Lush Vlad

Our best player last night, doesn't say a lot about our performance mind, as I've seen Besty play far better. Really does work hard though, getting better on the ball, good feet (and uses both), quite strong with his back to goal and brings others into play. Oh and he has a knack of scoring/getting a shot off when presented with a chance. Pretty much the polar opposite to the buffoon playing alongside him last night. Best on his own running channels and Marv/HBA/Vuckic playing behind him, or Ba and Best together. Shola should not be starting FFS.

If he starts Saturday, I think I'll cry. We should have matched them and gone 4-3-3/4-5-1, this useless clogger was more of a hinderance and we kept booting it long to him, don't think he won one decent header or flick on. Words cannot describe how angry I get seeing him stroll around the pitch like he doesn't give a fuck

Not sure when these quotes are from, but two weeks hopefully? :'(

I don't think it should be hard to drop Taylor. He's done the job asked of him manfully but he's still a very limited player who won't offer any of the options Santon does. We've missed Jose's ability to bring the ball out of defence and Santon will give us that again. Get him in. Hence why I said drop Simpson, who has been shite in all 4 of our games so far.

Added a striker, albeit on a free. Got some genuine wingers in Marveaux and Obertan. Cabaye already looks the part and of course Gosling and HBA are like new signings (although HBA isn't available yet) plus the fact Sammy and Vuckic are pushing into the first team. Quite clearly loads stronger

Hard to drop Raylor TBF, think he's done an ok job in the circumstances and scored two important goals. If anyone is to be dropped, it's Simpson, shift Raylor across to right back and put Santon at left back. If he doesn't start I will be spitting feathers I tell you!

Better squad and depth, yes. Better starting XI, probably not. Fail to see what's so hilarious about that comment? EDIT: I seem to remember him saying about a month ago we were weaker than last season, d'oh

Has to start against QPR. Would be a travesty if he didn't.

Going slightly off topic Randy, but Sessegnon and Colback were the only two of your players that impressed me at the SOS this season. Colback looked bang average for Ipswich, both times we played them in the CCC, but I guess he was pretty young then. Cattermole is a disgrace TBH, cannot believe he is your captain

Not quite in the same leg breaking league as Bardsley's though! I actually quite rate him TBF, but since his Man U days he has been going round smashing people, really aggressive player and often flies into challenges. Not at Cattermole's level of lumping the shit out of anything that moves yet though.

Still, Wolves away was his proposed comeback, might get on the bench for Blackburn by the sounds of it, although Stainrod (tee hee) said a lot of this sort of stuff last season, was all premature. Would like him to get some minutes in a behind closed doors friendly or two as well.

Black cats on the East stand hopefully bollocks.

Cabaye very much looks like a poor man's Xavi to me. Fair comparison from Colocho IMO. He'll be our Xavi, Sammy Ameobi is our Messi

Are we signing a new deal with Puma then? Doesn't their deal run out at the end of the season?

Kicked on the ankle take it you missed the challenge ujpest? Sure there is a picture up somewhere in this thread.

That would have broke any players leg, apart from Colo and Tiote. They're both cyborgs.

Derek Wright Oh and Hatem of course

Just watched the Everton video again, don't know why I do it to myself!

He wasn't particularly slow with us last year, mind. His touch is a mental thing I think, he does have a "hoofy" style but it can be very good when he is in form. He might look slow, but he is anything but Imo. Once he gets a head of steam up, he goes like a train. In the 5-1 mauling of the mackems he looked quick when he got Titus sent off and went on a really good run early on, class tackle from Bardsley to stop him I think. However, when he needs to manouvere in tight areas or change his pace, burst for 5 yards etc he just looks clumsy and sluggish. Very slow off the mark IMO, if he was a horse, he'd be more suite to big galloping tracks TBH, no tactical speed

His touch is a mental thing I think, he does have a "hoofy" style but it can be very good when he is in form. He might look slow, but he is anything but Imo. Once he gets a head of steam up, he goes like a train. In the 5-1 mauling of the mackems he looked quick when he got Titus sent off and went on a really good run early on, class tackle from Bardsley to stop him I think. However, when he needs to manouvere in tight areas or change his pace, burst for 5 yards etc he just looks clumsy and sluggish. Very slow off the mark IMO, if he was a horse, he'd be more suite to big galloping tracks TBH, no tactical speed

Carroll is slow and his touch is very hit and miss, but I would still have him back here mind. We're hardly spoilt for choice up front!

Isn't Garry Cook supposed to be a massive wanker?

Did you see the tackles Crumpy? Sod all to do with him not being able to survive a hard tackle IMO. The two hits he took would have had Vinnie Jones and Neil Ruddock struggling, so hardly surprising to see him keel over. You might be proved right though, but personally I feel it's far too early to be making such claims. The challenges were horrific and a lot of players would have been fucked by them.