Armchair Pundit

Must admit, I did expect them to have at least started on building a new, world class academy and training facility, akin to Barca or Man City, considering the money they clearly have to play with. In terms of St James, I understand there's been many hoops to jump through, but everything still seems to be moving glacially slow, regardless of how the club was run previously. The spending excuses work for the playing side, but nothing outside of that.

Oh hell no!!!: https://www.teamtalk.com/news/man-utd-latest-newcastle-eye-mind-boggling-move-flop-ratcliffe-new-price

Hmmm... https://www.football365.com/news/newcastle-inflamed-meeting-badly-howe-mitchell-eales

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/29327/13208454/jamie-carragher-says-newcastle-must-be-very-careful-not-to-lose-eddie-howe-after-poor-transfer-window Could see it happening, just hope there's some serious reassurance from the board, for the players as well as Eddie.

What happened with this kid? How did he go from someone Barca was looking at once upon a time to where his is now?

There's definitely an element of Stan Laurel about him, just as long as he doesn't play like a comedian though

Would laugh my cock off if Guehi decided to just let his contract run down and go for big wages in under two years time and Palace got nothing, but a much reduced fee would be equally entertaining. Couldn't happen to a nicer cunt in Parish.

Eddie looks tired and a bit 'off' lately, hope it's nothing to do with any board infighting or anything that's upsetting the apple-cart behind the scenes. Hopefully the Saudis will stamp out any power struggles quick sharp and remind people to get back to their jobs.

Bearing in mind that Amanda and Mehrdad had previously worked with PIF and the Saudis and already had a good relationship with them, I'd hope that they'd have been backed over Eales (and Mitchell if he's involved) if there was anything iffy going on. Still, I guess it depends on who's bringing what to the table.

No, you missed what I meant. To me it kind of felt a little of cronyism, or rather an upstairs/downstairs divide between the directors and the team staff. I know Amanda and Mehrdad used to sit with the chairman, but they came across as it being part of a family feel, not seen much of Jamie Reuben since they left either. I hope I'm wrong, it just 'feels' off to me currently.

Someone else thinking we could sign Mario Hermosa: https://tbrfootball.com/newcastle-could-still-sign-one-of-the-best-on-free-transfer-after-marc-guehi-saga-having-already-made-move/

I keep thinking what they say about the best teams still managing to grind out results even when they're in a dip... I hope that's us.

He's one of the ones I've thought has looked unsettled during this last transfer window, like it's affected him.

Love Barnes

I just feel like the good feeling and togetherness around the club has taken a massive hit with Amanda and Mehrdad leaving. I don't want us to become and 'solely business' club, the work we saw with Amanda and the ladies team, the community stuff, the dinners, everyone seemed to be involved and there was a real feel of being all in it together, as a family. I'm not sure it feels like that as much currently and I don't like it.

Seeing Mitchell and Eales sitting there in the stands with the chairman, reminded me a bit of Llambias and Wise sitting with Ashley a few years back...

A few more to add to that, according to Transfermarkt: Yusuf Yazıcı Anton Miranchuk Aaron Boupendza Marlon Dele Alli Only heard of Marlon and Dele Ali out of those though, and nobody's bothering with Ali.

In other news, I think Adrien Rabiot is still available on a free

Blimey, never thought I'd ever agreed with anything Puke Edwards had to say, clearly playing to the crowd

Bloody right, after this I wouldn't touch them with a barge-pole - for the record, I'm not implying they should have dealt with us, I'm implying that they've fucked us about, strung us along and changed the asking price multiple times.

Tremendous

Really hope that's the case Whitley

Was thinking about it during the pen shootout and the more I thought about how we'd played, the body language and some of the reactions afterwards... I think there a few players feeling unsettled, maybe a bit despondent and I wonder whether it's down to things like Eddie being linked with England, Gordon being linked to Liverpool, Isak linked to Arsenal, Bruno linked to City and rumours of Tripps wanting out. I'd like to think they're all professional enough, but something just seems a bit 'off' and I can't put my finger on it. The togetherness, the drive to fight for each other in every move, it seems to be missing or at least less intense. Hope I'm wrong. On the upside, Tonali looked ace!

Let me get this straight... Mamarmadashvilli for £26.5m+£4m add-ons and now Chiesa for £10m+£2.5m add-ons... but somehow, Guehi is worth upwards of £70m?! Really? I don't even think Palace are lubing us up on this one.