Park Life

Beeb "Newcastle mark their return to the top-flight with a daunting trip to Old Trafford, where they will be hoping for a first win over Manchester United since September 2001. You're always wary of a team that's just been promoted because their motivation is obvious. Newcastle - what were they last season? I think they were a team of great work ethic and the manager takes terrific credit Sir Alex Ferguson That season began with Sir Alex Ferguson announcing his intention to retire from football management at the end of the campaign, and ended with Newcastle in fourth spot, one place behind the Manchester club. Fast-forward nine years and while Newcastle have been in steady decline, Ferguson is still at Old Trafford, his appetite for trophies unabated. Last season's final-day title disappointment will have only strengthened the Red Devils' hunger for silverware, and with no significant player exits and the addition of exciting striker Javier Hernandez in attack, United look well-placed to mount another serious title bid. Newcastle's reaction to Premier League relegation in May 2009 could not have been better. Chris Hughton's side won the Championship with ease, and with the likes of Jose Enrique, Jonas Gutierrez and the experienced Kevin Nolan, they look well-equipped to avoid an immediate return to the second tier. Newcastle's last Premier League campaign also started against Manchester United, a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. While the Magpies would take a repeat result on Monday, they will be praying the rest of the season plays out differently. "

Barclays Premier League Venue: Old Trafford Date: Monday, 16 August Kick-off: 2000 BST TEAM NEWS Manchester United remain without long-term injury victims Owen Hargreaves and Anderson, with both midfielders absent with knee injuries. Centre-back Rio Ferdinand is also out with a knee problem. Newcastle striker Andy Carroll has been declared fit to lead the line, while former Red Devil Alan Smith is expected to shake off an ankle injury. But Leon Best, Danny Simpson (both ankle), Steven Taylor (shoulder) and Dan Gosling (knee) will all miss out. Manchester United Injured: Anderson, Ferdinand, Hargreaves (all knee) Newcastle Doubtful: Smith (ankle) Injured: Best & Simpson (both ankle), Gosling (knee), S Taylor (shoulder) Popped Rooney in the Fantasy side as captain is all you need to know about what I think will be happenning.

We don't know whats being done from our side though? Could be a simple case of we wont pay enough. OM do seem to saying conflicting things though, one min we have agreed next we haven't. We do know. We know we met all the conditions demanded by L'OM last week. Marseille started fucking about after that. Thats why HBA is refusing to train and is now in Newcastle. Anyone following this closely should know that. Aye I'm in agreement here. Full credit as well to us saying we'll not negotiate with the player until we have permission from his club. Marseille are cutting their nose off to spite their face tbh. As the french love to do. It's delicious fried with butter and garlic, mon ami Oui Oui, moi petite filou.

Yup. Might even have pulled some semblence of respectability out of the fire of disaster.

We don't know whats being done from our side though? Could be a simple case of we wont pay enough. OM do seem to saying conflicting things though, one min we have agreed next we haven't. We do know. We know we met all the conditions demanded by L'OM last week. Marseille started fucking about after that. Thats why HBA is refusing to train and is now in Newcastle. Anyone following this closely should know that. Aye I'm in agreement here. Full credit as well to us saying we'll not negotiate with the player until we have permission from his club. Marseille are cutting their nose off to spite their face tbh. As the french love to do.

What are you the TT foreign secretary?

No need to single Alex out tbf tbs tbs...

Last spotted sitting in a bar in the toon with Ben Arfa.

Ipswich, St Pauli, Barca.

That's my reading of it as well. BA's agent spelled out last week how much the player had been pushed out of the club and how we've basically met all the requirement for the loan to buy.

Hope this goes through Monday morning. It does actually look like we've done our very best (within our means) to get the player.

The telly will only speak French now apparently.

Afra will sign. OM still could cause problems reg registration. Fingers crossed. Peace.

Needs a bit of time. Can't judge him on one game.

Needs a bit of time. Can't judge him on one game.

Just starting Nadia by Bretton.

We need something to look at while we're getting drubbed at manure.

Mrs P enjoys them the daft slag. YOu get some idea what I've had to put up with the last few years.

He's good. He's part of that group of players that went through the french academy most of whom have played for France. The mind isn't always right, but that comes with these kinds of players. Will be the only player we have who can make something out of nothing. Creative, pacy, good balance and good dribble.

Salt. Crap. 2/10

Behind the striker.

Badly need a proper striker with Tier One experience.

Perch looks alright.

So, the fact that As for the "personal" side of those things, Fisher's "safe" contains, literally, the most personal thing in the world to him. So, in essence, either you were hating it before you'd even seen it or you were watching it in some kind of LSD-enhanced stupor. Rosebud.. I wasn't alluding to the content of dreams (shlock hugo boss dressed nonsense that is purveyed here, along with cod minimalist central europa cool architecture - and if that isn't deprersonalised and corporate cool enough, there is the silly slick hair they all have). I was alluding to the lack of sensitivity, the lack of cogent direction, the lack of characters actually talking in a scene together that isn't just here's a quick explanation of what is about to happen...Ultimately you don't care about characters if they spend the whole time running around in a blur and spinng tops on shinny tables who's only use here is to drive the narrative forward. And the thing has to be 'in a safe at the end' so we can have all the meaningless action to get to it. Here's the news buddy, the deepest recesses of your mind isn't in the pages of World of Interiors mixed with Gucci and House of Lavin. Nobody cared about the motivation of the main characters so much were they just verbalising the insanely gimmikery action set forth. There were many moments in the cinema when people just tittered at the ridiculous dialogue.