Tisd09

I would like to see Jose Mourinho but even if we did get him I think he would constantly be linked with 'bigger clubs'. Anytime Milan or Barca start to struggle he will be the 1st name linked. I really think he will be the next Barca manager, I don't think they will win the CL or La Liga this season so Rijkard will probably get the boot. I can see Van Gaal as our next manager. He is not at a big club and has done very well there. I would more than welcome Van Gaal. I think he could attract quality players and he would not be afraid to give untried youngsters a go. He should know the Dutch market very well and we could pick up a few good youngster, there is no doubt that the Dutch have excellent youth policy.

This is what I would be worried about if we did appoint Mourinho. Many fans would expect instant success. He is a top top manager and I hope he is our next manager but he too will need time. I think he will make better decisions than Big Sam and I think he will bring in some good players which should see and improvement in our form, but finishing anywhere in the top 8 this season would be an achievement at this stage.

SSN are changing their story after every add break. Do you think they actually realise that the texts and emails they are getting are not "club insiders"? But experienced manager encourages me more than British only manager! At least it widens the field. Is widens a word by the way?

The very minimum I would like to see from our new manager is to refuse to pick Smith anywhere other than Striker unless its an unavoidable crisis. I think everyone would be worried to be honest, not just Sams players. Someone like Enrique will probably be chuffed he probably doesn't understand how someone can pay 6 mill to bring a player to a foreign country only to be kept on the bench by a Left Winger!

Strachan - oh please no. Surely he is hated more than BSA! Next!!!

Maybe the fact that Jose is proven at the highest level would work against him, people would expect instant success and whilst I would expect some improvement from the players wegot but realistically the team is not good enough for a consistent top 6 finish, which is eventually the minimum I would expect us to aim for each season.

Thats the one difference Harry teams play good football and are effective but not sure thats enough to get me excited. Alot of people would be underwhelmed by Harry and would be quick to get on his back if things went wrong, then again I am sure Jose would take stick if we started shite and he doesn't exactly play the beautiful game either.

When they mentioned British I shat myself that it may be McClaren but then they mentioned going through "proper channels" which suggests that they are already employed. The way they mention British suggests possibly Hughes, which I wouldn't be too against but his brand of football is non excatly beautiful is it, also I don't think the fans would have much more patience with him that they have been with Big Sam. Then I seen Redknapp at 2/1 he gets his team playing to their max potential and plays nice stuff and dabbles well in the transfer market but would he suit a big club? On the SSN betting list only Mourinho (who I think we got no chance of) really excites me but APPARENTLY foreign has been ruled out!

I know what you mean about looking at rejects but our hands are tied pretty much at the moment. The other option is to look at smaller clubs and get their prized assets, however, I am sure there would be many that would criticise that policy as well. THe two players that we have been heavily linked to Brown and Diarra at least are good young players that the clubs that they play for don't really want to leave, its not as if either is on the transfer list. Defoe would be different he doesn't want to leave but again that could work in our favour, if the guy is pushed out he would be even more determined to prove Spurs wrong!! Well thats my positive spin on things anyway!!

Defoe for me. Not too sure about that Chimbonda, I suppose he is better than what we got but then again I like Beye. Who is keeping him out of the Spurs team?

He improves our 1st team no doubt and for tougher games away from home we could use him next to Butt or Geremi and still have more flair in the team than we do currently. He is a strong lad who can tackle but the kid knows how to pass the ball as well. As long as the fee isn't too high I don't see a down side to getting Diarra in, plus whilst Beye is away on Int Duty he would be cover for RB because I don't want to see Rozy playing there again he was hopeless v Stoke!

Would be happy with that, are they talking loan or transfer? Is a transfer allowed as he only signed for Arsenal in the summer?

I would take Nolan as a replacement for Barton, if Emre was to go I would like to see a similar type of player. For whatever reason Emre hasn't worked out here, IMO he is still a good player but due to injuries and managers lack of faith in him he has struggled.

I hope the Grosvenor is not fully booked!!!!

Someone mentioned Carr, theres your answer Sam!!!! Seriously though it is a blow for us because he is our best option there at the moment. That doesn't mean I am happy about it but whoelse can we pick there now that the Africans have pissed off. After seeing Rozy flop at right back I wouldn't want to risk him there. I suppose the best option at the moment would be a midfield 4 of RM- Milner CM- Zoggy CM- Emre LM- Duff, though I can see the defence in for a rough time with that midfield.

Chances are we are out! If not against Stoke probably against Arsenal, but stranger things have happened. Didn't we get a draw 1st year at the Emirates? Who says that we can't get a draw again and then bring them back home. Its the cup where fairytales to happen. Though admittedly rarely for us!!!

Whats the problem with the 4.5 year contract? Whats the alternative? 1.5 year contract he does reasonably well, and another club take him off us for a pittance.

