Elma

They aren't up to Premier League standard as midfielders, but they're up to Championship standard. Last time out we had Smith, Guthrie, Nolan, Butt and Barton. Smith was even worse then Colback, Nolan was the epitome of a passenger, Butt was completely finished, Guthrie was very lightweight (never good enough to be consistently decent in the Premier League) and Barton was basically our only decent midfielder. ....and Barton only played 15 games that season.

I put together some stats the last time we were down, based upon the away game at Palace that we had wrapped up 2-0 inside about 20 mins. I noticed that Smith swept up absolutely everything that day and Colo and Taylor hardly got a kick. About 15-20 games in I analysed results and goals conceded based upon when that triumvirate were playing compared to when one or more of them were missing. I can't remember the specifics but I think we had only dropped 2 points against West brom on the opening day and had only conceded something like four goals. Whereas our defeats until that point had all come when one of the three were missing, and the goals conceded was much higher. I'm not saying Smithy was the best player in the world, but the base he gave us so that Nolan et al could get in the box and nick goals was perfect for where we were at that time. After his facial injury over Xmas he never quite recovered that form.

As the season gets closer I'm feeling slightly less confident of a repeat of the last championship season, although I still think we should be fine for one of the two automatic promotion spots. Am happy with the business done and trust Rafa implicitly. The loss of Townsend is the biggest thing for me as he would have destroyed that league and would have had the right attitude. Gini I'm not so worried about. Definitely think we should reinvest some of the money on a creative midfielder, a specialist left-back, and if Armstrong is getting loaned out then maybe another striker. Logic says that a side which finished unbeaten with 12 points from 6 games (premiership top six form) with 12 goals for and 4 against, against the likes of Man City, Liverpool and Spurs should have no trouble in this league. However, I guess I won't feel truly comfortable until we've started as we finished last season, and we've proved we can win away from home, against Championship opposition.

I'm in Turkey. What's Twitter?

I think I want this to happen. Never been too bothered about England apart from in the tournaments and that wouldn't be a great loss. Although there's a chance the mackems would replace him with someone decent, I think I'd take that risk. They're not going down any time soon with Allardyce there and in terms of performance he's the only decent managerial appointment they've made in years. If they are forced to change manager now, and they get it wrong, they would be prime relegation candidates this year.

No idea Ian, last time we were down Watch ESPN website carried most of the matches. This time, it definitely sounds like BeIN and maybe Fox+ will carry a handful (May have made up Fox) so will have to pay for some official radio subscriptions or something to follow I guess? I'm abroad (Turkey), and obviously won't have the pub option any longer as they tend not to show anything outside of the Premiership. However, if you can find someone with SkyGo who isn't using up their four devices (I use my dad's) and then use a VPN, you can watch anywhere in the world. I'll probably see more of our games this year than last seeing as we'll be a popular draw in the Championship.

They've just turned possibly the best shirt Puma have made for us into the worst - I was getting hopeful when the stripes appeared to run from the top of the back. That shield is awful. What's wrong with a square black patch? This was my favourite for the back - Juve used to have something similar I think? http://www.oldfootballshirts.com/img/shirts/14/newcastle-united-home-football-shirt-1993-1995-s_5525_2.jpg

A bit like a gym version of Funland, The Field, Craggy island?

Well I'm currently sat in Turkey, in Europe, but I can see Asia out of the window. So it's both....geographically, predominatly in Asia but over 20% of the population of the country is in the European part.

More likely Kazım Karabekir, one of the generals who defied the last Ottoman government and helped Atatürk form the Turkish republic out of the remnants of the Ottoman Empire.

You're right like. He was born in England but Turkish blood runs in his veins and he said he feels Turkish. He's Turkish. Simple as that. He was given the names Colin (father's side) and Kazım (mother's side), but the registrar in Leyton messed it up and double-barrelled Kazım with his surname, Richards. They never bothered to change it. He then switched to Kazım Kazım in Turkey as it would be understood better. I used to work with his dad, and as I live in Turkey I've followed his career. I know loads of Turks in London who were born and raised in England, but they say they still feel very Turkish. Whereas my nephew was born and raised in the US, and despite having South Korean and British flags on his racing crash helmet (mother and father's nationalities) along with the stars and stripes, he would answer that he's predominantly American I would guess. A bit like Kazım-Richards though, he has GBR on his fencing gear as he's got more chance of making the olympics fencing for Britain than for the US.

Don't mind him going at all, provided we get a decent fee.

He played him as he wanted a player more in that mould than Mitrovic to fit his system, and the window was shut. I'd be surprised if he didn't try and shift him on this summer due to his contract and the fact he has problems with his knee. I like that - Keegan did the same with Shola when he mis-controlled a past on his upper arm at home to Bolton. Good managers see average players do stupid things and weed them out.

Can see why you say that. I heard from someone (who should know) that he had already decided after the Villa game, when he realised Sunderland would probably relegate us v Everton. His heart was already there, but he needed to make sure he could agree the correct terms / working conditions. I agree that what the Spurs game did do is confirm to him that he had made the right call, and probably more importantly convinced Ashley and Charnley that the only way they could come out of this with any credibility was to give him what he wanted. Whatever, that Spurs game and the atmosphere was exactly what we needed and hopefully it will be the David Kelly moment.

To be fair, until his injury at Plymouth over Christmas he was great. Coloccini and Taylor hardly got a kick with him sitting in front - he mopped up everything. Anyone who was at Palace away would tell you it was probably the easiest game a centre-half could have. Once he lost his place due to that facial injury he struggled to get back in. I wouldn't knock him or his attitude though. It wasn't his fault he was on £60,000 a week. Model pro.

