The College Dropout

Lawro's funny. But I don't think it's intentional.. sometimes I wonder if he even likes footy.

looks good, seems he can pass a ball as well (well could against us for Swansea) so stumped as to why he wouldn't fit in to AVBs plans as mentioned. Cardiff as well, such a huge step down for him, unless he's got some welsh slapper up the duff I can't see the appeal of going there, surely bigger clubs would have been in for him had they heard about it. Proper stealth move by Cardiff, kudos to them. £9m init. Nobody's going to match that. I rate him highly and would have him here in the starting line-up but at 9m? Nah.

Tiote-Cabaye-Marv in a midfield 3 is the way forward. Got a bit of everything that.

Caulker is 21. So was Bramble at one point tbf. But if Dawson can turn into a handy CB, so can Caulker. I rate him, Caulker.

Nicky Butt and Scott Parker in a 4-4-2 was a recipe for disaster.

Can't agree with that if anything we have more pace than technique, the only real technical players who start week in week out when fit are Cabaye and Ben Arfa. In fact there's probably more technique in the back 4 than there is in the rest of the team combined What we lack to me is width, creativity and goalscoring threats.... the other thing would be a dominating presence in the back 4 but i think you can get around that. We don't lack aerial presence? Steven Taylor's the only player in our side I think's decent in the air. Small side we are.

Exactly this. On his day he's everything you want from a CB. He was a better player for us than Saylor has turned out to be. Bramble has never come close to the odd run of form Taylor has had for us. For all I'm not particularly keen on him, Taylor's had more than one lengthy spell of being just about imperious. Bramble had the tools but ultimately he was f***ing garbage for us and I celebrated his signing to Wigan like a goal. His sending off for the Mackems against us was glorious, too. Nah, not for me. Bramble played for a better team regularly, aye. But he was good enough to play regularly in a side that had a few decent cup runsn and league finishes.

Relegation candidates? I'd have him in our starting line-up.

Exactly this. On his day he's everything you want from a CB. He was a better player for us than Saylor has turned out to be.

Very good? For the Majority? Can't agree with that like. He had his days and occasionally he would put together a 2 or 3 game run where he didn't do something ridiculous, but even when he was solid in defence he was still smashing the ball 60 yards up the pitch and out of touch. You simply can't be a very good premier league defender without a brain. Titus Bramble was a good player. Relatively quick, strong, good in the air. Was capable of some magnificent performances. Always likely to drop a clanger though.

Wrong - its not Pardew's "hoof ball", just a balanced side that we don't have. Good and technical. Not a lot of pace. Small. Weak in the air. No width.

It didn't work all the time but you have to admire how he believed in young English/British talent.

We need some width and pace. and a bigger man as a real first team option. Gomis is the latter. I guess Remy is kinda the former. Would prefer an Ince type signing...

Would be nice, they don't seem to exist as much now, they all want to cut in. Valencia, Young, Bale can provide real width, Lennon, Walcott can provide real width

No it couldn't. Cisse needs to play upfront or not at all. His general game is pretty shit like.

I'd love a real wide player. One that doesn't mind staying wide to whip in a cross. Providing real width.

Bent and Gyan had a decent partnership. Gyan was good for everything except scoring (although his record there was decent), Bent's the other way around. Was a decent partnership. Realistically Villa may need to let him go on a free. If I was a newcomer to the division, i'd break the bank for Bent.

Second best manager in the league - at least. STILL the best coach in the league.

Haha agreed. He hasn't played enough nor is he mature enough to make that distinction. If he could make a Walcott like improvement in finishing he'd be a top, top player imo.

absolutely fantastic when at arsenal, moved up and didn't make it. be very intersting if he has any desire when,if he moves on. He's not a bottler like. I like the way he insists on taking the 5th penalty for Spain in shoot-outs.

Not true. They are all about Real Madrid but not necessarily the way the people at Real Madrid want. They cause a lot of unwanted damage to the club.

Passing and moving. Moving the ball quickly. So simple but it's what we need. Someone stamp that on Tiote's head, the one, two touch thing. Then pass and move on Jonas head.

Yeah seems the better option for us. As I said earlier not overly bothered by the fact he turned us down in January, the biggest question mark is what he has been accused of and will that come back to bite us on the ass? We need a genuine pacy option, and a bigger striker just as much. Very small team we have.

Would take Niang and one of the others, nee problem.

Was ondering why Rafa didn't strengthen their weak areas.