Shak

I reckon Villa will beat Man U, should be a great tie either way.

Reckon we can nick a draw at Stoke!!

Avoided Chelsea.

Wouldn't rule out that happening tbh, though I'd say it's a pretty small possibility.

we've won at ewood two seasons in a row. I didn't mean Blackburn away specifically. Thought that was obvious. we always take a huge crowd there and usually put in a good show so i wouldn't really class it as the type of away game we usually do bad in. we've done better than this under roeder and souness so i won't do any cartwheels yet. tugay scores. What exactly about my post screams "doing cartwheels" FFS? My point was basically that's it's an encouraging performance. There's a whole lot still wrong with us and I'm fully aware of the fact that this performance doesn't mean we're fine now or anything. never said your post did, i just wouldn't include blackburn as one of the traditional gamesin which we struggle, youd have to go back a decade to find the last league game where we didn't turn up. certainly better than previous games but i thought we'd do well anyway. Which is why I used the expression "kind of game" (i.e away trips to physical, mid-table sides) rather than said Blackburn in particular.

we've won at ewood two seasons in a row. I didn't mean Blackburn away specifically. Thought that was obvious. we always take a huge crowd there and usually put in a good show so i wouldn't really class it as the type of away game we usually do bad in. we've done better than this under roeder and souness so i won't do any cartwheels yet. tugay scores. What exactly about my post screams "doing cartwheels" FFS? My point was basically that's it's an encouraging performance. There's a whole lot still wrong with us and I'm fully aware of the fact that this performance doesn't mean we're fine now or anything.

we've won at ewood two seasons in a row. I didn't mean Blackburn away specifically. Thought that was obvious.

Winning and losing isn't really that important to me this year tbh, can't see anything but mid-table as our finishing point for the season. It's the performances. Last few have been shocking, but this is the kind of game today where we've been pushovers in for years. This is the type of game we've needed to develop more spine in, and from the looks of today it seems that maybe we're doing that. Need to do it consistently mind you, but if we can do that then it's a great sign for once we're able to add some more quality to our team.

You mean the shot just went 40 yards directly up into the sky? Bizarre.

Good to see we're at least are showing a bit of bottle today, fair play to the lads.

Good on you Smithy. What does the 4-3-3 look like then? Milner on the left and Martins on the right? Or vice versa? Neither, they're bot playing centrally, with Smith out wide. -------------------- Given Beye ------- Faye ------ Roz -------------- Zoggy --------------------- Butt ------------ Barton --- Geremi ------------------Milner ----------------Martins Smith Sort of like that... From what i can see Smith is playing right down the middle with Martins supporting on right and Milner on left I would hope so! Shak quit messing about. This isn't the time for that. Frankly, I find having a laugh is the best way to get through times like this.

Good on you Smithy. What does the 4-3-3 look like then? Milner on the left and Martins on the right? Or vice versa? Neither, they're bot playing centrally, with Smith out wide. -------------------- Given Beye ------- Faye ------ Roz -------------- Zoggy --------------------- Butt ------------ Barton --- Geremi ------------------Milner ----------------Martins Smith Sort of like that...

"An unbelievable mistake from Titus Bramble"

Don't want to sound too negative, as I still think Sam deserves time as he's trying to change so much about what's wrong with us. But if we get any result today I'll be truly shocked. Blackburn are one of the most physical sides in the league, if you show even a hint of weakness they'll just power through you. They'll also have that bit extra to prove after the batterring Villa gave them in midweek, they'll want to make that up to their own fans. Our last few games we've been so lethargic, half-assed and generally easy for teams to bully. Unless that improves drastically we'll get absolutely thumped. That said, there's no reason whatsoever we should be so poor again, and if we actually show up and show a bit of desire we'll be able to give them a game. But, with that starting 11 out it's really very hard to see where our attacking threat will come from. Butt, Geremi and Barton in the middle should give us a chance to match them physically, but where precisely is the service from the middle gonna come from? Who's gonna keep the ball for us? Out wide, Martins may do something spectacular at some point but other than that he doesn't effect the game positively in a consistent manner at all, while Milner just plainly isn't much better than above-average. Smith will get about up front, which is key for the lone striker, but don't expect his name on the scoresheet. Be surprised if we score at all today personally, if we do it'll almost certainly be a Martins thunderbolt or a scrappy goal froma set-piece. If we go behind, we're 99% gauranteed to lose. What does that say about any football team?

Will we fuck

I don't have too much of a problem with that. N'Zogbia at left-back is the only real thing that you can properly criticise; but if we're playing 4-3-3, there's no place for him in midfield and he's done well from deep earlier in the season. Good line-up imo. Just hope it's not all-out long ball. Am I the only one who thinks N'Zogbia could be absolutely lethal playing as left sided striker/winger in the 4-3-3? He has a great eye for goal and if you get him one on one with the full-back he has about a 800% better chance of actually going by his man and getting in a cross than either Milner (who'll go by his man before checking back and allowing the defence to get in position to deal with his cross) or Martins (who can beat his man with sheer pace but seems determined to not do so if possible). But no, lampoon him at LB where he's a liability defensively and can only effect the game getting forward when we're on top, which is pretty much never. Well according to HTT, Allardyce wont play him there until he learns to defend. Expect to see Martins at right back next week. I'll just assume he actually said that.

Where he has scored all his goals and created all his assists from this season. And cost us goals as well (Man City for instance). Does well from full-back getting forward but, as I said above, he'd be about 800% more effective than either Milner or Martins playing out wide just off the striker.

I don't have too much of a problem with that. N'Zogbia at left-back is the only real thing that you can properly criticise; but if we're playing 4-3-3, there's no place for him in midfield and he's done well from deep earlier in the season. Good line-up imo. Just hope it's not all-out long ball. Am I the only one who thinks N'Zogbia could be absolutely lethal playing as left sided striker/winger in the 4-3-3? He has a great eye for goal and if you get him one on one with the full-back he has about a 800% better chance of actually going by his man and getting in a cross than either Milner (who'll go by his man before checking back and allowing the defence to get in position to deal with his cross) or Martins (who can beat his man with sheer pace but seems determined to not do so if possible). But no, lampoon him at LB where he's a liability defensively and can only effect the game getting forward when we're on top, which is pretty much never.

Great, our most dangerous midfielder at full-back.

Do you envision N'Zogbia, or any young player for that matter, becoming "that good" despite being played out of position ina tactical abortion every single week?

Yeah, that'd be sound.

He's not helping his own cause at all. Negative approach, even when we're losing he still hasn't the balls to take some chances. Fans would be a lot more supportive if we at least tried to go out and play some good football, we know that we're in transition as a team and for the most part we'll be happy to give him time to get it right, so long as there's some sort of desire being shown. But when we're basically going out week after week and basically just trying to kill the game without any apparent attempt to impose our own ideas on it, then fans won't be happy, and rightfully so. Much as it does seem folly to sack him after such a short period in charge, I can't say I'll be upset in the least if we do it.

I really don't know what to make of this. I'm not calling for Sam's head. But I'm getting less and less bothered about keeping him. So many things we've done today that have just been baffling really, a gutless, pathetic joke of a performance today.

Agree with that, I think Martins and Milner either side of Viduka is the best we've got for the 4-3-3. Been wanting to see it. We'll need to scrap in midfield, and that's why Smith starts IMO. We need a big game from Emre, if we get that I think we'll have a good chance.

Know nothing of him tbh, but a bit of pace won't go amiss at all and sounds like he can play a number of positions and is ideal for the 4-3-3. So bring it on tbh.