OzzieMandias

classic That's one of my favourites. You gotta love both Shola and Sir Bobby for that one.

He might even have footballing reasons for his team selection.

Good call.

Here we go again.

By a small capacity sugar daddy?

Bowyer and Kevin Philips.

Shouldn't have sacked Bobby without a clear idea of who might replace him and how. That was the problem. No forward-thinking. We ended up with Souness because he was the only manager we could get.

Sir Les.

You're the one assuring people would be doing and saying this, that and the other. Well, that's not an argument, is it?

Not really an argument, even.

Depends on whether the performances had been the same Come on now. He'd be hailed as a tactical genius for getting results from such a poor set of players. Aye, if you dared criticise anything about the way it was going you'd be a "Shearer hater" and everyone would be pointing out the league position and asking "what more do you want?".

Imagine if Shearer had been managing us this season, and we were in the exact same position now, seven points clear at Christmas – people would be threatening to riot if there was talk of replacing him with Hughes after promotion.

Tell the Football League that. I'm sure they already know.

Tranmere Dave Challinor? he was a legend I remember those cup games, must have been 8/9 years ago? "A freak of nature," Sir Bobby called him. I also remember Challinor moving the position of each throw so he could take a run-up down the aisle, and thinking that this was, basically, cheating.

I don't think it is necessarily the case, though it's a likely outcome. If we get promoted and start badly, he might also be given time. And if we get promoted, we might also start well. We need to get away from the gloomy habit of treating every worst-case scenario as if it's a nailed-on certainty. Look at this season so far. Much better than most expected, no?

All this "all-time Premier League" stuff is bollocks. It's just a continuation of the old First Division. Football history didn't begin with the top clubs' greed for more cash.

It's not a disaster, but I feel more disappointed than usual.

Apparently is the other way around... Mancini is type of person who cannot be bullied. If that's your definition of someone used to working in a "continental" setup (ie under a DOF type character).

Robinho wants to know only if he's the star of the show. Look at the way he stormed down the tunnel at Tottenham. I read somewhere that a while back he asked for two days off, and Hughes said no, and Robinho told Hughes: "You should realise that I'm more important at this club than you are." I've no doubt that Mancini will have Robinho straight back in the side.

Maybe it's less of a moral problem and more of a losing-your-place-to-Robinho problem.

I'm more of a sofa sceptic, tbh.

I don't even own an armchair.

Bit of an "Oh No We Can't" Campaign, then.

Be nice to see him do something to justify his wage packet/transfer fee/loyalty bonus.