Opinion

I don’t get to see many Newcastle United games in the flesh these days but one of the few times I can get in, is for the Sela Cup.

I take the whole family. I’d take Tessa the dog too if I could.

This is the penultimate weekend before it all kicks off for real. At this point, Eddie Howe has normally got the players he wants in and has worked with them.

There are two games over the weekend and we field two strong but totally different teams. If you can go to one game only it’s pot luck if you will see the new signing(s) or your favourite player. The games are quite competitive and some of the foreign teams really get stuck in.

It seems a step up from the usual pre-season stuff. Correct me if I’m wrong, but are Newcastle United the only club to do this split to give two balanced, strong teams?

So why post this?

Well, Newcastle United have now played 24 Premier League games so far this season, plus eight games in the Champions League, with at least two more to come. We are mid-table but once...