James

Appreciate the sentiments about Stoke but do you not remember Pardew putting together a game plan to specifically deal with Stoke and us thumping them earlier in the year.

I think we have 7 points left to get. So can Chelsea get 9 or Spurs 7? Spurs, probably, Chelsea will have to beat us probably, so maybe.

Although with worse set pieces. Just let Cabaye take them.

I will be at the match so we will lose.

Simpson has repeatedly ignored Ben Arfa and gone for silly passes. Only passed to him once.

Definitely want to be back in Europe, but I think we'd need to use every ounce of our outfield squad, and that includes Vuckic, Gosling, Abeid, Tavernier, Sammy.

4 Keepers?

I imagine at times it will be 442, at times 433, at times 451, at times 541, at times 4312, at times 4231 given the flexibility of the players at our disposal.

I'm not sure I'd agree with the assessment that new players have settled in quickly. They have settled in to a level that makes them better players than most, but I don't think any of them have peaked yet, and one player having a bad game is often covered by a team mate having a good game. Cabaye has been hot and cold all season. Santon hasn't really established himself. Marveaux hasn't had much to show for himself. Ba and Cisse have been fantastic, but I reckon both are still improving, particularly with their all round game. Also you may as well consider Ben Arfa who is only just showing his best. So we have six players who are only going to improve next year.

Pilko is Peter Crouch Wullie is Jermaine Jenas. Lots of hype but doesn't actually do much.

JH is Steven Taylor, come through as a teenage prospect to becoming a seasoned pro.

Don't also forget that £7m is what we would receive, the cost for the buyer is close to £20m according to club sources.

Should probably be considered vindicated for choosing us over Liverpool.

I'm starting to compare our trio up top to Owen, Viduka, Martins during the Keegan days, only each player is much better than what we had. So for Owen, Viduka, Martins, see Cisse, Ba, Ben Arfa respectively.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17579377 Pardew - Ben Arfa is like Messi

Beautiful player. To sign fo a club in January, go away to the ACoN, then come back and hit 7 goals over the rest of the season is incredible and he has another 7 games left.

Enrique in goal for Liverpool at SJP, not shit, but glorious.

Life ban from SJP for him and all his family please.

Well it says at the bottom that other people write it.

Eight points Eight Points at Jose (or 11 or 5) Davide Santon/Ryan Taylor/James Perch whenever Jose Enrique touches the ball. Demba Ba/Papiss Cisse songs when Carroll gets it. Boo Suarez and Dalglish.

Similar to any piece on the BBC Sport website, a journalist will phone Lawrenson or Shearer or Hansen or whoever (eg David Coulthard in F1) lead the conversation, ask loads of questions, and then write up their own version.

I really think we would have got a centre back in January but the one we wanted wouldn't or couldn't sign for us then so our bid for Mariappa was a half arsed effort for a 4th choice defender. If so, two likely candidates: Douglas - wanted to stay in Holland until he is allowed to play for their national team. Mbiwa - release clause has a time window restriction.

Really hope he pulls through.

To be fair to Lawro his weekly predictions are actually ghost written by Chris Bevan who has put a very similar focus on an interview with Alan Shearer for Sunday's game.

I agree with others in that the last thing we want to talk about is selling, but tbh the quality of his goals so far and his phenomenal assists ratio just radiates class and end product of the highest order. Whether he can rein in his tendency to hold onto the ball too long sometimes is the only question mark. If he gets any sort of consistency over the next season there is going to be bids landing from all over the place because this type of talent is in limited supply. What we've got going for us though is that we've built up a nice French contingent here and the players seem to be very happy unlike Msr. Sessegnon I don't think players are in a hurry to leave whether it's Ba, Tiote or down the line Ben Arfa. Just keep the Frenchmen, of North African bloodlines away from him Regarded as the best player (in terms of pure talent) of his generation, which included the likes of Nasri & Benzema, but has been flawed & fragile genius on & off the pitch. Whereas Benzema in particular, who had his early off-the-field problems too, matured. Ben Arfa has built-up a lengthy rap-sheet, and has been slow to mature. The rap-sheet of petulance that plagued him in France, even before making the switch to OM, attracted too many notable doubters. Speaks volumes that somebody like Wenger who once targetted him and has worked before with prospects deemed to have lost their way (after previously impressing on the French Yth Stage) avoided him. It's highly probable that the bigger clubs (who are well aware of his natural talent) have been waiting years for him to finally mature. I have no doubt that in the wake of the injury he's had plenty of time to reflect on what has been a wasted career so far. The circumstances were unfortunate, but he's had the opportunity to assess & re-evaluate. A reformed & focused Ben Arfa, both as a person & player, is what the really big-spenders have been waiting for IMHO. You are the memorable Souness-hater The Shaman!