REEVE, Knock out Ned and Kimmy need not apply.

Fancy our chances of a much improved (any worse and we'd be down in the pop league now) season. Up top we look good, Cana looks very well suited to the English style of playing and will offer excellent cover infront of our defence. He looks to be able to play a bit on top of being ridiculously aggressive in winning the ball back. Got rid of Whitehead who was never going to be enough to move on to the next level (the next level being a top four of the bottom half steady Prem club). Sorry Nick but he isn't good enough for the Prem IMO. Apparently Andy Reid has been training like a demon and putting some class performances in pre-season so he should be like a new signing. Bruce will likely get the best out of him. He was really really dissappointing last year but has undoubted talent and the best left foot at the club. A case of do it or fuck off this year and I hope he pulls his finger out (of the pies) and dose himself justice.

Upfront looks exciting. Jones has got a full pre-season this year and ahould hit the ground running after he was fucked last year by Sad Sack in that friendly. Really liked Cisse at the start of the season when things were going well but when things got tough (and it got freezing cold) he didn't look like he gave a shite. I think, in Bent, we've got a similar type of player but one who will give it his all and ultimately score more goals. A Jones/Bent partnership could really take off and reap a lot of goals. CAmpbell and Healy are good back up strikers for injury/substitions.

We've got 2 good keepers and I'd stick with Fulop. Fair enough Gordon is injured and hasn't played for a while so Fulop will defo be starting at LOLton but I'd've given him the nod anyhow. Gordon hasn't impressed me and, despite being a great shot stopper, looks shit scared of balls coming into the box and doesn't command his area like a good keeper should.

Only area of concern is defence. Bruce has said he'd like to sign another few defenders but the only one we've got, De Silva, is having Guzmanesque VISA issues and it's looking less likely he'll be with us for Sat. He sounds like he could be another one of Brucey's oversea gems but can't be if he's still overseas. Distin would be an excellent signing so hopefully we'll put some cash on the table and ask questions of Portsmouth's resistance to sell him. Anton needs to be more consistant. We were a shambles in the last third of the season and he had a few howlers so hopefully he'll be able to start afresh with a new CB pairing and crack on.

Which means that Nos probably won't be first choice for us this year Probably a good thing but he's defo worth keeping as a squad player and is commited as anyone I've seen play for us. Go on Nos son.

We lost the most points from winning positions last year, something ridiculous approaching 30 points Can't see SB standing for that so even if we keep ahold of half of those points this time we'll be looking rosy. About time we hammered Everton as well . . . .

In general, not many signings by the top clubs to set the pulse racing. It'll be interesting to see how they get on in Europe this year with the Spanish sides buying everyone that's possible.

How do you reckon your sides will do this year? Will Newcastle get relegated again? (Sorry, I'll try to keep it top flight from now on) Predictions for the league and relegation?

Alright nos mate ? Was gonna throw a LOL @ Sunderland in straight away but i'll wait and see how they're playing before i do that.

Hoping for a good season for Everton and am hoping to be able to catch a game live in January as i will be over in your part of the world for a few months (Dec-Feb)

I'm sure there'll be many a LOL along the road. How's tricks bud?

Haven't noticed Everton doing much in the transfer market this summer. Do you reckon Moyes will get fed up and leave at some point? Bookies stopped taking bets on him going last summer for a while and there was talk of him leaving.

I reckon, unless he's given a decent bit of money for new signings he'll get sick and leave for a big club, like Sunderland.

Dunno to be honest, been too busy with work lately to find out what's going on at Everton just kept an eye on the transfer situation that's about it.

Reckon Man City will break into the top 4 ?

I doubt it. Depends on Arsenal really. If they keep their players fit, which they really struggle with, they should finish above City. Very doubtful that the other 3 will finish below them.

It's one thing to buy all the players capable of finishing top 4 and another, much more difficult, thing to get them all gelled, keep them all happy and sustain performance levels for 38 games in a season.

They could, especially with the inevitable funds available in January to boost the squad, but if I had to bet on it I'd go against them.

Just signed Cattermole for 6m. Good stuff. Bruce knows his stuff in the transfer market.

We be fucked!

I have full confidence in Arsene Wenger, I always have and I always will. That said, it is still every football fans favourite past time to talk about what their team should have done or should be doing. We concede so many goals for a top 4 team, especially from set pieces, and we really need a dominating center back. We never really replaced the center midfield gaps left by Vieira, Gilberto and Flamini leaving in succession.

I have in the past few years always believed the board when they say their are funds available for Arsene to spend, I thought he just wanted to develop this young squad and chose not to spend, this season I am not so sure that he is allowed to spend at all. This season we have made £41m in the transfer market and spent £10m. Our squad last season was shown to be too weak as was our first team at times, this coming season we've not addressed any of the issues and we have lost 2 of our first 11 to a close rival for 4th place.

If I could influence Mr Wenger, I would have signed Huntelaar for £12.8m, I would sign Hangelaand for around £10m and I would have taken Vieira back for £1m. That would have gone some way to addressing the issues in the team IMO.

In saying all that I still think we will finish in the top 4 and with a bit of luck we could even push into 2nd or 3rd, we still don't have enough in the team to win the league though IMO.

And I cant wait for the season to actually start.

I'm still doing the predictions on predictthepremiership.com, is anyone else going to do that this year?

Got a League in the Barclays Premier Fantasy Football competition.

100 million and you pick your 11 players plus 4 subs.

Need to enter pretty sharpish.

www.premierleague.com

Code: 350494-83850

Taffy Dragons

Yeh I know.

Changed the team around every few days. The site keeps you upto date with injuries. Santa Cruz out and somehow Titus Bramble in.

one of my mate's tends to organise an away trip around his birthday and we all go to an away game. it's a good way to meet up since after we left school loads of us including me don't live in newcastle anymore. it's usually a north west team or london seeing as that's where the majority of the premier league is. this year however, we thought we'd get somewhere a bit different having been relegated. lads weekend in blackpool? somewhere sunny on the coast? a city we've not been to in ages?

plymouth.

an 840 miles round trip for the lads back home. i live in leeds and i still might as well be going to the moon. all the way to a guaranteed shite game and a town that's, from what i've heard, not exactly las vegas.

still, living in yorkshire makes the away days easier. wednesday, united, barnsley, doncaster, scunthorpe. here i come!!!

I'm in Rob!

I thought it was you - then saw the Arsenal in your profile so KNEW it was you.

Hopefully Nos will get in and show us how good this Cana is by picking him.

Well since you mention the Toon, I'll tell you of their excellent 3 - 0 win over reading today...

LOL @ Everton