ohmelads

These statements just sour the mood, show a lack of direction and do not put confidence in the minds of our current squad, or potential signings, that we're a club going anywhere but back down. Everything about the statement is negative. It is either truthful and very worrying or it is a ridiculous and pointless attempt at mind games which will just look like yet-more bollocks from the club if and when we do sign players. Their dialogue with fans and the media is awful and I just hope this is their latest poor attempt to be clever rather than an actual transfer policy of not buying anyone while we venture back into the Premier League with Ameobi and Carroll leading the line.

Surely they can't be expecting to "stabilise the club's finances" by getting relegated again. A bit of realism is needed by the club - no signings and we will go straight back down. I hold onto the hope that this is just more cryptic bullshit, more waffle from the club without much thought - a poor attempt to 'manage' expectations. We all know what needs to be done - we're not stupid. We have to bring in a few reinforcements of Premier League quality, not least a striker and centre mid to allow us to compete. We're not in the Championship any more. As things stand we will struggle to take points from our relegation rivals and will be cannon fodder for a lot of teams. Even a modest investment would mean great gains if it meant survival and consolidation - that is the route we must go down. Spending nothing will result in huge losses when (not if) we are relegated. 12 months on and it appears lessons have not been learnt.

Messi is playing in an extremely well drilled team, the most feared team in football right now, a team who create chances galore with or without him. He is the focal point of their attack, which is testament to his ability, but also gives him a great platform to show his ability. Rooney is playing in front of one of Man Utd's least creative midfields for a long time, he has been vital to their team this season and their lack of creativity in his absence shows just what he brings to the table. He is a more rounded player than Messi and would fit comfortably into all kinds of teams and succeed wherever he goes because of his skill and workrate. Messi was quite literally made for Barcelona - a product of their youth system - he is in the perfect team for his abilities too. If you look at his form for Argentina he has struggled to shine in a less cohesive team. Time will tell how well he can adapt. He is the more gifted, but less rounded (no pun intended), player. He may be the better of the two but there are some games where I'd honestly rather have Rooney in my team. Messi is in the better form but look at who he's playing for. The World Cup will be a good indicator of what he can do. Time will tell what both achieve in their careers as a lot of players who peak early struggle to maintain their form, motivation and so on. Ronaldinho is a prime example and C.Ronaldo's form has unquestionably dipped. Both, at the peak of their careers, were as good as Messi is now. It is rare that you get a player like Zidane, Maradona etc who dominate at the highest level for so long.

If people wanna celebrate it then why judge them? The impact of promotion is massive. In the bigger picture, if we don't get promoted. what quality is left in our squad will leave and we could spend years in this division. This sort of snobby attitude is one of the major reasons atmospheres aren't what they were. People are getting more self-conscious at football games. The very fact we are having this discussion is a bit ridiculous. Football is an emotional game, if you get carried away in the excitement then who cares? Planning not to celebrate because of how someone down south watching Sky Sports might feel is absolutely ridiculous. I wouldn't want Ashley, Llambias and so on thinking they have done us some sort of favour, but let's face it their heads are in the clouds anyway and have been since day 1.

Villa. They have the least hateable manager and team. As for their fans, I couldn't care less. Wherever we played we'd have been laughed at that day. The media had an agenda and the whole country was loving it.

In January I agreed with the need for a quality striker. Cover in defence, a right winger, and a goalscorer were our priorities. Central midfield lacked quality but at least we have bodies. Routledge and the defenders came in, and Hughton was looking to make an improvement up front. With 4 strikers already on the books though, the need was for something better than what we had, not more cover. The Leon Best signing looks an increasingly strange one. There was no point in signing a striker a 5th mediocre forward. If he's not good enough to get in the team, why did we buy a 5th striker?

The situation we have now is that for a player bearing down on goal, it is better to get the pen and the defender sent off than to try and beat the keeper. Espescially if it's an awkward angle to score or he doesn't have the ball under control, he'll go for the dive. If most of the game is left, the defending team is a man down because of what may have been an accidental foul. Players are aware of this and all too often we are seeing people go down too easily or run across the defender to tangle themselves and go down. They still have the keeper to beat, they know the pen will probably go in and can get the guy sent off. Rather than shoot, they go down. I think this is one of the more sensible suggestions there has been. Leave it to the ref's discretion and give him the option of a yellow + pen. I also think there are refs who are too afraid to give the pen because they know they must also give a red. They want to give it but are frightened of getting it wrong and err on the side of caution. Give them more discretion to judge the cynicism of the foul and the extent of the 'clear goalscoring opportunity'.

While he's in form he deserves to be in the team. I'll be honest though I don't see this form lasting. Like Nolan a few months back, offers little to our team play but pops up with important goals. Just like Nolan though I can see the goals drying up again sooner or later and if that happens I hope others are given their chance. When he's in the team away from home he's sluggish and it encourages a long ball game. People say he defends from the front but we need someone who will run the channels and provide an outlet when we're under pressure. We have 5 mediocre strikers all with different qualities but none seem willing to do that Bellamy-esque role and work the wide areas.

Nolan needs a rest. His inclusion was justified because he grabs the odd goal, but he hasn't scored in 11 games and contributes very little. To dominate central midfield you need stamina, you need to cover ground and put your opposite number under pressure every time he gets the ball. Nolan doesn't have the legs for this, and we get overrun. What are the alternatives? Well Butt's legs have gone too. I know some will not agree with this but I'd give Smith and Guthrie a run together. Guthrie has been very hit and miss this season and he was awful today, but he was totally out of position and has been for most of the season. Given a run I think he can find form, and I believe that on form he is one of our most gifted footballers. People are always happy to give Barton 6 weeks to find form, yet Guthrie has never had a run in the middle at this level. With everyone fit I'd say our best midfield would be Routledge-Guthrie-Smith-Gutierrez. Today I'd have considered R.Taylor wide right with Routledge on the left. We were shocking in every department today though and one or two changes wouldn't have changed anything. They need a rocket up their arses because if Forest win today we are 2 points above the playoffs and it'd no less than we deserve.

