Cronky

The ref has allowed their defenders to go through the back of Carroll far too much.

We're keeping the ball on the deck and it's looking a lot better.

Harewood doesn't look up for it, physically or mentally. I'd take him off, put Jonas on and move Lovenkrands further forward.

The odds are about the same as Peter Beardsley winning Miss World.

Really? You don't think it would be nice to have an owner who'll hire a manager for the long term, who won't sell our best youngsters and will actually put some effort into the running the club? With Ashley is charge everything is going to be centered around clawing his money back, give me Barry Moat over Ashley any day of the week. The only things we know about Moat's interest is that he's struggled to get the money together, and he's reliant on outside funding. We should also consider that his backers may well be expecting to get a return on their investment. I can't see any reason to see Barry Moat as a golden opportunity. The days of successful big clubs being in the hands of enthusiastic local businessmen are gone. I just feel that a lot of this anti-Ashley stuff is fuelled by anger rather than common sense. It's like people want to punish him.

He's a nutter.

The question I'd be asking any potential owner is - once you've got the club, what are you going to do with it? Moat seems to have enthusiasm, but not much else. Protests, almost by their very nature, are about negative feelings about the status quo. Getting rid of something solves nothing in itself. It's what gets put in its place that counts.

A big problem is that getting rid of Ashley has become an end in itself to some people. If a new owner can't afford to invest any more than Ashley, it doesn't seem worth it to me.

Until someone says - ' I bid £100 million, and still got turned down' - I'm keeping an open mind.

Oh dear, Stephane. Never complain, never explain.

I remember Belanov's goal from that game. Such a stunner! Also, regarding the game on itself... memory is very fuzzy but I remember it being a pretty exhilarating game on both sides, not only the USSR. How has Belgium become so crap in a few generations... I've just watched the goals again. The Soviets were only 1-0 up at half-time - the vagaries of memory. Their defending for all four goals was terrible. As with the Danes, this was their Achilles heel. To tell the truth, I don't remember much apart from that first half. The Soviets absolutely tore into the Belgians and you thought, if they can keep this up, they'll win the tournament. They couldn't.

That article brought back a few memories. It's interesting that the Soviet Union team of that era got a mention. In the 1986 World Cup knock-out stage, the Soviets had a game against Belgium, and in the first half they gave just about the most exhilarating display of high-tempo football that I've seen. They went in 2-0 up, but eventually lost 4-3. Perhaps their particular brand of attacking play wasn't sustainable in the Mexico heat over 90 minutes, but it was fantastic while it lasted. Does anyone else remember that game?

1 loss in our entire campaign, and you want to mix-it-up? drop Lampard? rly? Like I said, I'd give it a go, see if we can improve. Why not? We're good, but we're not the world's best at the moment. I felt that Lampard was dropping back too much, picking the ball up from the defence, so he was often alongside Barry rather than in front of him, where you'd like him to be. Gerrard's that bit more athletic and better at linking the midfield with the attack. Plus Joe Cole's a very good player, and we should try to find a place for him.

If and when Joe Cole comes back, I'd like to see Lampard dropped and Gerrard pushed back into that position, to see how that works.

I thought Barry was MOM. At last we've got an anchor man that can pass the ball. Beckham plays with a lot more intelligence than he used to, but I'd agree he should be no more than a sub.

There's the classic Tardelli celebration in the World Cup Final of 1982. He was absolutely out of his tree. I'd give an honourable mention to Klinsmann, after his first goal for Spurs. He dived along the pitch, taking the piss out of his own reputation, and since then he's had so many imitators. Not many can claim to have invented a celebration. I hate seeing players jump up on each other's backs. It's an injury waiting to happen.

That was me.

Nobody. (Serious guess)

Not over the short distances. It is ridiculous for a man of that height to be able to accelerate in the way that he does, freak of nature/science that he is. Or (cough) applied science, do you not think?

Actions speak louder than words.

Speaking as an old git, I'd say how great it feels that we've qualified with two games still to go. I can't remember that happening before. I wouldn't worry too much about the game tonight. This is the best England side for a long, long time, with a genuine chance of winning the World Cup.

he's got a point about alonso too, great player but does go down easy even if his tackle was stupid I think what he means is Shearer got personal. Shearer was furious with him (understandably) and called it a 'coward's tackle', and looking at that account, 'coward' is the worst thing that you can call Joey Barton. Barton is right in a sense - it was stupid and irresponsible, rather than cowardly. But if you behave like that and let everyone down, you've got to take the stick on the chin.

Sod it, I've got a soft spot for our Joey. I rate him as a player, and I still hope that, somehow, he can develop that bit more self-control. Thinking different and doing different aren't the same things though. Does he have a problem with those not from these shores, by birth or ancestry? Dabo, Alonso, the Mackem whose name I can't remember. It's something he might have to look at.

Both predictable and unconvincing. That deadly combination.

think of what they could buy with their support and premier league TV money. aye, s*** the same as us, as clubs they would be a similar size / finances as us. i personally think if they came into the prem they'd have a financial pull bettered only by man utd.(generated income that is) I agree. They might struggle at first, but they both have huge fanbases which would probably only increase if they were in the Premiership. Long-term, they'd be very competitive. I still can't see it happening, because there are vested interests on both sides of the border who would have too much to lose. The Scottish League would lose some status, and they're a threat to the smaller Premiership clubs.