Agree - but both kits are decent and they'll probably use that as an excuse to bring out a third kit that is radically different in colour to the first two. Possible clashes with Blackburn, Huddersfield, QPR, Reading, Wigan, and Sheff Wed if they don't go up? That's if a predominamtly solid blue away kit is deemed to clash with blue stripes, hoops and halves.

Quite like the leaked home shirt - I always see yellow as our second colour. Although it's technically described gold I like it. Like wide stripes - just wish they would continue them down the back. My favourite shirt back was the Asics one we wore in our first Prem season, where they stuck a rectangular black patch with white number on, and black patch along the top with white name lettering. Memories of Beardsley, Fox and Lee at a myriad of away wins that season we came back up. Had a sort of Juve feel to the back. If that Boca style shirt is the away then I like that too. Would prefer a yellow kit but that's a nice design. Won't look half as nice with the Wonga logo on the band though I'm not keen on the Adidas mock up - professionally done, but I think people are liking it due to the sponsor. The white pin stripe on the black stipes in unnecessary and I think if Puma had come up with that, and it had Wonga on it, we'd all hate it. Someone did a Nike mock up a few years back which was much better in my opinion. Anyway, I don't buy kits anymore but for what it's worth that's probably the best pair I've seen from Puma for us.

It's an Old English suffix for farm/homestead. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_forms_in_place_names_in_the_United_Kingdom_and_Ireland The amount of places in London that end in the word HAM is absolutely unreal Ton means the same I believe...Stoke Newington, Brixton, Islington, Hoxton (Pig Farm) etc...

Am confident of automatic promotion if Rafa stays, as by extension that means he's got the assurances he wants on spending and the squad. Would actually fancy us to be champions, as Villa had less than half of our points and Rafa had us playing top half form in the last 6 games, no matter who jumps ship on the playing side. All three relegated sides should be top 6. Without Rafa, I'd still fancy us for automatic promotion but would be less confident and a hell of a lot less interested in, and excited about, the new season.

Let Krul go if there is anyone interested after his injury. What we've learned is that there's not a lot between our keepers and if he brings in some money, great. Happy with Elliott, Darlow and Woodman in the Championship. Think we need a decent right-back to come in. Even if Anita stays its not his natural position. Persuading Mbemba to stay is important. Him and Lascelles could be great in the Championship. Let Taylor's contact expire. Dummett and Mbabu to cover left-back and centre-half. Colback and Shelvey centre-mid and do everything we can to keep Townsend, and if possible Perez. Aarons to stay and ideally Mitrovic and Armstrong. Everyone else can go if we get offers. Tiote in current form could be an asset but only if his head is in the right place. Don't want Thauvin back. Colo is the strange one. Walked the Championship last time and could be an asset if we have two young centre-halves. Probably on too much and feels wrong to keep him on one level though. The big question is the manager. Throw money at Rafa and try to convince him to stay. With that squad and Rafa as manager we'd be straight back up. If Rafa goes try and see if Moyes will drop down for a season for a 'project'. Vitally important now they don't sit and fiddle. They need a decision from Rafa quick so they can move on. Do that and I'm strangely confident of coming straight back. They will undoubtedly piss about like last time though.

The FA are just letting him finish the job.

True, but I can't see them winning twice either. They need at least one win and if we beat Villa (a big if I know considering our away form) then they will be needing 4 points from those two home games to keep it in their own hands on GD. They are third bottom of the 'home' league table with the second lowest number of home wins after Villa (only four), and both teams they are playing are in the top half of the away league table. Everton's season has been built on their away form. http://www.soccerstats.com/homeaway.asp?league=england Big Sam is going to have to gamble and throw more forward than their standard 4-1-4-1 allows, if they are going to turn these draws into wins. Can see Chelsea and Lukaku having fun in the extra space. My worry is us beating Villa. Can see their spiteful fans coming out of the woodwork to give them a lift for their last home prem game.

I make them slight favourites, as do the bookies. However, nowt will be clear until we prove we can win away and they prove they (Defoe) can score at home. i.e. we'll know next Saturday at 5pm.

Could easily see them losing to both Chelsea and everton to be honest. Really haven't a clue how it will go. As I said earlier, I think they are too defensive at home. A win yesterday would really have shafted us, and although that's a valuable point for them and a bit gutting considering the timing of the goal, I would have taken that at 3pm. We took 1 point from the fixtures they have. I think we would now be hopeful of 5 under Rafa. However, our home form and theirs are very different. I will be surprised if they win both, particularly Chelsea. Two wins and I'd be stunned if we went down. More worried about Villa than Spurs for us.

I want both Leicester and Spurs to win today. Leicester to stop Spurs getting the title, and Spurs to put breathing space between them and Arsenal ahead of our game. Plus a Chelsea defeat against one of their main rivals should make them more up for putting things right ahead of their next game against the makems. Thankfully Arsenal are yet to go to Man City which should further help us. So far, Sunderland's two unexpected points aside, everything else had been going for us over the last two weeks, even down to a Villa red card and late defeat coupled with a little boost for Watford. Remember also they have not scored for three home games, failing to beat both West Brom and Palace recently, as only three of Defoe's 14 goals have come at home. Only two wins in their last 14 and one win in the last nine. If they open up to try and win the home games that could leave them more vulnerable at the back. I would definitely take three more draws for them.