Cronky

Guardiola's next move will be difficult, because at 40, where do you go when you've already created probably the best team the game has ever seen. Taking over an established team, or building a new one, will both present motivational challenges. I daresay he's right to take a year off. He may well decide that he doesn't want to face the strain of top-level club management any more, and go for something completely different.

Alves speaks with wisdom about Bale IMO. And the same principle would apply to our Shane. There are very good opportunities to attack with skill and pace from full back.

I seem to remember a thread a while back about which of our current players was the most likely future manager. Smith featured a lot in people's speculation. The club is being run on business-like lines. Smith wouldn't be offered a post out of sentiment. They'd have to feel he had something to offer.

is the most likely name I've heard mention. Could it just be speculation, based on a clause in his contract should Villa be relegated, and the fact we've been linked before? I'd like us to go for someone better.

Being a heavily subsidised club, Chelsea can take the financial risk of not qualifying for the CL for one season. I think they'll make winning the CL a priority - the opportunity to do that might not come round so often. It might not be in any way official at the club, but if you were a player with the chance of appearing in the CL final, you might be wary of sailing into any dodgy challenges during the next few games. That can make a difference.

What has been earnt? Man U should be allowed to dominate ad infinitum because they have dominated in the past, and therefore built up more money than anyone else? They earn more money because their past success have given them more fans, more prestige, allowed them to construct some of the best facilities in the world, and given them a position of power and influence over all aspects of the game. It is a self-perpetuating cycle of dominance. The massive financial upheaval is an attempt to upset the position of such entities. There is no right way, there are only means and ends. At the end of things, we have still achieved our position by using our predatory financial position to remove the best assets from other clubs. We've played our part now and in the past. From my view, either input false equivalency measures (such as those in the American sports) or deal with the consequences of free spending. I don't particularly care where it has come from, frankly. Just last season, OM purchased two forwards for upwards of 30 million euro, why can I complain if someone comes in with even more money. Man U are hampered by being heavily in debt to financial institutions, and having to pay for their owner's purchase of the club. The Fergie factor has been keeping them up there challenging for the title. I don't think their squad is nearly as good as Man City's or Chelsea's, and not much better than Spurs or Arsenal, on paper at least.

I think I can deal with missing out on the CL should Chelsea win it. What I'll struggle with is other fans and media pundits being pleased about it and gloating, even though some might feign sympathy. I'm not trying to be holier than thou about this. When Everton finished 4th a few years ago, I was quite jealous and would have been quite happy to see them miss out when Liverpool won the CL. Likewise when Spurs missed out on the last day of the season a while back when half their team developed the runs. Schadenfreude, they call it.

Man City winning the Premiership, Chelsea winning the Champions League, us finishing 4th but having to settle for the Europa League. Ugh. I won't know whether to laugh or cry.

Is this the Gabby Logan who refers to the Barclays Premier League, the Britannia Stadium, and whose company interviews managers with a bank of advertising logos behind their back? She's a professional within a world where the commercial exploitation of football within the media is routine. Getting on her high horse over this particular issue is rank hypocrisy.

My old man's favourite ever player. Listen to your old man. Denis was a real handful. And with a mean streak. For some reason, his reputation doesn't seem to have endured in the same way as other players from the sixties.

Shouldn't you have asked that first?

I go back a bit - Shilton Thuram Hendry Adams Briegel Gazza Keane Zidane Best Law Shearer

It seems like such a strange comment to make, like, to any player, never mind a one who is well known for staying fit throughout his career. I think it's a reference to the fact that some of the CDs who you'd expect to be competing for that place have had their season affected by injury - eg Vidic, Agger, Vermaelen. The latter has also had to fill in at full back, but for my money he's now the best all round central defender in the Premiership - strong in both attack and defence. Colo deserves great credit, considering the start he had in English football. He's now really established himself, and I don't mind admitting he's made far more progress than I thought he would. But to dispute whether he's one of the top two in the league isn't exactly controversial. As a player with very clear strengths and weaknesses, he does divide opinion. His national manager doesn't seem too keen, and it didn't look like there were many top clubs keen to take him off our hands when his contract situation was uncertain.

