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Remember that every player that leaves gets a slice of the transfer fee and a signing on fee. So if they are on 3m a year like Duff or Smith they can afford to drop to 1.5m a year as they'll probably make 2/3m out of the transfer. They'll all be gone. We may have to pay a portion of their wages or let them go for ridiculous prices but they're all gone. Keep Guthrie, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Enrique and the kids and rebuild.

His mind isn't willing. Jesus fucking christ. What games are you people watching? Tugays mind is willing. Makelele's mind is willing. Scholes' mind is willing. These players are prime examples of players with no legs who still do a job. How anyone can think Butts mind is willing when he consistently gives the ball away, consistently gives away stupid free kicks and fouls and conistently picks up crap defensive postions. I think the positions he picks up are his biggest weakness which is where his so called experience should come in. The Liverpool game is the biggest example of this. He was constantly caught ahead of the ball leaving Gerrard the freedom of the park. This is a consistent theme and a good defensive midfielder would fill this gap. Nicky Butt is woeful at everything. This should be the end of the debate. Someone will come back with he tries and he has experience though. Thank fuck for that.

He may be worthless but I don't get the hatred? He's getting picked because we haven't got any replacements, don't see why he'd quit/retire like some have said. Plus, he's a professional and seems to like the club. I always thought players who try their best should be forgiven if they aren't good enough, can't see how you'd argue against that. Because he's a fuckin twat as well? He thinks he can spray 50 yard passes when everyone knows he doesn't have the ability. He gives away fuckin ludicrious penalties and free kicks. He talks absolute crap to the Chronicle every week. He's signed on for another year when if he had any respect for the club he would have retired as he must know he's completely finished. The guy is a completely useless twat trading on 'experience' when in reality the only experience he has is the armchair ride afforded him by Keane and Scholes. I'd be amazed if you found a more technically limited player in the league.

I always doubted whether people actually had these dreams about football, but I had one last night. We were two nil down but pulled one back with 15 left and equalised in the last minute. Woke up before I knew the Hull result. More of a nightmare than a dream.

I see Carroll has done his ankle ligaments and is out. Shame as he can have a big impact of the bench. Beye seems to be out as well so I think we might line up as below. Harper Edgar Colo Taylor Taylor Duff Guthrie Butt Nolan Viduka Martins Not what I would pick but I think we might see it. Personally I wouldn't mind seeing Lovenkrands in for Nolan and playing him to the left and Martins to the right of Viduka. Try to push Villas full backs right back. I remember Liverpool playing a similar system against us with Cisse to the right and Kewell to the left of Crouch and it looked really handy. Probably a bit too late to be trying new formations though.

Brummie, Is Ashley Young going to be fit? Any idea on how you will line up? Milner at right back again?

I think it will be somewhere nearer: Foster, Rafael, Neville, Evans, Fabio, Nani, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs, Tevez, Wellbeck assuming they lineup as expected in the Final and he rests everyone who starts. There's no benefit in resting those who are going to be on the bench.

Wasn't Allardyce given the same chance that Sanchez was given at Fulham? Its amazing how we get criticised for binning that tool, while the sackings of Sanchez, Adams, Ince are described as masterstrokes.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11827_5321750,00.html Maniche and Seiteridis on frees would be canny. Not as good as they were but Maniche would be a cracking upgrade and Seiteridis' versatility would be really good.

The midfield has gone missing. Jonas looks fucked.

Please let this be true! Please. Huddlestone would be a good replacement.

That'd be your ex missus by now then. Meh. He can buy her Indecent Proposal style and then everyone is happy.

Jonas thinks we'll win on Monday if his facebook convo with my missus is anything to go by.

Harper Beye Taylor Bassong Duff Guthrie Butt Jonas Owen Viduka Martins Krul, Colo, Taylor, Nolan, Lua-Lua, Lovenkrands, Carroll The side above could do a job easy. Tuncay is a concern as he'll pick up that position between the midfield and defence that we don't bother to fill.

Agree with that but I'd keep Guthrie as well. If we go down we have to make a concerted effort to keep those 5, plus Krul, Harper, possibly Xisco and the good kids. We'd then have some sort of base to build from.

I think 37 points will keep us up. So two wins and a draw would be enough. I even fancy us to nick something at Villa. Its not all over if we don't win this but we could really do with it. I think we'll stay up if we win this one.

Smith passing was a bit plus today for me. Ok, he wasn't Alonso or Fabregas or even Huddlestone but he constantly looked forward and looked to move the ball early. A massive upgrade on Butt thats for sure.

The exact side I would play. No other option for me.

I think I'm the only one who doesn't think everyone will go! Not sure what sort of financial constraints would be in place but I think we'd at least have a chance of keeping Beye, Bassong S.Taylor and Enrique. If Shearer was in charge, I reckon we ask these players to give us one more year and they could leave if we didn't come up. With those 4 and Harper behind, we'd be solid enough to come up and with Guthrie, Lua-Lua, Carroll, Lovenkrands, Ranger we'd have a few good young'uns. Maybe I'm just trying to be optimistic, but Reading and Birmingham managed to hold onto Larsson, Doyle etc, so its not beyond the realms of possibility.

I want Nicky Butt to die. If that's harsh then so be it.

Carew is awesome. At the moment, he and Milner are our best players by some distance. Considering he's missed about a third of the season, he still has 13 goals, not bad for someone who isn't an out and out goalscorer. Going forward yesterday we were awesome at times. At the back we looked awful. So we have a chance of knocking you over on the last day of the season?

How can he always be caught in possession and always misplace his passes? If he's getting caught in possession he can't be making any passes. I think someone got a bit excitable with his use of always.

Why would you say that? You are now to blame if results change and we get relegated.

We won't play wing backs against Spurs. Lennon would massacre us with the space afforded him by Duff. I think Bassong will play left back to do a job on Lennon with Ryan Taylor at right back and Beye and Taylor/ Edgar centre half. Duff and Jonas wide, Butt and Guthrie in the middle with Carroll and Owen up front.

He's played badly once this season, when he came on for ten mins at home to Man City and looked well off the pace. He'd been out injured for a quite a while before that. Every other time he's played, whether starting or as a substitute, he's been a real handful and done well. How many of our players can boast that sort of consistancy. For me, he should be starting for the next few games.