Lotus

I would think there's something to the Douglas rumours too.

Chelsea will have so many players out for the final. This could well play into our (or spurs) hands. Chelsea's mind will be on that final but i really can't see them winning it.

Unbelievable due to the fact you couldn't get a sheet of paper under him when he 'jumps' for a ball on the pitch...

Unluckily, Wigan, Man City and Chelsea seems to have hit something resembling form.

Haven't seen enough of Marveaux tbh. I was kind of hoping that Vuckic might fit in there, left side of a front 3. Would need to help out defending on that side but no where as much responsibilty as the LM position. Still, guess we'll have to wait and see on both of them!

Imagine Hoilett-Cissé-Ben Arfa. We'd win 10-0 every game. Hoilett looks a lazy bastard when the oppostion's got the ball.

It's upwards from the goal line that seems to be difficult for him....

Playing as the most advanced of the three, I'd fancy Vuckic to bag a goal more so than I would Gosling. Reckon we could be completely over run in midfield.

Not sure he has the engine, positioning or discipline for it.

Fulham XI: Somogyi, Grimmer, A. Smith, Briggs, Burn, Gecov, B. Riise, Davies, Trotta, Kasami, Frei I reckon that Briggs could turn out to be a decent LB, strong and quick, just needs to learn to read the game a little better.

His postioning and timing just seems so natural. Great player in the box and tidy all over the pitch. Love this guy!

QUite an interesting post on RAWK actually: http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=287630.0

Actually think he has decent technique with his head. Times his jumps pretty well too. Not necessarily an essential in a fullback though....

Yeah, apart from crossing, passing more than 10 yards, dribbling and timing his tackles his technique is more than adequate!

One role with possession... One without... I really wonder if they're compatible even with a more able player.

Looking at it, Raylor isn't much cop in the air or in 'ground duels'. Williamson isn't much good at 'successfully headed clearances', less than a third in that dept. Like V.I. says though, be nice to see a definition for that first though!

I agree. I think (and i know you're not firmly in the 'Pardew camp' here) that seems to me like Pardew hasn't got a really in depth understanding of what was bringing the results so he was afraid to try something different. As an alternative, remember Manu doing well but still getting Cronaldo on the pitch to give him minutes even when he was, in those days, a complete show pony. Didn't stop Fergie subbing him on though to get him used to it all and start developing.

Wonder if we ever went over what he was meant to do when we had the ball.

Any RB would have a field day looking at that (imo).

I certainly haven't. Actually, going on form, i would think about bringing Shola on for Ba in the last 20 and keep Cisse on (if he's actually playing at all).

He was only really fit just before his injury, and Pardew's "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach was keeping the likes of Obertan and Ryan Taylor in the team, and the likes of Marveaux and Santon out of it. Didn't he play 120 mins in a cup game and still not get a look in during subsequent games? Not sure fitness was the issue. More like he didn't have enough about him in Pardew's eyes to displace Obertan or Jonas.

He wasn't getting a look in when he was fit and able earlier in the season, why do people assume Pardew will have changed his mind about him?

I don't think Shola can last 90 mins tbh. Bring him on when the oppo are tired and we want to make the ball stick up top.