He reminds me a bit of that other smoothie George Graham - a real pragmatist who was focused on winning first, and the pretty stuff second. Pardew has established a solid base of sound defending, team discipline and stopping the opposition, and from that point it looks like we can now start to play a bit. Like GG, his conservatism can be frustrating, but overall results have proven him right. And you feel the best is yet to come.

I'd say Pardew's role has been crucial. However exasperating it was for us to see a talented player being held back, it was the tough love that the player needed. Instead of an individual who only played when he had the ball, we've now got a real team player who concentrates all the time and really hurts the opposition when opportunity arises.

I guess there's no such thing as an undefendable goal, but I can't see that their defenders did much wrong for all three. With the first, the full back was in the right position, but Ben Arfa produced a sudden burst into space that couldn't have been read from his body language. The cross was absolute precision. The second was an accurate, brilliantly weighted pass into an area that the defenders couldn't have anticipated. Cisse read it that bit earlier. Again, you couldn't say the defenders were out of position. The third went in because Cabaye produced an accurate, first-time shot from a situation where most players would have simply lacked the technique or imagination to even try. They could have been goals against any defence. Pulis is talking crap.

confident for next week and think if we need something from goodison we can get it......it's the other two i'm not so confident about. The way I see it, winning at Wigan and Everton will be key. Wigan will have to attack us, and I think their defence will then be vulnerable. Everton's season is over. So we can do that, and it's then a matter of nicking a point against Chelsea or Man City. As I said, pitch that against the task that would then face the others - Chelsea getting 12 points and Spurs getting 10 - and it should be enough.

I don't think this team has peaked by any means. Players like Ben Arfa, Cabaye and Santon are improving as individuals with each game, and the team as a whole are getting used to one another and the new system. Add into the mix there are some weak areas in the team which shouldn't be too difficult to strengthen. So yes, we'll be operating under more pressure next season, but we should also have a better side.

Two wins and a draw from the last four will give us 69 points. On current form, we could certainly manage that. Spurs would have to get 3 wins and a draw, and Chelsea would have to win all 4, to match that. Looking good.

I think that's the first time in the Premiership this season that I've felt we've really outclassed the opposition. The players seem to believe in the system, and Ben Arfa and Cabaye look better with every game. The great thing is that the team is still improving and there's clear scope for further improvement through strengthening our weaker positions in the summer. Typically small-minded response from Pulis I thought. His team were a poor second.

Sounds like a rather daft attempt to get us to pay a fee now, rather than wait for a tribunal.

Mertesacker is a bit dodgy and Djourou is s***. Perhaps shifting Vermaelen to left back? Mertesacker is an international defender of many years for a reason he will come good, Djourou is not s*** imo atleast for a 4th choice defender i cant think of that many better 4th choice defenders and Verm is s*** at LB imo Never once been impressed with him in that position. To me they should buy some Sagna back up, a proper LB, Cesc replacement( that might be Wilshere tho), Podolski and perhaps a DM. Despite his size, he is weak and slow. He's an acceptable Premiership defender but he will never be great. Arsenal have a good defensive midfielder in Song. The problem is the super aggressive attacking style they play. Watch the DMs at other clubs. They sit back, block the opposition, and spread the ball. Song is often in and around the penalty box making runs and attempting dangerous passes that can easily be intercepted. Even Vermaelen pushes forward a crazy amount when they have the ball. I don't understand why they chose to leave themselves so exposed. Now and then, they get punished for it, as against Wigan on Monday. Wenger obviously believes that it's the right approach, and he's not exactly done badly with it. It's a matter of accepting the overall package. To work, it needs the players to be 100% committed and confident, because it's a knife-edge game and unless they're prepared to play on that edge then it can fall apart. He also needs top quality players, and that's become more difficult since Chelsea and Man City started their spending sprees. Wenger must be banking on Financial Fair Play to be effective to give him a better shot at the title.

Difficult to predict this one. Despite Barca's quality, any old long ball from Chelsea has them in trouble.

The reality is there should only be three candidates and one winner. Credit where it's due with Moyes though. Considering all of Everton's problems and their limited resources, he's done a brilliant job. And consistently.

Didn't have a long career at the very top, so something of a forgotten man. But before he developed injury problems, he was outstanding. Actually not the most difficult choice for me. He should have featured in the goals category as well. I can remember him scoring with a shot from about 35 yards, right over by the left touchline, into the opposite top corner of the goal. And no fluke.