Lenny

Our penny pinching aside, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd be happy to see Dummett given a crack as our starting fullback this season. I think he's earned it. Goes without saying that we need competition.

Newcastle United Football Company. Never noticed that before.

I had high hopes for Hayden at the start of last season, however I thought he was a fair way off the pace throughout and looked out of his depth. Would be harsh to write off such a young player entirely but my gut says he probably won’t see the majority of his career in the top division.

His first season there was more AM but now he's just a ball winning/recycling CM, maybe to keep Salah and the fullbacks higher up the pitch. He still creates as much as Henderson, who sees more of the ball and makes many more passes, presumably as the go-to player who collects from the defence. Some numbers you can play with, with Shelvey and Diame in for comparison. http://www2.squawka.com/comparison-matrix#premier_league/2017/2018/jordan_henderson/819/819/86/0/p|premier_league/2017/2018/jonjo_shelvey/819/819/523/39/p|premier_league/2017/2018/mohamed_diam%C3%A9/819/819/922/39/p|premier_league/2016/2017/georginio_wijnaldum/819/641/7968/36/p|premier_league/2017/2018/georginio_wijnaldum/819/819/7968/36/p#total_score/key_passes/chances_created/assists/pass_completion/avg_pass_length/goals_scored/total_duels_%/fouls_committed/fouls_suffered/total_passes/total_forward_passes#total Playing bread and butter CM in this way, and not just "ghost in and score but otherwise invisible" AM, suggests he is much more useful that he looked for us. For us, I think the goals he scored came from very few shots, famously all four in that Norwich game, so that level of production is unlikely to be repeated.

I can't say it sits overly right that he's gone running the moment he's required to work for a place in the team. I liked him as a player but that's not really the attitude you want in your squad.

He has played a lot deeper since signing for Liverpool hasn't he?

Apart from the two seasons he's successfully proved himself an adequate premier league player, yeah. He's no world beater but good enough for a number of teams in the division.

VAR all the consumed minutes viewing VAR and restart play for another 17 minutes!

Fuuuuck

Very enjoyable game; didn't look at the timer until gone the 80th minute, not sure I've ever done that before watching us

Do you mean in an attacking capacity, or in general, because Dummett on the whole has been significantly better than Yedlin since his return? Aye going forward I'm on about

Do you mean in an attacking capacity, or in general, because Dummett on the whole has been significantly better than Yedlin since his return?

Pogba

Mostly my thoughts on him, too.

I can't say I recall seeing a player for us make such a substantial improvement in such a short period of time. Perch improved a lot but this is on a different level.

Not my out-and-out favourite but always loved the goal Dyer scored against Everton. 3 touches of the ball across half the pitch with one of them lifting it over the keeper

Well that was mind numbing, and totally expected.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11678/11247920/jamaal-lascelles-says-manchester-united-players-went-missing-against-newcastle Indirect dig at two English centre backs, there. Clearly got his eye on the world cup

He wasn't a regular last season but I'm sure he mostly featured on the right when he played, no?!

Just all of last season

This.

I do find it pretty baffling that he's entertaining the idea of extending his stay, unless he's confident that the sale of the club will go through.

I mean, I'll obviously be bothered that we've not spent any money, but Gayle's sale just wouldn't factor into my frustration, at least from an on field contribution perspective. There's a good chance that he's good for at least one other goal this season like. You'd like to think so

I mean, I'll obviously be bothered that we've not spent any money, but Gayle's sale just wouldn't factor into my frustration, at least from an on field contribution perspective.

I actually wouldn't be bothered if we sold Gayle and didn't replace him.