Geordie_once_removed

Just to add an extra little kick in the nuts from yesterday. I benched Ferguson for Isak in my fantasy team. Feck.

If that is real that is a good order to the games. I want us to play at home for the final group game and PSG stepping into a rocking St James' for the first home game is good as a result there could give us some great momentum.

I live in Düsseldorf so this is the dream draw. I'm for sure going to try to get tickets for the game there, if nothing else I'll be in the city for the game. Any tips for getting tickets are very welcome.

What an absolute weapon.

He was fine to good. As others have said he kept Salah quiet then had to shift into CB mid game. A sloppy pass from Bruno meant he was out of position against one of the fastest strikers in the league. Hardly Titus Bramble-esq.

Jesus how old is he? I had in my head he was around 25 but he looks like the guy who used to hang around Huddersfield bus station, with an unbro bag full of porn mags and drinking Special Brew.

I would be very happy if you're right and I'm wrong!

American owners trying to fundamentally destroy the football pyramid and state owners buying clubs as part of wider geopolitical goals are both clearly bad for football as we know it. We get more flack than others, and as a fan group we're often placed in an impossible position where we are told we have to stop doing something that has run in our families for generations and if we don't and we actually enjoy a 'product' that is immeasurably better than anything we've seen in 20 plus there is blood on our hands. But let's not pretend that none of the criticism of the owners is valid.

Not confident. They have a bit of a hoodoo over us and Klopp will have them right up for the game. Overall I feel over the season, perhaps with a bit of heart over head, we'll finish above them. We're a better balanced team and Klopp's ravings, while they might help them win games like this, aren't the key to sustained success especially not when compared to Howe and Co's studied and constant drive for excellence.

Pretty easy that. Remember the start of the season where we drew a number of games and lost others unluckily, De Bryune's eye of a needle pass for City to equalise and Isak's offside goal and the extra, extra, extra time winner for Liverpool stand out for example. Also the January to March period where we just couldn't score. A rub of the green here, a bit more quality there from new signings/players getting better and we win those games. I also think we hit the bar and post more than any other team.

Wasn't that as we had to pay huge fees to get rid of Bruce. A final parting gift if the Ashley era.

I wonder if we're paying more to avoid this as well as get it as a loan with obligation to buy which helps us sting in late for a RCB.

Caicedo at that price can never be class as a great signing. Even in this market it feels £50 million over priced. That fee impacts their ability to strengthen elsewhere, something they need to do if they are to match their ambitions and given that their team still looks unbalanced. Signings are only 'great' when all the pieces fall into place which with this one I don't think they do. I would argue he's semi proven at this stage, in that he has done well, not for that long, in a team that is well coached and has a specific style of play that suits him. You can't be sure how this will translate. He's also never played in the Champions League, so at that level he is firmly unproven.

My 2p's worth is that he has been good under pressure and breaking up the odd bit of play, but I've not seen much creativity from him.

How did Carlos look? Been curious about how he'd do in the Prem after he almost signed for us.

No one can hate Miggy, he's just so lovable.

Willock, Anderson and Murphy have to be considered as at least decent "in an emergency" options for a wide forward/winger on either side. All of them would be 3 choice of lower for either wing (maybe not Anderson as we're not sure what will come from him). Because of this I'm pretty sure were not actively looking at wingers and I think that is the right approach. Next summer with Miggy one year older and other positions addressed we can spaff a load of money at a "wow" signing on the RW. We're just not able to do that right now.

I can't watch highlight videos like this, they make me feel like I'm having a seizure.

While I wasn't opposed to the signing I wasn't particularly excited but the penny has dropped for me. Howe and team are signing players not just to have two strong 11s but also the ability to play 3 or 4 different ways and Barnes seems to fit this strategy really well. For us and our needs I think we got the right relegated Leicester player even if Maddison might be the more talented player overall.

Agreed. It seems such a small time attitude and lacking faith in yourself and the set up you have created. Rather than backing yourself to adapt and grow with the money it brings in, he's determined to hang on to the diamond that fell into his lap at all costs. Even City let players go at the right price and when circumstances merit it. I know ASM isn't Kane but I think how Newcastle's leadership approached his leaving verses Spurs and Kane just shows a more mature and ultimately ambitious structure is being put in place at Newcastle. I think we'd act the same for Bruno, Isak et all. We'd have our price but we'd let them go and would have pre selected 4/5 potential players that would help us continue to grow. The only thing I can think of in Levy's defence is he might have been burned by how they squandered the money the sale of the last world class player they had (Bale) brought in. Still a bit of a small time attitude.

I think it will be a similar team and system to the one that ended the season. So Tonali won't start. A big factor behind him being the No 1 target I think is that he will allow for a wider variety of tactical changes/system to be applied before and during games. I see him playing this off the bench game changing role in this game.

He was looking good in the few appearances he made in the second half of the season too. Him, Miley and the new version of Gordon hopefully give us a few more options.

Provided Watford are paying 60% plus of his wages this is about the best the club could do. I still think there is a solid player in there, but given his recent form and injuries no club would risk a permanent signing. For him I hope he has a good season and restarts a career that Bruce and Ashley's Newcastle killed. For the club I hope we can then flog him for a few million next summer, I doubt we'll ever see him in a Newcastle shirt again.

Is it just me or has ASM leaving been discussed so much on this forum that a little part of my brain feels like it has been willed into happening by this disccusion. So I find myself oddly annoyed at the forum for being responsible.

I think there is a solid player in there it's just the club have never been in the right place for him to develop. First we were turbo sh#te and toxic under Bruce and Ashley. Then we needed seasoned pros to get us out of the mess the above had got us into. Now, while he still has potential, we're too good for him or can't afford him the playing time to get him up to the level needed even for back up. I hope he gets a good move and can restart his career, he's always seemed like good professional.