Hughesy

Glad somebody was seeing what I was seeing...

Most of which were in the UEFA Cup tbf... Even if you discount the 3 goals against Bnei Sakhin, I don't know you would suggest goals against the likes of Dinamo Tblisi, Heerenveen, Olympiakos and Sporting Lisbon. Hardly European minnows.

Which book, dude? Mirror is serialising his autobiography. Got the Shearer bit in and stuff about Riise.

Just read some more of the extracts from his book - he comes across appallingly. Sounds like a nasty bit of work.

Think he only got 7 for us in 02-03. Didn't change the fact he seemed to be involved in just about every goal we scored. His finishing was abysmal and never really improved. His ability to score a one on one with the keeper was a joke. Nonsense, man. It really isn't nonsense. He missed so many chances for us. I am not saying he wasn't good, he just missed a lot of chances.

Think he only got 7 for us in 02-03. Didn't change the fact he seemed to be involved in just about every goal we scored. His finishing was abysmal and never really improved. His ability to score a one on one with the keeper was a joke.

Bellamy - what a wanker. Come back when you stop beating up women and have scored more than 13 goals in a Premiership season.

Not sure why Hughes gets such a bad press to be honest. He did a very good job at Wales, Blackburn and Fulham. Did a pretty bad job at QPR (along with Redknapp and, to a lesser extent, Warnock) and Man City. I don't quite know why that is enough to write him off as being awful. Please note he is not my dad. Nor am I Mark Hughes.

It depends by what standard you are juding that midfield. By most reasonable standards, it has most of the qualities you claim it is lacking.

Shane Long is massively underrated.

Aren't tactics and Alan Pardew effectively the same thing? ie Alan Pardew.

Yep - never quite understand why people don't think Ben Arfa should put in a defensive shift. More effective and consistent players do so I am not sure why Ben Arfa should be exempt.

Did very well at Blackburn without much money, did a very good job with Wales and did well at Fulham. Don't get me wrong - wouldn't want him to be our manager, but I don't think he is anywhere near as bad as everyone makes out.

They had a pretty easy run to the final..

We all know why that is, "Hatem, get back." To be fair, the wonderful chap in your avatar told a far more effective wide player to do the same. You can't just allow your FB to get continually exposed. Spot on. See also recent articles re Robben and Ribery.

Yes, but not exactly a long way to Nice and other places and the whole coast is one of the most beautiful areas in Europe, so I don't think he will be bored. Spot on - can't think of many better places to play football with a load of money..

Monaco itself is, but the South of France is an unbelievably brilliant place.

Spot on.

I am still not convinced that Ashley lacks ambition beyond staying in the division. I can't see him standing for another season of underachievement - if only because another season of underachievement will devalue the players we have and potentially undermine the whole blueprint.

What's frustrating is that I'm absolutely certain that if we appointed Benitez and gave him 4-5 years, he would win us a trophy of some kind and a few European campaigns. It might only be a League Cup that we won, but I wouldn't care..

I reckon they are only 2 or 3 players away. One would be an absolute top quality striker though.

They were never going to sack him before the end of the season in my opinion. The fact they haven't done so yet isn't that significant I don't think.

But ridiculously inaccurate. A bit embarrassing for Waddle really.

What a bloke. Will miss him.

Seems as if he suffered from depression earlier in his career, according to article in Times tomorrow.