AyeDubbleYoo

I thought that too, he's definitely played there. Maybe just Sam's way of getting the maximum number of defenders in the team.

Expecting some intense polite clapping at the west London derby tonight. Avoid the area!

Disagree with that, at the time (ie under Shepherd and with our finances looking pretty shoddy) it made a lot of sense. I've admitted a few times on here since that I thought he'd do well for us. I was one of many that was well chuffed when he got him in.. okay bubble burst pretty quick but still at the time it was good news. Interesting that people felt like this... I'm not saying you're wrong, I didn't have any psychic premonition or anything, there was just something about the appointment that didn't fit with NUFC. I'm not one of the "we're special, we only deserve the best" brigade, but at the same time we do put a lot of importance on our football, and we're unlikey to put up with complete dirge every week - especially if it's not getting results. I just thought that Sam would never deliver anything other than boredom and mediocrity.

I really think Crouch is underrated by a lot of people, he is very useful to Spurs and England IMO. But Carroll has the attributes to surpass him, although he's smaller he's a better header of the ball and should turn out to be a better goalscorer. Carroll's mobility is also something he seems to be working on. His touch is sometimes a bit suspect, but that seems to be improving as well. No slight on Crouch, who I rate, but I would much rather have Carroll.

I know he is, I was just saying in this instance it might be his reputation preceding him. I haven't even seen it, just going on radio commentary.

TBF to Cattermole (who is no doubt a dirty mofo) there was a lot of discussion last night about that tackle. A few commentators seemed to think he meant to play the ball, but bounced/skimmed off it and into Modric. Some were saying he was unlucky to get booked.

I think he'll stay in. Would be really surprised if Hughton switched Harper straight back in.

Only having two players ahead of you, one of whom can't defend and the other the manager obviously doesn't rate, is a pretty decent position to be in IMO. Especially for a player of Simpson's young age. (I'm not saying he's international class, but we can only pick from the players available)

He was so obviously the wrong man for us from the moment he was announced as manager - it was a terrible appointment. I think the dislike comes from the fact that he played awful, awful football with a fucking abysmal negative approach for his time here, led us to the brink of relegation and then continued to say he was treated badly, never deserved to be sacked and was generally doing a good job.

Think that was the best thing about our defending, it was intelligent rather than frantic and desperate.

I think we can do them. Samba is a tough customer but he's not used to handling monsters like Carroll. I'd like to see Routledge unleashed at some point, think they could struggle against two wingers. Looking forward to it anyway, win or lose we know we're better off without fucking Big Sam.

No surprise that Spurs fans are booing though, they have the biggest ability I've ever seen to forget the recent past.

On the Times 'The Game' podcast this week, Oliver Kay says "Hughton isn't the big name manager that Newcastle fans want or feel they deserve". WHAT A LOAD OF BULLSHIT! Everytime I hear something like this I want to smash the radio to pieces. At least Marcotti was sensible enough to say the speculation is a media invention.

He's got a point in this case TBH, Spurs are overachieving at the moment and the fans have no excuse to boo whatsoever.

He has tweaked his game to adapt to the Premiership. When he first arrived he was throwing himself in to every header and the ball often ended up behind him. Now he is more confident and is timing his headers really well, often letting the ball drop over the head of the attacker and heading it up and away. Can never understand how defenders do that, but it works well for the ones that aren't 6'3" monsters.

Really detest Big Sam, he's the only person in football that genuinely makes me feel ill. Even when he was our manager, I hated him more than any rival manager or player.

He is pretty much the only remaining fit English right-back like... still it's a bit far fetched.

I have a good feeling about it. I'm not sure what this means.

Time to whack Torres in the fantasy team I reckon, they've got a juicy few fixtures coming up.

He's never going to have a large number of shots on goal. He doesn't even attempt to shoot from outside the box, and his goals come in quite specific situations.

At the time I thought it was a definite red card, Squillaci was well behind the play and it was a clear opportunity. I still think the same after seeing highlights... Squillaci only gets goal-side after Ranger has been brought down.

He just wants managers to be able to score them I think.

Not going to argue with that. Me either, but at the moment Ashley is doing what an owner should do... just create the environment for the playing staff to operate and leave them to it. Whether or not he stumbled on the right setup out of luck and/or despite himself is another matter, obviously.

Nice phrase, I'll steal that. And you're right, there's no way that Ashley has pissed off Hughton to the point that he would walk out. It's a nothing story.