Shak

Good start so far. Thought Routledge should have done much better with the header.

Can see the arguement for a home game where we're expecting to have the better of possession, but I think we'll be under the cosh a fair bit and Jonas could have relieved that a bit. Hopefully I'll be wrong, excited to see the new lads in action!

Nice to see that Hughton has the stones to make the changes, would rather that Jonas had started ahead of Nolan but can't really complain about the line-up too much. Howay this particular group of lads!!

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA How many fans would tollerate his minging football tho. I love how that's the hole you see in his plan, rather than the notion the useless cunt would do anything other than humiliate himself at one of those clubs.

Ryan Taylor does give you something going forward, arguably the best crosser of a ball in our squad. He's an absolute liability at the back though, but then again Perch has been as well so far. So I'd be tempted to start Ryan Taylor as he at least contributes something positive to the team. Steven Taylor is the best RB at the club though and the only one I think is good enough to play there in the Premiership without being a weak link.

Aye it's a big test for him. Much as I wanted to see Ben Arfa start last weekend, going with the same team that played well two games in a row was probably the logical call. But with so many desperate individual performances and a bad overall team performance against Blackpool, I'd like to see change. Tiote in for Smith seems like a no-brainer, and Ben Arfa in for one of Nolan or Jonas should happen too. I'd be inclined to take out Nolan, because I reckon Jonas' workrate will be needed against Everton and Nolan will likely be a passenger again if he plays. You can make a case for either of them getting the boot though. Very hard to see that same 11 getting anything other than a comfortbale beating tomorrow.

The Yankee stadium one was true, they even went and dug the thing up. http://gothamist.com/2008/04/14/red_sox_jersey.php Sold for $175,000 at auction.

Good to hear Nicolas Anelka's opinion about how a young player should best go about settling at a club.

Makelele. Can't think of a single thing he was better at than Roy Keane. (Apart from not being a complete tit, though that doesn't factor in I would imagine.)

Confident enough at this point, if we get lucky with injuries and Tiote and Ben Arfa can both play well I think we'll be fine.

Taunting the opposition with the ball while they charge around hopelessly trying to get it? If anything it was a piece of commentary genius. Fuck this, I'm not having it. Clive is just a more eloquent man than you, there's no shame in admitting that.

Taunting the opposition with the ball while they charge around hopelessly trying to get it?

James is such a great WUM when he wants to be. It's mostly down to the fact that he spouts absolute shit when he's serious as well, but still.

A couple of young Chelsea fans I know have posted the you tube clip of it. The comments were along the lines of "loooooool valencia got his leg snapped like a twig" and other nonsense of that ilk. Some people really can be complete and utter cunts. I remember going to a game between my local side Hampton & Richmond at our rivals AFC Wimbledon. Our left back got his leg broken in a 50-50 and the reaction of the womble fans, saying our lad deserved it because he went in to 'do' their lad, nearly caused a riot to break out. I don't care if you can't stand the oppo or the player but nobody wants to see people suffer really bad injuries. I've played in games where people have suffered breaks, and it aint pretty. This post combined with his username leads me to believe that MKSC just called his kids cunts.

He'll surely have to retire before he's 32, must be the most physically spent 28 year old footballer I've ever seen.

Heard this a few times but I'm not sure where it comes from? Shearer wasn't like a Van Nistelrooy goal poacher type, he was a very well-rounded player who could and did score every type of goal. Granted I don't think he was the intimidating physical force that Drogba is, but I'm not sure how exactly you'd classify Drogba as having "much more to his overall game"? What exactly did Shearer lack in your view?

Both had/have the absolute lot. Pace, power, good in the air, fabulous strikers of the ball, great workrate. Just a nightmare to play against. Have to give it to Shearer though, he was just a better goalscorer. Compare him in those years to what Drogba has done at Chelsea in a similar period of time. Drogba in his first 6 years at Chelsea scored 84 league goals, Shearer in the 5 seasons you've mentioned got 137. I'm sure there were a lot of penalties in there, but it's still a pretty wide margin you're talking about.

http://teenymanolo.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Link.jpg

It's basically a front 3 with Henry and Ronaldo playing very advanced, he's hardly being asked to play in a traditional LW role. As for Rio being a perma crock, I was assuming that we were picking players at the height of their powers. I'd probably pick Drogba over Shearer if we're going on current ability like.

He's only fucking 28?! Jesus Christ, would have guessed he was 32 and thought there was no way he could still be in his 20's. How many years doeshe have left on his deal? Got to be at least until the end of next season. Depressing stuff.

----------------- Schmeichel Neville --- Adams --- Ferdinand --- Cole ------------- Vieira --- Keane Ronaldo ------- Bergkamp---------- Henry ------------------ Shearer

No, his best attribute is his dribbling and that would be negated in the middle. You want your CM's to be able to go and get on the ball and attempt to dictate the tempo of the game, generally a lad who can't hid the side of a barn door isn't going to do well in that role.

Jesus man, I was just about to start the same exact thread. He's a massive, massive problem in our team right now, frankly. Until he's dropped we're not going to progress as a team. Waste of fucking space.

Left it a bit late to make changes today, but he was always going to start with the same 11 that did so well the last 2 games. The big test comes against Everton.