TRon

12,000 people turning up today is evidence, if ever it were needed, that NUFC as a fanbase will never be able to stand up collectively, say 'no more' and boycott games to get rid of this lot. Too many people simply don't have the willpower to avoid going to the game, and I include myself in that. and thank god for that. You might think it's worth us plummeting down the table on the off chance Ashley would sell up but I think I''ll take things as they are if that's your alternative.

Arsenal's not a bad team to be up against first game tbh. They're as disorganised as us and with so many players leaving/arriving Wenger might lose the plot.

I think they'll care about paying Tiote's wages for 10 weeks while he sits with his feet up at home.

Goddamit, I find myself fretting on behalf of poor Chris Hughton. :-[

It stands to reason tbh. The only time Tiote can't get booked it's to get a plane home.

are you joking as well?

I reckon Pards should call the lads in 20 mins early to introduce them to each other.

I know, what a wanker. He'll be laughing all the way to the bank! Evil genuis that he is. He's got a weather machine don't you know, it cost £35m

Well I'm not sure how any of those people could have predicted this farce.

Been a disastrous pre-season. This is kind of a fitting end to it tbh.

Even though he missed, once again Best showing he will find goal scoring positions.

10,000 according to the commentator. Scandalous pricing, probably knocked 20,000 off the gate.

Fucking hell it's raining so hard I can hardly bear to listen to it on the radio.

Even so you did a fair job there Rich

Has he been kidnapped?

There definitely seems to be a move towards Krul for the number 1 shirt, and the fact we turned down a decent sized bid for Forster suggests we might have been looking at making those two the main keepers. Although if Forster hasn't done so well in pre season that might have caused a re-assessment.

Didn't Pardew talk about getting a utility player in earlier this year? I think he was talking about someone like O'Shea or Neville who could cover a few positions. I think that might have gone out of the window unless the Onuha links are genuine.

So they were hoping that Fergie would be Enrique's replacement after all. who would have predicted that?

Maybe it's because I haven't seen Cabaye and Marveaux yet I ask the question, tbf they both might be good for a few. I always think you need midfielders to be chipping in with a fair share of goals, and with Obertan another unknown quantity I have to admit I was getting a bit green when I heard Lua Lua scored a cracker against Spurs last week

It's not the worst gamble, but it's interesting he failed to develop at Bordeaux, then failed to push on at Man U. Personally I just wonder if a player can develop a football brain, because physically he's got everything, it's obviously intelligence he's missing.

Lovenkrands is a left footed striker, Obertan is a right winger as far as I can see. So we're in agreement that Obertan is more suited to the RW role? If we're going to play 4-3-3, the arrivals of Obertan and Marveaux push Loven further down the pecking order. I like that. I like it a lot. I don't recall Loven ever playing on the right wing. The two look like completely different players so I don't really understand the comparison.

Lovenkrands is a left footed striker, Obertan is a right winger as far as I can see.

I know that, but getting kicked about a bit won't do him any harm will it? The Premier will probably feel like Dutch football in comparison so it's a good initiation.

It'll do him good tbh. Better he learns how the game's played here and adapts the sooner the better.

It is a bit of an eye opener. Maybe why outsiders like neil and brummie view the situation differently to the majority of Newcastle fans.