Leon Osman
Former Everton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

Huge chance. Again, it's that typical Andros Townsend-style cross, he really whips it into the area towards the far post, it only misses the far post by a yard in the end. Good play by Everton.

Another chance for Everton!

Andros Townsend whips in a cross that Salomon Rondon looks to glance into the far corner but doesn't quite get enough on. It skips wide of the post.

Pretty much everything good from the home side is coming through Demarai Gray. They paid £1.5m for him in the summer. Absolute steal.

Image source, Getty Images

Chance!

Alex Iwobi turns in the box after gathering with his back to goal from Lucas Digne's cross. The effort lacks power and flicks off a West Ham man for a corner.

That, sadly for the hone side, comes to nothing.

Image source, Getty Images

Leon Osman
Former Everton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

Both sides have shown that they can create opportunities.

They know how to hurt the opposition, what to do, how to move the ball, how to create chances - they just didn't finish them in the first half.

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Demarai Gray has the best final ball on the pitch right now. He beats his man on the left and fires a low ball right through the six-yard box between defence and keeper. Dominic Calvert-Lewin would have been all over that.

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West Ham look to get on the front foot again this half, as they did in the first. Michail Antonio's forward pass is a bit too fierce for Jarrod Bowen, though.

We go again. Can one of these sides take this game by the scruff of the neck?

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Keep your eye out for a massive banner or two in the stands at St James' Park today.

That's because fans' group Wor Flags, famed for their stunning flag and banner displays in the Gallowgate End, had decided to stop their shows of support when Rafa Benitez left the club but they are back today and have plans to show their support for the new era at the club.

"We have been waiting for the moment to come back and today we finally can," Thomas Concannon, from the group, told BBC Sport.

"It will be bouncing today. Everyone is really excited. It will be an amazing atmosphere and one we haven't seen for quite some time at St James’ Park."

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BBC Radio 5 Live

Former Newcastle defender Steven Taylor:

"Were there any positives to take from Ashley's time at Newcastle? Looking back now, not really, no.

"The way he handled things - whenever we thought we were doing well as a club, every year he would do something to upset the staff, the fans. You go in every day and see the staff just miserable.

"There was no energy around the place. The renaming of the stadium, that was outrageous to do.

"I can’t think of one good thing from him from my time at Newcastle other than giving me a new contract.

"Stuff that Mike Ashley did, like naming the stadium the Sports Direct Arena, you’re just going against what the fans love."

BBC Radio 5 Live

Former Newcastle defender Steven Taylor on BBC Radio 5 Live:

"The feel-good factor is back, but attracting the biggest names is going to be the hardest thing. How do you keep these top names happy? Not just that but the wives, girlfriends, families, kids.

"I’ve experienced that with Newcastle with some top, top players – they didn’t enjoy Newcastle. They were always flying down to London, flying abroad in Europe as much as possible, it’s trying to keep them happy.

"We had some really good players it’s just they didn’t settle in at Newcastle. You can go back to when Hugo Viana left Portugal and came to us as one of the top European players – nothing went well for him, he felt unsettled.

"The likes of Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, these types of players I played with, were they happy at Newcastle?

"You always see examples of them flying away on their days off, out of Newcastle. Their wives weren’t particularly happy, there wasn’t a lot for them to do. That will be Newcastle’s next biggest thing – keeping the families happy."

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BBC Radio 5 Live

Former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark on BBC Radio 5 Live:

"It’s been 14 years of emptiness, no ambition in the club.

"The only thing that’s been big about the club has been the loyalty of the fans, the 52,000 fans in the stadium, the selling-out of the away allocations week in, week out.

"Now there’s real hope again. There’s hope that the club can be competitive, competitive in transfer markets and on the pitch. Give the players the right infrastructure, 21st century training facilities.

"There’ll have to be patience, things can’t change overnight. There’s so much to change.

"The short term goal is to get points on the board between now and January to get them out of the relegation zone before they can buy players."

So, we're about 45 minutes from getting team news through from St James' Park for Newcastle v Tottenham.

Here is a bit of pre-amble to set the mood...

Leon Osman
Former Everton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's been a competitive first half, both managers will feel their teams have had chances to score.

Everton are a threat still on that counter-attack despite the West Ham pressure. It's been entertaining.

Everton did well to hang in there for the first 15 minutes, because West Ham started so well. I'm surprised it's 0-0 and I'd be surprised if it finished that way.

Image source, Getty Images

After one additional minute, the whistle blows for the break.

Intriguing one this. West Ham burst out of the blocks, but Everton have steadied things and had arguably the best chance courtesy of that fluffed Alex Iwobi shot.

All to play for.

Matthew: Well if that France goal the other day was ok, why the wasn’t Soucek’s goal ok. The keeper “deliberately “ played the ball.

Andy: Seen this pattern over and over as a Hammers fan. Bright start, pressure, eventually the opposition realise West Ham are no real threat, start to come forward and take the lead. Just waiting now.

Kurt Zouma is unchallenged as he heads the corner away.

Everton ending the half on a high. They have another corner.

It is a free-kick that could have produced more, but no Everton player was willing to make a run to meet Andros Townsend's decent delivery.