Stottie

All hail The Prophet. Would it be greedy to also say a better right back? That blonde bloke who plays when Tiote is suspended could also do with replacing.

Souness was an inept manager. As for Tevez, lots of wrongs don't make a right, but Rooney pulled a massive strop last season. How many games did he miss? Did any of the pundits mention that?

Looks crap like the Sports Direct everywhere. It may be the way of the world, but we don't have to like it. The pitch looks amazing in that photo though. I didn't realize they used grow lights.

Could we have kept Enrique without a massive pay rise? The other two yes, but maybe not him. I believe Ashley saved the club financially but has made some very serious mistakes. If Golfmag is right in that he got Arry as far as a precontract, then I suppose him pulling out and the subsequent Keegan + Wise debacle that got the ball rolling towards relegation may have involved more bad luck than Ashley is given credit for. Had he replaced Fat Sam with a stable setup, who knows what might have happened from there. He could still be sitting with the away fans. As for the current team, we'll have to see how many games we can get out of HBA, Marv, Ba, Santon etc. Abilitywise the first three look absolutely fine, but its too early to judge whether they are good signings in case some of the issues they've had elsewhere re-emerge. Cabaye looks a definite steal, as was Tiote. For a team with untested players in key positions and a problematic preseason, our first fixtures have been very kind indeed. I think we've finally started getting a bit of luck. Another slice of luck has been Leon Best, because when Carroll was sold, there was absolutely nothing to suggest that Best would be able to score in the Premiership. He's been a big bonus to the club. Nine times of ten not replacing a player as prominent as Carroll would put you in the doo-doo.

10 in 17 now in the Prem. He's giving Besty a good run in the all-time Premiership goals per game ratio!

This is rife for a pun, surely? Most of the forum comedians must have mist it... Yeah, he was ethereal! I thought his performance struck a chord, but can he sustain it?

Great performance from the lads! Given the way it was conceded, even their goal can be viewed as a positive, i.e., stick to your job/don't get carried away. The move that led to HBA feeding Best who was stopped by the last ditch tackle was ManYoo/Arsenal type champagne football. The type we haven't see from Newcastle for a loooong time. Full marks to Pardew, esp. for playing Obertan.

BABABABABABABABABABABABABABABABA!

Citeh need to get it in to Aguero more.

Just looking but we haven't scored before half time in the five league games so far. Put that right today lads!

The mackem munter bouncing from knee jerk to knee jerk I see. It's great to be fourth but I can't recall us "creating lots of chances". The first League Cup game aside, perhaps.

Mentioning that Shearer was one of the best paid players in the league smacks of having a massive agenda. As for this season, you might as well write an article about how kind or cruel the fixture computer can be. It would make more sense.

I liked your comment and he deleted me too! Imagine if he'd gone to Arsenal, who really should have been in for him. If anyone is still his friend, remind him who's conceded the fewest goals in the league.

I guess Hodgson's record includes easy games in Europa League. Still, a great stat for winding people up!

Getting well excited about this. Yes to toptoons team with just Besty up top and to the suggestion that Ba should have played against Forest.

Seems mad not playing Kuyt like. Just when he'd started scoring as well. All for Jordan Henderson

He didn't get that long, but Albrighton was poor too when he came on, so I'm going take his and Zog's performances and blame them on McLeish. Goal aside, Agbonlahor (sp?) was also barely involved. It all smacks of bad use of decent or better resources.

Torres went and scored yesterday, but before that it was even stevens on the goals count since the big deal in January. Carroll 2 in 12 Torres 2 in 19 Suarez 6 in 18 Total 10 in 49 Wor Leon 9 in 15

One of Chelsea's Plan Bs, esp under Mourinho, was suspicious like Route 1 with Drogba as a targetman.

Its like when Bellamy played for Celtic and give it the "my gardener gets more than you".

Ba and Tiote improving and a fine overall performance, with Cabaye MOM. Another goal for Besty too. These all bode well for the coming weeks. My main concern was the lack of overlapping on the left with RTaylor seemingly only capable of inswingers from deep. With better delivery from that side, we would have had much more chance of a winner. I was surprised how poor Villa were though. I've seen their individual players do much better than that in the past.

Much better than last week so far anyway.

Big miss from Bent

I haven't seen Villa this season and dont rate AM, but I think we'll still lose 2-0. Given will get a clean sheet giving the press one of the stories they will have prepared before kickoff. As an aside, that letter is seriously depressing. Its bad for the league for well-supported teams like Everton, Villa, and us to abandon their ambition. Bolton seem to be going backwards too.

I dunno to be honest, but 58 were pens for starters. Take them away and it would mean one in four from a throw in, free kick or corner. Not unfeasible I suppose. The vast majority of Nolans came from them last year. The newer site for premiersoccerstats has assists and points (goals plus assists) but it uses flash or javascript or something and its hard to link to individual tables.