leffe186

I presume it's Adam Smith. He's one of ours, been on loan for a couple of years in the lower divisions. Good going forward, still got something to learn defensively. Shock horror. He played a friendly for us a few years back when he was 16 or so, and was amazing. We didn't have a clue who he was!

Just had a look, Colombia are in 6th and Croatia 4th Brazil are in 19th. Friendlies are worth less ranking points than competitive games, even if you win them. Hence why at the last 3 tournaments we've had this rhetoric about 'the hosts being the worst side' going into it. At least I think that was the case with Poland, South Africa and Austria. Basically once a team wins the right to host a competition they inevitably slide right down the rankings. While that's true about the rankings, I'm not sure Poland, South Africa and Austria are the best examples to use .

That third goal was ace. That fourth goal...dodgy keeper. Ecuador are just being completely outclassed.

No, but they would still be in the Spanish Segunda B without Udinese's players. And of course their fans are over the moon about it, but it's cheating against other modest clubs that don't spend and don't have half their squad given for free from Italy. This is the Segunda B that's filled with self-sufficient, modest-spending clubs like Mallorca B, Espanol B, Real Sociedad B etc etc? And kept out of the next division up by Real Madrid B, Barca B etc etc.? I've always been proud of the way the English leagues have avoided letting, say, Spurs B play - even though that runs counter to my own interests. Watford are corrupting that, in a slightly obscure way. And I say that as someone who almost certainly has more of an interest in Watford doing well than anyone on here bar GG - my Dad goes regularly with a mate, and I've been to dozens of games at Vicarage Rd. It just feels wrong to me, in the same way as the loan system (as currently practiced) feels wrong.

Rafeal is a great player, its time to stop the fixed opinions and realise players can improve. ( not aimed at you btw just a sweeping statement) Spurs are a lot more than 2 players away from a title challenge, you don't go from 5th to 1st with 2 players. Depends if those two players are Thiago Silva and Messi I was thinking of realistic signings This is what i was talking about they are far away from a title challenge.... half their defence isn't even top 4 level matter about champions level. Their midfield without Dembele and Sandro is mid table level, they have no quality 10s, Lennon is injury prone and he needs some competition anyway plus the obvious striker. Even if they bought a quality CF, kept Bale and got a quality partner for Vertonghen and none of the contenders bought anyone they still wouldn't finish above the Mancs. I think a lot of you are underestimating how much is needed to go from a top 4 contender to a title contender. Same goes for Chelsea and Arsenal. I have to think you're the one doing the underestimating here. They probably have the most depth in the backline than anyone else in the league. Kaboul is easily a top centerback if he's able to return to form after being out all season. As a group they're very solid and capable of challenging for a title. A quality striker, competition for Lennon, and one or two centermids to replace Parker and give Dembele a backup would probably put them in a shot of the title. I think the truth is between you two. Mole, we were only three points off third and six points off second, although obviously that ignores GD. I think a title push is hugely unlikely because of the financial advantage the other clubs have, but it wouldn't take too much to improve us. Some good luck with injuries would help. Isn't the interesting point that you've said our defence, midfield and attack were all so unimpressive, yet we still did so well? Surely that means that we have loads of opportunities to get better? I worry that Kaboul is becoming a perma-crock, but if he does come back then we're laughing. We have plenty of players we can sell for decent money to generate cash. Man U have shown what you can achieve with a mix of fantastic players and some really quite limited ones, as long as the team play and tactics are good. Of course it would be nice to upgrade players like Walker, but I don't see that as a priority. He's limited, but adequate in a good team. We need to get in a couple of clever, fast, and creative players - up front, wide forward and probably in the midfield. There are a couple of young players in a position to move up, with a few others in the pipeline. Keeping Bale is key - (a) he's shit-hot (b) there's a possibility that he will help us attract one or two players. I'd like to think so, anyway. Let's say we shift on Parker, Defoe, Huddlestone, and a few fringe players (Gomes, Naughton, Dempsey, Gallas, Bentley). Carroll, Townsend and Rose come into the side, and kids like Luongo, Kane, Falque, Pritchard and Archer get another year on loan. The matchday squad looks like this: GK: Lloris, Friedel, one of the kids RB: Walker, Smith LB: Rose, BAE CB: Vertonghen, Kaboul, Dawson, Caulker CM: Carroll, Sandro, Dembele, Holtby Attacking mids: Sigurdsson, Bale Wide forwards: Lennon, Townsend CF: Adebayor That's 20 - so you've got plenty of room to add in three properly good players, then have younger players like Livermore as emergency cover. So, one forward, one wide forward, one attacking mid. That's what we needed all year anyway. Get that and I think we're a better team than this year, and like I say, we didn't do too badly.

