French fans sing "God save the Queen" ahead of the match between France and England in tribute for victims of terror attack

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40264084

TOON fixture list for the 2017/18 season

Saturday 12 August
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday 19 August
15:00
Huddersfield Town
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 26 August
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
West Ham United

Saturday 9 September
15:00
Swansea City
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 16 September
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Stoke City

Saturday 23 September
15:00
Brighton and Hove Albion
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 30 September
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Liverpool

Saturday 14 October
15:00
Southampton
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 21 October
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Crystal Palace

Saturday 28 October
15:00
Burnley
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 4 November
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Bournemouth

Saturday 18 November
15:00
Manchester United
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 25 November
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Watford

Tuesday 28 November
20:00
West Bromwich Albion
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 2 December
15:00
Chelsea
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 9 December
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Leicester City

Wednesday 13 December
19:45
Newcastle United
V.
Everton

Saturday 16 December
15:00
Arsenal
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 23 December
15:00
West Ham United
V.
Newcastle United

Tuesday 26 December
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Manchester City

Saturday 30 December
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Brighton and Hove Albion

Monday 1 January
15:00
Stoke City
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 13 January
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Swansea City

Saturday 20 January
15:00
Manchester City
V.
Newcastle United

Wednesday 31 January
19:45
Newcastle United
V.
Burnley

Saturday 3 February
15:00
Crystal Palace
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 10 February
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Manchester United

Saturday 24 February
15:00
Bournemouth
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 3 March
15:00
Liverpool
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 10 March
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Southampton

Saturday 17 March
15:00
Tottenham Hotspur
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 31 March
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Huddersfield Town

Saturday 7 April
15:00
Leicester City
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 14 April
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Arsenal

Saturday 21 April
15:00
Everton
V.
Newcastle United

Saturday 28 April
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
West Bromwich Albion

Saturday 5 May
15:00
Watford
V.
Newcastle United

Sunday 13 May
15:00
Newcastle United
V.
Chelsea

At a recent Tyne Wear derby, Rafa Benitez goes into the changing room to find all his squad looking a bit glum. "What’s up?” he asks.
“Well, we’re having trouble getting motivated for this game. We know it’s important but it’s only Sunderland and we can’t be bothered, we always beat them”.
Rafa looks at them and says, “Well, I reckon I can beat these by myself, you lads go down the pub.”
So Rafa goes out to play for Newcastle by himself and the rest of the team go off for a few beers. After a few pints they wonder how the game is going, so they get the landlord to put the television on. A big cheer goes up as the screen reads “Newcastle 1-0 Sunderland (Benitez 10 minutes).” He is beating Sunderland all by himself!
Anyway, a few more pints later and the game is forgotten until someone remembers “It must be full time now, let’s see how he got on.”
They put the TV on. “Result from St James' Park: Newcastle 1 (Benitez 10 minutes) - Sunderland 1 (Cattermole 89 minutes).”
They can’t believe it; he has single-handedly gotten a draw!! They rush back to St James' Park to congratulate him. They find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, sat with his head in his hands. He refuses to look at them. He says, “I’ve let you down, I’ve let you down.”
“Don’t be daft, you got a draw, all by yourself. And they only scored at the very very end!” the players say.
To which Rafa replies: “No, No, I have, I’ve let you down… I got sent off after 12 minutes”

TOON lose 0-2 in the season opener against Spurs.

Not the best of starts but still early days.

http://i.imgur.com/pnLj2S8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SAFe2jN.jpg

My assessment of Newcastle for this season will be a neutral and brutal one.
For a start you can get used to results like the one above because its going to be the norm for the rest of the season, I'll also predict that Rafa will be gone or going before this season ends, Rafa needed at least 5 quality players to stave off relegation and you've not got even one through the door and signed up. :doh:
The ones you have signed are not the game winners that are needed and they are not blood sweat and tears players either, they'll go AWOL more often than not and they're going to be more of a liability than an asset.

The transfer policy at Newcastle is an absolute joke with not one new player bringing any quality to the side, as I predicted earlier Mike Ashley is going to do it on the cheap and its going to end up being a relegation scrap from start to finish for the Toon.

Most teams are going to put the welcome mat out for Newcastle this season and then they're going to take the 3 points off of you, I'm going to stick my neck out and predict that Newcastle will finish in the bottom 5 this season with the team struggling to get 10 to 12 wins under their belts.

I thought that Newcastle with the best squad in the Championship last season were gifted it more than won it, its not going to happen this season.
Welcome to the Premiership. :D

So who is your team, Leeds?

My team is still The TOON, however I'm not a hardcore fan. My world ain't going to crash if they should be sent down once again and I wouldn't create havoc.

Markus

I doubt they'll go down Markus but it will be a tough season with the current squad they have and consolidation will be sufficient for the TOON supporters this season.

Leeds United?, bah!, they are so 1970's. :haha:

I don't support a Premier League team although I do like the way the Arsenal team play, but saying that, I still wouldn't pay to watch them either.
World and European cup games that England are not a part of + the odd F.A cup match are the only games I'll watch, and even then they only get half an hour, if they aren't entertaining they are switched off.
I got fed up with the so called golden generation who were paid millions to show the England fans how to be abject failures tournament after tournament, I will never watch them again unless I've had a bet against them. :doh:

Other than my lifelong passion for the TOON I feel similarly.

1-0 defeat away to Huddersfield so matters become just a little more serious.

http://i.imgur.com/GURXRjq.jpg

Leeds got a rather nice start, for a change. And today it hit. Wood is lost to Burnley...(no pun intended:03:)

Zlatan is available :03::03::03:

I reckon Wood will be almost irreplaceable.