Kitman

We're top of the injury table (physioroom.com) before the season's even kicked off.

I found it quite disorientating personally

Perhaps this will persuade the club that signing a decent striker is an urgent priority?

Hatem Ben Arfa is out of Newcastle's US tour after being taken to hospital during the 0-0 draw with Sporting Kansas City. The Frenchman was carried off the field on a stretcher after a challenge by Roger Espinoza 30 minutes into the game and taken for an X-ray on his left ankle. It was later confirmed that Ben Arfa, who missed all but four games of last season with a double leg fracture, is to fly back to Tyneside to assess the full extent of any damage. A club statement said: "Hatem Ben Arfa sustained an injury to his left ankle in a tackle during the club's friendly against Sporting Kansas on Wednesday evening and went to a local hospital for a precautionary X-ray. "Consequently he will be leaving the club's US tour tomorrow and the injury will be reassessed over the next 48 hours." The news is a fresh blow to manager Alan Pardew, who embarked on the tour on Sunday without Joey Barton, Yohan Cabaye and Nile Ranger after they were refused entry visas. Ben Arfa too will hope the injury proves to be a minor one after a long haul back to fitness from the horrific break he suffered in a challenge with Manchester City's Nigel de Jong on October 3. The Frenchman had made just a handful of appearances for the club he had joined on a season-long loan deal from Marseille when the injury struck. Pardew had hoped the France international could play as an auxiliary frontman if required this time around, and he faces an anxious wait, although initial indications were that the latest injury was not too serious. Summer signings Sylvain Marveaux and Demba Ba made debuts for the club at the Livestrong Stadium, but were unable to give them a winning start to their three-match tour. Newcastle face Orlando City during the early hours of Sunday morning and Columbus Crew three days later.

Doctor Ooooooooooooooo ?

This doesn't seem like the sort of thing you do in a typical lunch break......I expect you had a good explanation ready if someone barged in unexpectedly?

Injury?

Just got rid of them last week as it happens. One left if you know anyone who needs one! (Seriously if anyone has a Grandad, Grandma or is just generally lazy and needs something to go to the bookies on on a saturday morning, then I have one left at £199 ) Don't think much of your cab, CT. Where does the passenger sit?

It's not called the doggie position for nothing

I watched some of the first series. Some of the plot lines were interesting but I found the main characters too unlikeable to want to stick with it.

"Beware of flying soccer balls". Impossible to read that without putting on an American accent....

