Colos Short and Curlies

A fair indication that nobbling HBA was their top priority at the start of the game. No one has been able to get close to him in his previous starts, it was always a fair bet that other teams would try and take him out by other means. Yeah. It was what in American football would be called 'unnecessary roughness.' I presume he wasn't out to nobble the player, but I think it was designed to hurt and put him off. It was a similar tackle to the one that got Barton sent off against Liverpool, in that he allowed his trailing leg to follow through. De Jong was a bit more subtle. I disagree that it wasn't designed to nobble him. De Jong went in to hurt Ben Arfa, as other thugs do to players week in week out. Not for one moment saying he tried to break his leg, but the intention was to put the player out of the game early on. Shouuld be banned for the length of Ben Arfa's injury lay-off - same goes for the likes of Shawcross, Henry, or any other player who seriously injures a player through a foul challenge

I wonder how Collymore will deal with this in his phone in? He seems to despise cheating (diving) more than leg breakers like this

Absolutely nothing at present to suggest they will come back though. They need a rich owner to move forward, and based on that there is as much chance of us dominating the league as they have

It would actuall also provide more defensive cover by moving HBA inside and slipping Jonas down the wing. Nolan doesn't offer much protection and HBA won't track back as much as Jonas

Reckon we'll sneak a point here

1st Season Perhaps we came close Although we faded after the Everton game, we were pretty close under Bobby too

Just waiting for the day that the curls get lopped off

Pulis will deploy one of his thugs to make sure he doesn't. he's made his name through avoiding and getting the better of those thugs, like ginola i can't really remember him getting kicked up a height. Aye normally because he had hit the floor before they got to him

I could even see some logic in trying Tiote at right back - Perch looks like he is only going to be available for 5 in 6 games so we need to know who can slot in. Made sense to try him there last night rather than have to try it on Sunday should owt happen to Raylor

Malandro's is missing another point - Carling Cup = Europa League next season. Five here we come!

Shola scored that whilst eating an apple So bloody casual. Class

Collymore who was spouting on Sunday that O'Shea had to walk as he was last man? Quinn who was saying the whole of Pakistan should be kicked out of cricket as a couple of players were dodgy - wonder if he thought the same when Grobbelar was doing the same at Liverpool? Cascarino who knew nothing of Marseilles transfers when speaking as an expert on them when the Champs League draw was made? Anything Brasil says in the morning All of the pundits claiming Redknapp to be the second coming. Yeah like anyone at Talksport can talk (excuse the pun)

Reckon it will be 0-0 until the 70th minute. One of Malouda, Drogba or Anelka will then come on and score within 10 minutes, final score then 3-0

Tucked in. Having a shirt tucked out gives the opposition somehting else to grab onto. Always white socks when in goal.

Perhaps the Guardian thought that his fantastic impression was in our display of extreme racism.

I don't think the question is "should we aim for 17th". Granted, but Istill wouldn't take it. May as well support Bolton if we are going to be happy with finishing 17th every year

Aim for the stars, if you miss you might hit the moon. Aim for Sunderland, if you miss you might hit Middlesborough. So no, I wouldn't take 17th now, better to aim high and fall a little short then aim low and accept crap

Exactly

What's the Europa situation these days with qualification? Its a very long shot, but if I were Hughty I'd be setting my target as being Europa qualification. There is very little between the teams competing between 8th and 15th and if we target 17th its likely that we'll finish no higher, lets give it a real go I say.

Thought that was Hughton

Voulez Vous couche avec moi ce soir

If we're going for midtable may as well shoot for the Europa, very little in the bunch of teams from 7th to 14th in the last couple of seasons

Right then, last week I promised the wife that if we scored six (at 4-0) I'd buy a Delonghi kettle and toaster. If we score 4 today I'm booking a long weekend in New York (its York if we don't)

Just ordered my Ben Arfa 22 shirt

Spurs have signed Ben Arfa, Toon are getting Jenas