Colos Short and Curlies

Reckon 7th injuries permitting and maybe a signing in Jan. I'd rather 10-12th with a good cup run though (unless Arsenal win the Carling and one of the top 5 win the FA Cup meaning 7th get Europa action)

Anyone mentioned the REAL reason we lost the bid yet? Its pretty obvious really - FIFA couldn't have the world watching their showcase taking place in Sunderland

We need to rest him for a game between now and Boxing day - the revenge game v Citeh. I make it 4 games to go, with 4 more yellows before another ban.

Hislop, Beresford, Batty, Howey, Lee, Shearer, Barnes, Pearce, Gillespie, Watson, Pistone Albert (Beresford), Ketsbaia (Barnes), Given (not used), Rush (not used), Tommasson (not used)

We'll either get Arsenal at home or a non-league side away, then Arsenal in the 4th round

2 more performances like that form Sol and Saylor...... Which if either of Colwilli come back in? Would like to see Colo and Saylor at some point, but its all about a consitency of the back 4 and imo they all played as well as could be expected today

Prophet of Doom, pray could you tell me the last time a match, to be played in the middle of the day (12-4pm KO) was called off? That's maybe because we're speaking from experience. Last season we had almost all games postponed one weekend. See http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1927520,00.html. *cough*Bullshit*cough* there's no Newcastle home fixture there, stop being such a girl. You asked for a match, if you meant a newcastle match then be more specific. Why do you think we would be more able to cope with the snow than the rest of the premier league? And I'm not bothered by the snow, just don't trust the council/health and safety twats to let us play. I'm sorry, I'm speaking in the Newcastle math thread about the likelihood of a Newcastle game being called off, I should have specified that I was discussing Newcastle home games. Sorry. More importantly, the fact that the game is on SKY only increases the chances of it going ahead - JonnyHall is spot on. Council and club will be up at 7am clearing paths and roads, only a freak blizzard at 12pm would put the game seriously at risk. People have mentioned the Charlton game being called off at the last minute, pitch was playable but the freezing weather at night was posing the H&S risk around SJP. It's to our advantage that the game is KO 1.30pm. Wasn't the Charlton game called off because there was ahuge snowfall at around 6pm and the gritters couldn't get out to clear the roads as they were already jammed? It was then thought that the roads would be death machines by 10pm? I can't see why the game would be called off at 1:30, the roads will be clear first thing and pavements from the station gritted to stp people not shopping in town this close to Christmas. add in the Sky influence and it would take an apocolypic fall of snow to get it called off. Just hope we get an orange ball

I really don't think he was superb. Best performance this season from him without a doubt, but had this been las season most people would say he had a quietish match. Did absolutely nowt wrong and some moments that were brilliant, but overall a 7/10 performance with glimpses of what lies beneath Did he look like scoring? I can't remember him getting any chances really, Berbatov's 5th started as an attempted cross to Rooney who would have scored (6 yards out, open goal), but most of his play was outside the 18 yard box. He was controlling and passing the ball to teammates anyway - so 100% better than at the world cup

I really don't think he was superb. Best performance this season from him without a doubt, but had this been las season most people would say he had a quietish match. Did absolutely nowt wrong and some moments that were brilliant, but overall a 7/10 performance with glimpses of what lies beneath

tbh he has played OK, kinda looks like he's feeling his way back into games

Wasn't he in court yesterday trying to get his tax evasion case thrown out? I guess the silence from the press means he wasn't succesful

Swans manager used to be Chelsea's reserve team coach - got a pretty decent link with them for taking young players

Carroll might be modelling himself on Jonas, but we all know that Jonas is modelling himself on the great man himself - Wagner

What about £30m? I'd say no, as I doubt we could get even 2 £10m strikers in to replace him being a new Premier League club and all

Watched it again on the news today (god they're going overboard on it) Barton must have the strongest punch in the world looking at how MGP went down and the lack of back swing from Barton

Lets be honest, this season was always going to erratic in terms of form. We do need to sort out the home form though

Even after tonight we are averaging 1.4 points a game - having played 3 of the top 4 away from home. Continue this average and we'll end up on 54 points which would do me nicely. Need 3 points from this one though. I'd be tempted with Routledge coming back in for Tiote, we really shouldn't need a DM at home against Fulham. Not sure who I'd partner Carroll with though if Shola is unfit, would be nice to give Ranger a full run out but it might be too much of a risk. It might also be time to give Williamson a rest for a game, would be a decent game for Campbell to slot into

More confident about winning this one now after losing tonight.

And for effectively killing our championship hopes in 96

Still think he is Edge from WWE's younger brother

I can't see a £15m signing in Jan, more likely an ambitious loan with view to sign type deal, lots of noises about Ben Arfa returning and a new contract for Hughton. The summer will be interesting though if we either get close to a European position or somehow sneak it via cup or league (dreamland here - but 7th will prob get Europa league based on one of the top 4 winning both cups). I could see the purse strings being loosened a bit then.

Just heard Pleat refer to Jose as the 'South American Left Back'. Brazil wish like

Aye and Hughton is going nowhere

He wouldn't be able to deal with a group of 20 massive egos. He buys, sells, picks and drops players at a frequent rate. Its not a problem when its the Kabouls, Kranjars, Keane's of this world but try doing it to an Silva, a Tevez, a Toure and you'll have a massive problem. It's easy to buy 11 great players, put them on a pitch and win a few games. It takes a big manager to mould them into a great team.

He'd flop badly there