Stottie

According to transfermarkt, he's had 2050 minutes this season in all comps, for three goals and six assists. Not fantastic numbers, but not terrible depending on where he is on the pitch. He's been down as "CF" in some games (!) His team are tenth and sound like low scoring, high conceding overachievers, which shouldn't be new to him. Just on the numbers, that is. fwiw, Cabaye has one goal and two assists in 1600 minutes, though it sounds like they play him as a holding midfielder.

There's a football cliche that teams near the bottom get no luck, and it was an own goal and arguably a dodgy disallowed header at home before that that sent us down the last time. Not that we didn't deserve it mind. As we've slipped down the table this time, I can't remember many instances of Carver being unlucky. Only Tim Krul kicking it straight to Ashley Young in the 90th minute perhaps. Van Gaal was lucky to get his three points there. With the Ayoze goal against Swansea and Riviere's against QPR, I think we've actually been really lucky in recent games. We lost both games simply because we are so dire that one gift a game is not enough. We've even had an easy run-in, which contrasts with post-Hughton Norwich who pointwise looked safe with five-six games to go but got relegated because all their fixtures were difficult ones that produced no points. If Hull get a win and we don't, ours will be the worst relegation capitulation of all time. Whatever the opposite of "The Great Escape" is.

Even if we stay up and even if its by beating West Ham, I think he has to resign tomorrow to emerge with any kind of dignity. Ricky Sbragia did it at the Mackems after they stayed up on the last day. After taking over from Keane, he got 25 points from 26 games, a way better record than Carver's. He won't resign of course, because he is a self deluded gobshite who has been promoted way beyond his capability, something which is very unlikely to happen at any other football club.

In fairness to any creator in our team, I'm sure they must get caught in possession much more than normal due to having no option many times they have the ball.

I cannot stand Man U, especially with commentators gushing over "LVG", but that's offside.

Our saving grace may be that Sunderland don't have to play us again. You can have to deduct six points from two games to work out how well they're doing against everyone else.

Not a bad appointment. Obviously he'd still be operating under the Ashley remit of 10th or so and not trying in the cups, but he seems like a decent bloke, a respected coach, and quite a good manager. Given where we are, that would be progress. If we go back and look at why we wanted Pardew out, I don't think McClaren would tick the same boxes. I don't recall his teams trying to shut up shop every time when 1-0 up. I don't recall his teams ever giving up mid game (0-6 to the scousers) and getting regularly beaten by three goals or more. I doubt he'd make a point of picking Jonas, Obertan or Gouffran over a more mercurial but genuine talent like HBA. I doubt we'd deservedly lose four in a row to the mackems. I don't think he'd headbutt anyone, call another manager an effing c$$t, or blame the fans when we lose a lead.

Quite up for this but mainly because I've got into the habit of supporting anyone playing Man Utd. I can't drum up much enthusiasm for us, so I've turned to more perverted forms of football-based hope and enjoyment. DdG aside, Man Utd have been really unconvincing this year and I hope Liverpool go on a run and finish above them. Preferably it would be Southampton, or even Spurs, but Liverpool will do. Behind all the arrogance, LvG has blown a shitload of money and made players of the quality of Rooney and di Maria pretty much ineffective. The most expensive squad in league history shouldn't be scraping wins or hoofing it to a big man.

In this age where some people seem to think footballers have to be role models, our club appoints a staff member who personally called paying fans "f**king c*nts" in front of children to the manager's job, the most PR exposed job at the club. Dear oh dear oh dear.

Classic Pardew for him to extend his run against the Mackems with a goal from one of our set penises.

Only their third win of the season ffs.

ferk

Rob Eliot's no great shakes but he doesn't dive the wrong way or fall over when someone knocks it square instead of shooting. Brad Jones looks a complete liability. I saw a blog that pointed out in mid November that Lovren and Skrtl (sp?) were both top 7 in the league for clearances, which means that they'd been busy, not that they'd been particularly good. After Liverpool lost the title due to goals conceded last year, you'd think he'd set his team up to give the defence more cover.

I've not seen any of Liverpool's recent games but Mignolet must be uber gash for that to be better. Nice one Brendan.

Lolren!

They have far too many fans worldwide to do a Leeds unfortunately. Leeds also bought a lot of their players on some weird hire-purchase scheme that really fecked them up. Apparently Liverpool outbid Arsenal for Alexis Sanchez by 3 million but he chose to go to London. With him in the team, they'd be doing much better. While it's funny that he'll have got the spiel about winning it five times and YNWA etc. etc. and still not been impressed enough to sign for more money, it's a bit depressing if it means you can finish above a London club who haven't won anything in years and have consistently sold all their best players, but still lose out to them on transfers. While there is little chance of us improving to that level as things stand, I guess we'd be in the same situation trying to attract players. "Closer to London than Middlesborough" won't work the next time.

Annualized that's a 40M pound drop in income, largely attributed to the lack of CL and not as bad as it could have been thanks to new sponsors' money, but Woodward says they won't buy players in January. Don't they want to get back into the top four?

For the money that Man Utd are willing to pay, basically every player is available. I'm sure Hummels would be available for the money paid for Shaw, for example. Vermaelen and Di Vrij were mentioned heavily in the summer and both moved, but not to Man Utd. There may be some method behind Man Utds transfers of late but they seem a bit scattergun to me. Like Citeh a few seasons ago.

With the media bandwagon around the case, some of which is understandable given his profession, I can't see him winning any appeal. Him going from "Ched Evans the rapist" to "the wrongly imprisoned (and defamed) Ched Evans" would embarrass too many people and go against the message they are trying to send about date rape. [Probably giggs] The charges where dropped against Loic Remy when he was here but I wonder how far off the same kind of trial he was. We were obviously happy to employ him with gang rape charges hanging over him [/giggs]

Presumably she admitted having sex with the other bloke? The other bloke was acquitted of rape, i.e., a charge of rape was brought against him too. For him to be acquitted, the court must have been satisfied that the sex between him and the woman was consensual, i.e., she must have been capable of giving consent and did so. The "it was rape because she was too drunk to give consent" reasoning did not apply against him.

If, like me, all you've heard is "Ched Evans-rapist", its worth reading the writeups other posters have linked because it is a very complicated case with some degree of doubt. He may be guilty or he may be innocent, but as sex offenders go, Ched Evans will be getting far more attention and flak than he deserves. It would be better directed toward those who enabled Savile, the MP peado ring or those twats at Meadomsley.

I think they managed two attempts in the box against us, and it was a deflected shot from distance that got them their goal against Chelsea. Against us, they must have had getting on for 150 passes between members of their back four. That's great when you're two goals up, but they never led in the game and were behind for about a quarter of it. I suspect it might have been last minute wage demands that turned them off Remy, but he would have been a much better buy than Balotelli.

Van Gaal now level on points with Pardew, and four points behind Moyes who went P10 W5 D2 L3 F17 A13 17pts. Everton got 72pts and only got fifth last year, but that's looking like it might get you third this year.

About effing time!

Probably a straight red there for goalscoring opportunity.