ShearMagic

Absolutely fantastic performance. Really chuffed. Everyone was fantastic, the defence defending brilliantly, and we dominated them to be fair. Up to 14th and with our next two games being against Fulham and Wigan, we've a real chance to move into the top half. Although it would be just like us to lose to Fulham.

You just know that when Owen comes on it will be instead of Martins though. Joey Barton has given the ball away far too many times, but his tackling has been excellent. Jonas has looked slightly off in an attacking sense, his touch isn't quite there today, but his work ethic is fantastic (as always). Martins has been our most threatening.

Seriously? Hadn't even came across our minds that. Aye, on goal difference. They're on 12 points with a GD of -7, we're on 9 points with a GD of -6.

If we win we go above the Mackems.

I'm not that worried, considering I expect a draw at best. The West Brom game had me shitting bricks. This.

Not expecting much, but we need pace, and for that reason: Given Beye Taylor Coloccini Enrique Barton Jonas N'Zogbia Owen Martins Ameobi If Ameobi is going to continue in our starting XI (which all signs point to yes), it's probably the only way we can incorporate both Owen and Martins into it as well. Unless of course, Owen starts from the bench due to not being fully fit. Duff is unlucky, but N'Zogbia is faster and their wingers are quick.

Look, there's one thing about Obafemi Martins that only him and Jonas have - Excitement. Those two players are the only two players that make me get excited when they have the ball. It will be interesting when Owen gets back into starting contention what happens to Oba, I'd be tempted to play Owen as a playmaker behind the front 2 again, but we'll see.

Has it been brought up about the poor officiatiing in the lead up to their goal? Joey was fouled, ball found its way to Duff, who was pretty much stationary expecting the free kick, he loses the ball, Mike Dean gives the advantage signal, and then they score.

Yeah, we've had half our best players out for ages. Beye, Jonas, Owen, Martins & Barton. If all of them had been fully fit for the last 7 games, we'd be a damned sight higher up the table than we are. Or, you know, we're not very good.

Wouldn't really say it was either of the centre halves fault to be honest. The ball through to Miller was brilliant, not sure what Coloccini could've done differently, made him look a bit dumb but the ball was brilliantly placed and weighted. Absolutely huge 3 points, going into games against Villa, Fulham, Wigan, Stoke and Boro. If we can take 10 points fromm those 5 games I'll be happy. It was whoever's job to organise the defence's fault. They were about 15 yards away from eachother ffs, there was a chasm to send the ball into, it wasn't a good ball by any means. It seems to me that all of the Taylor fanbois try to blame Coloccini all the time and all the Coloccini fanbois try to blame Taylor all the time. Can it never be none of their faults like?

Are people here aware that we hadn't won in 7 games? You're never going to beat someone 3 or 4 nil when that's the case. The players were nervous, not sure how that's a fault of Kinnear. I've seen us play worse under Keegan, and I'll get slated for that but it's a fact. We weren't in the relegation zone for no reason.

No we totally backed off and allowed them to pass the ball about. We looked happy to let them have it, we cant do that with our team. After they scored we did, yes. Beforehand we didn't, why do you think they scored their goal so easily? And as painful as it was to watch, they didn't really create anything meaningful when we did it and at the end of the day, we got the 3 points.

Shola He does try hard, but he's just simply not good enough. Needs to be replaced ASAP, but until Viduka gets back it's unlikely.

Oh come on, who actually seriously thought it was over at half time? I knew they'd come back into it, but in my head I had it down as a 2-2 draw, we did well to hold them out (just!). Not so sure it was the tactics either at the beginning of the half, until they scored we were playing like we did first half. After they scored everyone sat back though.

Wouldn't really say it was either of the centre halves fault to be honest. The ball through to Miller was brilliant, not sure what Coloccini could've done differently, made him look a bit dumb but the ball was brilliantly placed and weighted. Absolutely huge 3 points, going into games against Villa, Fulham, Wigan, Stoke and Boro. If we can take 10 points fromm those 5 games I'll be happy.

Hopefully our players realise that the game isn't over yet. We must get a 3rd to put it to bed, and Taylor/Coloccini must be 100% on the ball. Doesn't take much for a game of football to change.

And to be totally honest, our defence hasn't been too bad. When you've got such an incapable midfield you're going to concede goals. Invites far too much pressure on the defence and they just can't deal with it.

The loss against Partizan Belgrade on penalties was pretty shattering.

You've outlined most of them, however only 9 games have been played. As was said earlier on in the thread, in about 5 more games we'll have a clearer picture.

I think he'll drop Geremi. We'll see, but I've got a feeling he wasn't all too pleased with his performance yesterday.

Rush them back? Jonas has had a shoulder injury - Unlikely that this is going to be damaged in a match. Barton has had no injury at all. He might have match sharpness issues, but not fitness issues. When players have leg injuries, it's sometimes important not to rush them. No harm in throwing Barton and Jonas on from the start though IMO. I understand what you're trying to say but a broken Collarbone is something that needs to be nurtured, because it can easily break again if not managed properly. Barton, maybe your point is valid, however I personally think it was the right decision not to start him. But if the broken collarbone is healed enough for 10 minutes action, then surely it's healed enough for 90? He can either take a blow to it or he can't. Certainly he should have been introduced a hell of a lot earlier, 10 minutes was a joke. And I don't see how it was right not to start Barton when Nicky Butt is the alternative. You've got the match fitness issue here as well. Whilst a player may be fit enough to run around a training park, playing in a match is a whole different ball game, and even being out of it for a couple of weeks screws you up. So tell me, if you're 100% physically fit (As Barton will be) then how do you get match fitness? By playing matches of course. But you EASE them back into it, you don't throw them in the deep end.

Rush them back? Jonas has had a shoulder injury - Unlikely that this is going to be damaged in a match. Barton has had no injury at all. He might have match sharpness issues, but not fitness issues. When players have leg injuries, it's sometimes important not to rush them. No harm in throwing Barton and Jonas on from the start though IMO. I understand what you're trying to say but a broken Collarbone is something that needs to be nurtured, because it can easily break again if not managed properly. Barton, maybe your point is valid, however I personally think it was the right decision not to start him. But if the broken collarbone is healed enough for 10 minutes action, then surely it's healed enough for 90? He can either take a blow to it or he can't. Certainly he should have been introduced a hell of a lot earlier, 10 minutes was a joke. And I don't see how it was right not to start Barton when Nicky Butt is the alternative. You've got the match fitness issue here as well. Whilst a player may be fit enough to run around a training park, playing in a match is a whole different ball game, and even being out of it for a couple of weeks screws you up.

Rush them back? Jonas has had a shoulder injury - Unlikely that this is going to be damaged in a match. Barton has had no injury at all. He might have match sharpness issues, but not fitness issues. When players have leg injuries, it's sometimes important not to rush them. No harm in throwing Barton and Jonas on from the start though IMO. I understand what you're trying to say but a broken Collarbone is something that needs to be nurtured, because it can easily break again if not managed properly. Barton, maybe your point is valid, however I personally think it was the right decision not to start him.

Don't really understand where the Duff critics are coming from. He's probably been our best player so far this year. If only he had a flaming right foot!

Huge game for us i would drop Bassong completely he is disgraceful, i would be tempted to play Cacapa alongside colo and shola for Xisco, Apart from that looks alreet to me. This really is a massive next couple of weeks for us if we lose these 2 we are really are in the sh*t Hahahahah. Bassong disgraceful? WUM surely? Anyway, I'm going to be just as nervous watching this one as I was watching yesterday against the Mackems. It might not be a derby, but it's an extremely important game for us, and should we fail to win, we'd be in some trouble.