Nolan did well for us but we wouldn’t have had a season like the last one, both in terms of results and quality of football, if the scouser had still been in black and white.

Newcastle United welcome back today; Big Sam Allardyce, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll. Obviously when I say ‘welcome back’, I mean a likely decent round of applause for Nolan, pantomime…

While Big Sam is patting himself on the back I wonder if he’d like to rack his brains and think if he has ever made a bad signing?

I bet Nolan’s phone was buzzing last night!

From the terraces video action as Nolan saves the day against Bolton last season.

Much was made of player power after relegation and an alleged powerful group of players such as as supposedly Nolan, Barton, Harper and Smith.

However, I would argue that the likes of Coloccini, Enrique and Jonas were at least as important, if not more so.