Froggy

Refs were biased in favour of Newcastle though. Sure Shearer kicked Neil Lennon in the head and didn't even get a yellow.

We finished level on points with you last season, but we've added £180m worth of signings into an already decent squad and got rid of some deadwood. Younger players like Hojlund, Amad, Garnacho, Mainoo etc. are going to be improving every minute. I genuinely think it's madness to hand Howe the same squad and expect him to finish above us because we had a bad season last year.

Brighton just spent £180m. Unless we're Kaka or TCD, I think it's hard to say how good Brighton's squad is, as we don't know how good some of those signings could be.

Who are you competing with for Europe though? Villa, Chelsea, Spurs, Brighton and us? A couple of those sides had bad injuries last year too, but have also strengthened in the window.

You can't play every season with the worry that you will lose x and y if you don't have a good year IMO, otherwise the manager is always walking on eggshells. If Isak, Bruno and Gordon want to leave, it's £200m+ to spend on the squad. With the right people at the top like Ashworth Mitchell, you can do amazing things with that money.

I agree, but personally think Howe has banked at least another season after this, unless it's a total disaster. I've always been supportive of longevity. Howe has basically been given the same team and told to finish higher? There's actually a debate that better players have been sold than signed. I think expectations are unrealistic to be honest.

So do Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Man United, Villa and Chelsea though. I'm sure Brighton will fancy it as well. The league is deadly.

I suppose I'm not exactly a neutral, but I see Howe getting top 6 with your squad as a good season. Your first eleven is strong, but the "big 6" sides have better strength in depth. I read a few posts recently that if Howe didn't get top 6 he should be sacked. Found it a bit mental to be honest.

Ashworth available for £30m lads.

I've told you before. It might take one year, it make take five years, but I'll win you over eventually.

Because there was no intent to hurt the player and he played the ball. I'm admittedly unsure of the rules, but since he hasn't touched the player at all, I don't see how it can be a red? Where's Howard Webb to clear this up.

There's absolutely no doubting the job Howe has done with the control he has had at both Bournemouth and yourselves, but the stature of the clubs at the time allowed it IMO. Newcastle could become a huge club globally. Man City have done it in a relatively short period of time. You can't have the manager dictating everything at a huge club. I'm not sure there's ever been a case of it being successful. Even Ferguson for us didn't have huge control over transfers and all decisions were made with him and Edwards/Kenyon/Gill. I have to say though I'm fairly surprised it doesn't seem to be working with Howe and Mitchell, as on paper it seems a good match.

Whatever happened to patience? Mitchell is a long term hire. Are people honestly judging him on a transfer window that he was signed in the middle of?

100%, but a lot of people don't seem to think it's possible that Howe could be the problem, as this is the second DoF there has been a rift with. I do really like Ten Hag as an example. I'm glad we've stuck with him, and although results aren't there yet we're miles better on the pitch so far this season, but I think I'd have total faith in Berrada/Ashworth now to make the right decisions in the future. Look at this thread at the beginning. I don't think all that positive feeling around a good appointment should be lost because of an interview that wasn't even public.

You simply cannot pick a manager over a director of football. Howe is class like. I've always rated him. I was on here fighting his corner when most of the board didn't want him when he was appointed. But what if he's given all the power and it goes tits up for him? You're at square one immediately. I know all too well what that's like. You need a director of football to build the identity of the club, and any future managers should be able to step into that identity and Newcastle would still be Newcastle. I don't think Liverpool have missed a step with Slot replacing Klopp, and I don't think City's next manager will have any issues keeping them at the top. It's the result of a long term process.

Nowhere near the player, eyes on the ball, so nah. Still mental.

That Martinez lunge was fucking insane by the way. Idiot he is. If he even brushes the player there he's off.

Think he had to make those subs. Rashford was unlucky to miss out but Garnacho was our biggest thread. Amad had to make way. Zirkzee was a bit isolated, and Eriksen can't compete in a competitive game after 60 mins. Palace were starting to get more space in midfield so Ugarte for Eriksen made sense.

Incredible. Now we're playing well and can't win.

Wish he'd fuck off. Hit the bar twice as well. 1-0 incoming.

I like when these new guys come along as it reminds you all that I'm not so bad.

Sounds like your mate has done him dirty.

Up until this season you could just send the ticket via email for our games, which was nuts. You didn't even need a membership. You could print the ticket out and as long as it had the barcode you could use it to get in. They're bringing in those ticketmaster barcodes from next season apparently.

I will accept underwhelming.

Wrong. He cost £36m in 2015, with 3 add ons to be met by summer 2019. One was met (£7m for 25 goals for us) and the others weren't (£7m for a Ballon d'Or nomination and £7m for 25 appearances for France). Total fee for Martial was £43m. So £43m is a disaster for a player who averaged a goal contribution every other game? Nah man. Be sensible. Sancho was a disaster. Sanchez was a disaster. Martial was far from a disaster.