thenige

Think it's Rafa's master plan. Rest players and take 0 points from say the top 7 teams and then win every single game against the other 12. 72 points would have got us 5th last season. Europa League here we come.

palace have zaha and that's it like, lets not go overboard Zaha is a pretty special player though, the type who wins games single-handed. They have that other fella called Townsend as well, they are a danger to anybody. kenedy is having a rough patch but he's a better player than townsend, for example and will likely produce much more on the pitch if he pulls himself together Kenedy may be good on his day, but honestly think you'll get a lot more product from someone like Townsend over the course of a season.

Why? Don't rate him in the slightest. Positionally crap, always has a mistake in him and goes on a lad holiday in Magaluf. What more could you ask for?

Only thing to make this game worse is Ciaran fucking Clark scoring.

When I've seen him he looks a bit slow, but could same the same for Lejuene and he looked very strong the second half of last season. Think he'll be fine if he gets a run of games. Ideally instead of Clark.

Seems crazy to think how spoilt we were compared with now when we had strikers like Ba and Remy. Even if they were mercenary bastards.

I make it 13 PL level players. Not good players or great players, just good enough to be at a PL team. Leaving out Ki who has averaged 25 games per season for last six seasons in the Prem?

Given it went through about four defenders and could have easily deflected don’t think he did much wrong. Also to be fair it was Kyle Walker from 35 yards. Don’t think I’d have wasted the time diving.

How he let Byram past him for the first goal was embarrassing. http://i.imgur.com/qZly9CP.gif

Really hope he'll turn out to be amazing, but have this horrible feeling he'll be consigned to the bin of expensive foreign players who don't end up doing very much. The likes of Maric, Andersson and Luque await you Muto! Escape whilst you can. Please.

I know he's a CB so would be harsh to judge him on the performance last night, but has reached Simpson-esque levels of annoyance for me now. Just feel like every time he gets the ball at best he'll flick an aimless ball forward to no-one in particular. And positionally he just seems so weak. And that's when he's in his strongest position. Lejuene such a massive loss given Clark will now likely play 20+ games this season.

Fair play to Perez for coming on, giving a shit and being that upset. Most of them were in ‘meh’ mode from the start. We’re just a shit club with shit players and a god awful stench with resides from the owner. It’s just the League Cup tonight, but it’s everything else all the time which makes it unbearable.

Just frustrating on so many levels. Having a team which cost about half as much as their goalkeeper is definitely one that just makes me think “ffs”.

Really can’t believe for Sky matches it’s bloody Shola and Souness to get the North East balance. Remember before when they used to roll out bloody Niall Quinn. Just such an unlikeable group of shithawkes. Funny how they always seem to go for ex-pros who talk shite rather than managers who achieved anything. I’d rather listen to a Dave Bassett than this lot.

To be fair we have always been crap with 5 at the back. Seems quite odd to do so at home as well.

Always looks better with a supporting striker or someone playing off him. Hasn't ever had the fortune of doing that for a Premier League side, either with us or at Palace.

Took it from Transfermkt, which must have some kind of inflation as Shearer's is listed as £18.9m. I think maybe because it's been done by Euro conversion? Either way Luque is listed as £18m which seems wrong whichever way you look at it - https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/newcastle-united/transferrekorde/verein/762

After realising our most expensive full back ever is still Jose Enrique, just quickly put together our most expensive ever team in terms of cost and what season they signed. Luque's a bit forced in there as a LM and could drop out for Townsend or Duff. How cheap we've been in terms of defence is a bit staggering. GK - Matz Sels 16/17 RB - Debuchy 12/13 CB - Woodgate 02/03 CB - Coloccini 08/09 LB - Jose Enrique 07/08 RM/RW - Thauvin 15/16 CM - Shelvey 15/16 CM - Wijnaldum 15/16 LM/LW - Luque 05/06 ST - Owen 05/06 ST - Shearer 96/97 Subs GK - Darlow 14/15 Def - Mbemba 15/16 Mid - Townsend 15/16 Str - Mitrovic 15/16

Haven't had a massive think on this, but is Jose Enrique our most expensive full back? Janmaat and Yedlin were both definitely cheaper. And he was signed in 2007.

Just switched on to see the third goal. Brilliantly worked that.

Probably thought if he’s playing like that it’s punishment enough for us.

Was speaking to someone about this earlier, from what we recall a free-kick was actually given against him for the 'kick', so does that mean he can't be charged? As the referee already gave a freekick for the incident? Or was it the fact the ref was largely clueless that he guessed a foul from the Cardiff man rolling around in agony? So means he can write in the report he had no clue what he'd given it for so there can be retrospective action? Also found out that if he does get the three match ban the Chelsea game won't count towards it, as it's only games you're eligible for that count.

Just didn't look remotely match fit. No idea what he was playing at in pre-season to be like that.

Yeah but he was a bit shit quite a bit last season as well. Started really well and gave us a boost. Then went off the rails, started to believe the hype and shows why he's been a complete failure everywhere else he's been. Totally one-footed, tries to beat everyone himself and has a heart the size of the pea. Which he's probably sharing with Manquillo. Lovely bit of history rewriting based on one game. Said the same thing at the start of May, he went completely off the boil towards the end of the season. Think he had one man of the match performance during the last half a dozen or so games, the rest he was ineffectual.