GeordieT

Looks like just about everyone other than ourselves will be strengthening today.

Ozil by himself is a bit of a weird signing for me. Great player, but I can't see him alone improving Arsenal to the extent that they can realistically challenge for the title. At £42 million, surely Wenger has a couple more up his sleeve?

Leon Best I think. Even that was a let down as I think the alternate we were looking at was Victor Moses.

No doubt we hear from Joe himself at some stage tomorrow.

West Ham are playing Stoke this weekend, you would have thought he would have watched them play if he just happened to be at that end of the country.

Considering Allardyce was there last night, you never know. Fingers crossed.

Not only is it a decent tie, but its nice to see a lot of the Premier League teams draw each other - if we are to make a decent go of the competition this year.

Home tie please.

Result papers over the cracks tbh. Not exactly a performance to inspire confidence going into Fulham, although tbf to Pardew I thought he got both the teams and his subs right.

Great pass from Hatem again.

Anyone else on the pitch..

Lot of the younger players look very nervous. God knows what Pardews said to them.

Dear me.

Here we go... "Little bit short at the minute, bit of a worry the game, but you know our fans are desperate to do well in a cup competition. And every time we seem to turn up in them I get a small squad to choose from. I have to be careful about Fulham, its only three days later, so hopefully we have enough to get through Morecambe". From nufcTV.

what happend? Basically, at the first corner we had on that side this banner was unveiled - to the delight of everyone who could see it (think the corner didn't get past the first man). Anyway, after the ball was cleared to the halfway line there was a break in play and they pulled it out again, cue more cheers and photographers rushing over to get a snap. The first steward who went to attempt to take it away had no success, so four or five came to attempt to remove it. Pantomime boos turned to genuine anger from the crowd and it became clear they were probably going to have to eject them to get this banner. In the end they gave up, but had several additional stewards placed around these lads - obviously with the instructions to forcibly take it from them should it make another appearance, which it didn't.

That banner and the stewards feeble attempts to confiscate it, was the only highlight of today's game.

I know it's the first home game and people often miss it due to holidays etc. But in my block there was a fair few 'regulars' who have been going for years who have appear to have given their seats up this year.

46 with Shaw on the bench. Not a great start.

Debuchy is a walking red imo. Looks uninterested.

I've got Amorebieta in my team, at £4.5 I thought he was a real bargain. But looking about I don't think I have seen anyone with him in their team. Is he unlikely to start?

Yellows third. The one that was used against Braga is a 'members home kit' or something to that effect.

A couple of months ago, I would have had little trouble recommending it. But there's been a turnover of staff and now it really is terrible. Incredibly amateur.

Pardew at Newcastle airport yesterday.

Can't say I am not a bit relieved. As welcome as his goalscoring record would be, I shudder to think how we would have accommodated him in the team.

Agreed, the interviews and features on the whole were decent, shame hes gone. Considering the only reason I subscribe is for the kind of content that I can't get anywhere else, the coverage of this pre-season has been appalling / quite literally non-existent.