SA has done things behind the scenes aswell. I agree just giving him time does not guarentee success but what do we gain at the moment by sacking him. Are there any candidates that scream out to us as ideal ones. We can dream all we like about Jose but there is next to no chance IMO of us getting his services. Chances are if Allardyce goes now Shearer will be the man to take over and do we want that risk right now? I have seen someone mentioned Venebles and someone else George Graham as SHORT term option would some people really rather see either of these two instead of Sam?? We are playing horrible football at the moment with piss poor results hopefully a couple of additions will see us into the top half of the table come the end of the season.

I think its worth the odd gamble from the lower leagues. As long as we are not spending a fortune I don't mind, there are good players that slip the net and when they are given the chance of better coaching and playing with better players they respond. Look at some of the reading players that Coppell has taken a risk on like Hunt, okay not really a risk at 100K but I would say his value is around 2-3 million now on the transfer market and he has been very useful for Reading. However, there have been many flops from the lower leagues, just ask Birmingham fans, that Campbell was a flop and I am sure though he was bought on the back of the performance v Sunderland, hardly a good indication really!

I was chuffed with that win. Yes we have seen far better performances but who fucking cares?? I don't care its 3 points that we didn't really deserved and I don't care that the last 2 wins have come from injury time set pieces. I'd rather that than play well and finish 2nd remember Blackburn and Liverpool from THAT season we finished 2nd. Probably deserved wins far more in those matches but fucked up last minute, those 2 points could have made the world of difference??? As the old cliche goes lets win 1st and look pretty 2nd!!!! Well done the lads for keep on going another 3 on Saturday please!!!!

I suppose the test now is pushing forward with this result. This performance was by far our best this season. Big Sam hasn't exactly filled me with confidence this season but what options do we have. Even if we did sack him what managers do you think we could get. Our best bet at the moment is to keep hold of Sam and get a bit of continuity. We all know we started with a shit team after the last 2 managers and Sam had his work cut out. There are going be more low points to come this season. At the start of the season I think we all realised that it was going to be a hard season, we made a decent start results-wise which raised expectations. Last night proved that we can get performances out of the players we have but there is no point doing well v Arsenal only to throw it away at Birmingham. I feel we achieve nothing by sacking Sam Allardyce now. If we did then we'd have to start all over again in January. A new manager wanting to bring in his "own" players who will have to settle in again. Hopefully for the next few games we will have consistency of performance and of playing personnel. I think this line-up deserves another chance possibly though with Enrique coming in at LB and Zoggy moving to LW with Milner going RW.

Don't get me wrong I think the experience helps no doubt, but if being succesful in the lower leagues were a barometer for success then there would be far more appointments made from the lower leagues. At the moment there is equal chance of Shearer doing well or falling flat on his face.. Anyway I hope this talk is irrelevant as I think Big Sam should be given time. We were shite before his appointment, he has had a load of work to do, not something we can wave a magic wand at. Obviously if this losing streak continues for much longer then we must rethink, but at the moment as long as he has the support of the players I am happy with him staying on.

I am not sure how Shearer would turn out in management - is anyone? But all this stuff about cutting his teeth at a lower level will prove nothing. If being successful with lower league clubs is what it take s to become a successful Premiership manager then why are so many clubs who have changed managers recently in the Premiership not gone looking at successful lower league managers. Look at Roberto Martinez of Swansea, he has been in his job for about a year or so and has done really well, brought Swansea to brink of playoffs last season and top of league 1 this season would anyone seriously consider him to be next Newcastle manager?? His name was mentined for the Wigan job but he was never a serious contender for that position. If Shearer did well at say Hartlepool it would still be as much of a gamble as taking him on as manager now.

1. A Premier League Match 2. A Championship Match 3. A League One Match 4. A League Two Match 5. A Conference Match 6. A FA Cup Match 7. A FA Cup Semi-Final 8. A FA Cup Final 9. A League Cup Match 10. A League Cup Final 11. A Scottish League Match 12. A League Match in another country. 13. Old Firm Derby 14. Milan Derby 15. A Derby involving Real Madrid 16. Istanbul Derby 17. An English Derby. 18. An International 19. A World Cup Match 20. A World Cup Final 21. A European Championship Match 22. A European Championship Final 23. A Copa America Match 24. An African Nations Match 24. An Asian Cup Match 25. A Champions League Match 26. A Champions League Final 27. A UEFA Cup Match 28. A UEFA Cup Final 29. A Cup Winners Cup Match 30. A Friendly 31. A team win the league 32. A team get promoted 33. A team get relegated 34. A team get relegated from the Football League 35. A Penalty Shootout 36. A saved penalty 37. Been a ball boy 38. Been a mascot. 39. Participated in a pitch invasion 40. Seen a playoff final 41. Watched a game at Old Wembley 42. Watched a game at New Wembley 43. Watched a game at the Millenium Stadium 44. Watched a game at the Nou Camp 45. Watched a game at the Bernebeu 46. Watched a game at the San Siro 47. Watched a game at the Maracana 48. Watched a game at the Stade Velodrome 49. Seen a top flight team beaten by a team at least two divisions below. 50. Travelled more than 400 miles specifically to watch a game.

Nobby - Brought a bit of class to the team Martins - A raw talent if he develops as we hope he will be awesome. I am struggling now, I am reluctant to include Big Sam's signings as they haven't had enough time as of yet.