TRon

It's getting to the point of no return for a few of Keegan's regulars IMO. We can take getting tanked by Liverpool and Man U, but in the next couple of games, Smith, Butt, Barton, Owen and Duff will need to show that Keegan has been right in relying on the 100%'ers. So far they've been 100% shite but all will be forgiven if they step up tonight and next week.

Add Forsell to that list of potential match-winners for Brum. He's the one I'm worried about. Let's hope we can give them something to worry about as well.

It's a good article, I agree with a lot of it, but I can't be arsed with negative vibes about Owen today. He's going to start tonight, I hope he scores.

I think we'll find out tonight about a lot of our team, whoever is picked. We have a team full of internationals, but my biggest worry is whether they will be able to perform for 90 mins. One good half just isn't going to be enough, I hope they realise that. I think we'll find out more about Keegan tonight, than what we will about the team. He has some huge decisions to make tonight, let's hope he gets through. Will be interesting to see if Keegan makes the right changes during the game as well as the starting line up.

Well they are up against equally talentless players, maybe they'll look better as a result. If they don't they want fucking shooting.

I thinkj Butt will play, can't see him in that line up.

I think we'll find out tonight about a lot of our team, whoever is picked. We have a team full of internationals, but my biggest worry is whether they will be able to perform for 90 mins. One good half just isn't going to be enough, I hope they realise that.

I think tonight's game is massive. It's the first head to head against another relegation team, we can't contemplate losing.

To be fair, Keegan has always insisted we need 40 pts to stay up. Obviously we don't, but it's crucial we don't rely on others do do our work for us. At the end of the season, hard fixtures can mean fuck all, as some teams have nowt to play for. Arsenal or Chelsea could end up playing kids against one of our rivals. We have to stand up and secure our own survival starting tomorrow.

I think a good base is an ambitious board and a good manager. The top clubs make shrewd appointments and the managers are then responsible for team spirit, loyalty and the rest.

The one thing I will say is, we can't rely on other teams to just give up and die. We thought Fulham were nailed on relegation certs and they pull off a great win. We thought Reading were dead certs and they suddenly start getting points. It's still in our hands but we need 4pts from the next two games. Tomorrow will tell us a lot.

Outstanding post, agreed with almost every word. Someone said it earlier, how many supporters of leading clubs would be happy if he was appointed at their club? Man U? Spurs? Liverpool? Arsenal? I've just fed the figures into a computer and my opta stats indicate 98% of them would tell him to fu... ...er furget about it.

Which players is he referring to then? He bought Smith and Barton (to play Ramos football no doubt ) and he gave Butt a new contract. He didn't play Enrique, another one of his signings. Which leaves who? Owen? He was picked ahead of Martins so who's fault is that? Given, Duff, Owen have made remarks, cant think of them atm but they definitely have. Was going to say Charlie but then he is never happy. Allardyce picked all three ahead of other alternatives, so again: who's fault is that? Just becasue he picks them doesn't mean they have bought into his methods. At the same time he is not going to play poorer players because they have. As he said he believes over time he would of turned it around & with his success at Bolton he will belive that. Am I glad he is gone? Yes. Do I think he could of turned it around? No. Can I see his point of view? Yes. His point about Ramos is complete hogwash though. Ramos doesn't play long ball football. The players he was picking to play direct football obviously weren't suited to it, and neither were the ones he bought in. If you wanted to play football like Ramos why would you buy Alan Smith? If you are going to defend then you need players with pace to hit on the break, not players like Geremi, Barton or Viduka who are slow. Shame his fucking opta stats couldn't tell him that you can't play football on the break if you fill the team full of plodders.

Which players is he referring to then? He bought Smith and Barton (to play Ramos football no doubt ) and he gave Butt a new contract. He didn't play Enrique, another one of his signings. Which leaves who? Owen? He was picked ahead of Martins so who's fault is that? Given, Duff, Owen have made remarks, cant think of them atm but they definitely have. Was going to say Charlie but then he is never happy. Allardyce picked all three ahead of other alternatives, so again: who's fault is that?

