OpenC

Pottsy all over the place at the back, thought she was LB before but covering RB there. Looks less composed at this level

Look alright so far. Bit shaky with Cataldo and KB on the right but they'll settle

Milne Redhead starting according to this. I didn't think she was even there any more

Alnwick now top half in NL Division 2 after a laboured home win over winless basement club Washington. Possibly the most hopeless officiating I have ever seen, referee looked about 12 and never left the centre circle.

That Ratcliffe difference

I've never heard anybody from Liverpool say 'Gravenberch' before, but I bet it's spectacular

Yeah that's one of my few real concerns, everyone can see the goals coming

Fucking hell spurs not having a lot of luck so far (until now, 1-1)

Proper love Harvey Barnes like

Alnwick now sitting comfortably midtable in Northern League Division 2. Great to see

Pffft, I think we would be doing ok ourselves if we were playing Portsmouth and Middlesberra every weyk

The real problem I have with people saying we haven't wasted anything on players who aren't good enough to get us where we want to be is that we've now stagnated long enough not to be a particularly attractive proposition to that sort of player any more. You don't get them just by saying We Are Newcastle, You Have Been Chosen and being careful with financial regulations. Sometimes you have to just buy players who are enough to make you a solid and competitive unit, players like we know Howe is good at polishing to a sparkle. Would far rather have seen a couple of players around the Harvey Barnes level arrive this summer than spend the whole thing pursuing a relatively unknown quantity whose star was only on the rise because of an international break.

4/10 would not relive. Disappointed that we no longer look able to scout outside the PL, disappointed that we keep pushing the Only Guys That Will Improve Us line when it's plain to pretty much everyone that we have glaring gaps in the squad which are likely to cost us points or cup progression before January. Honestly, taken in conjunction with the Ashworth saga (I reckon it's a fair point @Froggy) it all begins to feel a bit ominous to me.

Honestly, typical Newcastle. Immediately after being owned by the poorest millionaire in England, we get the poorest richest-owners-in-world-football (not really, just wanted to say it )

Worth buying if only so he never tortures Dan Burn ever again

Yeah I've got mixed feelings about it like. One of the reasons the women's game was good to go to was because the atmosphere was so much better and friendlier. Can do without derby dramas and aggro in all honesty.

Nice to see the return of The Pink, I hope it works out for them https://thefootballpink.co.uk/

Something like this is such a blocker of potential other business though, I would have thought Sky would have preferred to report on who that £75m might be going on and the ramifications of those moves

Honestly it's been laughable we're like a kid jumping for something being held just out of reach by a teasing adult

In a matter of seconds. Was a hell of a start

What happens next is that he has a fucking stinker of a performance tonight and limps off, then it's confirmed we're buying him for £90m tomorrow

Can we start to call this an embarrassing pursuit yet, or are we still applauding our brave team for pursuing their number one target?

I don't, I was responding to Ian's question about why I felt distant from the club

No, you didn't misunderstand the ownership thing; the difficulty getting to the game; the flat atmospheres and moaning fans in the concourses when you do; the megastar dramas. It's not all down to Newcastle though; the league we play in and the VAR and randomly applied financial nonsense that's slowly killing it aren't of Newcastle's doing but they take the edge off it further. Modern top level football is just a more difficult thing for me to really enjoy. It's good to see them doing better than they have for two decades, of course, but honestly I feel next to nowt for them these days, no real attachment at all. It's mostly my discovery of non-league that's really done it, in all probability - just feels like a more honest and more sporting competition.

Ah right, was just received wisdom from Alnwick that Wallington always win I only started going last year. Loved their setup though, and there was a great community feel there.