ilikenewcastle

Aye they'll get credit when they do very well, but if they have a couple of iffy games they'll be written off (you yourself aren't too kind about Aarons in the first page of his thread ) Obviously not everyone does this, but there are plenty of people I've seen who'll write off Armstrong and Dummett but wheel out every excuse under the sun for a player like Marveaux (not even a player with a successful track record!)

100% agree with this actually

Pretty much this unless Southampton just turn to shite like we did after qualifying for the deadly, evil Europa League. Certainly hard to see us keeping a clean sheet.

his batter became flavourless a few years ago tbh PATTER!

his batter became tiresome a few years ago tbh

I wouldn't call him inconsistent, his good spells are far too infrequent for him to be labelled as anything other than grade A shite.

I don't think it has lost any importance, but the format has killed the goose that laid the golden egg IMO. Time was a fixture like, to pick an example out of thin air, Barcelona vs. Bayern would have a proper sense of occasion to it. Now these kind of games happen most seasons. Let alone that getting rid of straight knockout minimises the chance of owt exciting like Marseille/Ajax/Villa etc. winning the thing. The format is appalling, the group stage is always 95% dross.

Premiership Winners: Chelsea Runners Up: Man United 3rd-6th: Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs Relegation: Watford, Bournemouth, Leicester City Overachievers: Norwich to finish comfortably midtable Underperformers: West Ham 15th or worse Top Goal Scorer: Aguero Break Out Year: Ibe, Grealish, Callum Wilson Season to Forget: Falcao, Delph, Sterling, Affelay PFA Player of the Year: Hazard PFA Young Player of the Year: Kane Manager of the Year: Alex Neil First manager to quite/be sacked/'mutual consent': Slaven Bilic Newcastle United Where will we finish?: 12th Top Goalscorer?: Mitrovic (10 league goals) How will we do in the cup competitions?: 4th round in both cups How will we do in the derby games?: win at home, lose away Domestic Championship Promotion: QPR, Hull, Boro Championship Relegation: Rotherham, Birmingham, Charlton League One Promotion: Swindon, Sheffield U, Millwall League One Relegation: Bury, Crewe, Southend, Colchester League Two Promotion: Crawley, Luton, Wycombe, Stevenage League Two Relegation: Mansfield, Cambridge FA Cup: Arsenal League Cup: Chelsea Johnstone's Paint Trophy: Sheffield U Europe La Liga winner: Barcelona Serie A winner: Juventus Bundesliga winner: Bayern Munich Champions League winner: Barcelona Europa League winner: Dortmund/CL dropout World Player of the Year: Lionel Messi Other: How will Bournemouth fair in their first outing in the Premier League: Valiant relegation (like Blackpool) When will Crystal Palace fans start to resent Alan Pardew: Not this season I'm afraid How many goals will Balotelli score this season: If at Liverpool 4 How will De Jong get injured this season: Smallpox

Calm down, I just misread it. I still heavily object to arguably our most important player in recent years being dismissed as mediocre when stats and his contribution say otherwise. It remains to be seen if Mitrovic's few minutes on the pitch in today's friendly are a sign of things to come (ie sustained attacks and more chances created). Never said he was mediocre, just that it's pointless persisting with something that we know doesn't work. Also i think we know that Mitrovic will be better at holding the ball up which automatically means sustained attacks and chances created. We don't need to see much to see that he's a better target man. Just an FYI i'd have no problem with Cisse starting if i knew chances were going to come for him, but evidence suggests it won't. I'd like to see him used how Man Yoo used to use Hernandez, bring him on as an impact sub where the games are likely more stretched and more space for him to exploit. I still think it's unfair to say it doesn't work when he's clearly scored a lot of goals, that's his job. We're a very uncreative side, but that's not limited to games in which Cisse plays and I'll be surprised if we create more with Mitrovic and I'd bet good money he struggles to match the 11 Cisse got last season. I hope to be proved wrong of course.

Calm down, I just misread it. I still heavily object to arguably our most important player in recent years being dismissed as mediocre when stats and his contribution say otherwise. It remains to be seen if Mitrovic's few minutes on the pitch in today's friendly are a sign of things to come (ie sustained attacks and more chances created).

He scored a few tap ins, but his inability to hold on to a football for more than a few seconds was a big reason we struggled to create. We sustained attacks a lot better today when Mitrovic came on, not sure why you want to cling to last season's mediocrity that's up to you. I realise Cisse is a good finisher but he only had just over 40 shots last season what's the point of having a good finisher when over a season he managed around 40 f***ing shots Cisse wasn't that wasteful and he was hardly mediocre, up there with the best in terms of goals scored and if I remember correctly his goals per minute ratio was unmatched.

I'd start Cisse. I know we're excited about seeing Mitrovic, but Cisse's form was very good last year, I think it's up to Mitrovic to fight for Cisse's place in the starting 11.

West Ham will have a rubbish season.

It's ridiculous. Unless Lascelles and Mbemba settle into PL life very quickly, we're stuck with the same defenders who almost relegated us. Williamson will definitely be featuring very heavily once again.

People who write him off are idiots frankly, let's give the lad some time. It's not uncommon for toon fans to slag off academy lads (who've played under Pardew and Carver) but passionately defend more experienced underachievers (because they've been playing under Pardew and Carver).

Make no mistake, if McCLaren had turned us down, he'd still be in charge.

These pre season glamour friendlies. Overhyped, and morons read to much into them.

Slovakia should cause us problems, but really we should be qualifying with ease.

Sweden have every chance of at least making the play offs. Holland look dreadful atm and France usually make a meal of qualification.

Amazed Pellegrini lasted the season. Unlimited resources, world class players and didn't come close to a trophy.

Good to see the club is now starting to do stuff like this over social media, it's been lagging behind for a couple of years now. Very important imo. I want some likeable characters to get behind again.

Every football hipster I've ever known has been either a terrible footballer, generally crap at sport/exercise or desperate for attention... so they spend their time watching grainy streams of Lokomotiv Mezra in the Bulgarian third division whilst scribbling notes about how Boris the fullback doesn't track the wing-deployed right central inside shuttler through the transitional phase decoy in the 2nd third build play. And they have no friends naturally...

I think he can get a bit of a pass on being disinterested as well TBH, at least last season. The coaches may have been totally shite, but any player who is 'disinterested' should not get a pass imo. Not giving a monkey's may be a big part of the Ashley era, but anyone who goes along with it is as bad.

25m?! Wow, literally nobody would pay anywhere near that.

We'll probably be crying out for new signings in January, but sell someone important.