HawK

Oh yes, it was the day I started. I arrived on my push bike and she said it could go in the basement but only if I went down in the lift with it. She was/is so devious

I watched it on telly when I was 10 years old. Before that, I didn't know where Bilbao was or even what country it was in. Fast forward 10 years and on the first day of a new job, I turn up early and get locked in the cargo lift on purpose by my future wife because she didn't want to deal with me to until her manager arrived Tried to strike up a conversation, I asked where she was from and was quite curtly told 'Bilbao', hoping to end the conversation there for her like it usually did when she didn't want to talk to people. Unfortunately, due to us playing them and it being so memorable for me I'd always kept note of Athleti's scores so it was more of an ice breaker than she intended. She and her father are Athleti fans, her brother's Sociedad. 21 years later we're married with two children!

The inverse Samson

Lets go Athleti.. Something.. We will always be with you. Something like that !

Newcastle Bilbao 1994 is why I have a beautiful wife and 2 beautiful children. This fixture is always special to me.

1:24

The only philosphy he needs to know is temet nosce, aptly used in The Matrix. He can't dribble around players (I don't count knocking it past them and running as fast as you can 'dribbling'), he can't shield the ball and he can't find little intricate passes around the box. He's got a weak shot and can't create space to shoot. He is fast, he works hard and he can put in a cross if he beats his man. One of the only times he looked interested playing on the right he swung a peach of a cross in I think it was for ratface last season and all the pundits were raving. He needs to either run into the acres of space that every team leaves him on the left touchline instead of coming inside or consider talking to Eddie about a positional switch to the right where he could be a very functional Keith Gillespie-archtypal winger for us, he's got all of the attributes and probably more to be a success there.

I dare you to use all of your fingers to count how many times Gordon's used an overlapping run from an attacking fullback. Only recall one to Tino, which then actually generated a goal too.

I disagree, was it not 5-4-1 / 4-5-1 with the same flat lines Edit : can't count

We're married to this flat 4-3-3 until death do we part. Pretty much anything different at this point would be a step in the right direction. Every single time we've played with a proper 6 in front of the back 4 whether it was Miley more recently or Tonali previous we've looked like a breath of fresh air. It gives us verticality to play through the middle that we don't have elsewise because every single opponent just closes the passing lanes (well,. just one lane) and forces us out wide to our non-technical wingers and that's it, we're shut down unless we're on the break. As someone with so much footballing nous as Howe I do find his lack of tactical flexibility disappointing at times. It's like player rock paper scissors and just sticking with the same choice over and over.

Circle jerks aren't as fun as dog piling

£120m on wingers that can only kick and run. The most productive winger we have is one he inherited. It's the lack of technical ability on the ball out wide that kills everything imo.

Hope that's a shot in the arm for Howe and his favourite darlings

Ledley Ming

Colo doesn't get in ahead of our 4 other CDs this season

100% academy and infrastructure at this point. Look at the traditional big teams in the league and how many players they have coming through if not into their first team but into other PL teams as saleable assets. It's a free hit on PSR as infrastructure investment isn't used against you for the calcs afaik, not sure about UEFA though. When you can grow your own, to coin a phrase, that's where you have the foundation to buy the stars to plug the gaps.

2 days until Early November celebrations !

Moreso considering they chose to spend £230m+ on just two players as well

I never take Fulham for granted, for some reason this result is the first thing I think of every time we're about to play them at home https://www.espn.co.uk/football/match/_/gameId/168448/fulham-newcastle-united 04-05 - Newcastle United 1-4 Fulham Craig Bellamy - 77' John Collins - 28' Steed Malbranque - 65', 71' Pen Luis Boa Morte - 76' What a team they had back then tbf

Arsenal vs Palace Cardiff vs Chelsea Man City vs Brentford Newcastle vs Fulham

Fulham

Arsenal Brentford Cardiff Chelsea Palace Fulham Man City Newcastle

When's the draw?