leffe186

Jesus. That would be...scary. The first thing I keep thinking is how easy it would be for a fan to get injured.

Cheers

Where has Reo-Coker been of late though? Seems like ages I've seen him play. Was injured for a while. Even while fit, MON didn't seem overly impressed, and used him as a jack-of-all-trades.

That just sounds like complete nonsense. Where's it from? Pretty sure he's earning appreciably less than that at Spurs (from my secret contacts). Secret contacts also suggest that Brum paid 2M to us to get him on loan. I find that more plausible, though still desperate.

I think this idea should be extended. Charge 18-year-olds 20 quid, then take a pound off for each year. [/oldandbitter] Would you be getting in for free these days by any chance? I'd be giving them a quid. Seems only fair. Us oldies have more money to spend at the bar.

I think this idea should be extended. Charge 18-year-olds 20 quid, then take a pound off for each year. [/oldandbitter]

Relegation dogfight Not playing Devil's advocate here, but why is it so funny that that's the biggest? I'd say it is too. If either team loses then they're definitely in relegation trouble and the manager is under pressure. Compare that with your game - if Newcastle lose, then whatever, you had a weakened side and have already beaten them 5-1. If Sunderland lose then they're still 6th/7th. Neither manager will be under pressure. Neither Everton nor Liverpool will get relegated this season. I agree, though I'd love to watch Liverpool sweat.

What kind of player is he? I've been underwhelmed by our non-Schelotto attackers over the last couple of years.

Relegation dogfight Not playing Devil's advocate here, but why is it so funny that that's the biggest? I'd say it is too. If either team loses then they're definitely in relegation trouble and the manager is under pressure. Compare that with your game - if Newcastle lose, then whatever, you had a weakened side and have already beaten them 5-1. If Sunderland lose then they're still 6th/7th. Neither manager will be under pressure.

Aye. The only way I was able to get even a slight hint last year was on the MLS website itself on the projected draft bit. I could be wrong, but it feels like there was a fair bit of college soccer on FSN. We live near Akron, so we'd always look out for their games. Can't say I knew much about their players though.

It's all hypothetical though, because we won't put him up for sale. He could have said the same things about Carroll, or Iniesta, or whoever. He was asked about Bale and gave a straight answer, and fair enough. The headline is the stirring part. That and the addition of "(to our squad)" which the Metro made themselves.

I think he's pretty good and wouldn't mind having him as a back-up DM who can play a couple of other positions. He'd be a massive help to replace Tiote against Sunderland. Asking for 60K pw is just pathetic though. He wouldn't be first choice in any of the top 8 or 9 teams in the Prem, which surely is a minimum requirement to demand 60K.

I know nothing about Makoun, but he can't be any worse than Reo-Coker. NRC's contract is up this summer and he's been demanding 60k a week to stay on. What a f***ing joker. That's nuts. I know the Larsson stuff about wages is all hearsay, and if you don't ask you don't get, but where do these agents/players think the money is coming from? Most teams are having to cut back wages ffs, particularly with the new FIFA regulations due to take effect soon.

It's what people said about us and look what happened. Never say never. Who was saying that about you? Me for one, I thought they had enough quality and that Hull would totally implode. Too many silly results in the end. I'm saying similar things about Liverp......hang on.......

What a waste of time and money. Future bids from the UK, Spain, US, Australia etc should just be a letter to Blatter saying "just watch our video from the 2018/2022 bid. Cheque enclosed."

Probably because there's absolutely no competition involved in games like this. I'm by no means saying Barcelona don't play great football etc or that it's their fault but it's been f***ing boring for some time now IMO how they just hammer everyone. A big part of what makes sport great is the competition, the feeling that an opponent is worthy, provides a genuine test and the outcome is unpredictable. Just doesn't happen with this team. Again, I'm not saying they're not brilliant at what they do - they clearly are - I just find it a bit boring to watch. Tin hat on. If only Hercules and Mallorca thought that just a few months ago. I was at that Mallorca game, 1st 35 mins was the most one-sided game I've seen in front of my own eyes. Finished 1-1 though. So your argument against the one-sided nature of Barcelona's games is that a few months ago someone drew 1-1 against them? Good luck with that. I'm with Dave a bit here. Not that I don't love watching them play, but it's a different kind of entertainment. I was more engaged in the Blackpool Liverpool game today, for example.

I love that Blackpool have already done the double over Liverpool, and we haven't even played them once yet.

My first thought too (actually I went with gnat's chuff). Five points separating the bottom 9, 8 points separating 8th from bottom.

Obvious, but Charlie Adam has been fucking magnificent tonight.

I think it was the one where the ref ended up giving offside.

Supposedly because we lack leaders, which makes some sense. Story is that there was interest, but Everton don't want to sell, so that was that. Then the press had some space to fill.

You did all notice that Arsenal had a player sent off after ten minutes, didn't you?

It was delima, obviously, conducting some psychosexual experiment.

Well I'm sure the last thing you want to hear is a Spurs supporter's view, but it was the only full game I got to watch in the 3rd round, so here goes. Given your line-up, the only thing truly shocking for me was how good Stevenage were. There have been a few comments about the lack of desire and commitment from Newcastle, but I didn't see too much of that. The game simply showed up the lack of depth in your squad. Having made allowances for Barton being woefully out of position at LM, every other player performed at the level I would have expected. Krul was a little shaky, and Perch is Perch (although also out of position). Other than that, the defence was exposed time and time again by an ineffective midfield. I wondered if that early injury got to Nolan, but even so, he and Smith were lamentable. As for the forwards, well they're just not very good, and there was little or no hold-up play. If your midfield is getting overrun then the forwards have to give them a chance to recover - something they signally failed to do. Stevenage were playing in familiar positions with familiar players around them and it showed. They were well-drilled and confident, and usually had at least one passing option, often out wide. Smith, Best, Lovenkrands and Perch are really not great, and when you couple that with your best player out of position and unconvincing games from Nolan, Routledge and Williamson, that doesn't leave much. In particular, when your midfield is getting outplayed (and they really were) in these games you need some class up front to tell. I think you could have replaced either Best or Lovenkrands with Carroll and won comfortably despite that midfield, although obviously that wasn't an option. Tough to know what Pardew should have done, although Lovenkrands on the wing is never the answer. Guthrie and Barton in the middle, Best and Ranger up front, kids like Ferguson or Kadar? None of it's convincing. Your first XI is pretty good, particularly Tiote and Carroll, but after that there's a BIG drop-off. We had to play BAE yet again today because there is no cover at LB, and I'd have thought Jonas should have played for exactly the same reason. At least people can largely play in their proper position then.

Couple of nice potential punch ups there. Weird that of the 14 Prem teams left, 10 are playing each other. Arsenal at home to someone shite again though.