KaKa

If Given ruins this for us he should be dropped permanently. Has really done nothing special to earn that first team place over Harper this season.

We definitely seem to pass the ball around better with Geremi in the side. He should never been dropped from centre mid. Our best performances seem to be coming in this 4-3-3 formation and I think it's time we stuck to it and continued to work on it consistently, so we get better and better with it.

I love the fact we are defending from the front. It is vitally important to do this especially when you aren't playing well. Viauka should stay on the bench until we start playing like Brazil. Otherwise he should be used as a late impact sub when we are desperate for a goal.

He's a good player. The only problem was that he joined us so late so he was way behind everyone else fitness wise and also he didn't have a chance to build up a rapport with the rest of the team. Good to see him pulling things around.

That's why I prefer another couple of midifelders in there with him, as it means he doesn't quite get on the ball as much and when he does and he loses it we aren't as vulnerable. Butt just isn't good enough to play in the centre with just one other midfielder.

It really is a shame we didn't lineup like this last week as we had the players available to do so.

Seems to like playing against Ooijer I'm beginning to think he is generally better as a wide striker. He seems better when he doesn't receive the ball with his back to goal most of the time.

Even big nose is giving us credit. I have to say I am so impressed with the fans and the players today. I wasn't expecting such a positive reaction to the problems we had last week. Brilliant stuff. Really hope it translates to a result.

Have you seen Emre this season at all? Are you kidding me? Emre has been pathetic this year and has done nothing to deserve being in the team. At least we can aargue Barton is still working himself back into top condition. Quiet down dude.

How utterly depressing and dissapointing ... Last thing we needed was an injury to Faye.

Well done to the fans and the players today. Seems like the fans have come with the right attitude and the players are defending from the front. Very good sign. If we ultimately win this it will be a great thing for us.

Good on you Smithy. What does the 4-3-3 look like then? Milner on the left and Martins on the right? Or vice versa? Neither, they're bot playing centrally, with Smith out wide. -------------------- Given Beye ------- Faye ------ Roz -------------- Zoggy --------------------- Butt ------------ Barton --- Geremi ------------------Milner ----------------Martins Smith Sort of like that... From what i can see Smith is playing right down the middle with Martins supporting on right and Milner on left I would hope so! Shak quit messing about. This isn't the time for that.

Good on you Smithy. What does the 4-3-3 look like then? Milner on the left and Martins on the right? Or vice versa? Neither, they're bot playing centrally, with Smith out wide. -------------------- Given Beye ------- Faye ------ Roz -------------- Zoggy --------------------- Butt ------------ Barton --- Geremi ------------------Milner ----------------Martins Smith Sort of like that... What in the world is that?

Despit all the concerns about Sam let it always be remembered that he was the man who got rid of Bramble ...

Good on you Smithy. What does the 4-3-3 look like then? Milner on the left and Martins on the right? Or vice versa?

Bramble's just given Bruce a welcome present

I'm expecting a lot from the Geremi and Barton combo in the centre. I think Geremi's passing will help Barton.

Butt Geremi central midfield should sort that problem out. I think they might be a lightweight and could possibly be over run Suprising. Wouldve thought theyd make a pretty strong central midfield, one that would be void of creativity or any attacking instinct, but still, both players are pretty good defensively and despite not being tall, arent pushovers. Could play Faye there, but hes pretty much our only consistently decent centreback. Actually Barton will look a lot better as an attacking threat now he has someone in midfield who plays the short simple ball in which Geremi does. Butt cannot pass the ball and Emre always wants to be too complicated by dwelling too long or playing a raking ball accross the field which he gets wrong a lot.

Butt, Geremi and Barton is our best balance in midfield. at the moment none of our central midfielders are good enough as a pair and I think the best option is to have three in there. I think we'll be really good today wehter we'llw in or not is another matter though.

Watched Parker today and he still stinks. Still twirling around in circles with the ball and chasing his tail, still losing the ball while he does this and still doesn't have the confidence to pass the ball forward.

Oh dear ... Not liking that at all. I like the Faye and Rozehnal combo though. Think it has potential. Hope they prove it today.

I don't have too much of a problem with that. N'Zogbia at left-back is the only real thing that you can properly criticise; but if we're playing 4-3-3, there's no place for him in midfield and he's done well from deep earlier in the season. Good line-up imo. Just hope it's not all-out long ball. Am I the only one who thinks N'Zogbia could be absolutely lethal playing as left sided striker/winger in the 4-3-3? He has a great eye for goal and if you get him one on one with the full-back he has about a 800% better chance of actually going by his man and getting in a cross than either Milner (who'll go by his man before checking back and allowing the defence to get in position to deal with his cross) or Martins (who can beat his man with sheer pace but seems determined to not do so if possible). But no, lampoon him at LB where he's a liability defensively and can only effect the game getting forward when we're on top, which is pretty much never. I agree Shak he would be great in that position. However away to Blackburn and considering what happened last week it's probably better if we let Enrique have a break today.Zoggy is a liability baack there at times but i imagine he will have some support from Milner today as Milner tends to get back defensively for the most part. I think playing away to Blackburn, we are probably better defensively with Zoggy and Milner on that side, rather than Enrique and Zoggy.

Ecstatic about that line pup to be honest. I was dumbfounded when we didn't go with a 4-3-3 last week. Now is the time to see if we can make it work while Owen is out. I also think Martins has been doing a bit better from that wider position for us because he doesn't have to receive the ball with his back to goal which is when he is more prone to lose the ball. Great to see Geremi back in a central position too and I expect him to get back to being the link between the defence and the rest of the team which he did a quietly good job of earlier in the season. I'm actually looking forward to this now.

Aalborg are surprisingly good to be fair. They have strung together more passes than we have all season in this first half! Or maybe Tottenham are just that rubbish ... yeah let's go with that. Tottenham stink. Ramos out?

Did anyone watch the Owen documentary? When he went to his barn he pointed out horses owned by Parker, Stephen Carr and Given. I'll go out on a limb and say these were probably his closer pals on the team. Sam got rid of Parker, Given has laready thrown a tiff about being replaced for a few games and Carr is just a bum. Wouldn't be a surprise to me if Owen, Given or Carr are behind these kinds of stories coming out, even as the article suggests it is Owen. Which other senior members could it be? I can't see any of Sams signings turining on him already and I can't see Butt doing it either as he is one of Sam's favourites.