Which players is he referring to then? He bought Smith and Barton (to play Ramos football no doubt ) and he gave Butt a new contract. He didn't play Enrique, another one of his signings. Which leaves who? Owen? He was picked ahead of Martins so who's fault is that?

The comparison to Ramos is comical. Ramos has set his team up to play quick, counter-attacking football on the deck. I said even when Allardyce was here, I don't have a problem with setting up defensively if you can hit decisively on the break. But Allardyce went on record as saying he didn't like playing out from the back, which leaves you with no other option but to lump it high and long, which is what his team did. It's what Bolton did and it's never been what Ramos does. No amount of re-writing history is going to change that.

Fair call - "significant money" is a relative term though. Significant compared to Ashley's personal fortune? Or relative to the club's bottom line? I dunno - I see all these responses assuming an enormous transfer kitty for Keegan but I'm wondering where all the positivity comes from? Look at the gossip gdm shared - Scotty Mac for Christ's sake? We've already got Shola and Carroll - another fat Aussie (disclaimer - I too am a fat Aussie!) will not catapult us into the Euro places. If we sell little Mickey then we need to trade up, not down... And even if 24m is a number made up by the press, does anyone think 24m will buy the six-eight international class players we need to compete for Europe, or even the cups? Maybe I've read too many posts by NE5 - but maybe he makes a good point when he suggests we are blinded by love for Big Mike? Nobody really knows anything so anyone can believe what they like. At the moment I prefer to support our Chairman and manager's stance which would appear to be very ambitious. If anyone else prefers to be suspicious or negative good luck to them.

Keegan is seriously beginning to worry me. With being based in Glasgow, and otherwise taking very little interest in the game over the last 3 years, these are probably the only up and coming players that he knows. Having done nothing in the January window, does he really have a clue about where the talent is, on a more widespread basis? The same thing crossed my mind. Just because he has been in Scotland for some time, shouldn't really translate as the best players available all playing Scottish football. Might just be paper talk though. We'll see.

If the club were offered £9m for Owen I'm sure they'd rip their arm off they'd take it so fast. If we sold Owen for £9m it wouldn't mean his replacement would have to cost £9m maximum. Mike Ashley is loaded! Having said that, we'd possibly use the scouting network to identify up and coming strikers in Europe rather than blow fortunes on already established 'super stars'. Without wanting to sound like a well known poster - the evidence thus far indicates that transfers are to be self-financing. Ashley has given no indication he intends to spend bucket-loads of cash... Or maybe the current predicament has me so down that I'm simply worst-casing everything... The evidence thus far indicates that Ashley didn't want to release funds to a manager he didn't believe in, and he has indicated that Keegan will get significant money to spend in the summer. There is no other evidence.

Some people might have short memories but I won't forget how he went to places like Derby and Reading with ultra-defensive line ups. We were thrashed by Arsenal juniors in the Carling cup as well.

Sometimes you can put too many players into the same area of the pitch and they just get in each others way, it doesn‘t always work. Sounds like the midfield area to me. Four useless cogs in the engine room without a shred of teamwork between them.

Keegan's said there will be one or two changes because what we have been doing isn't working. I'm just starting to get a feeling he might drop Smith and Duff in a best case scenario. If not, at least one of them, which means one less passenger.

Someone mentioned playing all three forwards who are capable of scoring goals in the Brum thread. I suppose it could be argued that three decent strikers (Viduka, Martins and Owen) is preferable to playing four shit midfielders.

Souness wasn't just a shite appointment, Shepherd almost preceded this by another kingsize clanger, by approaching Steve Bruce. Not only one of the most witless managers in football but targeted for totally the wrong reason, i.e, because he was a geordie. All be it, one who is diluted with Manc leanings. We'd have been better off setting our sights on Biffa Bacon. Whey aye man!

he's rob leeish.....more goals and marginally not as good defensivly. you've got your head up your arse if you wouldn't want him here. I know it sounds ludicrous, but Lampard really isn't the type of player I want in midifeld. Yes he's better than what we've got but that's not saying much. We need a Gascoigne or a Beardsley, players who can make a killer pass or change the game with a bit of vision or skill. I know they don't grow on trees, but before Lampard has the opportunity to tell us to fuck off I'd like to get my retaliation in first. Frank, thanks but no thanks