S-Clarke

Utter dross of a team to be honest. A bunch of decent individuals, but a pants team. With Gerrard playing his ****-poor Pirlo interpretation.

Quite often teams struggle against 10 men, but we just ripped them apart. 2/3-0 wouldn't have been an unfair 2nd half score line. Battered and well deserved. Koeman is tactically 'In the know', that's for sure.

As everyone was saying, Liverpool had their chance last year and blew it, probably their best for the next decade. They sold their 1 world class player and bought lots of half decent ones. It won't work, and they will probably not even finish top 4. And I will enjoy watching it.

It is pretty dim, I must admit. This is one thing which has baffled me throughout this turbulent summer. An easy, quick, and relatively inexpensive win. Yet reluctance to do so.

If we expanded, we'd look as silly as MK Don's! To be honest, I think a 32k stadium is pretty much spot on for a club like us. At this moment in our life span there's no real need to spend money on adding another 10k seats, it all works well as it is. The focus should be on improving transport links/internal facilities and the training facilities - which is what the club seem to be doing, so all good.

I dream for the day I get to play Ludogorets. (although I get your point)

Their defence has been a complete and utter mess all season.

There does feel a lot more scope with this squad, that's for sure. I'm not belittleing us last season what so ever as we were exceptional, but as people have stated...we had an 11, and that was that. We had a manager who had a way to play and that was that. The inevitable games where certain players didn't perform, or things didn't click...it was a nailed on points drop as we had nothing else. This season we have depth, we have a fluency in the final third and a manager who doesn't make like for like changes, but tactical, reasoned changes as the game progresses. I'm of the belief that we should have achieved more than we did last season, as we had a terrific base 11. This year we seem to once again have a terrific base 11, but much more depth beyond that. We could potentially do better and actually achieve something.

It was pretty special. Never seen such a collective at HT before. He did an amazing job, and he deserved the recognition. (shame he didn't get more nationally, to be honest, as it was an extraordinary feat)

Long was pulling their centre backs all over the place for the first 15 mins, one of the reasons we were so, so dominant in the first part of that game. He then took a whack to the head and understandably quieted down until he was subbed. That 20 mins or so was probably as best he's played for us.

Yeah, that was pretty special. Ibrahimovic esq!

I think Richmond has logged in with the wrong account again.

I think there were also a few legal bits and bobs regarding work permits/international permits to sort. I'm sure he'll be available for next week.

If Cork can continue to add goals to his game, then he will get an England shout. That was probably the only real part lacking, but he will certainly be raising a few eyebrows in the England setup now. As said above, if Colback, Delph etc can get England call ups - then Cork is pretty much on the list if he carries on as he is.

He's got a great pull, a much bigger pull that MP had. I'm sure Koeman was pretty much the number 1 reason he's here as it is.

Pretty sad seeing Rickie now just a constant bench warmer for club and country. That won't change either until either situation has a mass injury crisis. But the guys who left made their decisions. They moved on, we moved on. We have no need for any of our departed players anymore, no need what so ever. Which is to the scouting set ups credit, great recruitment drive.

To be fair, they never said they wouldn't sell players - nothing categorical anyway, find a quote if you think otherwise. The one player they did categorically say they wouldn't sell is still here. (well, two, if you count Jay)

http://sackpardew.com/

There's a chance to buy, but I'm sure if he has a storming season here then he's going to get some fairly bigger suitors than us! Enjoy him whilst he's here.

He's a Lovren level player. Fully prepared for him to only be here for the year.

I think we're seeing that the team unit we had last year was much bigger than any of the individuals.

Lovren getting ripped apart at HT. Oops.

"Our fans were difficult today, chanting my name from the start. It sort of affected our spirit. It worries me" AP tells @bbcnewcastle #NUFC Good night pards.

We were brilliant today, right from the off - a real pace and intent in all area's of the pitch. In many ways it was a complete mirror of last years home win against Newcastle, and if we're still that good after selling £100m of players, then our scouting and management set-up deserve some incredible praise. What impressed me more than anything were the dynamics of the final third, always moving, always probing...in many ways, the threat and intent in that area is better than last year. We have mid fielders who are no longer afraid to get forward, and somehow...he's managing to get goals from Cork and Morgan consistently! Special mention to Toby who I thought was utter class. We've basically replaced Lovren with a Lovren-level player, there's nothing between them. His reading and positioning of the game was of a very, very high level and he is a huge coup for us - even though it's just a loan. Pelle lead the line brilliantly once again, he's really grown from the goal he got at Millwall and looks a different player now. They couldn't handle him in the first half, too strong and too much guile which was opening them up time and time again. Based on the start we've made, we look utter class. It's obviously a little too early to get carried away just yet and start predicting etc, but IF we carry on with the level of performance and continue the intent in our attacking play as we've shown then we can have a very good year - too early to say how good though! Really pleased and a nice way to carry on some real momentum since the WHU game.