You feeling okay?

No Palmer anywhere? Also, isnt Davenport injured?

Going for a win here. Teams will not park the bus against us in this division and feel we have the ability to strike well on counterattacks against this lot. Still think we need some pace in the team and more striking/winger options but guess this wont be happening in time for this match now. Dack and Palmer to add the creativity in a 0-2 win.

Might get this one as can double up as a high-vis jacket when walking home from the pub at night.

Not really sure but tipped to finish above us by Sky - What do they know though huh? They have brought in Ellis Harrison and Gwion Edwards - two targets that a few here would have liked us to go for. I reckon if Dack and Graham starts as they finished last season and Palmer hits the ground running, we might have a bit too much for them.

We were paying vastly more in transfer fees than we are now as far back as 25-years ago - let that sink in. Especially when you consider how fees have risen year on year since then.

I dunno - must be tough for them sitting there with their thousands of pounds every week wondering how they are going to pay for their sports cars if we dont sign a striker. Seriously though, they will probably know more than us about who or what is likely to come in or what the targets are.

So we could afford to pay 3 mil and wages for Armstrong - apparently. Certainly interesting if true. Completely at odds with the messages coming from TM and Sharp himself via the LT in the last few weeks though. Pretty sure Sharp has said on a number of occasions that we cannot afford AA. I dunno - I give up trying to second guess this lot.

Checkatrade and a small squad was their undoing. Injuries, suspensions and tired legs caught up with them - much to our pleasure.

Nolan is a decent player but im happier with what we have in that position right now. Nsiala would be ideal if we were looking for CB cover. They have lost a ton of their players who refused new contracts to go elsewhere. They will struggle to stay in League 1 next season, last season was their chance and they blew it. Manager gone, team now going - both making moves while their stock is high.

Their squad has been dismantled - Hurst has gone from being the messiah to the most hated man in history there.

Yup would imagine its Hurst trying to raid his old club of two of their better players. Nolan for us is not needed now but Nisiala would be a decent CB backup.

Similar with Dack I feel with Raya, a good season this season in the Championship and they would both attract admirers.

That is definitely a positive - though I wouldnt mind Caddis and Hart being constantly linked with moves away. It could be a result of this slow transfer window and just hope that a desperate last minute bid for Dack in particular, does not come in on the last day. I would imagine TM would say no to any bids but not convinced the Venksters would. I imagine there are a few clubs that have Dack on the radar but they might be concerned he has not been tested at this level yet. Apart from him you could argue that we dont have too many others that would generate enough interest. Graham, Mulgrew and Lenihan I would class as our three next best players but Graham is getting on, as is Mulgrew. Then we have Evans who is crap until International weeks, Williams/Bennett are solid if not spectacular, Nyambe is still raw and Conway/Whittingham are both probably past it. The rest are basically kids.

TM inherited a mess that is for sure and managed to get a good points return from that mess - think over a season that would have had us safe in midtable. The team has had a year now to take onboard how TM wants to play, his methods in training etc and had a good year enjoying the habit of winning. That will all count for a lot going into this season and I think that as long as we strengthen the obvious areas that need it, we will finish well above the relegation zone. We might even make a push for the top ten and the even the playoffs if our team carries on from where they left off and our new signings improve us massively.

I still expect someone to pick up Maddisson - might be a last day thing as clubs know the release clause. The longer it drags out for interested clubs the better - as Peterborough might be holding firm on wanting all the cash up front right now. This will change closer to deadline day as they will want shot rather than allowing the player to run down his contract and reduce in value.

TM keeps mentioning targets that have since gone for huge fees int he Championship - does this mean we were trying to bring in Bamford?

The AgentBenno malarky at the very least seems to indicate the club are confident of more coming in. Benno himself said 'first' signing with the very badly kept ultra-secret of Palmer coming here. Is there signings that are potentially better than the D graders AA and HC? Time will tell. Whatver happens, we need a minimum of a striker and a winger but ideally two of both.

Wonder who these more experienced targets are that are above them on the list?

Doubt he would need a story to say it is not happening - could we finally be getting our man on a perm? Would still need another striker, one more in the Graham mold.

Bizarre seems to be the new buzzword on here since Chaddy said it twice the other day.

Would be him or Davenport I guess.

Oooh, does this mean we have a striker coming in then? TMs own words were that he wanted to shift Nuttall out on loan but only if he can bring another striker in.

Depends on what he values more, the chance to bring his career on which will bring the potential of bigger contracts down the line or rot in the Newcastle reserves on his currently better wage for a couple more seasons. What would he be on do you reckon? 20k a week? Its obviously enough to be more than most of our higher earning players and TM has said on numerous occasions that he does not want to bring in players that would be on more than them and potentially destabilize current morale.

Chelsea really do destroy the careers of a lot of 'initially' highly-rated players. I guess a lot of these kids go in thinking they are going to be the next best thing, get given a nice contract for their age and over the years the realization sets in that they probably wont make it at Chelsea but are more than happy to just get farmed around while taking in a nice wedge. Thats why I like Davenport, he is one that decided not to settle for that and wants to go out and try to further his career.