Jase

I know it's only pre-season but think many have been using that too much of an excuse. No reasons for some of the dreadful passing, defending, touches, movement etc. Apart from being excited to see the new signings, have we really seen any sign of progression, the so called attacking football Roman wanted, link up play between the new players. Errm, noo!

The MLS All Stars were smashed 4-0 and 5-2 in the last two seasons by United...

Slojo is being his usual self and people are falling for it.

Yay! Now a RB please...

Agree and don't get me wrong though. Don't see the purpose and need of getting Thorgan too but guess we shall just see what happens.

Just feels rather too convenient making that point on Mikel and then quoting a pre-season game at that to support it!

As some have said, lets just give him a chance and see how he does first. Too often in recent times that we have either write someone off before they are given a chance or completely overhyping them before they even play in the first team, consistently!

Hutchinson's hair is making him look like Mario Gomez...

Just ignore Slojo...

Talk about reading so much into a pre-season game...

They are a bunch of slowpokes, as we all know it...

Stats may not always be right but they can still be right in several matters and is often an indicator in the discussed issue. The whole point here is that your judgment on Mikel being shit player etc is unjustified and that you already have a preconception on him that he is rubbish and Tiote is better. He played very well and impressed under RDM last season but in your eyes, you're probably saying "Yeah, he did so-so. Neither good nor great but decent" even when it's clear for all to see that he did greatly.

:doh: Really?! REALLY?! Get that crap Torres fangirl love elsewhere!!

Seriously, you're really finding stupid excuses. Not Tiote's fault whatsoever that Taylor screwed up, Ben Arfa, Ba all missed chances. Newcastle is not a one man team but you're making them look like one. Newcastle were hardly in the game at all in that first half when City scored two. And both teams were in best form? Yeah...stats wise. Newcastle may be unbeaten when they played City then but they were hardly in scintillating form like City. In fact, they were lucky not to lose 1-2 games prior to that already. Still remember their 0-0 draw against QPR. They were absolutely battered in that game and lucky to get a point, all thanks to Coloccini and Steven Taylor at CB and the latter's last ditch clearance off the line! In your dream world maybe...

Whatever it is, the good through ball you were talking about certainly didn't lead up to an assist. Obertan assisted him for his 1st, Best for his 2nd and the 3rd was a penalty. Tiote only had 1 assist all season in the PL and that was when Newcastle played Blackburn at home.

We did. You can blame AVB for all you want, but the fact is we struggled against them and fail to beat them especially against Villa! With Tiote or not, doubt Newcastle would have gotten anything from the Etihad back then. Even with Tiote in the return game, City still dominated the game and created a host of chances and won!

Which game? The one at SJP or Britannia?

Easy to say that now considering the season is over. Crappy teams or not, you've still got to turn up, stick to the game plan and beat them.

Fair enough then.

Shit teams or not, you've still got to play well enough to beat them. AND you're basically just finding stupid excuses now to elevate Tiote into some 'god-like' midfielder.

WHEN TIOTE WAS INJURED Stoke (A) - WON 3-1 Everton (H) - WON 2-1 Man City (A) - LOST 3-1 Man Utd (A) - DREW 1-1 Chelsea (H) - LOST 3-0 Norwich (A) - LOST 4-2 (Newcastle had Perch & Simpson at CB for this one and Norwich targeted that by putting loads of crosses in for Holt etc) Norwich (H) - WON 1-0 West Brom (A) - WON 3-1 Bolton (A) - WON 2-0 The last 3 matches came later into the season when Tiote picked up minor injuries. WHEN TIOTE WAS AT ACON QPR (H) - WON 1-0 Fulham (A) - LOST 5-2 Blackburn (A) - WON 2-0 VIlla (H) - WON 2-1 Spurs (A) - LOST 5-0

I don't think they were as bad as you're making it out to be. Tiote is not the only reason why Newcastle weren't doing too well then. Even if it is so, they still managed to get wins without him(a win is a win!) and that showed they can cope without him. You're just trying to endorse Tiote and say that he's better than the "shit" Mikel, in your words.

There is something called 'Live Match Streams' you know.

To the contrary, Newcastle's record last season in the league with Tiote and without him is very similar. WITHOUT P14 W8 D1 L5 When Tiote was injured(including some minor injuries later on), Newcastle won 5, drew 1 and lost 3. When he was away at ACON, Newcastle won 3 and lost 2. WITH P24 W11 D7 L6

Sloth is up to his ol' tricks again...