brummie

It hasn't come this season. Whilst the fundamentals of our game haven't changed (pace, counter attack), we've had to change our shape a fair bit (5 in midfield while Carew was out, and we only had Agbonlahor up front, for example). He changed things a fair bit in the run-in last season as well, playing Young in a free roaming role behind the strikers, which worked very well. Plenty of teams have actually already worked out how to stifle us - stick ten men behind the ball. The one thing we lack right now is someone in midfield who can unlock defences when they come to Villa Park and do that (Wigan and Fulham were good examples). Currently we do better against teams who have a go, and attack. That's why we won at the Emirates, and why we really should have beaten Arsenal at home too. I think the key thing is that this is the start, and we're over-achieving. I said at the start of the season that I really wanted us to establish ourselves as the best of the rest, that would have been an achievement. It is looking better at the moment, but even if we finished 5th, it'd be a very good season, as we've seen flashes of what we can do. Much rather get consistent top four finishes rather than do it once then burn out and fade Oh, incidentally, also makes me laugh when (not on here) people say we've had no injuries. They've clearly not noticed our Dutch international left back out for the entire season so far, Martin Laursen currently out for three months, and John Carew missing for almost three months (and although not through injuries, but due to Shorey's shitness, Luke Young being played on the wrong side of the pitch and NRC, Gardener or Cuellar beimg played out of position at RB).

Bit too early to talk about top four finishes for my money, but nice sentiments, ta!

The difference with Chelsea is that they were a pisspot club with zero history until Harding came in and waved his money around, and subsequently RA did the same. I'll admit, I don't like Man United, but that's more about things like Steve cunting Bruce and seven minutes of extra time than it is the club itself. I don't mind Man United fans from the area. But what I really absolutely fucking loathe are gloryhunters. I don't just mean Man United gloryhunters, but the lot, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool. Once I hear someone with a west country accent talking about how they're a Chelsea fan, I just turn off, they're dead to me, they are the absolute lowest of the low. I would rather my son became a Birmingham City supporter than supported Liverpool or Man United. People (in Britain) who just "choose" a successful club from a city they have no connection with - they're really the lowest of the low, they are the modern day equivalents of quislings, treacherous weasels whose opinion on football matters not one fucking jot to me, because it is a false one. What do they know about being a real football supporter? It'd be like me suddenly latching on to Pittsburgh Steelers or whoever it is that wins that funny American sport all the time. *rant ends*

Good result for us, that. Would have been better had they beaten Arsenal, but mustn't grumble.

Although in fairness, I've seen us do spectacular things in the past, I've seen us get to the precipice of a real breakthrough and then suddenly piss it all away so many times, too.

Good to see Luke Young in there, he has been brilliant this season, and consistently so. Surprised no shout for Curtis Davies, mind.

Fucking joke if he gets a cap like. The lad couldn't trap a bag of sand. When we had him on loan we knew him as Can't Control.

Getting better. I John Robertson was a slow, unspectacular winger but knew how to put a cross in. He's obviously been doing something with him. I'd consider him a right sided midfielder rather than a winger, in any case, if that makes sense. Also in his favour may be the fact that we have Young on the other wing sticking the crosses in, so he's not the only player we can turn to for balls in to the box.

In the England squad. Really dodgy start with us, has done very, very well since then.

We've now won seven away games in a row. Thirteen match unbeaten run. Milner had a blinder today. And we've actually started playing well the last few games, too.

What is the reason for thinking Shearer could be the answer? It is emotional bullshit. He's steeped in Newcastle, fair enough, but for fuck's sake, Gareth Southgate was a great player, and what has he done for Boro? Would it have made any difference if he was a born smoggie? Emotional appointments are risky as fuck. Appoint someone who has a clear and demonstrable track record which suggests they may be able to actually do the job. Appointments based on sentiment strike me as the absolute last thing Newcastle need.

Forgive me if I'm blundering amateurishly in to a china shop whilst dressed like a bull - I'm an ignorant outsider - but surely, surely the appropriate thing for Ashley to do right now would be to send that fucking anachronism on legs Kinnear back to whence he came, and appoint Steve Bruce. Leave aside all the shit about him being a Geordie (and, quite frankly, who fucking cares, it has ZERO relevance), but he's got a fucking good record, and is more than a little bit tasty in the transfer market. Forget suggestions like luring away Mourinho or similar - it will not happen - but make a sensible, long term appointment. Looking at Kinnear now, it is quite clearly only going to end up in one place - a bad place, and every month he spends in the job is a month wasted.

Just spotted at Birmingham airport.

What do the Spurs ITKs say? Are they all agreed on something?

We were linked with him in the last window. It was a bad, bad time.

Mind you, about 500 away fans today. That'd take a bit of getting used to

N'Zogbia was with the Wigan team at the New Hall Hotel in Sutton Coldfield last night / this morning. He's doing a great job, Bruce. Unbelievable to see a team time waste as much as they did today, though. i guess that comes with the territory of being in the upper echelons for a spell. I suspect Bruce will get good things out of him.

We only got a point today, but we played very, very well indeed. Carew looked good when he came on, too, which was very nice to see. Rob Styles is without a doubt the worst referee I've seen in 30 years plus of watching football. He just consistently gets things wrong, and has that Uriah Rennie narcissism thing going on.

On the pitch at Fratton Park week in, week out is a lot better than on the bench at Tottenham, though

Has this been posted 100 times before? Possibly but hey ho. The Redknapp flowchart. http://s3.amazonaws.com/twittypic/wordpress/cache/f88f8182df3f9a1299bef93628c8505a.jpg

Ha ha ha. Spurs ITKs call emergency conference. http://flann4.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/strangelove.jpg

7m or 10m plus Shorey, I reckon He's cack. I think he's one of those players who can't cut it when taken out of his familiar safety zone (ie Reading). Where would Zoggy play if you signed him? He is a shocking LB and Young is 100 times the player. I don't know where he'd play which is why I doubt there is any truth in this story.

7m or 10m plus Shorey, I reckon He's cack. I think he's one of those players who can't cut it when taken out of his familiar safety zone (ie Reading).

I didn't say that. I said what Spurs need now is someone who knows how to coach the best out of the players they've got (you've got some very good players), not someone who falls back on the chequebook. And yes, MON did spend money in the summer, but he's also a good coach. That's where I think Redknapp fails.

You're probably right. I'm backing Tony Adams to get the best out of him. :lol: i meant its testament to your coach's the form of the like sof milner and knight. I know, I was just having a cheap dig at Tony Adams. I preferred him when he was on the sauce.