Got out of jail. We must do much much better otherwise we will fall into the playoffs. That Carroll equaliser could be priceless not just in points but for team morale and belief.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

We've looked a beaten team from the first minute because of the way we set ourselves up. However, I think most of the blame lies with the players who have been an absolute disgrace to the shirt today. Very worrying signs.

1-0. No less than they deserve. We have been utter utter sh*t. Can't string 5 passes together, no closing down. We're giving them loads of space on the ball and making them look better than they are. We're playing hopefuly punts upfield. Commentator said they've had 80% possession. I wouldn't even say we're set up for a draw. We seem to have set up for damage limitation. They've been a disgrace to the shirt today. Get the f*ck up the pitch and play some football.

You sense some of the players lack the bottle for the promotion fight. We're 2nd now and got Forest right behind us now. We can't afford to be useless every time we go away from home. To think some people try to blame our own fans for this kind of football. Howay lads show some fight for f*ck sake!

Swanswea players have time on the ball. Ours don't. Where is the closing down? Why are we showing them so much respect and sitting so deep? Anyone would think we're at Old Trafford. We need to be 10 yards higher up the pitch and snapping at heels in midfield. We haven't got into this game at all so far, it's all Swansea. Howay lads they are not that good.

We're sitting too deep and inviting pressure. No legs in midfield to close down effectively, and a lack of closing down up front by Carroll and Loven. It's hard to play your way out of defence when you sit so deep. As a result we're just pumping long balls and giving it straight back. 64% possession Swansea so far.

It definitely matters who is in our back four. We had a settled, quality back four and noone was scoring against us. When Taylor got injured earlier in the season we patched up the defence and dropped points to QPR and Forest. He's got injured again and we're dropping points again. We have kept clean sheets all season regardless of formation because of a very good defence at this level. Three of them are injured and we have replaced them with three players who barely know each other, all new to the club and all of a lower standard. We have leaked three goals. I predict that our results will pick up when Enrique and Colo are back. Until then, we just have to hope this lot can hold the fort as it's a very makeshift, thrown together defence.

Let's be honest all season we have been grinding out iffy wins because we had the best defence in the league. 75% of that defence is missing and has been replaced with loan signings. I haven't watched the game so I don't know the defence has cost us today but how many times have we leaked 3 goals this season? Against West Brom we had a sending off, prior to that it has never happened.

I agree about not blaming Hughton but I think a quick look at our defence will explain what's happening. 75% of our defence is injured and has been patched up with loan signings.

When are Enrique and Colo back?

Is this the first time we have played with 2 wingers all season? Howay lads!

I disagree. Our biggest problems are up front and this is proven by the fact that a central midfielder has shown he is more adept at getting into positions and finishing moves than any of our forwards. We don't have a goalscorer up front who will make the difference in games like this one. There is a problem with service, but good strikers link up play, get in good positions, turn half-chances into goals and now and again create their own chances. Carroll and Ranger didn't have it put on a plate but they saw plenty of the ball today. Can you honestly say they made the most of what came their way?

An hour against ten men you would expect to create chances. What you're saying is the result isn't a disaster but you've failed to acknowledge what was a very poor performance. I'm not sure why Hughton waited half an hour to throw Ranger on. When Leicester went a man behind we should have upped the tempo, gone more attacking and tried to capitalise but it was the usual cautious football and long punts up to Carroll. I think Carroll's very lucky to be in the team as he offers little and I don't think opposition managers fear us when they see him in the lineup. Espescially alongside Nolan, it's a slow front line and they'll hold a high defensive line, congest our midfield. He doesn't score goals and he doesn't provide goals, he doesn't really hold the ball up either, yet he is playing in one of the most important positions. I know it's untested but with our current personnel I'd go with Ranger and Lovenkrands. This performance further underlines our need for a quality striker.

I agree. At the start of the window I'd have said a right winger, a centre back and a striker would be the urgent priorities. We have gambled on a small squad so far and have finally strengthened in numbers. But the telling difference will be a good striker. I'm yet to be convinced we have one. This is a league where Chopra is prolific, we are top of the league and Nolan is comfortably our top goalscorer. It is obvious that is our biggest problem. West Brom and Notts Forest have shown they are top sides in this division and will pick up a lot of points between now and May. We may have an 8 point lead over 3rd but I think a goalscorer more than anything else will cement promotion. Routledge is a big addition in my view, a genuine right winger with pace. Williamson for Taylor won't strengthen us really. The big difference will come if we can sign a quality striker. And if we don't, we may look back on it as an opportunity missed.

One player isn't gonna change the way the whole team plays unless he's very good. I think Guthrie is a good enough midfielder for this league if he's played in the centre. Nolan presents a dilemma because he chips in with vital goals but offers nothing 90% of the time. You have to have an engine to play in centre mid and we get a bit overrun with him and Smith plodding around. I think the one thing we need is a regular goalscorer who will scare teams. I don't know anything about Moses but I'd definitely say this is where we can strengthen the most. I'd say it's a bigger priority than centre mid - if we can get a goalscorer in we will get promoted and can sort out the midfield in summer.