me miss the days of my dissertation, that... That'll do me fine!

What got me was the -76 goal difference! Edit: Fair play for filling it out and all that btw, probably wouldn't get a more realistic table myself - but funny all the same

I just disagree. I could give you countless examples of foreign players failing in this country. We play different football but it's certainly not worse IMO. Of course it's f**king worse. The British blueprint is why we got mullered at the World Cup and played off the park by the first decent team we come across. Take a player out of a team in Spain and hoy them in a team in England and they'll struggle to adapt (for example Borja Valero), but put a lower English team against a lower Spanish team and they'd get played off the park. They're technically and tactically streets ahead of us. There's a reason why we've only won 1 out of the last 25 Uefa Cups (or equivalents), our middle to lower teams are so far behind the top echelons. I think you have confused English footballers with the English premiership. Spain's national team (Barcelona) is excellent but that proves nothing. We need to nuture our youngsters better yes, but that has nothing to with the standard of our league. No. It's a footballing culture that manifests at every level in England. Have you watched some of the crap in the Premiership recently? It's technically inept players playing hoofball for turgid, tactically backward managers sticking with simplistic 4-4-2s for two-bit nothing football clubs. The bottom of the Premiership is a clap of horseshit, and because of that I remain some modual of confidence that we can survive. I can comfortably watch any game in Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Eredivise and comfortably say the enjoyment levels are streets ahead of what I'd get from watching some drivel fom the Premier League. I wish Euro 2012 would be scrapped so we could get a 20 vs 20, Premiership v La Liga competition tbh England, France and Italy are in disarray - after the Premiership v La Liga competition finishes Spain, Holland and Germany can have a 3-way round robin to determine the winner of what would have been Euro 2012.

Looking forward to see how CH performs this season when we're bound to come up against it considerably more than last season - and, pertinently, if he has the lack of hubris, balls and flexibility to be willing to drop the stalwarts "mainstays" of the team as circumstance dictates (E.g Nolan!). For my part, I don't think he's perfect but I rather believe in CH! [/famous last words]

Won some money on Plymouth, and put an acc on Reading, Charlton and two others who I now forget.

"They'll look at this like a Champions' League game..." :lol:

Agree with that. Carroll gives us a different attacking dimension, but Nolan isn't bringing much to the table. Would like someone in the Bellamy-mould with AC... but they don't grow on trees, and they're not cheap.

Ignoring the inherent self-deprecation of being a Newcastle fan, Rangers are quite poor... they're not defending aggressively or pressing at all when we're on the ball, and their passing is hardly crisp. Can only play what's in front of you though.

Though it's just Rangers, a pretty good representation of the unforgiving nature of the Premiership - a reminder to make good on your domination in a game! Not a big deal, today.

Carroll close with a header.

Moving the ball about quite nicely, but look a little frail defensively.

Yeah, discuss your credentials instead of substantiating your opinions.

Oh wow, that just reminded me of FS pledge to reveal an earth-shattering signing or sommat... and then our, erm, attempt to get Wayne Rooney. Seems like a distant dream.