TRon

:frantic: :frantic:

Just wait till Jonas gets going on the other side

Our best chance is just to attack them like dogs. Too many new faces to be cautious with that line up.

Think we'll concede a goal or two with that line up.

Best with Carroll will be a disaster. WTF is Hughton thinking?

Sensible decision IMO. He's still in the team, so he won't be captain officially. Big deal.

vuckic started making his way towards the squad and has been injured since. In the couple of games he played our midfield got pretty much over run IIRC. Don't know if that was him or other younger midfielders like Guthrie and Lua Lua. Having a bunch of kids in defence probably didn't help either tbf. only started one first team game hasn't he.....posh in the league cup in a stiffs side. I think he started one and came on as a sub in another. My impression of him was that he looked great going forward, not so good tracking back. thats why he's not really a central midfielder. more of a play off a centre forward in the hole type. Well there's room for one of those in the team as well. Nolan's been impersonating that role and if his half-arsed efforts are worth a first team shirt why not Vukic?

vuckic started making his way towards the squad and has been injured since. In the couple of games he played our midfield got pretty much over run IIRC. Don't know if that was him or other younger midfielders like Guthrie and Lua Lua. Having a bunch of kids in defence probably didn't help either tbf. only started one first team game hasn't he.....posh in the league cup in a stiffs side. I think he started one and came on as a sub in another. My impression of him was that he looked great going forward, not so good tracking back.

Kadar hasn't let anyone down tbf, I'd be happy enough if he gets the nod, but you could understand if Hughton wanted to go with experience. Unless Hall is as diabolical as everyone seems to think here. Never seen much of him myself.

vuckic started making his way towards the squad and has been injured since. In the couple of games he played our midfield got pretty much over run IIRC. Don't know if that was him or other younger midfielders like Guthrie and Lua Lua. Having a bunch of kids in defence probably didn't help either tbf.

Hope Fitz Hall has a decent game, cause he's been slated ever since he's signed.

It's always good to sign new kids but it's a bit disappointing Hars Vukic didn't make more progrees this season - yes I know he was injured but in the games he played before that. Considering the state of the central midfield there was a first team shirt just waiting to be claimed.

I agree. While these signings aren't the best quality wise, they are mostly young-ish lads all looking to make their mark. It will bring some much needed hunger to the side, I don't know about anyone else but I've had my fill of jaded big "stars" picking up massive wages without producing results to match.

At least that means both Smith and Butt won't start. Shame one of them can't be injured for the away games as well.

To be fair to guthrie, while he's been a disappointment this season, he was still head and shoulders above Nolan against Leicester. At some point Hughton is going to have to make a decision whether it's justifialbe to carry a passenger for 90 mins in the hope that he will score a goal.

Another draw on the cards I reckon. They are the in form team, we are at home with expectations of a win so I can't really see either side winning it unless we get an early goal.

Nolan has been out of condition from the day he arrived here, whether he puts the effort in or not he's just too slow around the pitch. The same is true of Butt and Smith who are both players who's best days are behind them for one reason or another. Hughton is playing them because they are all disciplined and will defend resolutely even if they don't offer much offensively. Guthrie should have been the one to provide the drive but he hasn't held down a central position. He should have been given more opportunity to prove he can dominate the midfield battles, but when he has had the chance he hasn't given much indication that he's up to it.

Haven't we won 6 games on the road this season?

In quite a few games this season we've started out trying to knock the ball around, the game against Leicester was a prime example, but we always run out of gas and then get over run in midfield. I don't think that's down to tactics, it's just the central midfielders aren't physically capable of running for 90 minutes. there's also games were the opposite is true though, and we only start playing football for the last half hour, as if it was our plan b. i think we're hitting it long with too much regularity for it not to come from Hughton. i reckon he thinks hitting it up to carroll and watching nolan struggling to latch onto haphazard knock-downs is a sound tactic. If the players are doing it from their own initiative it shows that Hughton has no control over them or just hasn't bothered to develop any sort of game plan. either way it doesn't paint a good picture of his managerial capabilities. I didn't see these same players performing any differently under Shearer though so I suspect it's more to do with the personnel. It might be that Hughton himself prefers the long ball or it might be that these players aren't capable of running for 90 mins in which case there's no other way of playing. Until we get in a couple of midifelders or get Barton involved again I haven't really made my mind up yet.

In quite a few games this season we've started out trying to knock the ball around, the game against Leicester was a prime example, but we always run out of gas and then get over run in midfield. I don't think that's down to tactics, it's just the central midfielders aren't physically capable of running for 90 minutes.

That's got nowt to do with the weather mate.

That's just nonsense about Shola tbh. In fairness to him he's spent seasons out with injury/being fifth in the pecking order of strikers. He's always been a very good finisher of the ball, and it's no surprise having Shearer alongside him for the first five/six years of his career. Really, though? Like, seriously? He's struck a few decent shots in his time but he's never 'a very good finisher'. I'd say he's a decent finisher but he doesn't really hit that many decent strikes. So I don't agree with either of you

Despite the fact I rate Woodgate higher, I am still much happier to have the Argie here. He came with a reputation of being virtually unbreakable and so far he's lived up to it. I reckon he will be ok in the premier provided we can upgrade the midfield by then. Selling Woodgate for £13m was the best piece of business Fat Fred ever did.

Not sure how he'll handle the premier but for 900k what are we expecting? I see him as a decent foil for Coloccini who is by far the better defender on the deck, so Williamson's height should give us some aerial strength if nothing else.