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/914...ve_for_Enrique/ LIVERPOOL will step up their long-running pursuit of Jose Enrique this week after learning Newcastle United are ready to reluctantly cash in on the unsettled Spaniard. Enrique has travelled to the United States with the Magpies squad and they kick off their tour schedule against Sporting Kansas City in the early hours of tomorrow morning. But with manager Alan Pardew recently admitting the left-back had indicated an unwillingness to sign a new contract at St James’ Park, Liverpool are keen to test Newcastle’s resolve. The Reds are still on the look out for a new left-back after losing out to Manchester City in the race for Gael Clichy. Now Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool boss, has instructed the money-men at the Merseyside club to work on a deal for Enrique, although Lyon’s Aly Cissokho remains a viable alternative. Dalglish and his scouting team would prefer to sign the Newcastle defender, but a £10m price-tag has been enough to prevent a deal from taking place so far. Newcastle have been determined to stand firm over the price, but Pardew is getting to the stage where he would like to know which players he has with him going in to the new season. Enrique, who has rejected an improved extension to a contract that runs out at the end of next season, wants to move on and Pardew would prefer to have the money to reinvest in his squad. The Newcastle has £8m in his budget set aside for a new striker, with an offer still on the table for Paris St Germain’s Mevlut Erdinc. But for further additions to be made, Pardew knows offloading either Enrique or Joey Barton – who is more committed to the cause despite entering the final year of his deal – is key to further changes. Liverpool are aware that Arsenal are in the hunt to bring in a replacement for Clichy and Enrique is also under consideration at the Emirates. Dalglish, whose first team squad returns to training on Merseyside today after returning from a tour of Malaysia, is keen to make quick progress in his search to find the left-back that will bring an end to his summer spending. Pardew has also begun to seriously think about a replacement, particularly after he conceded defeat in his pursuit of Neil Taylor. Taylor’s decision to sign a four-year deal at Swansea means Newcastle are no nearer to bringing in a left-back, although they have been linked with a move for Wayne Bridge. The need for a new full-back has been further heightened by news that Shane Ferguson could miss the start of the season with an ankle problem. Ferguson had a further scan yesterday on the problem sustained in Friday’s friendly with Darlington. Newcastle’s transfer movements have gone quiet in the last fortnight after a blistering start to the summer in which they signed Demba Ba, Sylvain Marveaux, Yohan Cabaye and Mehdi Abeid. Pardew has admitted his frustration at Cabaye’s absence from the club’s tour of the United States. The 25-year-old was the third Newcastle player, along with Barton and Nile Ranger, to be refused entry to the States over visa problems. It was said to be for a minor technical issue rather than a criminal record. Now Cabaye will join Barton and Ranger in the development squad, which heads for Holland today. Pardew, speaking in Kansas, said: “We have already had word that he will eventually get a visa, but it doesn’t help us, because we need it now. It’s a three-week process. “It’s one of those situations, but for us, it became very frustrating. There was no talking them around, and unfortunately the process was too long for us to rectify.” Mike Williamson, whose wife is close to giving birth, and for sale duo Wayne Routledge and James Perch are also expected to travel to Holland. But it has emerged Routledge could yet be on his way to Swansea. The Premier League newcomers are in discussions with Newcastle over how a £1.8m fee should be paid and then they are hopeful of reaching an agreement over personal terms.

I hunderstand where you're coming from

Indeed. We should all s hun this thread from now on Especially when there are lawyers on the hun t. legal action would hunbearable

Indeed. We should all s hun this thread from now on

Well he's not Carlton Cole or Jay Bothroyd. I guess it's a case of filtering someone with top class potential from the journey men and that's what you rely on your scouts (not YouTube) for. Proven strikers will obviously be in high demand only go to top teams, so I reckon in our position anyone we sign will either be unproven or Mr Average (unless we're gambling on someone talented but risky like an Adrian Mutu for instance). I guess it's also difficult to get up and coming strikers, since everyone watches them and is after them, so you have to be decisive and determined.

I agree getting a really decent forward would transform our prospects. I don't know much about Ba but we need someone who not only can put heat on the opposition defence, but can hold the ball up too. imo with a mobile attack minded midfield you need a cutting edge and focal point up top, not sure if Ba's the man in that sense. Again I don't know anything about the new lads, but we might need someone with a bit of height and presence at set pieces too. I guess I'm saying Andy Carroll would be perfect. Crouch might be available from 'Arry.

Best or ameobi. Fucking hell pass the cyanide

What, buggering dogs in front of the victim? Oh, the cruelty....

Childhood sweets make me nostalgic. Used to love Arrow toffee bars, golf ball chewing gum, bubble gum, space dust, blackjacks fruit salads and mojos chews, sherbet fountain, Rowntrees fruit gums & pastilles, caramac, curly wurly, milky bars, Pacers, cadburys fudge and Topic bars. There's loads more I've forgotten. It's a wonder I've never any bother with the dentist.

It's all a bit 17th Century, innit. When they get independence they can have a proper civil war all to themselves

When's the balance sheet due out? We should have a countdown to really build up the excitement......

Ben Arfa played something like 4 matches

Nice of them to tell you what they intend to do with the money. I thought it had all gone on future operating costs by the way?

Or maybe, the optimists view that fact that we were 1 minute away from finishing 9th this season, as the perfect answer from the club to its critics (including critics among its fans), 2 years after we were being held up as a circus. And doing it on a budget too. Isn't that possible? No