Stottie

High-paced start. Nice routine for our first corner!

Think he'll go somewhere closer to Laandon. There is that factor too, but if he's serious about coaching (he sounded it the other day in an interview) and likes Benitez, this story could have something to it, rather than the usual stuff journos simply invent. I think our third oldest current first teamer is Darlow, so it would be good to have some more experience around the team, in some capacity or other.

Lampard sounds more interested in coaching than punditry and played (very well) under Benitez at Chelsea. He's got no future as a player, but Benitez will know if he'd be a good bloke to have around. My guess is that he would be.

Yaya again!

Three of the four teams in the playoff places currently have a negative goal difference. It's not the sign of a strong league.

Yaya 1-0

Their home form is 4W 1D 1L in the last 6 home games, only 8 for but 4 against. They don't average many shots a game at home, and our goal difference is more than their goals scored. They average 50% possession, so maybe not a Swansea type approach from Monk.

Man City's eighteenth shot by the sounds.

YESSS!

Maybe Giggs but eight of the lads in the starting eleven are 25 or younger. Gouff 30, Clark 27 (nowt for a CH), and Darlow at 26 are our "veterans".

Gerrin! Another assist for Mitro by the sounds. I don't think Gayle has one yet.

I don't know if his agent told him what to say, but that sounds very humble. He seemed to have a semi-breakthrough at Palace under Pulis, and may have grounds to regret the managerial changes that followed, including of course Pardew not playing him.

Aye ........still think if a London club comes in for him he'll be off. Thanks to Pardew not playing him, he'll be seen as too unproven in the PL for the only clubs that would be a step up. With Townsend also, Pardew has shown that hastily joining a PL also-ran may not be a step forwards. Gayle would be better off sticking around and trying to bang in 25 for the season to show he can do it consistently when given the chance he should have had at Palace.

I don't mind Sissoko because I think of him as partly righting the historical wrongs of our dealings with Tottenham Hotspurs. With Yedlin and Townsend also, it looks like that ship has been completely turned around.

It'd be nice to see both but they both play up top. It would be a waste to pull Gayle back off the last defender's shoulder, and crazy to get Mitro to do any kind of extensive pressing. He picks up bookings too easily. I'll laugh as much as anyone when he pulls the defender's hair, but you're not going to get away with that for long.

Mitro's on fire!

mitro!!!

Aye, it wasn't pointed out and I never realized, but Pellegrini is only eight years older than him.

It looks like PNE play four at the back at home with Wright and Clarke at CH. Wright started on Tuesday, and Clarke came on at HT, so Mitro scored against their first teamers in the cup game. Let's hope he can do it again.

I thought the cup tie would be way trickier than it was, based on their recent form and the home goals we've shipped, so I don't know what to think now about this game. A quick look at Whoscored suggests that both Norwich and Huddesfield outplayed and outshot Preston, but didn't take their chances. Brighton too, in their 2-2 draw. We've got five clean sheets away from home and have conceded only one each in the other two games. So I guess we'll see a more cautious approach than on Tuesday, regardless of the performances of the lads who came in for the cup tie.

Hilarious stat from NUFC.com that we have never scored ourselves in the eight quarter finals we have played in this competition. The goal that put us on the way to the 1976 final was a Notts County own goal. Another monkey for Rafa to get off our back!

They won 2-1 in the third and fourth rounds, but have lost five straight league games. League form is P7 W0 D1 L6.

Between WBA (h) and Boro (a) for them, two six-pointers if they are to stay up. The Boro game isn't until the Monday though.

Good draw!

Next round is week beginning Nov 28, so between Blackburn (h) and Forest (a) for us. The teams in Europe will play in it the preceding midweek. Man City play Chelsea in the Prem on Dec 3, so a good chance that one or both will field a rotated team next round if they get through tonight. It's nice and congested at the top of the Prem, which raises the question of priorities for the teams up there. Easy draw at home, if possible!