James

MOTM is between Butt and Barton, but I think I'll plump for Barton as he passed the ball around better. Would do a list of player ratings, but they all scored 7 for me, so not much point.

Both teams were worth a draw. A few positives here and there eg clean sheet, unbeaten in five, midfielders won the battle, Martins looking more and more confident, and no individuals to criticise.

We'll have the wind in our faces 2nd half, and the sun will be less in our faces this half. We've been overhitting the ball this half, I think the headwind is the best of the two to have providing we don't knacker ourselves. Game could go either way.

Is it windy in Spain?

That'll explain Geremi's 'cross' then. Yep that pretty much summed up our wind problems.

Like I said, it's a very strong cross/tailwind

We are over hitting our passes due to a very strong tail wind. Bring on the second half.

Sorry Dave, I've got Obsessive Cunt Disorder. We've been unbeaten since we've been going from left to right, and I don't want that to get messed up

Where is it being mentioned? Oh just the usual spurs and Newcastle are interested in every player on the planet websites. The Mirror was the original source iirc.

Yes, we can still catch them mathematically if I remain optimistic to the point of insanity.

True, but then again we've only lost once at Fratton Park in Premiership history. Not to mention that we've only played them something like four times at Fratton Park in Premiership history.

Scores aren't going very well with our attempt to catch Spurs and Villa.

He's not a team player. He's always running down blind alleys and giving the ball away in the process. Dyer was better at what N'Zogbia thinks he's best at. Funny, because they way I see it he has been putting in our most dangerous crosses this season, and that was playing as a left back. Also, in the first half of the season he was one of the very few players capable of scoring or creating a goal even though he was out of position. He takes chances, hence he may lose the ball more often than some of our more mediocre players who don't and he isn´t as consistent yet as you would want, but I thought we had said goodbye to percentage football and welcomed a more attacking, flair style of play? It's funny how a few good results without him in the team and a few articles about doubts over his future seem to have affected how he is perceived as a footballer. For me, he is still one of the first names on the teamsheet. He is still young and learning and more importantly, he is a confidence player, so he should perhaps most of our bunch of players profit from Keegan's approach. At left back, he got tonnes of space provided for him by Milner to do his attacking work, but was a complete liability defensively. So tell me, which of our other non-left-back-attacking-midfielders would have done a much better job out of position? Hypothetically, would you say no to C. Ronaldo because he would constitute a liability if played in central defense? He's our best winger and arguably our best attacking midfielder at this point in time. To not get the lad playing at his potential for us would be criminal. Any attacking midfielder with a left foot that is better than N'Zogbia, as offensively they'd be given just as much time and space on the ball as Zog got and use it even better, while defensively they'd be equally liable.

He's not a team player. He's always running down blind alleys and giving the ball away in the process. Dyer was better at what N'Zogbia thinks he's best at. Funny, because they way I see it he has been putting in our most dangerous crosses this season, and that was playing as a left back. Also, in the first half of the season he was one of the very few players capable of scoring or creating a goal even though he was out of position. He takes chances, hence he may lose the ball more often than some of our more mediocre players who don't and he isn´t as consistent yet as you would want, but I thought we had said goodbye to percentage football and welcomed a more attacking, flair style of play? It's funny how a few good results without him in the team and a few articles about doubts over his future seem to have affected how he is perceived as a footballer. For me, he is still one of the first names on the teamsheet. He is still young and learning and more importantly, he is a confidence player, so he should perhaps most of our bunch of players profit from Keegan's approach. At left back, he got tonnes of space provided for him by Milner to do his attacking work, but was a complete liability defensively.

Well lets hope Michael Owen knows his economics as well as Rocker and Dave. Assume that when he signed, we paid him the weekly wage that he was getting at Real Madrid: 150,000 Euros = £100,000. If he wanted parity now, he'd want £120,000. We should get him signed before he notices.

It has occurred to me that with the Pound/Euro exchange rates at an all time low, a few Premier League clubs who would previously find cheaper players abroad may find that option less viable. A player valued at 15m Euro's would have cost £10m this time last year. He'd now cost £12m. As such some clubs may find a domestic/Scottish player more attractive when comparing prices. Other clubs may have to compromise on the players they'd purchase. Furthermore, the real value of wages will go down as the comparative cost of living in the UK has gone up, and the comparative value of wages in the EU has gone up. This could have further effect on Premier League migration patterns. This could all potentially mean that a club's wealth could become a greater determinant of PL success next season. It also means that we should get Owen on a new contract soon, as the cost of a replacement could rocket. If financial trends continue, we need to get all of our best players on new long term contracts ASAP as the real value of their wages is likely to decrease, so they are likely to want much higher wages in the future. Of course, if any player takes financial advice now, they are likely to ask for either a pay rise, or a variable wage based on the economy. Hope everyone followed all that and are able to give sensible responses

One name being mentioned is Esteban Granero of Real Madrid, currently on loan at Getafe.

Alan Smith actually comes quite high in a statistical table: Fouls conceded: 1. Kevin Davies 86 2. John Carew 78 3. Alan Smith 76

Well if a respected, successful and experienced professional really thinks this (especially under the assumption that he is very aware about Ashley's plans for the club):

He's not a team player. He's always running down blind alleys and giving the ball away in the process. Dyer was better at what N'Zogbia thinks he's best at.

To be honest, I think a good 442 will trump our 433 as there are too many spaces in and around our midfield. I reckon that 442-451-433 could become the paper-scissors-stone of footballing formations. I think though today that with Portsmouth injuries, their midfield will be quite deep and compact and this won't expose the 433's frailties as such, rather it will be down to the tracking of Krancjar, and the midfield trio out battling their midfield.

We should bid £101m

Samir Nasri needs adding.

Those in bold are either better than Taylor, or will become better than Taylor within the next five years.

I think Taylor is the better of the two, but things could change if we improve our defensive unit (as a team, not just in defence), and Taylor doesn't stop having some of those moments of bad defending that he still produces.