Tiresias

If we got the old carroll who was good, wouldn't say no if he was free and on normal wages. He'd be alright but wouldn't start him ahead of Ba at the moment and would probably use him when we need to go long out of panic. He's a step in the wrong direction though.

Is it just me who kinda feels sorry for the reasonable Mackems on that board? Always see a few beavering away complaining over others obsession with the Mags...Dunno why they bother

The question is, is a rusty Williamson better than Perch?

Santos will be way more motivated than Barca so wouldn't be massively surprised to see them win it, doubt the key barca players will get a full runout, as can't see why they'd risk them getting injured.

someone needs to stick up a sticker saying "we have an orange away strip too"

Poor guy

ooops didn't see not good on right wing bit...fail on my part there. Oh well, can see him working well with Ba upfront

Attitude problems are a worry but since the rest of our team seem pretty level headed that may help calm him or whatever. Sounds good otherwise, especially the flexibility, if he is good in gervinho role, gives us an Obertan alternative

I'm vaguely unfussed because I don't think club has done much wrong, offered him several contracts, he's refused and obviously wants to go. He has kept his place in the first team, what more does he want? More wages? We need to keep wage bill down if Ashley is going to cough up more money for new players. He's decent enough but not so amazing as to be a huge blow assuming we manage to replace him...and I have got some more faith in our ability to buy good players again. I also don't think he will go, he'll issue a come and get me plea in january, only stoke will come forward and he'll end up staying. I am shitting myself about Tiote and Krul however...

Not surprising really. Won't play saturday I expect.

Curses

Wouldn't be terrible cover, not convincing as a regular though.

Oh jesus I'm blind! somehow screened that out

who scored?

If he goes, needs replacement obviously. My hunch is there won't be massive offers coming in from any clubs ahead of us and he'll have a change of heart, though maybe Arsenal with their desperate injury problems may grab him for very temporary cover, but he's not good enough and seems unlikely.

Suspect he may get a chance considering neither Perch nor Simpson acquitted themselves well enough against norwich

Looks like EDL

d Cutting words from the man whose team play at Goodison Park. Shut up or he'll pelt you with coins. That's our transfer budget. Wonder if that'll silence some of the Chelsea boss's rabid critics, he changed and adapted as he went and is eccentric, there seem to be a large selection of the media desperate to eradicate anything but total seriousness and boring from footy. That said not huge fan of either club, but nice to know that City aren't undefeated anymore, was worried they could go whole season. Drogba is a player who knows how to hold up play for last 10 minutes lol, a masterclass in holding onto the ball

if you're having wing backs it's reasonable cover, it sacrifices width for a strong spine. It's successful more in Italy for a reason though, slower narrower teams proliferate, I am very unsure if it would work. I was merely trying to accommodate Jonas in a team with 3 forwards, i think it might be fun, our current formation is fine

Jonas doesn't quite fit into a 4-3-3 with our team though, and I dunno if that would then leave our left back exposed. I'd imagine he'll rotate upfront, still kinda expecting Ba to get an injury myself. That or (ideally of course) Krul Saylor Colo Williamson Santon Tiote Cabaye Jonas HBA Ba Maiga

AVB knows damn well what he's doing, same thing Mourinho used to do (this season seems to have stopped a bit), get the media writing bunch of nonsense about him and not his team at all.

Won't happen. I think it will. Not if Pardew wants to win. If Pardew cared about that why Ryan Taylor?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/11/martin-oneill-sunderland-blackburn I wouldn't want to have O'Neil's dreams if beating Blackburn is the maddest of them...

Whenever I click on a link to RTG this pretty much sums it up entirely http://i.imgur.com/eIlWQ.gif

If we drop into second half I would be worried he might get sacked, that was Ashley's minimum apparently (I remember at start of season and thought we'd never make it :| ) I hope we keep him for a few years, not going to pretend he's obviously a great manager, but do believe in patiently giving managers time to build squads. Would be nice to have Pardew for a while, his football style is good.