Kinda glad that's over. Can't honestly say we deserved fourth - too many ordinary players and crucial injuries, and that we got so many points is essentially down to Bale having an unbelievable season. Hope AVB gets to bring in some of the players that he wants, rather than the committee. I will say that that reffing performance raised a few eyebrows. That's a grand total of zero penalties this year, and the three or four shouts today were, well, penalties. I generally hate those kind of conspiracy theories, though, and luckily it didn't actually matter in the end. See you next year!

What in the name of Christ do we have to do to get a penalty? This is ludicrous now.

Oi! . How very Pardew of you. In other news, Spurs are never ever going to get a penalty. I hate it when referees just guess. You'll be glad to hear that Webb is giving Arsenal every decision then. Tell me something I don't know .

Oi! . How very Pardew of you. In other news, Spurs are never ever going to get a penalty. I hate it when referees just guess.

We've been to the party, took the fit lasses and left already. Yeah, and then you took them to the Bigg Market.

Always loved this one.

It also says "Arsenal" in big letters.

I offer all non-playing members of N-O my undying gratitude if you beat them tomorrow (Ed: Will this do?).

I think most people's coping strategy was hoping that Pardew would be sacked at the end of the season. You could try hoping for that too. ...but that would go against my team's interests, non?

So lads, given that I will be rooting for you this Sunday, and that I have witnessed the appalling agonies that you go through every week in the match threads, any coping strategies you can offer?

4-4 please. Don't be shit, use the Force.

Hate this. Aren't we still supposed to be giving out automatic yellows for this? Actually, you can add this pet hate - rule changes/reffing priorities that are announced with a big fanfare then quietly forgotten a few weeks/months later, whereupon everyone just carries on with the same snide, cheaty stuff we were trying to eradicate.

Depends upon what you mean by disproportionately low. This was from a couple of years back: http://soccerlens.com/highest-football-club-wages/69045/ Arsenal ranked fifth in the UK, but still tenth in the world. Then the recent Guardian article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2013/apr/18/premier-league-club-accounts-debt In 2011-12, they had the fourth-highest wage bill in the Premiership. It was less than Man U, but by less than 20M - not orders of magnitude away. In contrast, Spurs' was 53M less, and Newcastle's was less than half the amount - a whopping 79M less than Arsenal. Of course, this is less than Chelsea, City, Barca etc etc, but not pennies. On this measure alone you'd expect them to be roughly where they are now. They're outspent by Chelsea, City and Man U in the UK, and that's it. Oh, maybe Liverpool if you take into account their transfer spending over the last couple of years.

Adam's first yellow was very harsh. As an isolated incident, maybe, but it was reckless and followed a half where he had consistently led with his studs/"followed through". Persistent fouling, which is what you always get against Stoke, and which Friend dealt with pretty well. Didn't go crazy, but warned the players, then only if they persisted would he bring out the yellow.

They've got form. Fulop was even more blatant last year to allow Arsenal ahead of us .

I like this - how do we make things better? Make everything better.

Just to say - Kevin Friend was good today. The proper way to ref Stoke, give them a yellow card if they cynically foul, and if they're already on one, that's their problem.

Howay and beat Arsenal now, you useless bastards .

He was out for a while with an injury, then injuries to others let him back in when he got "fit" again.

...and Chris Foy is FUCKING RUBBISH.