David Kelly

I think you're over estimating the impact of the players so far. The new signings combined have managed about a game and a half of premier league football so far. So judging them is foolish so soon IMO. Yes they all looked decent but let's wait until they've managed a few games before saying how good they are. But again I stress this isn't the point. The concern is that when other clubs (admittedly most of them have the TV money from last season that we didn't get) are spending good money we're back to hunting for bargains who seem to be more for the squad than the first team (shown by the fact we only started two new players on Sunday and it would have been just one had Yedlin been fit). We've shown before that we can find the odd gem for next to nowt, but ultimately it led to relegation. I thought we would have learned from that but apparently not.

Stoke paid a little over £5m two years ago and since then he struggled his first season and then went and a not massively successful loan back in Spain. Whether or not he's been banging someone he shouldn't, the price we're paying is pretty fair given his lack of success. Even with the ridiculous prices currently going around. We'd do very well to get back anything like what we paid for Riviere (who tbf has done much less in three years than Joselu has in two). It comes back to what we've done in general this window rather than the specifics of this deal. I think there was hope after the last two summers that we were now moving away from the days of Carr looking for bargains in France and coming back with Amalfitano, Riviere and Gouffran. We spend good money on Thauvin, Wijnaldum, Mitrovic, Ritchie and Gayle. This summer we've not even matched what we spend on any of those players.

I agree at this stage it's a positive. But it's not enough of a positive to change the overall feeling that we've not done enough again this transfer window and all we have done is add to the squad not the team.

We seem to have done that with every signing except Lejeune so far. I really can't follow the thinking on this summers business.

I can't understand how Huddersfield can outspend us when we had that profit from last summers transfers. Surely we should be able to spend at least as much as them + what we made last year. I know there's various reasons it's not quite that simple but something doesn't seem to add up.

3 year contract suggests he's not expected to be a first teamer to me. They usually get 5-6 years. Of course the £5m price and Rafa's "He knows the challenge we've given him at Newcastle and he's keen to come and fight for a position in the team" also suggests he's not been bought to come straight into the team.

Another squad player, was hoping we'd actually sign some players for the starting eleven this summer but at least it's another body through the door and a player that Rafa has obviously picked. Lets hope Rafa can get more from him than Hughes.

Cant beat a snap judgement on a player

Its just Newcastle supporters he doesn't care about.

I've seen people on twitter claiming he's the best centreback we've had since Woodgate so it's great he's not going to be out for too long.

Fucking hell man, those Stoke fans tweets were all I was clinging to at this stage.

Were you against him right from day one then? Or do you just not regularly go?

Nah the forward is behind Lascelles so he can't see him. Manquillo can see him all the way but doesn't react. Totally agree we can't be overly critical when we've lost half the defence before half time and we were down to ten men. That's why I said you have to take the situation into account.

Joselu supposedly up here for a medical.

I've had no problems at all. I guess they're just going for the easy targets.

I've pretty much watched every episode on kodi. I much prefer not having to suffer adverts. Not to mention I have virgin so I don't get sky Atlantic anyway. I cant see why they've made the decision to go with shorter seasons from now on. It doesn't benefit it to change the pace this far through. Still it was another good episode with some nice bits for the fans.

And Perez is apparently too expensive which is worrying considering they're not supposed to be that much.

I thought he looked good but it has to be said when you seen the goals again he was a fault for both. I think the situation has to be taken into account though.

He certainly has to convince for us but I'm pretty confident that Rafa can set us and him up in a way to do that.

I'm not sure that's fair. Yes he wasn't great for a hopeless side when we went down. But he had been excellent for Swansea for a while before it turned a bit sour for him.

I'd be hesitant about making too much of a judgement on Merino after just 20 minutes of premier league football but he did look like he's a player who understands the defensive positioning he needs in that position more than Shelvey. That was possibly why he actually got on the ball more than shelvey managed in all the first half. Whilst it would create the concern that Gayle could end up a bit isolated, it might be an idea against the stronger teams, to try merino ans Hayden with shelvey in front of them. It would give us more strength in midfield without placing as much responsibility on shelvey in front of the back four.

Things were looking good (despite the injuries) before that daft cunt got himself sent off. I thought Atsu had probably his best game for us and in the first half Perez was having his best for a long time. Merino looked good when he came on and looks as though he will be able to cover Shelveys passing for the next three games. We were never going to go toe to toe with the team who finished second last season but we clearly had a game plan that I could have seen resulting in us picking them off later in the game if we'd still had eleven men. If that fat cunt doesn't fuck Rafa off then I think he'll be able to see us through.

Aren't they supposed to be doing something to stop streaming?

In some ways what he says is fair enough. But yet again it shows that he has no real understanding of the football club or its supporters.