OTF

Frustrating isn't it. Depends whether he's been told that any money he recoups he can spend on other targets that he no doubt has in mind. ...and CT it's more about having watched him play. It's obvious that he has a sharpness and trickery on the ball that we lack from any of our striking options. Looks to be a decent finisher as well. He's only 21 as well, so statistics from 3 or 4 years ago don't really hold much sway. Clearly better than what we have.

Never fear there will be extended highlights on NUFC TV. It may have changed recently, but all you need to do to view them is become a Sports Direct Frequent Shopper then make a purchase in store with an affiliated Northern Rock Newcastle United Mastercard. On the receipt for that there should be a code that you can enter that will allow you to subscribe to become a Newcastle United member. Log on with that account and under the extras menu you should have the option to subscribe to NUFC TV from which you can view the extended highlights using the coupon code you get when you purchase a full set of Home/Away/Third strip kits through the club shop. Or you can just wait until someone posts them on some streaming video site.

Given the traveling squad (thanks NUFC.com) I hope we put out a decent side. From: Harper, Forster, Krul, Coloccini, Enrique, Simpson, R.Taylor, S.Taylor, Tavernier, Gosling, Smith, Gutierrez, Marveaux, Tiote, Vuckic, Abeid, Ben Arfa, Lovenkrands, Ba, Best, Shola Ameobi. Wonder which of the keepers will miss out? I'm assuming that two will have a half each - anything less would be silly. There's bugger all depth in defense so they pretty much choose themselves. Plenty of avenue to experiment with our midfield and up front, should be interesting. I'd start with Smith on and then take him off after the first time he touches the ball.

Ameobi with Best's effort.

Harper played as a striker for a while in one of our pre-season matches at a pinch a few years back. We had a very small squad an an injury in the second half meant he had to play in the outfield. The strangest part was that he had a Harper XX (whatever number he was at the time) outfield shirt ready to go.

I can tell you now it's highly likely that matches in that sort of heat will be dire affairs, particularly in pre-season where plays aren't at their peak fitness.

Accessible outside the US without VPN? good question; i'll ask the orlando city lads when i speak to them this week Great, thanks

Truth is some people are opposed to the people giving their opinion more than the opinion itself, or just feel the need to take up a contrary opinion for argumentative sakes. When it comes down to it an opinion should be something that can change based on internal and external factors which is where many are flawed here, IMO

Accessible outside the US without VPN?

Nick will then tell us how the club is streetes ahead of our trophy winning rivals. FYP. It's funny how some promising youth players develop into stars and others fall off the face of the planet. With the exception of Andy Carroll we're specials for the latter.

I was hoping there would be some fanfare and that these would at least be televised. No such luck apparently. I mean a few years back Setanta televised a pre-season away friendly against Mallorca (incidentally it was a painfully slow and crap match), surely Ashley and co would have been able to negotiate some sort of television deal for this. If not it's an opportunity lost. With the state of the US dollar it's not like it will be an otherwise lucrative sojourn.

Canny third choice striker in the championship maybe.

Marveaux was carrying on about how he was fit to play at the end of last season, so either that's nonsensue or they wanted to wait to introduce some of the other new players in a higher profile match. Doesn't make a lot of sense though as Barfa and Cabaye played. The pitch invasion is embarrassing.

Didn't know that as I'm not subscribed to any.

Google calendar will sync to your iPhone for nada through a gmail account. Just need to turn on calendar under the mail, contacts, calendars menu for your gmail account.

In part funded by the 50M sale of Torres, which looks like it was a good price.

The Downing move to Liverpool certainly has to sound the death knell for the N'Zogbia rumours. 20M for Downing, less than half and they'll have landed the younger, stropier N'Zogbia. Downing should improve the value of Carroll for Liverpool immensely. Was never going to fit in in any sort of meaningful way here because of the other players we already have (discounting injuries), and so there's every chance that any of this talk was just a distraction.

Thanks, very handy.

I'd be surprised (but not amazed) if he's on 40K. If so the club have every right not to extend or offer a new contract at the same level. He'll not get anywhere near that anywhere else.

Glad TBH. Spending 9M or whatever on another midfielder when we clearly need to prioritise other positions would be incredibly annoying, as we know getting this bunch to spend anything of note is nigh on impossible.

Good question. I think it's most important that captains have good communication skills in English when playing in British leagues. To my knowledge the team captain is officially the only player who can approach the referee and verbalize with him. It would be hard to make a point if you weren't fluent in English. That's the reason why it's best that Barton isn't made captain. He'll already have some referees offside before he has spoken just on reputation alone.

Gera would have been a handy signing.

Didn't it work out that way in the end with Jonas? Compensation for Jonas was under 2.5M, very good business for a player who, despite his naysayers, has been virtually an ever present in the side. Players receiver sign-on bonuses regardless of whether they move on free transfers, though I guess in the case of higher profile frees they would be higher. If they're going to include those then they would have to subtract loyalty bonuses that Carroll and Nolan would have forfeited as a result of not completing their contracts.

Too predictable. Idiotic isn't it? Ideally if you buy well in the summer when there are many more players available as clubs can more readily organise replacements, you'll not find yourself in that predicament in January. Of course if you're Newcastle United currently you also have to make allowances for the better peforming players who are sold in January. The transfer fees from those players can then in turn be used to purchase a new deep fryer for the canteen and to re-carpet the offices. As opposed to all those other players out there who don't get paid a wage.

Could see Mike and Derek not being too worried about this if he was their number one target. They'll simply switch their attentions to the next lower rung of player...