AyeDubbleYoo

He didn't really say that:

From the World Cup highlights he doesn't look that defensive/negative. Does he play in a different role for club and country?

15k a week for your first/second choice striker isn't bad at all.

There's no excuses man, these are multi-million-pound sports companies.

Shame the new website is linked up to the shit-awful club shop and ticket buying system.

I'm a bit worried too, mainly just hoping we don't suffer any setbacks to our recent good form. Don't think we should be that worried though, if we play like we have so far this season we should be getting a result.

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/2076/shoal.jpg http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/5557/ameoba.jpg

I just get a black screen at the moment.

Can't really be worse than the existing one... it's about time it was looked at again.

Awesome post. That'd be mint pre-game. Worrying number of sexual references mind.

If Hughton signs a rolling contract then he must have the agent from Extras. I know what you mean, but we're living in a new world now... no big wages and no long contracts. I wouldn't be against giving him a longer deal if he does well this season, but I wouldn't be surprised if he goes on another year deal.

Some quality from Sports Direct as usual:

Nolan contributed a lot of goals last season, no doubt he'll get five or six this year as well. The problem is that he doesn't have the attributes to be a premier league midfielder, and he's now filling a position that could be taken by someone significantly better. He's a good lad to have around, and a decent goal scorer when the system is built around him. But IMO his limitations mean we would be better off without him in the team... especially now we have Tiote and Ben Arfa.

Woop, setting Sky+ now.

Saw Chris Eubank at lunchtime. Not a player obviously, but still a good spot.

The Nolan problem isn't so bad in reality I suppose. Hughton has dropped name players before, and we will start to see a need to utilise the whole squad as the season progresses. There will be times when Jonas and Routledge are unavailable etc. Actually, the biggest worry is if he drops one of Barton or Smith and tried to play Nolan as a proper CM. Hopefully that won't happen.

Should have got rid of him years ago, surely.

Ben Arfa has to play through the middle in the majority of games, Jonas and Enrique should not be disrupted and Routledge has been one of our better players. I'm sure the Hughtster will realise this... the only possible snag is the willingness to drop Nolan.

Never really understand why footballers under 30 bother with long term relationships anyway... if you know you enjoy easy sex with the massive numbers of young women who want to do you, why bother getting married?

I don't understand what's happened here.

Actually, most people I speak to think we're still a decent club... everyone thinks more of Newcastle than Newcastle fans it seems.

I don't care really, it's a stupid term. There are successful clubs and unsuccessful ones - ones with history of achievement and ones with less. It's all relative. I don't see the point in fans taking any satisfaction from things like attendences for example - they're partly accidents of geography and partly due to success (meaning glory hunting basically).

They definitely look alike, I spotted it as soon as I saw Ben Arfa. Maybe not the best photos to show it.

Ash Atalla - producer of The Office http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/4053/ashw.jpg Hatem Ben Arfa - footballing demigod http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3043/hatem.jpg