Lotus

Wonder if the work permit might have been a problem for him. Looks real quality on Youtube.

Steven N'Zonzi (Blackburn) Matt Phillips (Blackpool)

Matt Phillips has looked really useful.

Maybe (big maybe) he could play in a midfield 3. Something like: Barton-------Tiote-------Ireland HBA---------Carroll-----Ranger/Best

Hope to f**k he's not over there at the moment!

I actually had a look through the Enrique thread but there is a section missing from 2007 (August i think) to 2010 (might have been March). Or i was in the wrong thread! Don't really see the value in embarrassing posters with past comments (unless they take it well). I guess the point is that some players need a bit of time to develop without pressure on them all the time. There's been times when i've wondered if letting Colo go would be best all round, same for Barton. Times when i thought Carroll might turn out to be nothing much at all. Oddly, i'm quite optimistic about Ranger but that's more heart than head talking. I wonder how many Spurs fans had any idea what kind of player Bale was going turn into. They never used to win with him in the side! He looked worse than ordinary and LB and without the class needed at LW. Seemed like he was dropped, got his head down, trained hard, improved, pushed his way back into the side and now look at him! What went in his favour was that they could play without him. They had cover, a squad.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!

It's because Williamson reads the game better. Espicially when the ball's in the air, either a cross or a diagonal. Williamson did very well in the 2nd half against the mackems when they tried popping the ball over the top. He just read it. Taylor's a better athlete and better with the ball.

I can only imagine that Pardew is trying to make it clear, in no uncertain terms that Ranger needs to seriously buck up his ideas. And i reckon he's come to that conclusion from seeing him day in and day out. The bloke's got to want to become better before anyone at the club can help him improve.

Enrique was slated. Often. Anyway, that's not the point. Who do you think will prove the current perception wrong? Guthrie? Routledge? Ranger? Perch? I'll go for Perch.

Lots of peeps wrote off Enrique, very few defended him (i did though ) now he's great! Lots of peeps wrote off Colo, very few defended him (Ronaldo did though) now he's great! Lots of peeps wrote off AC9, after Man City that time i thought (and many others) that he just didn't have it in him. Now he's great! Simpson: Got better against better opposition. Go figure! Barton, bit of both from all posters, his value is evident now, so much good goes through him. So, maybe we need to have a bit more patience with players, maybe some need a year or two to really show some form. Current black sheep are: Guthrie: beefs up (body and mind), tries to impose himself, is there a player in there? I reckon there is. Needs to seriously grow some stones though. Time on his side. Possible. Perch: Good athlete. Looking out of his depth. If he learns to read the game better then i reckon he's got the physical attributes to have a career at this level. Remember the slating Jose used to get? People had NO time for him. Maybe Perch can come good or at least better than he is currently. Loverkrands: Too old to adapt for me. Ranger: Needs to figure what he wants out of life. If it's football then he needs to make sure all his choices outside of football reflect that. Smith: I think we're all agreed on this one. Routledge: Difficult this one for me. Hasn't got a great 1st touch imo. Scared to take a chance often. He has a bit of a mental block at this level it seems. I reckon he's worth persisting with. Jonas: I think he takes a lot of pressure of the team. I also think he'd benefit greatly from having HBA playing in the same side. Looks tired too. So, who do you think it's worth keeping and trying to develop them?

I had a very good friend who had manic depression. Then she had a stroke (young too) so she has other problems now. Her life was chaotic and often depairing. I don't for one minute believe Ronaldo is referring to cases like hers. Lots of people do use the word 'depression' without having a real idea of what it means. I hear it as often as i hear the term 'world class' on MOTD. Often in both instances, widly inaccurate.

To be honest, i understand your point (OP), however. Ashley has bought a club with a massive fanbase and his actions are turning them (slowly) into customers. You can treat supporters with contempt, and he has. But when they start becoming customers you have to think a little about what you're doing. And that's someting he's not doing very well. We can love the club for what it means to us but we don't have to love it for what it means to him.

Wouldn't it be weird if we ended with Jol & Pardew. Pardew as the assistant. or Jol as DoF.

Probably yes, looking at the perfomance. The total disinterest does seem to make sense now.

I wonder if the players had some hint of this before yesterday....

You're right, he did fine last year. Shak's also right though. Guthrie lacks bollox and you can't coach that into someone. I wouldn't sell him because we haven't got a player any better in the reserves. I'd be telling him he's a year to grow a pair though or he can move on and play at a lower level.

He would have looked a lot better if Carroll or Ameobi had actualy offered a short option when he ran with the ball. Even just now and again. Carroll surged forward and Ameobi always stood watching him. Our front 2 didn't work the channels. Made it hard for the wide men.

Well, i don't want to jump on him because of the goal last night. He was waiting to see what would happen with Colo and then had to make a jump from standing and lost out. Not great but Colo was the cause of the problem, that's just the plain and simple fact of the matter. Neither Williamson nor Krul did anything out of the ordinary to save the situation and so they scored. I like Williamson because he's normally fairly sound positioning wise, hasn't got much pace, isn't as strong as i expected given his height. I think he's a bit of an opposite to Steven Taylor actually, who has a better turn of pace and would of probably beaten Roberts to the ball yesterday. However, STaylor isn't so hot positionally, especially when the ball goes wide and Williamson often keeps a better body shape, on the turn, giving himself options. Still very happy with Williamson, he's more than worth his price. Last night was just one of those things.

Everytime i glance at the thread title i see 'Steve Bruce Toothache' Disconcerting.

Dunno, they bought that Moroccan lad in the transfer window though. You're wasted on here

I always feel like we never do well after international breaks. This is based on no empirical evidence whatsoever

Perch shouldn't be marking Huth to start with imo.

Can't agree with that. Brummie did warn us we'd go off this bloke though!

He's pretty good with the 2nd ball. We didn't win any 1st ball against Stoke. I think he works well with Kevin Davies but other than that i'm not too sure. He didn't look any better than the Stoke players.