Theregulars

Such a pleasing half.

Details are irrelevant at this stage, Stuart.

I may concede that there is an element of mirth.

However, there is no hint of mirth in the impending downfall of Colin Rance's dignity.

In unison the onlookers chant. "GP! GP!" They cry hysterically; a blank canvas awaiting the delicate touch of the artist's brush.

Your pints are on me, TaylorJ.

 

I'm going to PM everyone in the list tonight and make sure the Sunday is okay.

 

Watch us not change the Stoke date, now.

Have you got me on that? Only added today, I'll definitely be up.

As far as I'm concerned we won 3-0 on aggregate. Fuck that lot, cancerous polip on the anus of football.

They've been bought, man.

If you really want to play Shola, do it; Cisse is better rested than played on the wing. Just hoy fucking Obertan in there, he's not going to start on Sunday and he's been useful in Europe.

How has Shola Ameobi hoodwinked a succession of managers into thinking he can play football at any decent level?

What's Tiote's injury?

Cisse on the wing man....

YES! Mega. Your implied admission that you have the turning speed and flexibility of a Cold War era Soviet tank fills me anticipatory joy. I'm going to score and then pat your belly. The Brentford Bouncer vs the Philadelphia Phlier; roll up, roll up.

Also, I'm staying with James Godden so I'll force him to play, he's more at your level

Haha! During?

I've slimmed down Rancey, I'm a gymbot now. Ask Neesy, he drooled last time he saw me. All you will see is a ginger blur, a bulge of the net and broken dreams.

I am definitely up for the Stoke game, so can pop along and skin Colin Rance a few more times.

It's actually saddening that the referee has totally screwed us out of a good, solid win.

Available

coloccini's in I reckon.

The man was a first-rate moron who was dropped in way, way out of his depth. The ire should be directed primarily at those who hired him, and then at him for confirming what a bad hire it was. Cretinous oaf.

Yes x 100000000

I think the Mackems will get sucked into it and go down with QPR and Southampton.

As I pointed out in the match thread, never a penalty. The pictures vindicate me.

He didn't have Jonas protecting him which he'd had all season before that.

Aye Lovenkrands played left wing...

I'm not a football manager, and having watched 10 minutes of the second half, my thoughts were: bring no somebody with pace, scare them shitless so they don't keep a high line and thereby don't allow them automatic pressure against us. By just bringing on more defensive midfielders, we sit deeper and deeper and deeper, but the token nod to a need to attack is Shola, who just isn't suitable for that situation. If you see them suddenly have three up front, drop in a secnod defensive midfielder to help out at the back by all means, but ensure that the team is still able to exert enough offensive force and craft to keep the other side guessing. All he did was see their good start to the second half (for 5 minutes or so, arguably out of his control, at best) and react by making substitutions which entrenched us in a defensive position and mindset. That was the perfect time for Obertan in my opinion; have someone who, when it goes forward, scares their children at the back nito realising that they don't have licence to camp in our half. Same with Reading, we haven't scored, it's 1-0, 20 minutes to go, better shut it down. But the foundation of our lead, being the ball-keeping ability of Marveaux and Cabaye, are suddenly gone, depriving us of the reason for our impetus and thus handing them the game on a platter.

Those are just two examples, there are countless others this year of his tactical naivety. I'm not saying sack him, but I am saying there are clearly times he has been bailed out by having really good players. However, there are also clearly times when he has us playing good football. The furstration is his inability to see what is in front of him, learn from what it is that makes us play well and poorly, and then build the team around the playing well element. It's obstinance, stupidity or just plain ineptitude, none of which are good.

Says he feels like he now has a good enough team to go and attack Chelsea, whereas at other times this year he's felt there's been a lack of fire power to set out to attack. We'll see how he goes about it, he's got history with eking out a win to build momentum. See Norwich last year.

 

Indeed, like the wins we eked out over Norwich and QPR this year that sent us on big runs.

 

I meant as in he seems to like grinding out a result after a hard run and then releases the shackles a bit. I don't think it's how he should go about stuff but that seems to be his usual style in these circumstances.

As did I; he ground out a result in both those games, and then we lost another load more each time round.

Wow, things are harsh in here. The first half felt like we'd revolutionised football, we were that dominant - Sissoko was marvellous and his pass to Cisse was beautiful. It was probably the best we'd played all season because we looked comfortable on the ball, had movement etc.

 

Villa came out possessed in the second half and I don't really think that was our fault. They made things go at 100mph and that was tough for the new lads. If Villa play like that every week they can still escape from this, they were very threatening. We rode our luck on many occasions though but our defending was resolute and we somehow saw it out (with about 10 years shaved off my life!!!). Both halves were positive in different ways. However, Pardew's subs still baffle me and I honestly don't want to see Jonas in our shirt again - he was disgraceful once again. Also thought Debuchy was poor, as well as Mike Dean.

 

Things look better for us

Pipe down, you sensible trollope.

What an absolute bell-end this bloke is.

Me, Stu or the manager?