Yorkie

Having players like Barnes in depth is why we're talking first about finishing 3rd rather than 7th. We need more like him.

54 has covered most of it, but my post (which tgarve quoted) was about the Europa League being devalued as an honour in itself. That's what will happen if it's routinely considered a route to CL qualification first and a piece of silverware second. If the EL is going to contain fewer teams of really high quality, then there's a significant risk that the Premier League teams are going to dominate for years to come. To avoid that, those teams need to be less incentivised, which is why I suggested binning the CL carrot. Not because it isn't a reasonable reward. Ironically, having more teams qualify for the CL via the league campaign could actually assist with that disincentivising, as that year's respective EL entrants may already be in the race via the league method. Spurs and ManU have had maximum incentive in the EL this year because they've had nothing to play for domestically since September.

@tgarve so many posts, I don't know which one to quote! It's a shame about the aggression cos there's some fair points raised there. First of all about bitterness. I'm always bitter. No arguments there. But it's bitterness about a competition I've always loved (and feel NUFC have unfinished business with) becoming devalued by structural changes invoked to appease a cabal of clubs. As for Sevilla, at least there was something interesting about their weird hex on the competition. Their continuous wins weren't due to the disproportionate financial strength of their league and the institutional decision to reduce the competition around them. @r0cafella I think my point is that it pretty much already is the Conference League; certainly this season anyway, with the winners just being a PL team who's steamrollered everyone. At least if you removed the CL carrot it would be about the silverware rather than the cashmoney. (I know it won't happen) I just find it really sad. I've harped on about PL clubs monopolising the Europas and this season it's finally happened. Maybe I've got my knickers in a twist over nowt and it'll just be a one-off.

The Premier League is 17 teams with three EFL guests so, when you put it like that, more than a third of the division qualifies for the Champions League now.

Really like that, will look class with white shorts and green socks. I know, Saudi. But the trouble is, dark green and white makes for a class footy kit.

The Europa competitions are probably in a bit of an existential crisis now, certainly in terms of being an honour in their own right. The Conference League title will mean very little if there's always an English team of Chelsea's strength munching through the competition with their second string. Then again, Olympiacos pulled off a shock last season and Betis might yet do the same. Perhaps there's not enough of a carrot to guarantee the English clubs won't treat it with disdain (like Spurs did under Conte). There's a slim hope that variety will prevail but ultimately every season will be about stopping a default Premier League victor. What is really depressing is that the same will seemingly now apply to the Europa League, meaning a once great competition has been completely undermined by the structural changes. The double-whammy of having the very significant carrot of CL qualification, plus no CL dropouts to contend with, means it's far too winnable for PL teams to disregard. It's quite telling that this year is only the second time we've ever had an all-English final in the history of the tournament. I would love to see the side-effects of binning the prize of CL qualification.

We'll never get a black back because, to the eye, a solid black space looks far less empty than a solid white space. It's all about the extra £15 for personalisation on top of the extra £40 for the 'authentic' version.

only the years when it's shit

Because it encourages fans to spend more by getting a name and number.

Do the stripes on it 'ignore' the collar in the same way that this season's authentic one does? Is the badge a bit cleaner?

I'll eat my hat if my mind changes on this one, like. It's so shit.

I just find it disappointing. I was excited to see them relieved from their need to shoehorn a retro element into a modern template for the comeback shirt. But still it persists, and with such clumsy execution. I do hold out hope for the aways, like I say.

Fuck me, that's a nod to the 95-97 shirt? What is the point? Good grief. That is right up there with the unnecessary and horribly executed nostalgia-baiting of Castore's grandad collar resulting in a giant number four. Just do your own shirt, you dicks.

It's a fucking state that, like. I didn't think they'd produce something worse than this season's but they have based on that. Why aren't the black stripes black? Looks so daft given the collar clearly is black. Stuck on badge with a big white outline, shit. Why can't we get a silicone one like this season's away? Sky blue piping, shit. Stitch effect, meaningless shit. Back a disgrace. Hopefully they smash the away kit again cos the maroon and navy one this season is a proper triumph.

this sort of thing is so Facebook Karen. It's not the point at all; first and foremost I just want Newcastle's kit to look good.