Ronaldo

Similar to Owen, you put Lovenkrands in a position where he needs to use strength or guile and he'll come off second best the vast majority of the time. I'm glad he's here though because alongside a Carroll or Shola he'll likely get in behind a hell of a lot with his acceleration and slot them away. That said, with Harewood in the team I'd only ever put Lovenkrands on the bench, as I said before Saturday's game

He's a central defender, he's entitled to making 2 costly errors per season

Wes Brown is better defensively

I always thought Lampard got far too much grief for his England performances. Gerrard on the other hand possibly got off too lightly, some of his performances pre-Capello were woeful. Especially his cowardly and gutless performance as captain away in Moscow. He should never wear the captain's armband for England again (if the opportunity arose) after that night.

the idea is with stability and financial prudence in spending then the club can generate its own finance. Everton are an example of a club that competes at the top level and only spend within their means without the resources of a chelsea man city man u Everton are going backwards though. Going backwards or maintaining their same level of stability, ony losing their league final placing due to Villa and Man city spunking wedge left right and centre. Villa?

Am with you and Dave here. Count me in to, we just cannot compete with the oil money. Short term it would be great to have that investment. Long term is another problem. Just look at where it has gotten Chelsea probably the best team in europe and clear favourites to win the permiership?

I worry that Shearer will play Butt, apart from that I couldn't really care less

Right on the button - this side are not in the same class as KK's 92/93 promotion team ; even the midfield, supposedly the best part of the side, is mediocre and one paced. Promotion is still a long way off in my view and the Play-offs would be a success bearing in mind the problems surrounding the club. Defence is the best part of the team by an absolute mile.

Cole is the best in the world at LB, Ferdinand and Terry are the best international combination in the world on paper. Johnson is the weak link but he can be protected

Or Xavi and Iniesta. Pfff. Gerrard and Lampard are absolutely top-draw, comparable in terms of quality to those two, imo, if different in style. absolutely, easily as good as the spanish two. Truth be told another striker in Rooney's league and we'd be looking comfortably better than the Spainsh first Xl.

When you're as good on the ball as Bellamy is, you afford to drop deep and wide

Brown's a good defender, never fulfilled his potential but still good enough to be in that squad. I have absolute and complete faith in Capello to pick the right players.

If we try to use Harewood as a battering ram type we'll deserve everything we get from him, ie nothing.

Lovenkrands bring absolutely nothing to the wing, he's a finisher and nothing else

Niether have them have been given more than 2 games in central midfield this season, lets not draw conclusions just yet. In fairness to Smith, he's been brilliant in that position.

people still putting Lovenkrands on the LW? I didn't expect such nonsense from you tbf

Has to be Keegan

There's nothing I hate more than international weekends

God, you're a waste of time. Directly off a long ball, we've scored 2 in 11 games

What the fuck are you on about? I'm not talking about Ranger, Carroll or whoever. I'm referring to the long ball tactics we've played most of the time this season with little success.

Ryan Taylor, Geremi, Nicky Butt or even a wide playing Guthrie keeping Jonas out of the side would basically be madness

Jonas has been back for a game and a half, lets not write off his contribution just yet

We don't have a Viduka anymore, which is what such a system requires. A 4-4-2 with Jonas and Enrique down the left will make us look a muh more polished attacking unit

2 goals in 11 games against the worst of defences doesn't represent success to me. The long ball tactic succeeds only in us losing the ball time and time again. We looked out most dangerous going forward against Brom, Reading and Ispwich to me. Simply because we played some football and got the ball wide when we could.

Harewood has to be there man, the rest have proved they aren't goal scorers, at least yet