Jayson

Thats what I was thinking You have seen Carroll 'play' for the first team then? He's played like 4 times this season. Set up a pen v Wigan & should have been given a 2nd. Scored 2 goals in other games. Not really a bad record is it for his first proper break into the first team. Hopefully Al can work with him & get his potential out. Dunno why people are down on him. He's 20x more capable than Shola. I am a bit of a genius tbh

Owen is quality. Shola is not. Owen and Carroll is quality. Owen and Shola is not. Owen and Martins is not. There. I know you've got something against Oba but what has Owen done in let's say like last 15 games to convince you he should be starting? He's been pure s***. Top earner of the team and captain...maybe he should be performing just a bit better? How many times do I have to say that Owen needs to be provided with chances, he's not fast enough anymore to make them himself. And that if given the chances, he scores. Which our other strikers don't. And I don't have something against Oba especially, I just don't want s**** playing for us. It's the same with Butt and Ameobi and so on. so is our midfield magically going to learn to give him chance's??? NO so don't play him and give someone who's at least mobile, can win headers and keep a hold of the ball A striker like Carroll is a provider as he's good in the air and can pick down balls for Owen. Owen is our best striker, and should be played at any time when fit. Only reason people here have something against Owen is because he's paid too much, which is fair enough. But he's still our greatest hope if we are looking to score those vital goals. Plus, with Barton back we could play a Barton - Guthire midfield, which would be an improvement on balls going forward, and not sideways or backwards. Owen is our best striker? On what basis do you make this claim? Should he be partnered with Leo Messi before everyone will realise that he's slow, weak and s***? The fact hes our top scorer is a hint. The level of ability in his finishing. You cannot just look at the fact he doesnt touch the ball and blame him for it, the root of the problem is our midfield being sh'te. Long balls to sholas head wont fall to michael owen will they.

Was just about to say the same thing. What was learned from this game could be as big as what KK learned from the Birmingham game. Shola should sit the rest of the season out. I think Taylor also seems to be taking a bit of time to adjust. was a steep learning curve for Al today, but the way in which we finished the match is a good sign for the next fixture What? What did we learn today that we didn't know before? That Jonas is needed for the team to look like they have any sort of attacking potency? That Owen is slow? That Ameobi is s****? That Beye is a god? That Butt and Nolan don't work in center midfield? What, in all honesty, did Shearer learn today that he couldn't have learnt from watching us week in week out for the past 30 matches? I thought he had used his critical faculties on the BBC and figured out why we're so s*** but apparently not. I don't mean this at you personally, johnny. I'm just infuriated by the fact that Shearer's made the same mistakes as Hughton and Kinnear have made and the thing is, Shearer's been watching these mistakes being made for the whole f***ing season, so why did he start with the players and formation that he did and why did he wait so long to change things around? It's definitely two points lost, not one point won, in my opinion. He obviously thouht he could make them perform....that they would change. He see's them in training. Dont agree about owen atall, apart from the fact hes a crap captain. But Ameobi clearly performs in training and bottles it in every game now.....just gives up. Time to give up on him.

To be fair.......Guti did look class in more of a free role. But the fact he was brought on late with fresh legs will have helped also....

Even if he did feign injury, we'll have to deal with it in another way. We just can't afford to lose him now. Bullshit we can't. If he plays again after feigning injury and destroying our tactical shape, that would seriously undermine Shearer's leadership. Beg your pardon but...Shearer's what? Shearer's leadership? Are you sure about that? He can only do so much. He could get them motivated beyond belief, if they cannot pass the ball its wasted

Butt is awful man. There's no point in having a DM if they're just going to give the ball away. It defeats the purpose. Sad thing is we all know that, but we've no one better...... It really is that desperate. Im wondering whether we should give cacapa another go at DM, atleast he cant cock it up in defence then

At least he showed up to play. As i said on another thread he won a header against faye in this game, you cannt claim he got pushed around. He can only do so much, he needs the ball played to him somehow. I see him making the runs, he tries like crazy.......he had to drop back into midfield to get it today. Guti found his runs a few times in the 2nd half

But when Carroll gets dropped for the next game, his confidence will be down the swanny again. I don't see that goal changes anything. We've just witnessed another 90 minutes of impotence and flaccid, directionless Sunday pub team football. Hardly inspiring, and for you to see it as potentially season-changing leaves me wondering if I can have a pint of whatever you've been drinking tbh. Dont think carroll will be dropped. Thats twice hes stepped up now infront of shearer. Won the reserve game & just single handedly saved us & kept us in that game. A blind man cant ignore that.

At the moment Butt> Nolan. Easily. And i do not think butt is even close to being decent. We need Guthrie to be fit enough for 90 mins...he dissapeared today.

Whos choice was it to have shola marking faye anyway ffs. When does shola even win headers, let alone have to mark a player...watch his run..... AND win a header.

The best new is, Shola wont be getting another game !!!!!!!! You watch ! :thup: :thup:

He's just stupid, has no footballing brain and doesn't understand why he won't get to play. I don't agree with the action he took, but I can see his point. Tell me what Owen offered today, at least Oba has pace that could have troubled them in behind. I used to be a fan of Owen as he was very sharp and a lethal striker, but today it was Owen not Ranger who's lack of physical presence I worried about, he was bossed around like he was 12. He won a header against Faye at the start to be fair to him, its not like he wasnt trying. Once again, it seems like making excuses. But it is what it is. They play long balls, owen wont touch it. This has been obvious forever.

Owen is quality. Shola is not. Owen and Carroll is quality. Owen and Shola is not. Owen and Martins is not. There. Agree. Owen will be able to get any little knock downs & Carroll has strength clearly. He wins those headers through strength, Shola doesnt have it.

He better be fcking injured. He could have relegated us today. Al isnt experienced enough to know how to change things in 4 hours. Prob been planning for a 3 pronged attack all week. Shola starting though was a clear mistake. Carroll stepped up, shola stepped down.

He wont start shola now......look what he did to colo. Shearer learns atleast. Clearly they werent ready to deal with oba being out....they've been planning for that all week.

Hopefully carroll will get the credit he deserves now. 5 games played this season, 3 goals & one pen won. Thats a brilliant record.

Clearly. The only man to step up

CARROLL YOU FCKING LEGEDN

Carroll to save us

We got a decision

What is wrong with butt. I mean seriously

Wtf are they doing, CHANGE THE TEAM

COME ON FFS WAKE UP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got to make changes COME ON AL