Teasy

Yeah Chelsea really didn't deserve to go through, they just thought they could walz through without any effort.

That might boost their confidence for Saturday.

Should really be heading it low though and the keeper wouldn't have a chance.

Wow

Was that a mental dummy from William or did he just massively pussy out?

Norwich at home. Yeah couldn't be more important that game, if they don't win they're down IMO.

Should have won it..

Would this go to extra time if they equalise? EDIT: Never mind it would.

I certainly don't think we can come to the conclusion that Haidara's a better defender yet, but one terrible game doesn't mean much either way at this point. My own view on these two is that Haidara looks promising (does show some very good promise defensively) but is as yet still an unknown quantity overall. Santon on the other hand has played plenty and IMO he just isn't a good defender, he can still improve since he's only 22, but right now he's weak defensively.

You fill a hole artificially, nothing actually gets fixed you're just papering over cracks. You spend time training someone who will be off in several months guaranteed with no renumeration (yeah I know our training probably isn't worth the grass its done on). Oh and you're helping Man Utd which is obviously inherently a negative. If that gets you a massive boost up the table then it could be well worth it. But for a player who probably won't get into our starting 11 and might end up being good off the bench before he inevitably fucks off back to Man Utd?, don't want that at all personally. If anyone believes he's a great player and he'll change our side then that's another thing entirely, but I don't think anyone believes that.

On a permanent move or loan with a fee agreed to buy?, yeah, but not on a short term loan.

But we already have far better players than Obertan sitting on the bench that should have come on instead of him anyway, bringing in better bench warmers isn't going to fix Pardews head.

Don't think the side Man Utd had available to them against us was particularly great on or off paper and Zaha didn't get into the side. Now perhaps Moyes is a bit of a Pardew, but I don't know that for sure. Seems nobody else here does either. The positive views on Zaha seem to be "he was great in the Championship and plays for Man Utd so he's sure to be quality in the years to come". Well probably but if he isn't really good right now then I'm not interesting in bringing him in on a short term loan with no option to buy.

None of the players on Man Utds bench the other day would walk into our side like (or shouldn't anyway), including Zaha. Chelsea and Man City probably have a few.

Having Lukaku for a season would be benefiting from it, having Zaha for a season wouldn't. It's a matter of opinion, he was regarded as one of the most exciting young players around 6 months ago but his stock has obviously dropped now. Sturridge wasn't looking upto much when he went to Bolton, Andros Townsend's been all over the place and has only really started to look the part recently, even the likes of Wellbeck and Rose have done canny jobs for the mackems in the recent past. I'd rather not do it either but when you have an owner that spends fuck-all, beggars can't be choosers and we 100% need more depth and variety in the forward/wide positions. Well my view is that a loan that's guaranteed to be short term has to have very obvious benefits or its not worth doing. Bringing in a player who can't get a game for a side below us because he hasn't developed yet isn't worth doing IMO.

This. I hate it. I have lost faith in players giving a fuck and showing any loyalty so if a good one who would improve our squad becomes available on loan I would be more than happy to take them. They will fuck off as soon as someone bigger/offering more money comes along anyway so why not improve us in the short term? Would anyone have seriously turned their nose up at Lukaku on a season long loan? Teams like Man Utd and Chelsea are more than likely going to be ahead of us long term so why not take advantage of their greed? A lot of the time these players don't stay at their parent club anyway. I don't think loyalty is the issue, more like weighing up the negative aspects of a short term loan vs the positives in each case. Lukaku for instance is so good and would improve our first team to such a degree that he'd be worth taking even with no possibility of a permanent transfer. Zaha just isn't, not even close.

Having Lukaku for a season would be benefiting from it, having Zaha for a season wouldn't.

Agree with Mole ect, don't fancy loaning in squad fillers, we have better players than him on the bench who should already be getting far more pitch time than they are.

I thought I remembered her getting a pretty bad offside wrong that cost us a goal, but maybe I'm miss remembering? EDIT: Can't find it so might have imagined it, or maybe I was thinking about the 5-2 against Fulham a couple of years ago when they got a pen for a foul outside the area, with the ref speaking to Massey before deciding it was a pen. Still she seems pretty good at the moment

Bit low 7 quid like, £7 million would be just about acceptable. Think we'll want at least the £8.5m we paid though.

Its very unlikely, I'd be amazed if we did, but I suppose West Ham's owners are insane and Allardyce isn't exactly one to care about club funds so you never know. I mean £17m for Andy Carroll in the state him and Liverpool were is was quite incredible.

If we did lose then Sunderland also losing may soften the blow slightly, but only slightly. I definitely don't want anything but a win vs Palace no matter what it means for Sunderland. Anyway if they lose to Norwich they're relegated no matter what else happens.

Man City vs Barca Hope the Mancs go straight out

Norwich aren't a great side but they look more potent than the macums. I've seen them quoted at 3/1 which looks quite generous against a team with 9 points from 16 games and the leagues worst goal difference ?? The good thing for Norwich is that Hooper appears to have found shooting boots and that will keep their heads above water. Would be nice if they could beat Mackems next week but then the dilemma - happy to lose against Crystal Palace? What?

What special treatment does Ben Arfa get on here? People just want him involved more in the side because of his ability on the ball. Its the same way anyone is treated, we want players involved who contribute. Whether that contribution is to the teams general play, some individual magic or a bit of both. What people don't want is the likes of Obertan, who doesn't contribute in any way, coming on ahead of him.