Elma

To be honest my initial reaction is better than this year's kits. Would prefer the home without the blue stripes, white back and sponsors white band, but I'm happy to be back with plain stripes. Yeah it could have been better though. I really like the simplicity of the change kits and glad to have yellow back. As a child of the eighties that seems like our true change colour to me. The biggest thing for me is whether or not it will have Premier League badges on the sleeves.

Moreorless that I think, but Tiote in for Haidara and Jonas left back. Sissoko behind Cisse.

Looked like he injured himself doing that....didn't really get above a trot in the last 10 mins and wasn't moving freely at all. Hope he's OK for Sunday.

I think he will rest any with any sort of fitness issue ahead of Sunday. Were the gap only one goal, it might have been different but with a two goal deficit I think he might be more cautious with his team selection. Think that HBA will be on the bench though to try and get some minutes ahead of Sunday.

I don't think Cabaye will play. I think Pardew will prioritise Sunday.

For what it's worth I think Pards will. Wouldn't be surprised at all to see him on the bench on Thursday.

I think the squad could cope without Obertan too...would get him off the wage bill.

Due back in training this week I think. No I think he's already been back training but Fulham home is the more likely return. I heard full training from Tuesday this week but you might be right...does a keeper really need that much training under his belt after a short-ish lay-off? In saying that, there's no need to rush him as Elliott's done OK.

Due back in training this week I think.

He's due in training on Monday so I wouldn't be surprised if he is. Hopefully back for Fulham all being well. Would be a big boost as if Debuchy is out for any length of time then we can switch Mapou to right-back (would need to do that in the Europa anyway).

Was gutted about Cabaye's injury (hope it's not serious and he came off as a precaution) but I thought Jonas did very well to the point where I don't think we missed him that much tonight. Best performance for a while. Funnily enough Pardew was pointing to Cabaye and shouting at him to switch it left, but when he tried he really had to wrap his foot around it to make the pass. That's when he pulled up...I blame Pardew

I love it and will probably move there in the next couple of years. Would recommend the trip to anyone if we happen to draw Fener. Jump on flights early and you can get Easyjet or Pegasus for under £100 too. Fantastic city and changing so fast...very wealthy and dynamic now but still so atmospheric. Just hope the religious government don't screw it up. How expensive is it to live in a decent part of the city? Any idea? I had the best time ever there, absolutely loved it. It's really gone up. As a point of reference, a mate bought a whole building in Taksim (noisy but central) for around £30,000 in 2006. It's now comfortably worth £300,000. I have a three bed flat on the edge of Nisantasi which is a very decent central area, and it rents for around 1700 Lira a month, which is £600-£650. However, it really should rent for a lot more. I rent it cheap as the bathroom and kitchen haven't been changed since the 70's and the tenant agreed to renovate at their cost...plus she is super reliable and pays the rent on time. Probably looking at £800-£1000 a month for something decent, more for a Bosphorus view. You might get cheaper on the Asian side in Moda or Fenerbahce. The great thing is that although new builds can go for well over £1million, the older properties aren't so popular now due to earthquake risk and a new government policy. There's still value there. A mate of mine rents flats to tourists starting at about £50 a night. http://www.istanbulsweethome.com I'll be trying to book one of those if we draw Fener. PM me if you want extra info on areas and websites for property etc.

I love it and will probably move there in the next couple of years. Would recommend the trip to anyone if we happen to draw Fener. Jump on flights early and you can get Easyjet or Pegasus for under £100 too. Fantastic city and changing so fast...very wealthy and dynamic now but still so atmospheric. Just hope the religious government don't screw it up.

Except if we draw Fenerbahce it would be played behind closed doors. I thought that was only a one match ban for fans which would now have been served? Lazio was two? Might be wrong mind...even better if that's true.

Agree completely....

I'll take Basel or Fener. Think we could beat either over two legs and I'm regularly in Istanbul anyway so would definitely combine a trip there. Some people think it's a dodgy place to go but it's not really...reasonably temperate this time of year too at around 15C and much better then a trip to Russia. Wouldn't want either of the English sides and think we could struggle against Benfica or Lazio. Let them take each other down and then face one of them in the semis if we get through....

Don't think HBA is going to be involved as a precaution. Shola doubtful too but Cisse fit. Think he'll play Jonas.

They left him behind yesterday to train all weekend. He didn't travel.

A South African legal expert used that phrase on Radio 5 last week to describe Oscar Pistorius.....didn't really think that one through.....

Think Jonas will start and Ben Arfa won't even make the bench. As someone else mentioned in the HBA thread, personally I wouldn't play Ben Arfa on the plastic pitch in the cold against Anzhi either. Wait for Stoke/Anzhi at home.

I made a French colleague (big PSG fan) watch the Beardsley YouTube clips. A few months later he emailed me from Paris and told me he had been watching a weekend football programme, and Ginola was interviewed. When asked who the best players were that he had played with he listed Beardsley amongst them, and the interviewer didn't know who he was. My colleague was chuffed that he knew exactly who he was.... I like Hatem but for me Beardsley is the best I've seen in the last thirty years. My dad would say Tony Green (which is staggering considering how few games he played for us) but he was before my time.

It's an old one certainly...just couldn't resist it.

9th looks to be the best we could "realistically" achieve with a good run. After Reading I would have settled for 17th, and perhaps we should still keep one eye over our shoulders, although 10th also looks eminently do-able on current form, also taking into account the form of others around us. Our run-in is certainly not too bad....could be worse.

I've got OCD too but I prefer to call it CDO....just can't stand the letters not being in alphabetical order.

He's off to watch the EL draw live iirc. I don't think he's gone to Monaco today.