Jayson

Spending time running hardly makes him lazy either. He goes past players quite often, you cant always expect him to go past the two that are usually covering that side. Last few games he has been getting one of those crosses in per game, more than one. He's been doing it since the Swansea game when he actually realised he could cross.

Suppose it depends on the what a person means by effective. Im not talking necessarily talking goals (though hes probably our 4th most effective there) More his ability as a player to get us on the ball & keep us in control of games. As a player we use more than any other by far as an outlet when attacking. A player that keeps us from defending by doing that more than any other. Id say that makes him our most effective player, he often has a bigger effect on the way we're playing than any other.

Name them

Jonas knuckling down? He looks like he can't be arsed most of the time. he just seems to hold the ball up long enough for enrique to get past him most of the time. Yup. I remember the first couple of months last year he did look like he had a nice turn of pace and could beat people. What happened to that? Totally lost any zip whatsoever. He probably spends more time running than any other player on the pitch & you think he looks like he cant be arsed ? He did well with that goal he scored if he cant run past players, let alone all the crosses he gets in after going beyond the fullback/winger. He is one of our most effective players by a long long way. Criminally underated on here for everything he gives us.

Why was anyone after an interview with Barton anyway He needs to just play football from now on. Once hes spent atleast a season or two not attempting to break players legs, then he can give it the whole "oh i used to be so bad". Right now hes proved nothing.

Hopefully this, with Loven upfront next to Ranger. He really should use the youngsters in the cup, its the only chance theyll get to prove themselves.

The last 3 found the prem easier than him, so i doubt theyd have a harder time a league lower. I rate them higher than Colo at this point, we'll see how he does when he goes back up.

Looking lazy and like poor footballers is the very definition of some of our most useful players this season. Course he'd get games. Ive no idea of his potential though, id want us to be looking towards the prem at this stage. Signing a player from two leagues below it in the hope theyll step up is a big risk.

Why would they go for Vidic when they could get a guy proving himself in the championship? Bit far fetched that

Good interview, comes out of that pretty well. Shows again what a good man manager Bobby was.

He didnt play only 3 mins of added time though, thought we were into the 95th minute by the end

Doesnt bother me much atall that he played for Sunderland. Bothers me that he seems like he's easily effected by things mentally. He obviously has the ability to score goals & lots of them when he gets going at this level atleast, having periods when he then gets none atall is a bad sign. Our club would be far from the right choice for someone who obviously cant deal well with pressure & expectancy.

I do worry though that even in the summer Hughton will not see Midfield as a weaklink, thats the problem. Ive a feeling he'd be looking to improve the quality of our squad depth, rather than of the first team. So we'd get other players of decent quality...who'd be switched around every now and again. Even if we found someone good of Guthries standard, Hughtons shown he'd likely prefer older grafters over them. Anything with Hughton involved isnt looking promising right now, a lot of his decisions are suspect. Its likely that the quality of the players is the only thing thats been keeping it from being to big a problem up till now. Its still hard to really call him on it when we're sitting top though.

I doubt Guthrie would have made that run though, hed have tried to get closer to the ball than Rtaylor was

Jonas/Guthrie/Barton could all do a job in the prem. Even Rtaylor has played at that standard and done OK with Wigan. Lovenkrands has scored goals at that level & has the pace needed to cause problems if he gets the passes. At the very least to stretch defences & make space for a better partner.

Gonna be here for a while. Guthries often not been a starting player either. Doesnt mean much other than showing Hughton may not be the best decision maker as most of us know. Lovens done fine all the times hes been upfront. His first game upfront for us this season he set up Harewoods strike onto the post, the next few he got goals and assists. Today hes played & our football in the first half was the best we've played in a good while. A good prem standard striker next to him & he'll form a decent partnership, good enough for the prem. There are other positions that are bigger weaknesses that Lovenkrands playing upfront, this should be obvious.

A good player from everything ive seen. Id prefer for him to overlap the winger more. Same with Enrique though, even hes been doing that less. He does atleast drive fowards still though.

Lovenkrands is one of the first 2/3 players you'd replace ? If not, you're arguing different issues to me. No one was claiming Lovenkrands was Owen-class.

Oh aye, can anyone else envision this? He struggles in the championship man. Hes been on the wing the majority of the time, he was 2 goals and an assist in 3 games a few weeks ago after playing upfront & then got dropped. He's already scored in the prem anyway. We're talking about the minimum needed to avoid relegation, he could stay in the side and i think we'd stay up. That doesnt mean i wouldnt prefer we replace him. Id prefer we replaced most of the side, thats not realistic though. 2 signings is closer to reality right now & he's not a key position that needs fixing for the prem is he in comparison to others.

Championship sides get results in cups against prem teams all the time. They step their game up, prem sides take it easy. I dont think its that representative of where we're at, we'll get a clearer idea when we play the better sides in this division. Right now we're better than them.

Loven will score goals if we use his pace & pass it through instead of over more often

2/3 Signings and we'd survive. The defence would do alright. Probably need one prem standard striker to partner Loven & a central/right sided midfielder. And to never use Butt/Geremi again.

How does any player know theres another behind him when theyre coming towards him. Communication from teamates & just generally being aware of your surroundings. He should be looking to meet the ball before anything behind him anyway, he has the advantage of being infront & closer to it.

thats just a great save, cant blame Ranger there from that angle

But we still kept possession of the ball right in their box, that in itself is gaining advantage. Anyway all that is moot, it doesn't even matter if he "gains advantage" or not... if he's off when the ball is played to him, then it's offside simple as that. ?? Im not stating the rules. Im giving my opinion on what I think should or should not be offside. I do not believe it should be offside when a player recieves the ball infront of the defence, regardless of where he was when it was played. He hasnt recieved an advantage from the situation by the time he gets it.