Keefaz

Basically, I think this is all bollocks and I think Parker will prove all his doubters wrong. IMO, if Emre had played against Arsenal, we would've lost.

You're very simplistic, but ok, you think Parker has good enough passing ability to be a holding midfielder and some others don't. Eh? I've provided a recent example of Parker speading the play quickly and accurately in a more direct fashion that I've ever seen from Nicky Butt. FWIW, I don't want Parker to play the holding midfield role, and I don't think he's as suited to it as Butt, but I disagree that his passing is substandard.

I don't understand this spreading the play argument people are using against Parker. It's bullshit. When he came on against Celta Vigo he sprayed a first-time 50 yard ball out to the right wing for Nobby to run onto that Butt would never hit in a month of Sundays.

I remember he did the same in an England match--can't remember which one it was now. He came on on about 75 mins--maybe later--and really gave the team a jolt. Did he win a pen? Maybe someone can remind me. But he's definitely got something we need: the balls and ability to run at defenders at a pace they don't like one bit. turkey, rooney's debut? That's the one. We don't actually need him to score--which is asking a bit much from him--simply bursting into the box, commiting defenders and collecting fouls would help us out. If he can stay fit.

I remember he did the same in an England match--can't remember which one it was now. He came on on about 75 mins--maybe later--and really gave the team a jolt. Did he win a pen? Maybe someone can remind me. But he's definitely got something we need: the balls and ability to run at defenders at a pace they don't like one bit.

Presumably went to some kind of hairdressers. Well duh I just didnt think people with hair like that could get it straightened like that! Try Googling 'straightening Afro hair'. It not uncommon, really. You big racist.

Lots of people rate him, it's just that most think he's never going to play many games.

Brilliant touch?

To a degree, I concur. However, Parker's scored two goals so far in the league from midfield which is two more than Emre, plus that crucial goal against Watford in the League Cup. I think he is becoming a box-to-box midfielder, and if that's to the detriment of Emre's game, then I say drop Emre.

Presumably went to some kind of hairdressers.

That's because Emre's poor games are when he's stuck in the middle with Parker. Or, alternatively, almost every match except today against poor opposition. What if it was just a one-off? Even Lee Bowyer had the odd decent match.

Funny how Emre's had dozens of poor games, yet people are calling for Parker to be dropped.

Good time for injuries now we've got a bit of a break. Let the young-uns have a crack over in Germany and rest up the senior members.

Firstly, I haven't seen the match, but isn't it more a case that Pompey were just shit and nothing to do with Parker going off?

Apart from run?

Well you're true in some respects... only i remember the only other game he played out wide® for us, which turned out to be the game that he got injured, and he put in a couple of sublime crosses that day aswell, very early in the game. He got injured but he was appalling in that game! It's the quickest ive ever thought "oops, we mayve made a mistake here" I have to agree here. I also thought, 'Oh, oh. This doesn't look good'.

All pretty poor, tbh. Distin's proably the best there, but he wasn't all that for us. Always liked Bernard but it appears he's shit nowadays. Hughes, Dabizas, Barton are three of my favourite Toon defenders even though they were never up to much.

not biased at all Bilic, Suker and Stimac were very good IMO, and Asanovic did quite well at Derby. Of course you can;'t expect positive things being said about Croats coming from a Serb...... Even Biscan wasn't that terrible. He's right about Maric, though.

Ljungberg, the bald freak, should've scored.

Bollocks. He's class. Has excellent control, fantastic technique. Just because he's a simple player (similar to Alonso) doesn't mean he's 'average'. He does what he's supposed to do extremely well when in fact, he could actually do a lot more (like he showed when he was with Athletic Madrid and Rangers) but doesn't need to. We would be lucky to have him in our team and dictating the game. I rate him, but he'd be Luque mkII for us.

So, that's the O'Neill effect.

Matches looked proper boring today.

He's a total prick. Sometimes I have this great dream where Bellamy and Diouf are strapped by their legs into chairs facing one another. Diouf punches Bellamy, Bellamy responds in kind, Diouf hits him back and that goes on until I wake up and have my cornflakes.

Good point.