Yorkie

Nah, it's not diving - because there is contact and the player is clearly fouling him.

GOOD.

He was never gonna change anything last night while it was 1-0... But in the Premier League it is very frustrating.

A win against Celta and a draw against Frankfurt (who have drawn nine games out of 14 this season), should see us finish top. So here's to hoping.

Hoep we don't start Krul. What if he cocks up or something? He's a long way from the finished article, and i'd really like to see him go on loan later in the season. He's still got a lot of learning to do and we don't want to burn him out. Harper Taylor --- Bramble --- Moore --- Ramage Milner --- Parker --- Butt --- Duff Rossi --- Luque (Dyer or Emre for Butt if they are fit)

Pretty sure we'll beat Celta... but remember - it's much better to finish third than second. If we finish second, we play a Champions League drop-out. Which could potentially come in the shape of Barcelona at this rate. :shock:

4-3-3 = 4-5-1. NO NO NO NO NO. And i still don't rate Luque that highly anyway.

TBF, Jenas only played the ball back, not square.

I'd still like to see Luque on the left-wing. I really hope he gets a chance in more of a position like that in the Carling Cup.

If we're playing this game - can't we genetically doodaa him with Ronaldinho or Kaka or summat? :?

I know, he's like a fucking dog before he sits down.

So like a 4-3-3 type formation? Reminiscent of Chelsea's Robben---Drogba---Cole type thing last season?

I've got nothing to say about their defence other than that's about the only place Palermo had first-choice players tonight. My point is that Butt played most of the game against NONE of Palermo's first-choice midfield. That's a Palermo first choice midfield who have created and scored a lot of goals this season in Serie A. No, youre right, it's a shit argument ... Palermo's first team is better yes, and it may have been different had they have played - but this was barely our first choice midfield either, and the Palermo players weren't poor footballers. And they still came at us all the time in the second half with pace, determination and intent, with their sparse (yet drivng) crowd behind them on home turf, and we still dealt with them. There really is no pleasing some people.

I don't think we should drop Parker, but i think we should drop Nobby. His passing was woeful once again, despite his impressive defending. I think it would be sneaky if we did aswell, considering how Neil Wanker is going all out to try and thwart Nobby...

Say again? :shock:

If Milner had had a little more experience, he would have gone down mst likely and we would have got the penalty. I was going to say that that's what Shearer would have done... but on second thoughts, Shearer would have broke the net.

My facts were wrong, but your argument is still shit. Parker, Duff, Ameobi, Sibierski, Babayaro, Carr, Rossi, Given, Dyer, Martins, Owen were all missing tonight, and all potentially threaten a place in our definite first team. Bresciano's a cracking player and Simplicio and Di Michele were the others that i was thinking of. Not really bothered about what you say about their defense, it's fairly poor anyway - they've conceded a lot of goals this season in Serie A. Fortunately for them they've been deadly in attack. And we still dealt with them.

Thought he was very, very mediocre tonight and still looked lazy and slow, and he didn't fight for anything when the ball was on the floor. But in fairness, he was playing in a completely alien role. I still want to see him play on Saturday and i'll be annoyed if he doesnt.

Kneejerk tbh It was Palermo's reserves, for feck's sake. Umm no... they dropped three of their first teamers, bringing two of them on with half an hour to go. And it was hardly our first team either was it, we left seven of them at home.

Defensively, i really do feel that it was a superb performance. The best so far this season. Moore's intelligence, Bramble's tackles, Ramage and Taylor's doggedness. But we were insanely frustrating going forward. But that was the tactics though, not the players. It looked like Roeder went into that game, absolutely 100% definitely looking for a draw. We didn't look like we wanted to attack, at any point in the game, and we could have scored so many more against an average defense. We were so slow going forward and the passes were so backward, that Palermo jsut got all their man back and defended with ease. The goal came out of nothing - that was the only ball into the box bar a corner. But like i said earlier - i'm not really complaining. We got a fabulous three points and massive credit to the defense and the keeper. But Palermo should have won that game hands down, because we just didn't look like we wanted to attack. Fortunately our defense was on form for once. I'm just not getting ahead of myself because i thought Roeder's performance was crap once again, and i don't credit him whatsoever for the victory. He clearly told the lads at half time to let them attack and simply defend, and that's a shocking tactic with a defense like ours. But fortunately, our defense but in a performance that we see once in a blue moon. With a better manager with better tactics, we'd have beaten Palermo comfortably tonight. Don't get me wrong - i'm still absolutely thrilled that we won the game, but it was the defense that won it for us, not the attack or the manager.

Same defense, absolutely. But we were awful going forward. Milner --- Parker --- Butt --- Duff Luque --- Rossi

Thought he'd been pretty poor in the last few games... but i still think that he is our best player when he's on form - which is most of the time. Parker and Dyer is our best pairing in my opinion, but Butt and Emre are doing very well. I don't see why Butt and Parker shouldn't work to be honest.

Awesome performance. Absolutely brilliant with simply world class saves. He's a big guy himself - and he used that to perfection - made himself massive in that goal and Palermo just weren't going to score with him between the sticks. Absolutely ecstatic for him, but i don't want to go over the top. We should be careful with him, and not 'burn him out' as Roeder would say. Probably a good idea to give him the odd appearance... like against Watford. He'll be brillant, so long as we treat him right. He's still got a lot to learn.

Defensively, we were first class in my opinion. They got through once or twice but Bramble recovered on a a couple of occassions with superb tackles, and the saves from Krul were first class. Moore led the line in the defense thee, absolutely superb performance - and i thought Nicky Butt was man of the match. Superb infront of the defense... cancelled out goals from Palermo. Attacking wise - frustrating as fuck, and i'm sorry - but i refuse to say Luque played well. Up there on his own, he did absolutely nothing in the second half and didn't challenge for any ball ont he floor, but then all of our attackers were like that. Didn't chase for the ball and just let Palermo walk forward and play the ball. There seemed to be some sort of forcefield like 40 yards out from goal. Players would run forward, stop dead at that point, and play it wide or back. There was absolutely no movement going forward... but i mean - what do you expect in a 4-5-1? The tactics weren't great in my opinion - but credit to the defenders for holding out. I'm not really complaining that we didn't go on and score another two or three, but i really, really think we could have done. Doesn't matter though - three points and i am absolutely ecstatic. This is the best team in Serie A, and we've beaten them on their home turf. Absolutely brilliant. One of the results of the season, if not the. Get in there lads. Brilliant.