Haydnator

I think we can finally score against this lot. Conceded 7 goals in their last two, including a 1-5 home mullering. They do play decent stuff tbf but so have we since the Chelsea game. And Woodman will be in goal probably. Although I would prefer a more experienced 'keeper but at a stadium like Dean Court, an 18 year old won't feel as much as pressure than he would playing at SJP or at any other PL 35k+ stadium, so let's see what he can do.

If we score the first goal we can just hit them on the break; something we are actually decent at, as seen against Norwich. I think we can score 2, 3, maybe even 4 because of our counter-attacking abilities. I have faith we're going to finally win on the road. 0-2 to the Toon.

I was born 21 December 2000. 15 next month.

Sorry It's probably odd to see someone my age on a football forum anyway so this (me making people on here feel old) must be a one off. And I just don't seem to know about players who never made an appearance for the Toon during the forgetful Dalglish-Gullit years, it's the good years, and unfortunately, the recent shitty years that I am fairly knowledge about.

No idea who Brian Pinas was so I had a look on his Wikipedia and it said "In 1996, when Pinas was playing for the reserves of Feyenoord, he was discovered by Newcastle United at a youth tournament in Groningen. In this short spell at Newcastle he never made a first team appearance for the team. Pinas eventually returned to Feyenoord because of the lack of playtime and the departure of his best friends at the team, Faustino Asprilla and Jon Dahl Tomasson. On his arrival at Newcastle in 1998, Pinas was ridiculed by The Sun newspaper with regards to his surname's closeness to penis. The editorial joked that if Pinas was ever addressed by a referee, it would be the first time that a referee had been sent off for using foul language."

I didn't want him when he was linked with us after the King left. We have enough Frenchmen who are unproven in this league as it is.

Villa confirm Garde as their manager. Shame they can't spell his first name correctly.

Made his 12th appearance For Marseille. He's off. £6m is what we're getting apparently.

Jesus christ...even their fellow Sunderland supporters are embarrassed at the state of that. Look at the first comment.

Was anyone else wondering how Stoke got both kick off and a switching of ends at the start of the game?

It didn't look empty where I was sitting in the ground; I sit in the East Stand about two blocks away from the Strawberry Corner, and everywhere I could see was full. Was it the part of the East Stand going into the Leazes End the area that was empty? That area isn't usually filled for games against the likes of Stoke & Norwich.

Law of averages mate. Points will come if we keep performing like we are. If we get the first goal vs Bournemouth next week we can just hit them on the break after; something which we are actually quite good at. If that happens we can score 2, 3 or even 4.

We can't at any point of the season, no matter where we are in the league. But that doesn't mean that we're the only team in the Premier League that will lose points.

Fully agree. If it wasn't for Butland, we would have won comfortably. The table tells that story because of the start that we've had. We played 6 of last season's top 8 in our first 8 games. For a club/team like ours going under the rebuilding that it is, that is a ridiculously hard start. Not to mention we've had 3 red cards this season, 2 of which have been debatable. Obviously we just need the finishing to improve, and to blame McClaren for that, like a few fans I've seen are, is ludicrous. If we can get the first goal in games such as this one tonight, we can go on to score 2, 3, even 4 as we are good on the break, as seen against Norwich.

Played some good stuff again but we just can't score. Butland had a worldie though like. I don't think the teams around us (Villa, mackems and Bournemouth) will get anything from their games which is good as we play Bournemouth next weekend. Saying that is a bit depressing though, as we're relying on other teams to drop points already. I still think it will also click into place and we'll get some wins eventually. And I just heard Elliot is a doubt for Bournemouth. Woodman in net? Looks that way.

Just in case anyone is interested. The latest NUFC Fans Forum meeting took place on Wednesday 21 October and nine days later the minutes have been published. No explanation as to the delay by the club in revealing what went on at the meeting but here are the highlights of the meeting that we have picked out. Amongst the subjects covered are expanding St James Park, delay in state of the art training facilities, away tickets, safe standing and ticket prices. NUFC Fans Forum selected questions and answers: Sky compensation? Question – “There used to a be a rule where if an attendance fell below the stadium average, Sky would make up the difference. Is that still in place?” Club reply – The club stated that this was no longer in place but explained how part of the money generated from TV rights is distributed to clubs in line with how often they are broadcast live. Stadium expansion Question – “Currently, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and West Ham are due to overtake us when it comes to stadium capacity. Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal are ahead of us. Why were plans proposed to extend the Gallowgate End scrapped in the past and will any planned development behind Gallowgate hinder the potential to expand the stadium in future? Club reply – The club referred to similar questions in previous Fans Forum meetings in May 2014 and October 2014 during which the history of the land and its sale were discussed. The club’s view has not changed. Ticket prices Question sent to Taylor Payne: “Recently, the Chelsea game saw a ticket price reduction from last season for the public but not for members. The attendance then fell 4,000 short of last season. Public price reductions will worsen the situation where in some places, a season ticket costs more than single tickets. Almost every other club in the Premier League publishes its pricing brand for the whole season alongside season ticket prices. Why do Newcastle not do this and allow supporters to make an informed choice on which tickets suit them?” Club reply – (Stephen Tickle (ST)) stated that most season ticket holders are on longer-term price-freeze deals, with others on one-year deals. The club uses a price matrix to ensure season ticket holders always make a saving and receive the best possible value in relation to single match ticket prices. ST stated that the club doesn’t confirm single match prices for all home fixtures in advance because specific fixtures can be changed between categories depending on demand. For example, if a fixture is switched to a Sunday, it may move down to the next cheaper category as fewer tickets may be sold if it is broadcast live domestically. While Chelsea ticket prices may have fallen slightly, that will be offset in other games throughout the season using the pricing matrix. The emphasis remains on giving season ticket holders the best value. New club website Question – “The club mentioned it may look to make nufcTV free for fans. Have you pursued that?” Club reply – The club confirmed it is part of a wider review of its digital strategy which would also encompass a new website, which would potentially be up and running in 12 months’ time. Further announcements would be made as it progresses. Away Tickets Question – “What percentage of away tickets actually go to supporters?” Club reply – ST stated that usually 95-96 per cent of away tickets go to fans. Of the remaining tickets, the vast majority is allocated to players for friends and family. A smaller allocation is made available to sponsors. Question – “Why can’t fans buy away tickets if they are not season ticket holders?” Club reply – The club’s policy over the past 5-6 years has been to prioritise season ticket holders then members, with most away games selling out to those groups before a general sale period would be possible. This also enables the club to trace tickets to individuals should incidents occur. The club doesn’t envisage a change in that policy. Safe Standing Question – “Is there an update on safe standing from the Premier League? If they wanted to trial it, would we be a club that wanted to pioneer it?” Club reply – LM confirmed safe standing had been discussed in previous Forums, both in January 2014 and July 2015. SS stated that the legislation hadn’t changed so the club – and other clubs – wouldn’t commit to trials. New state of the art training ground facilities Question – “Are there any updates on the club’s new training facility?” Club reply – The club took the original decision to delay construction for two reasons. Firstly, its league position at a time when it was required to sign contracts for work to start in May 2015 and, thereafter, to minimise disruption in the first season of a new head coach. The plans have since been revisited to see if any enhancements can be made and that is on going. The club is committed to upgrading its training facilities at the most appropriate time.

Not much of a miss imo.

Manchester United away, Boxing Day 2014. We were 3-0 down in the 87th minute when we were given it.

29 points from 36 at the start of a season...will that ever happen again?

Cheers pal