Yorkie

His English is excellent, though. I think he stuttured, only because it wasn't his best goal, which is what the lazy journo asked. What kind of question is that when the Levadia goal was equally as good, if not better?

7 or 8, the home game to Tottenham is key - because we've got very difficult trips to Bolton and Everton. Can't see us picking anything up at the Reebok, but we'll snatch a draw from Everton. It's a tricky fixture list coming up, and 8-10 points woul dbe adequate. We won't return to the bottom three this season, i'm confident of that. But we need to get some players back. 13 injured. :roll: If Nobby and Emre are out for December, 8 points will be a monumental task.

I'd be devastated if either left tbh. And it all depends on Owen's form when he comes back from injury. If he comes back as good as he was, Owen.

They probably will. Saha/Rooney/Giggs get injured... Chelsea'll catch up big time. An injury to Saha would leave Man Utd absolutely fucked.

He'll play 4-5-1 to try and 'frustrate' Chelsea. That won't happen, Chelsea'll take the lead, and we'll be totally fucked. -------------------------- Given ---------------------------- Taylor ------- Huntington -------- Ramage --------- Babayaro Milner ------------- Butt --------- Pattison --------- N'Zogbia ----------------- Martins -------- Sibierski ------------------ The state of our squad is absolutely unbelievable. 13 first team players injured... it's absolute madness. Thirteen. It's a big opportunity for Paul Huntington. He's been roaming around the first team for 18 months now... it is time for him to get his chance. And i think that the hype and the pressure of it being against Chelsea will do him good. It's massive for him - he deserves his full debut, especially after a healthy cameo against Blackburn. We've seen Taylor at right-back, and before the revelation of Nobby, i thought he was the best right-back in the squad. He should play there. Another big day it is, for Matty Pattison. I haven't seen as much as i'd have liked to from Pattison this season, because he had a couple of canny appearances at the back end of the last one - the West Brom game in particular. I think he might do well, with the guidance and cover of one of the best players in the team at the moment (and possibly the most experienced) Nicky Butt. Our performance rests on Butt tomorrow. He's been doing his job excellently of late, and we need him now more than ever. Upfront, picks itself. Martins well on form, and has been since he's come back from injury. Sibi is just Sibi and he has to play. He's forming a canny partnership with Martins. They understand each other.

Essien's goal was an absolute belter. But Taylor's was from another world. The power, the accuracy, the audacity to actually do it, the dip, the pace - and from that far out, AND it was a volley. Simply phenomenal - absolutely mental. To say that Taylor's goal was luck is an absolutely farcical comment. He meant to do exactly what he did, and he did it absolutely amazingly. That, my friends, is one of the Premeirship's greatest ever goals. Not taking anything away from Essien's - it was an absolutely superb striker, but it's not a touch on Taylor's.

Stopped reading at this point.

That was Huntington. Eh? Huntington played his first game for the club yesterday.

Would you take Viduka? People scoff at the idea but he holds the ball up well and is good for a goal or 2. Yup. Exactly what i'm saying.

Pattison looked a decent player at the end of last season, but he was playing down the left. Would like to see a bit more of him.

I know they they keep messing with the laws of the game and one of the more recent updates was the offside law so I may be wrong here. I always understood that it matters not in which direction the player passes the ball but where the other player is in relation to him. If the second player is behind the first and the first passes the ball I understand that it matters not whether the first is in front, level with or behind the second. Could someone clarify this for me please? I don't really follow you, but i know that i'm right.

In terms of holding the ball up - Martins isn't too bad at all. We've seen Oba's best play for us coming from outside of the box. He is a creator, not a serial goalscorer. What Martins is begging for - is someone who will just stick the ball in the back of the net, because Martins' movement in the box is not that of a natural goalscorer. He is a playmaker. Owen is that partner. Owen will simply score if he has the ball. Owen shouldn't be asked to do all of the work - because that would be Martins job. Both of them are excellent at doing their job and they would make a mean partnership. Providing we play the ball on the floor; and with Milner, Dyer and Zoggy all behind them in the midfield, we shouldn't be worried about that. It would be a superb attackline. Their 'partnership' throws the bigman-littleman theory out of the window, and so it should. We need a short-term poacher in Jan. Someone who, this season, will do the things that i've described. Wait for the ball in the box and score. £2m on Viduka, or even better - a loan - would do just the job.

First goal wasn't offside. It was a cracking ball over the top, and Martins was a good half-yard behind the defender. Awesome run and an awesome finish. The nearest defender was three miles away by the time Martins struck it. The second goal was not offside. If you look at N'Zogbia's cross back - yes, Taylor is in an offside position, but N'Zogbia's ball is played backwards - therefore Taylor is onside. Had Zoggy have played the ball forwards, it would have been offside. It was a red card aswell. Yes, he won the header - but he headed directly into Martins' path. It was a pathetic defensive intervention and an overall rediculous bit of play from Henchoz. Martins may have been wide of the goal, but the nearest defender other than Henchoz was atleast 20 yards away. Martins was all on his own - he would have collected the ball and he would have had a clear goalscoring opportunity. But he was carelessly hauled down. Referee/linesmen were correct in every manner.

We won't get him now. Would absolutely love it, but he'll stay at Boro.

We would have scored a hell of a lot more goals if Shola was in the team. No doubt about it.

Wes Brown would be a superb capture... especially at £3m. He is a very good defender. Solano --- Taylor --- Brown --- Baines Very decent backline that.

What time's MOTD on tonight?

How many Prem goals today!? Christ! :shock:

Martins and Owen will be the fucking business. I'm tellin ya.

God i know! :shock: He's been in the first team squad since the Dubnica game... and it's taken this long - and when you consider how shite our defense has been, it's annoying. Glad he's had his first moment!

Martins has looked class since he's come back from injury. I never doubted he wouldn't be awesome player for us. I knew that goal against Reading was important - and i said earlier today that if he scores against Blackburn, he won't look back...

Brian Kerr.

Fine, two games then. :roll: Still not enough to say that he's 'changed our season'. He's still injured isn't he?

I don't think you can say Dyer's return is one of the main reasons, from an individual point of view - because he's only played one game. If we were to choose one player, it woul dhave to be Nobby. He's improved the defense, aswell as giving us service when needs be. He's perfect for us at right-back. He's cool and competent in defense, and yet he doesn't have to rely on pace and passing anymore, because they have both faded this season. Every so often, he'll pop up with something, but 75% of the time doing defensive duties. The Reading game/that cross is evident of that. Nobby's been simply immense since he's moved to right-back and that position, without a doubt, is now his best one. Second after Nobby, would be Martins. Looks a different player since he's come back from injury. I reckon that goal should kick-start him. If he scores against Blackburn, he'll never look back.

It's only the turning point if we get a good result at Blackburn, and beat Watford. But aye, that would be the turning point.