Chris_R

Because we're desperate?

That's not a bad analysis of what was wrong with the team set up. With Butt being injured Hughton actually stumbled onto a half balanced line up against Man U, but with "big reputation" players available again his lily-livered instincts took over again. Yes. People complain about Owen not touching the ball, but ffs sake put him in a side who can actually pass the ball to his feet and you might see him getting involved a bit. Exactly. 5'8" Michael Owen is ALWAYS going to do precisely fuck all when he's playing in a side that just hoofs balls up to his head and doesn't support him from midfield. I don't blame Owen one bit for his no-show today, it's the "tactics" that we're playing that meant the bloke didn't stand a chance of getting involved.

Geremi, Smith, Butt & Jonas contributed virtually nothing today. The defence were just hoofing long balls up to 2 strikers who wouldn't reach the 6 foot mark if they stood on each other's shoulders. If you've got Matins and Owen up front, then you need to keep it on the deck, spread it wide and get the midfield up to support the forwards. Sadly the midfield wasn't capable of supporting them as (Jonas apart) they've got no pace or capacity to attack, leading to a massive gulf between them and the strikers. Hull can win headers from our long balls and know there's nobody following up. It was a shambles.

It's not a "must win" game, but if we don't win it then I think we're strong favourites to go down. I had a dream last night that we scored first but lost 2-1. Though I'm not getting too concerned at that because, dreams being dreams, our goal was a 30 yard screamer scored by a girl called Hannah.

It seems I have a good memory. http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/angloit93.html Halfway down under "International stage": 24-11-1992 Newcastle 0-1 Ascoli Wherever that list of lowest attendances is from, it needs updating as this one was definitely under 10k.

Was at that game. Wasn't there another Anglo Italian home game that year as well? Against Ascoli or Bari if memory serves correctly? Ascoli seems to ring a bell. Sure we only got about 9000 for that and I was at that one as well.

I sometimes buy The Mag, which apparently means I buy it once or twice per week.

No we dont, nor Geremi or Viduka. Your avatar is pointing the way, get some younguns in. I 100% agree but we all know the club won't do it, it will be a make shift position for someone else from the 1st team rather than a youngin in the correct role. I could see them playing Cacapa there, let's face it they've done it before even though it's painfully obvious that he offers nothing at all there.

TBF though, Jackie Milburn would have been more mobile and held the ball up better than Shola today he's been dead 20 years.

Personally I thought Steven Taylor should have made more of an effort to track Gardner's run. Perhaps the run should have been tracked from midfield but once it wasn't then Taylor could see Coloccini had their striker to mark, he could see Gardner running in, and he had nobody to mark himself. But instead of closing Gardner down, he doubled up with Coloccini on their striker.

Lua Lua should be out there. Could certainly be worth trying. At least have him available to come on from the bench to change things round. If Houghton had the balls to try that, that is, which he plainly doesn't.

I think Jonas has only had a couple of games on the right though, he's certainly never been given a run there. Sure he's looked threatening on the left but has never had any end product there. I'd much rather see him given a run out on the right, and told to beat his man and put a cross in. Far better that than him fannying about on the left, beating his man a few times then smacking a cross over the bar with his left foot.

Houghton ought to be shot with shit for taking Oba off and bringing Viduka on. You could tell by the look on Martins' face that he wasn't injured or knackered, he was gutted to be coming off. So it was a 'tactical substitution'. Houghton, you're a fucking clown. Why was Lovenkrands played on the right when he's entirely left footed? Why is Jonas played on the left when he's right footed? No wonder neither of them provided any decent service to the strikers. No wonder Jonas NEVER provides any decent service to the strikers and his crossing is always woeful. Since fat Sam was here we seem obsessed with playing wingers on the wrong wings, and it just doesn't work. Duff is often played on the right as well, it needs to stop.

That's priceless. More foam hands and after the goal music, that's what they need, and less of this noisy, disruptive standing up singing and supporting your team.

No worse than referring to things you don't like as 'gay'. Thought we all stopped that when we hit puberty?

Threw away any chance of winning that game with a shocking starting lineup and a shocking tackle from Nolan. Really should have had Jonas and Martins on from the start if there was even the tiniest chance they could have managed 60 minutes each. So for me today: Harper: 6 Couple of decent saves but Everton didn't really test him. Kicking was pretty awful, needs to improve. Enrique: 8 Strong as an ox, fast, and generally had a great game. OK, he's no Ronaldo with the ball at his feet but that's not his job. Bassong: 8.5 Never put a foot wrong. Another accomplished display. Coloccini: 7 Played OK, but definitely the shakier of the 2 DCs. Saylor: 7 Played well, agree with those saying he looks better at DR than at DC. Duff: 0 Did nothing, gets no marks. Rightly subbed at half-time. Raylor: 6 for his outfield work as he's got no real pace, 8 for his threat with dead balls. 7 Overall. Butt: 4 Jogged round a bit, looked generally out of his depth. Watching Butt play is like watching your dad get up on the dancefloor. Maybe he had the moves once, but now it's just embarrassing. Nolan: 6 for a tidy contribution up to about 35 minutes, but then loses all 6 for being a spastic. Overall 0. Løvenkrands: 5 Showed a good turn of pace but didn't really get involved. Plus missed a sitter. Ameobie: 1 - Just fuck off. Please. Ambled round the pitch at what amounted to a slow jog looking totally disinterested. 6'4" yet can't win a header and is about as strong as a glass of water. I could accept all that if he scored goals but after 246 games now he's got 50. For a striker, that's shit. For a striker that offers nothing else to the team, that's simply unacceptable. Jonas: 6 Livened things up a bit for 15 minutes, then disappeared mainly due to lack of service. Needs to work on his final ball. Martins: 6 Again, no service other than a few long balls pumped up to him but despite being about 5'8" he still won more headers than Amadonkey. Smith: Still looks as good now as the day he signed for us. 3.

How did you manage to spend £8 on a £3 programme? They're robbing bastards those programme sellers. Twice I've had one try to short change me. But to get short changed by a fiver is admittedly impressive!

Well, they do have to watch Sunderland. It's not that good a deal!

I was watching it with the missus and we lost a few seconds in the buildup, when it came back on (Before the goal) I said "Wouldn't it be funny if they'd missed the winner". Then 5 seconds later Everton score, now I find out some people DID miss the winner. Shambles!

Private planes are still ok to land aren't they? Private planes and planes from abroad still going, UK internal planes aren't. Highly doubt that, private planes can do whatever the f*** they want Fly underwater? Why not? http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/06/27/denmarks-amazing-submarine-plane/

Fox.

Was fantastic yesterday. Defensively he was awesome, not so great going forward but I can live with that if he's so solid at the back. I really don't know what he's done to annoy Kinnear but if one of them has to go then I pray to god it's not Enrique.

I can't spot the mistake? Been looking for 5 minutes now. look at the headline under the photo Spot on! I thought it was that they've listed him as 24, when he's only 22.

You can draw anyone in the cup, you know.

Pointless including Dyer in that list, he'll still be out injured.