midds

He should sit tight and play it out, QPR will eventually buckle as they can't afford to see him walk for nothing in 10 months time. Austin could probably afford to go through the motions for the next 10 months.

...or is allowed to be depending on who's coaching and managing him. Virtually impossible for any player to move to a new country, language and league and prosper under the likes of Pardew and Carver. I'd be prepared to give him this season to see if he can adapt, write the first year off.

That's a 'Newcastle goal' to concede if ever I saw one.

He's not better than Colback he's fucking class.

Are West Brom aware the game has started?

No way in the world man, come on. It was more the "I've been told about the fans up here" then perpetuating the stereotype rather than dispelling it. The context may have been slightly different and it's not a big deal anyway, throwaway comment.

Thought it was remarkably similar to Pardew's shite tbh...

Wasn't much in that tackle at all tbh. Regulation, throw a leg at it and try and block it, can't see any malice there, bit rash perhaps but that's about it. Was expecting to see an absolute shocker given some of the comments at the time.

Don't know a single person who doesn't acknowledge the fact that Jack Colback runs around a lot.

M'Vila has just been sent off playing for their reserves. Headbutt.

Quite happy with the hype being built up, makes his inevitable failure back into oblivion all the sweeter. It will turn to shit, just a matter of time.

Should have just lit up in the pub tbh. Soft shite.

With just 38 games to go until the end of the Premier League season, the maths is simple: Liverpool are in control of their Premier League destiny. All they need to do is win their remaining games and the 19th league title that the club has craved for a quarter of a century will be theirs. Unlike previous near misses, such as 2009’s late rally when the reds were banking on Manchester United slipping up during the title run-in, or 2014’s goal difference-fuelled three-way battle with Manchester City and Chelsea, Liverpool are now firmly in the driving seat. Not since 1990 has top flight league silverware graced the Anfield trophy room, but now, with the title in their grasp as they enter what Sir Alex Ferguson famously called “squeaky-bum time”, that could all change in just nine months. But being in touching distance of the Premier League trophy just over a year ago, the pressure will surely mount ever more between now and the end of the season on the champions elect. Rodgers summed up the mood at pre-season training at Melwood yesterday: “It’s nice to be in control of our own destiny and not have anyone have games in hand over us”. Captain Jordan Henderson added, “Who would have thought that at this stage of the season we’d be masters of our own fate? To be this close: we can finally dare to dream.” “We go again. Just 38 more times.”

Score would have been magnificent but for a simple Rochdale/Rotherham mix up.

Good summary. Assuming Mitrovic isn't serious class, the midfield/attack is decent atm. Potential to be very good, but we've no one with the quality of certain recent attackers gone by (Carroll, Ba, Remy, Cisse '12, Hatem). Like I say, as it stands, it's pretty solid. Aching for good coaching and a valid, coherent system. There's no guarantees and it's imbalanced, but if we behaved like a real club that tried to compete and wasn't itching to sell, you'd look at that part of the squad and see it as something we could really build on. There's no excuse for the state of the defense. Taylor and Willo starting games together - even in a friendly - is pretty disgraceful. Haidara and Dummett are varying degrees of meh, and Janmaat's okay. All things considered, the squad - like the entire mantra of the club - is in no state to be challenging the top 6. It could've been, because the ingredients to do so are simple - but it's not. Those 11 players are probably competing for 6 places in the team. A few of them on the bench and a couple injured/suspended (it's inevitable). There's no need to play the likes of Gouffran, Obertan, Riviere either if that lot can stay fit and healthy. I've still got a bit of faith in Krul to get things back on track, he needs to refocus but he was very good a few years ago and a new coach and a fresh start could zip him back to the form he was in 3 season ago. I like Janmaat and I've got high hopes for Mbemba (he'll need time and patience obviously) but after that the back 5 look poor. Haidara and Darlow could push on, Dummett too but Colocinni, Williamson and Taylor are tear gas. Need 3 defenders in to replace this little lot but it could be done for around £15 - 20m. That's how far short we are of having a competitive squad imo. Just spend a little bit more on the back 4 and we're there or thereabouts for a push at top 8.

Cabella, Aarons, De Jong, Sissoko, Mitrovic, Perez, Cisse, Wijnaldum, Anita...Tiote, Colback. There's 11 players all with differing amounts of strengths who'll need to be blended into an efficient attacking unit. The talent is there but it needs a good manager to get the right balance. The defence is just a holocaust atm.

That's got to be a written warning, surely?

So after 5 weeks of pre-season training and 7 pre-season friendlies (failing to win 5 of them) we still have absolutely no idea what the entire spine of the team is going to be. No idea who will start in the centre of defence, no idea who will lead the line and no idea about the formation and personnel of the midfield. 6 injuries to the first team squad (including the captain). Not going to pretend I've got a clue about who or how we'll play but I'm rapidly losing any meagre semblance of faith/hope I had in McClaren being a fresh start. He's publically toeing the party line, he's starting players that shouldn't be playing in this division and we're still making the same stupid mistakes in the first third that have been prevalent for the last 3 years. Fully aware that this could all change once the competitive games start and we suddenly flick the switch and look competent, it's happened before. Hope this is the case and we get off to a decent start and we've got 25-30 points by Xmas but I've seen nothing so far to convince me that this will take place. Still loads of work to do on and off the park. Let's hope they're up to it...

Translation: Oh, Jack Colback you're 1 massive mong.

Because he's definitely not Cabaye's replacement. Definitely not.

Only a matter of time before a European Super League is created. Hopefully.

If Mike Williamson is still playing for this football club this season then McClaren's failed imo. I know it's harsh on the bloke but being organised means fuck all if you're still relying on this fucker to do it. Same applies to Obertan for that matter.

Bendtner 1-1. Great finish actually.

He'll need to find a way to park the fucking caravan next week.