Wullie

Yep, my best mate's a Boro fan and I texted him exactly that after the Fulham game.

Nobody's going to keep them up. They're nowhere near good enough to be there, and of the two players mainly responsible for getting them there, one is at Man Utd and the other has a cruciate knee injury. They should just try to enjoy this season and attempt to use the massive PL cash that they'll have compared to other Championship clubs to go down, build a stronger squad and try and come up again the year after. You say "his record is poor" - that Blackpool side he brought up and very nearly kept up had been amongst the favourites to be relegated from the Championship the year they were promoted. There's only so much a manager can do.

Absolutely preposterous, I don't know what these clubs like Reading and Palace expect, they only get to the Premier League by virtue of having managers who know how to do it, then give them the bullet straight away. Best way to destroy your managerial reputation is to get an unfancied team promoted against the odds. Far better for your career and chances of a bigger job to stick around for years just below the play-offs achieving absolutely fuck all like Gus Poyet did.

Jamie McClen made an entire career out of the contract he got after a decent game against Arsenal and a goal at Peterborough.

Take your iPod.

Surely it's only a token when it's given to someone that clearly isn't a leader? Arsenal are playing well, which makes them a good choice for your point, except that they're that haven't won a thing since Vieira left. I'm not saying it's the be all and end all, because Nolan was a poor midfielder, but a good captain. I just think calling it a token is daft when there are so many examples of captain fantastics. According to Google, it's Vermaelen who doesn't even get a game. Not sure Ozil and Ramsey seem to have noticed. FWIW, (I think) it was Wilshire that has pointed out that Flamini coming back has given them more leadership on the pitch. Flamini's not captain though is he?

Surely it's only a token when it's given to someone that clearly isn't a leader? Arsenal are playing well, which makes them a good choice for your point, except that they're that haven't won a thing since Vieira left. I'm not saying it's the be all and end all, because Nolan was a poor midfielder, but a good captain. I just think calling it a token is daft when there are so many examples of captain fantastics. According to Google, it's Vermaelen who doesn't even get a game. Not sure Ozil and Ramsey seem to have noticed.

Who is Arsenal's captain? Genuinely haven't got a fucking clue. It's a token job, might as well have a go at Monty Mag tbh.

There's a whole lot of nonsense talked about the captaincy. Like the rest of the players could give a fuck about the bloke who does the coin toss not being in the country during a game he's not playing in. We had this woeful patter last season before he came back and saved our bacon after we were getting battered every week. You'd think people would learn but obviously not.

The 2011-12 Ligue 1 table makes interesting reading, MYM's Montpellier side that he captained to the title (in which he played nearly every game) conceded only 11 goals at home all season (3 of them in one game which MYM missed), and had a considerably better defensive record than any of their rivals at the top. However he's been doing at the moment, he's quite clearly a very accomplished defender, with far more pedigree than loads of French centre halves who have come into the Premier League and done well. I just cringe at anyone calling him shite, it's an unenviable trait of the modern football fan that no matter how many times we see someone with an outstanding record in a good league come into the Premier League, look shit at first before eventually getting used to the game and starring, when the next one comes along, plenty won't hesitate to call them shit as well.

Noticed that Man Utd vs Sociedad is on Sky One on Wednesday as well. Since when are they putting them on there?

Imo the arched back and pained expression that is the hallmark of an exaggerated fall should negate the foul. Sturridge's fall under Cabaye's challenge to win a penalty at SJP two seasons ago was utterly cringeworthy and should have been a free kick our way.

I don't understand comments like these. He was fouled, and it is likely the penalty wouldn't have been given and Mapou would have been able to impede him with impunity if he doesn't go to ground. The guy has every right to fall in this situation. Absolute nonsense. A "right to fall" ffs. Something seriously wrong with the game when it's ok for an adult male to topple over and scream with pain because somebody puts a hand on his shoulder.

Wenger's fucking magic.

Froggy's reason is one of the best I've heard like: "I really liked 'red' one day and it just happened that Man United were on TV that day - it could just have easily been Leyton Orient"

Whenever you ask someone like that if they've been to Old Trafford, they always respond with such disgusted expressions - "err yes of course I have" and it's always a Champions League dead rubber about ten years ago that their mam took them to because they were too scared to go and watch a team that might lose a game. I've been three times and I fucking hate the bastards. Sad fucking cowardly wankers.

Thoroughly laughable this s*** Froggy peddles about "stability" at Man United. "You" had stability because you had the best manager in the world who had no desire to leave, not because it was some clever decision from the club not to give him the bullet after Premier League title number X. I hope Moyes does spend the rest of his career at Old Trafford because if he does, you won't bother with the club anymore as the only selling point (of being able to gloat at people who support teams they were born into) will be gone and we'll all be much better off.

Absolutely kidding yourself. The chance of David Moyes winning a Premier League title is zero. Maybe he will keep his job - but Man United won't ever win anything under him. Here's hoping.

I've said since the moment that Moyes got the job that I think Ferguson will be back in charge before the season is out. It'll be before Christmas imo. Asking Ferguson who he wanted was insanity. How can a man running one of the best football teams in the world also be expected to be an authority on the world's best managers?

Absolutely miles better imo. I didn't want to go THAT far for fear of being shot down but aye - class above. Bale's a player who can be shackled whereas I feel Ozil isn't - Ozil can hurt you with any pass he makes whilst Bale has to either be hitting it from 30 yards or making a ridiculous run which are easier to stop than a player who can make any pass he wants to. It's easier to stop a player than a travelling ball. Not knocking Bale, clearly a staggering player on his day, but if I could have either, it would definitely be Ozil because he doesn't have to be "on his day" to hurt you.

Absolutely miles better imo.

Still cannot believe they gave him the job. Absolutely hilarious.

If he'd gone on his left foot towards the end instead of cutting in, he'd have won it.

Just like last season, their survival depends more or less entirely on beating us. We must bury them, no excuses. I'd absolutely love to see them fucked like Middlesbrough, just disappear into Championship obscurity.

Didn't see as much of him after their goal as he understandably didn't go forward as much, but for the first half hour he was absolutely outstanding.