Nate

I don't think you can call Emre more consistent than Barton. Both have played too little this season to be judged properly, but if you look at their last couple of years in the Premier League Barton has performed more consistently for City than Emre has for us. I agree with you on the other point. If we could only make 3 signings this Summer i would want a top centre half, central midfielder and centre forward. When Faye is not in the team we have no spine whatsoever, something you find all the top teams are built around.

What set the alarm bells ringing today was not the selection of Butt, Carr and Smith - because afterall he is still getting to know the squad and they all carry big reputations - but his inability to change things when we were being completely overrun by Villa at the beginning of the second half. It was worryingly reminiscent of games under his predecessors and whilst of course i'm not 'turning on him', it will undeniably be a cause for concern if those three start ahead of Faye, Enrique and Viduka again.

What has he had, 5 league starts? I thought he was good against Blackburn, good against Arsenal and yes, he has been poor in the other games but which of our players are performing consistently at the moment? The same people who want us to sell Barton probably want rid of Butt and Emre too - we can't buy 20 players in the Summer. I've seen enough from him to suggest he's a decent midfielder and certainly good for us next season.

N'Zogbia's goal versus Middlesbrough, and Allardyce, Mort and Ashley's reaction to it.

Viduka has scored more goals this season than Smith has in ten years, for fuck's sake.

Why did Keegan not change the team that had been overrun for 20 minutes?

Desperately need to get Faye in the middle and Viduka up front if we want anything from this game.

"It's a strange and comical idea," the former France international said. "I was laughing. I laughed because it will never be received by Fifa, by the fans and by the national associations. It's a nonsense idea. It's like if I am president of Uefa and I put the house of Uefa in China." "It's ironic. Soon you will have in England no English presidents, you already have no English coach, you have no English players and maybe now you will have no clubs playing in England. It's a joke." -Michel Platini.

Criminal not to play Faye, Enrique and Viduka, to be honest.

According to Sky Sports News.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=x9RwpHhBohY

Egypt have really impressed in their last few games, solid defensively and capable of some fluent passing moves going forward. Cameroon are going to need Eto'o on the top of his game to beat them.

That Geremi free kick was a few inches away from being one of the greatest of all time.

'What does Terry Mac do?' Keegan saying he has a future here.

Hleb in particular has put in some wonderful performances this season.

Not surprising to see him pack the midfield with five quite central players with plenty of technical ability on the ball, but little pace. It does make the omission of Carrick even more strange, though.

Harper Carr Beye Caçapa Enrique Milner Faye Barton Duff Owen Viduka

There goes any remaining credibility Sky Sport News were clinging onto after this transfer window.

James Richards Ferdinand Woodgate A.Cole Bentley Hargreaves Barry Young SWP Rooney Ferdinand captain - Gerrard hasn't been up to much lately and Hargreaves/Barry gives the midfield a nice balance. SWP has been in better form than Owen too.

Being our best central midfielder he is worth the bother, though.

Great scenes at the end. Do Guinea have any chance against the Ivory Coast tonight? I haven't seen them play.

My only concern is that all these teams are mentally prepared for a relegation battle and are fighting for everything now. You fear, with the fixtures we have coming up, we could find ourselves right in the thick of it with a group of players who currently look scared to play football, who knows how they will cope if panic over survival sets in...

Davies, King, Johnson, Shorey, Downing, Carrick and Heskey ommited from the final squad. I'm surprised Capello has opted for Jenas over Carrick.

Game on.