Walwal

This could be their best signing of the summer. Someone to put their foot on the ball and bring a bit stability to the midfield.

While I liked Gary Speed, he's not the same as Butt.

Now we just need a bit strengthening at the back, and we'll be ready for the season.

Let's have a better start than last year eh guys??

Andy.

cheddar bob

I'm pleased we've signed him, no need to worry about being stuck with the lightweight central midfield pairing of Jenas and Dyer. Just need to sign Miguel & a centre back now!

Walwal

I think if Bobby had Butt and Bowyer in the middle it would be a good combination.

Butt does the defensive midfielder stuff, while Bowyer ploughs forward looking for goals like his Leeds days. Might get shot down in flames for that, but what the hell.

Dyer doesn't score enough to warrant being there, and Jenas has lost his form. Stick Dyer down the right, or there was even talk of him playing fullback wasn't there

And Ambrose should be sold asap. Don't rate him 1 bit.

Andy.

cheddar bob

Have to agree with u there I'd play Robert/Milner Butt Bowyer Dyer in midfield with Butt playing defensively and Bowyer going fowards.

Heard rumours about Espanyol making a £10m offer for Robert that's all it is though, rumours, I'd snap their hands off if it's for real.

Agree about selling Ambrose too, as well as Bramble but who'd 'buy' them , and more importantly we've still not replaced Nobby yet

FASTER MIKE!!

i think butt is a bargin at £2.5million buy of the summer?? i think if we get Miguel we could have quite a strong side, pushing for a chapions league spot
bob i think they'll play milner down the right wing

mike

richiewong

Great signing for the Toon, replaces Speed no end.
It will interesting to see to see what attacking midfield senile Sir Bob deploy's

FASTER MIKE!!

rich hopfully:- robert bowyer butt jennas dyer milner......er.....bit of a problem.....

Walwal

Thought they did ok today. A win is a win.

Be interesting to see Kluivert tomorrow (i'll probably miss the first half )

Out of all the players to get crocked pre season, we got lucky it was Ambrose, it could have been one of our good men!!!

Andy.

Walwal

I thought Shearer was poor today. It's ok demanding first team football if you're playing ok, but if he starts the season the way he played today, he'll be warming the bench for his final season.

Wor Pat came on and imo did ok. Nothing startling, but got a good cross in after a clever bended run to stay onside, then was unlucky with the header cleared by the defender under his own crossbar.

I thought Milner was the Toon's best player today. Always looking for the ball, and not frightened to try stuff. Looked a good signing.

Another 45 minutes (almost) for Nicky Butt. You can see he knows what he's doing, made some good tackles and interceptions.

Bramble played well, but you still worry there's a mistake in him every game. Someone's got to tell him that he can't be first to every ball played into the forwards feet, he's too easily turned.

Hughes doesn't impress me at all. I've got the stage now where even if he has a good game, I just think it papers over the cracks of the bad games he's had. Sooner we can get a decent right back, the better.

I don't think Bowyer will make many friends with his opponents in the midfield this season. Put himself about again today as he did yesterday, but I'd rather have that than namby pamby Jenas pulling out of tackles etc.

Not a great game to watch today, but we've got the makings of a decent side. We'll not win the league, only Chelsea or Arsenal are going to do that, but top 4 is definitely possible, but we need a better start than last year. We were playing catch up for most of last season, which eventually proved beyond us.

Andy.