ChrisMcQuillan

Campbell and Coloccini. Our back line will have a top speed of 3mph.

RM.

Odd, that.

Match practice can only help Krul at present. He should start.

You know, I wouldn't mind this if ANY attempt was made to make the sign look classy. It's not impossible, just get a decent graphics designer in. I just know this is gonna look like some tit in Paint printed them off.

Is Harper dead, thought he'd just done his shoulder in.

There is no recall clause. I think due to it being in Scotland. But Celtic probably wouldn't have taken him with one, since he's clearly going to be their first choice keeper. Makes sense. Hughton said it's the price for letting him play in that calibre of team.

Has anyone actually seen Soderberg play? If he doesn't look decent, we should bring in someone like Turnbull. Just a temporary back-up keeper. Chelsea would probably deal with us again given that Van Aanholt went well, and was a similar deal.

Shay can fuck off. Just do what we did last time and bring back Srnicek. He's still under 50.

Amused and frightened. Simultaneously.

He could be found out to be average, but so far from everything we've seen he's good to very good. He may concede a few that Harper wouldn't through experience, but conversely I'm sure he'll save a few that Harper wouldn't have had a chance with reflex-wise. He's been around for five years. If we're not going to give him the chance to cover an injury, what's the point in having him?

Krul Raylor Campbell Williamson Kadar Routledge Vuckic Tiote Jonas Ameobi Lovenkrands

That's scary.

Very odd.

Could've sworn I saw Robert Carlyle at the Villa match.

Schmeichel Neville Campbell Adams Irwin Viera Scholes Lampard Ronaldo Giggs Shearer Subs: Given, Ferdinand, Beckham, Keane, Henry, Rooney, Cantona

Well tonight was a bloody disaster. Lost my entire Betfair balance on Inter. Put a bet on when they were 2-1 down, with decent odds. But alas. And put a "safe" bet on Spurs at 2-0 up. Harry Fucking Redknapp's Landan Tossers.

But we're a small club these days. *Rolls eyes*

The thing is, I can't see Ryan Taylor making more than one mistake a game leading to a goal. But I can easily see Carroll getting two assists off of him. If Guthrie's not playing out wide, you really need someone who can put in a decent cross. I'll always remember Raylor's ball to Shola at Reading. He wasn't expecting to have to hit it, but then just whipped a beauty in.

Tiote Barton Ben Arfa Routledge Jonas With Guthrie, Nolan, Smith as backup. Surely that'd be the best midfield we'd have had in quite a while. On paper, anyway.

They're playing the way a lot of promoted teams do when they first come up - without fear. Hull did it brilliantly when they came up and more or less had the points that kept them up by the end of November. These teams just go out and enjoy themselves, carrying their momentum from the play-offs with them and, importantly, initially play the same way they do at home when they go away. We will of course go away from home and play like frightened kittens. I hate the whole attitude to home and away games, it's become accepted now that teams can cower in their shells away from home. Yes, there is a difference but it's mainly psychological therefore deliberately going out with a different attitude is shooting yourself in the foot before you've even started, you should actually be trying to approach the game in the same way mentally. At the end of the day, it's still 22 blokes kicking a ball round a field, the way folk go on you'd think they play different rules depending on whether you're in Newcastle or Wigan. Great post.

In a heartbeat.

Harper R. Taylor Williamson Coloccini Enrique Tiote Barton Ben Arfa Routledge Jonas Carroll

Williamson didn't do bad. I put that change down to us conceding 2 goals against Blackpool. Admittedly, Williamson didn't do badly but changes can gain reactions from players. Our defense need to know their places aren't set in stone! Yes, because historically shaking up a defensive line works wonders.