AyeDubbleYoo

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

The thing is tho, i dont remember Joey Barton really going out that often and nailing people....There was that semi crap tackle on Alsno in our releagtion season and then he was missing for a lot of the promotion season and not visible to the prem league. Seems to just be a hate figure for his off field history rather then on field football imo. It's amusing how players like Scholes and even our very own Alan Smith get away week in week out with "honest" challenges that involve studs flying into opposition players' kneecaps at 100mph, yet as soon as Barton mistimes a tackle slightly, all hell breaks loose, with toddlers screaming, police cordening off entire sections of various cities and setting up roadblocks, the Pentagon hightening the nation's security levels, and of course referees feeling obliged to protect all innocent men, women and child watching the game from this perverse menace to society with their magical yellow and red "No Joey" cards. You're so right. Got a feeling this could be Barton's renaissance season, he didn't react to some pretty heavy treatment by Wolves, and the team spirit around the camp should help keep him in line. Got big hopes for him this season.

I was thinking of going as well, not on Friday though. Bizarre decision, you're right.

I think the schizophrenia of the football press on England is the most extreme of any I've seen. One win makes us world beaters and one defeat makes us terrible. And the amount of column inches devoted to it is insane.

The Villa result was amazing though, just so proud of the lads to be back in the Premiership and competing with teams again.

Asprilla against Barca! Phillipe Albert chipping in the fifth, never been so surprised or amazed watching football. Martin's thunderbolt against Spurs came out of nowhere, that was incredible. When Keegan got back out of his car to sign my training top at Maiden Castle, even though he was about to leave.

Ego displayed successfully.

Sima out!!!

Stop being so sensible Dave. Paulo Wanchope had many international caps. Case closed.

I would love Blackburn to go down as well, other than that I don't care as long as we survive.

Truth, even if Wolves had scored that pen I don't buy the MOTD view that "the game would have been over". That's just another summariser's cliche. We were the better side, we deserved at least a point. They should have had Henry sent off at least. Outside of the top 4-6 teams, there are only shades of grey between everyone IMO.