Rayvin

I recall with iPlayer back in the day that if I bought a movie through it, it wouldn't allow my laptop to hmdi connect to my tv and play the film. It prevented it fullscteening up to the tv. It didn't do this for any good reason, so I assume it must be something like what HF sets out here. I googled solutions but simply found that many people had the same problem. I don't know if it's related but I've never used iPlayer since and religiously avoid Apple products. If they aren't going to play nice with other products they can fuck off.

Happy Birthday, mate!

Very generous.

Is that true? After his first two games?? Surely not...

Feeling pretty confident about the rest of the season now. Brighton looked decent by Cship standard but we still eased past them - I suppose the sending off is the only doubt as they could have 'revived' without it, but had our two main forwards played we'd have been far more comfortable anyway. Roll on the next game.

It's definitely just us, isn't it.

I wonder if other fan groups have arguments about the justification behind the sending off of players on the other team...

For a single booking I'd agree with ewerk, but for a second yellow where he'd only committed one previous foul (albeit a bookable one) - I dunno, it's probably correct following the letter of the law but as with so many things, there's room for interpretation in the guidelines on most things otherwise we'd see multiple penalties every game for shirt pulling at corners. I'd have been pissed off had it happened to one of ours.

Just checked the table to see where the other PL relegation teams are. Norwich are ok but what the fuck are Villa up to exactly?

Ah fair enough - agree on everything else, was positive. Knew Brighton were nothing to worry about Just wish I hadn't doubted myself on the predictor...

We give away far too many free kicks like...

Lua Lua looks handy for winning free kicks and so on...

Looking steady so far...3 subs from Brighton looks ambitious though, maybe Hughton has something up his sleeve

Yep, far more diplomatic this way around and I very much doubt it makes any prospective move less likely. It's not like, if Barcelona were thinking about it, they'd be put off because he hadn't thrown a hissy fit in an attempt to engineer a move.

Perez's take on the match: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/26/newcastle-united-ayoze-perez-brighton-striker-chris-hughton Nice bit here, even if it is just playing up to the fans: It is surprising a forward regularly watched by Barcelona remains on Tyneside but unlike the unsettled Moussa Sissoko (the France midfielder is once again omitted from Benítez’s squad as he desperately attempts to engineer an escape) – Pérez has never sought a move “I’ve always been happy here,” he said. “That hasn’t changed – not even when we were relegated. Of course, relegation was bad but not once have I thought about leaving. “I believe staying here is what’s best for my career. If you’re happy in one place, why leave? During the summer I could have gone to other teams but I didn’t.” And Barcelona? “That is something big,” he said. “But if I started thinking ‘Barcelona, oh Barcelona’ it would be wrong. Newcastle has given me everything.”

How much we're they gonna pay for Matuidi?

that sounds actually quite interesting!

Brilliant.

Nice one, great news assuming he turns out to be useful.

Just re-watched it - what about that speech is so off the wall, exactly? I know it was slated as another example of pressure getting to one of Fergie's arch rivals (like the Keegan one) but I don't really see a lot wrong with what he set out. That said, I didn't pay it much mind at the time and so probably am not aware of the full context.

Ah sorry, totally misread that. I figured inbound referenced players - my bad. Agree on the Rafa point - I suppose we'd be up in arms under normal circumstances.

...that's just unpleasant.

Wow, that's quite a statement of intent for a relegated team. Make no mistake, this is spending for an immediate return... Rafa must have been given a very clear objective.

That almost looks like damning with faint praise for Rodgers Obviously Hodgson doesn't get a look in either. Justifiably.