Colos Short and Curlies

One thing with the market value is that companies aren't paying 10s of millions of pounds to sponsor Man City, Chelsea, Leeds. The bulk of the value is in being visible as part of the premier league. We're already on TV loads - 6 of our next 9 are on TV in the UK and we've always been high profile, even when shite. I'd love to see the premier league argue that our sponsorship deals are at too high a value whilst at the same time maintaining a position where they are the most valuable league in the world

This isn't going to be 6 or 7 nil, Liverpool have Spurs Leeds and Leicester before New Year and they need to win all 3 of those plus our game. 3-0 up by 60 mins then foot off the gas. Or we go in with a dogged defensive approach and keep it down to 2-0, maybe sneak a goal in the last 15 mins.

In many ways it may be better to not have a DoF in place for January as long as we have an individual capable of doing quick deals. A DoF is going to be looking big picture and long term, what we need in Jan is a group of players that EH identifies as being better than what he has in a few key positions to give us a shot in the arm. A loan like Gini would be great as well, but again its quick short term improvement we are after

References to xgoals, high percentage chances etc.

I didn't think my Thomas the Tank Engine comment was that controversial!

Actually it was Ringo. Thomas the Tank Engine pisses over anything the Beatles released

Looking at the games up to new year it’s not inconceivable that we’ll only be 2 behind Everton when the clock strikes 2022

4-0 and we go above them.

Definitely think we'll see Miggy in for Joe

The same way I've always set up on Pro Evo etc. On paper a 4-4-2 but in reality a very fluid 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 to 4-5-1 to 4-2-4. A mobile target man (Sir Les, Shearer type) and a link partner who is happy to push up and drop into a number 10. This is a busy role so needs mobility and stamina. 2 wide men, both with a bit of pace but ideally one who is a box of tricks and one who is direct and provides cross after cross 2 box to box midfielders 2 mean bastard centre halves and 2 quick full backs Its a high tempo, quick transition style of play with the aim to get the ball to the front 4 as quickly as possible, mixing up short sharp passing with the occasional launch. Start the game going strong and attacking and continue in that manner. Always feel its nice to score in the last 5 mins of a half to bugger up a team talk so definitely push forward more towards the end of the half. Not going to worry about the other team, they can worry about us.

If Howe had asked 100 fans who would let him down in his first five games you'd have a good shout at winning the family fortune board with Darlow Clark Ritchie Krafth Its just so obvious

Could feasibly be third bottom and 3 from safety at the weekend. Still a bunch of teams not able to pull clear

Lewis is a bit exposed there mind

Don’t see anything changing with today’s results. anything at Arsenal would have been a bonus and Leeds getting a point rather than 3 is ok. we can be in touching distance of 4th bottom by next weekend if things play out right. If we’re not then my 5 will move to a 7

I totally get the emotional side of things like moving stadia, changing badges etc but the single biggest factor that can change the direction of the club is buying and selling players - especially your star player. look at Blackburn for an early example after selling Shearer, Spurs as a less drastic example with Bale. Closer to home and the opposite transaction - Xisco and Gonzalez. Nothing in these proposals prevents the buying and selling players on a whim.

Just imagine Ronaldinho rocking up to do some fitness training led by Bruce. It would be hilarious

I can't get my head around the fact that a member of S Club Juniors is married to Shelvey.

Nice to have coaches who look like they have an interest in keeping in shape.

Bellamy Robert Shearer Adding Bellamy and Robert to the team in 2001 transformed us immediately

Alnwick Cacapa Campbell Krafth (possibly harsh, was Rozenthal as bad as my memory makes out?) Obertan (full backs are pretty hard, they've all been a bit meh with a handful of decent options so he is a wing back here) Colback Smith Gonzalez Cabella (see Obertan) Riviere L D Jong

The problem here is that you are happy to use data in isolation to prove a point on how good Vieria is and ignore data in isolation that shows the same level of performance from managers we know to be below average. How did Mclaren do at Twente? He took them from 4th to 2nd to 1st with year on year progress in Europe. With Boro he took them from 14th to 12th to 11th to 7th in the Premier League, won a trophy and got to a European final. You take them in isolation and you can make a case for Mclaren being a very good manager. These were his first 2 club jobs by the way, so very much a good comparison to Vieira

True, but you're comparing a manager at the beginning of his career to 2 who have done it all but who are now very much on the way down. Vieria should be compared to the likes of Potter, Ole, Howe, Gerrard, possibly Rogers at a push. The question is does his achievements to date put him above or below this cohort?

I can't shake the feeling that Vieria is benefiting from a combination of player reputation bias and comparisons (in the media) to a very low set of expectations. When Roy announced he was leaving there was a huge void at Palace with what seemed like 75% of the squad either being loans or having contracts expire over the summer. The expectation was for them to pretty much implode this year. You have to give Paddy credit, he's definitely steadied that ship and the brand of football is more pleasing on the eye than Palace fans have been used to but no more than that so far. A solid c+ start. As for player reputation bias? We all loved Vieria and that Arsenal team (through gritted teeth sometimes) and he has that in the bank with fans. Keane was respected but loathed outside of Old Trafford, Vieiria was the anti-hero standing up to him. We pretty much want him to succeed where it was funny to see Keane fail. Vieira has managed three clubs, in three different countries, in their respective top flight leagues Steve McLaren has managed in three of the major European Top Flights and as an international manager. Pardew is in his third international league. As a CV point these would out rank the MLS Vieira took charge of NYCFC in Jan 2016 and improved its position in the combined MLS standings in each of his years with the club, improving from 17th in 2015 to 4th in his first season in 2016 and then to 2nd in 2017 McLaren took Boro to a European final and won there first trophy. Pardew took us to 5th. In isolation both as impressive Vieira left NYCFC with 44.44% win percentage and led the club to it's first ever playoff appearance Mclaren has a 44% overall win ratio and as above took Boro to a Eurpean final and won a trophy Vieira took over OGC Nice in June 2018 after Lucien Favre, in his first season he bettered Favre's previous campaign by finishing 7th in Ligue 1, in his second season he bettered that again finishing 5th and qualifying for the Europa League, he left with a 39.33% win percentage I'll give yo uthat one, not going down the McLaren/Pardew wormhole any more! At Crystal Palace, in his first 11 Premier League games he has managed to claim impressive victories over Manchester City (2-0) and Tottenham (3-0), whilst drawing with Arsenal, despite having a 27.27% win percentage in the Premier League, he has only lost 2 of the first 11 games, those coming from Liverpool and Chelsea Timing is everything. Until the City game they had only won 1 from 10 with 6 points from 33. Not taking away the wins v City and Wolves at all but from such a small sample of games a period of 7 days massively distorts the picture He basically has an extended period of grace where the positives will be highlighted and the negatives hushed. Hes got a crucial set of games up to Christmas. If he is as good as made out he will get another 4 wins out the 6 games, and there are 4 winnable games in the run. If he is a decent young manager with everything to prove he'll probably get 2. Any less and the first half of the season is likely to drop to a c / c-

Didn't know that Sawyer (the mum not the son) had been a Soccerette.

You couldn't be more wrong