Tiresias

Aye, that redeems those comedy comments earlier lol

I don't mind that, but I'm most concerned about Guti being asked to play more centrally, or as part of a midfield 3. if we're going to go for a classic 4-3-3 with fairly fluid roles I think I'd go for Guti Ba HBA (interchangable) Gosling/Abeid Tiote Cabaye (again interchangeable) This is reliant on Gosling or Abeid stepping up. 4-3-3s are reliant on possession play generally, Tiote doing the defensive midfielder role and distrubiting forward to Cabaye or Gosling/Abeid (marveaux perhaps) and keeping possession, then making the passes forward to available forwards. I'm just not sure though that our players are prepared to play such open football where positions are exchanged etc. Defence is obviously the problem, discipline in getting possession back needs to be great, and atm with a slightly more rigid formation we are tough to beat, so can't see the want to change it. Tiote's current form should however allow Cabaye more freedom to venture forward, I wouldn't mine seeing Cabaye as a central playmaker midfielder with Abeid in to develop. HBA can operate on right but with free remit.

Chelsea are as well, Spurs are probably the 4th best team, which will likely be reflected in their final position this season. It's opinions, and like you say final positions will be the proof but I think that Spurs team today had more quality than Chelsea. Don't agree really, Ramires has looked good this season, Mata is class act and I think at the moment they are managed by a more astute manager, (though early days of course, Redknapp is never going to surprise you, Villas Boas likes changing it up a lot, and seems to have brought an urgency to their play). They are lacking a Modric style deep playmaker though whose going to dictate play.

Absolutely, if he was in a london team there'd be a bajillion articles on him popping up tomorrow

They can't f***ing handle you - he was shouting (I think at Tiote) Was at Jonas, I think. Well it goes without saying they couldn't handle Tiote, nobody handles the

He will spend some of the season injured, we knew this when we purchased him (hence the contract he's on), but completely worth the risk at the moment.

Quick everyone slag off Ameobi more, it seems to give him power!

hahaha delusional, you can see how similar to wolves we are on the league table

Was a penalty, well worked by Adebayor who definitely was looking for it but was contact and fairly clear penalty imo

Just to be daft, this game might be one to give Mehdi Abeid a shot, since he seems to be impressing the reserves, and we need to at some point. How about Krul Santon Saylor Colo Raylor Abeid Tiote HBA Cabaye Guti Ba Think it'll end up too defensive actually but didn't Cabaye play there for his last club? Would like Abeid get some gametime if he is being lined up to replace Tiote when he's off at the ACN

Quieter and the stats bare that up, he didn't pass as successfully, and was sad he didn't manage to test Friedel from range. Not a bad game by any stretch though, tiote just seemed to step up this game, happy enough with him.

tbh with the players we have the difference between 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-1-1 is pretty academic, it's basically where you choose to draw the wingers in the diagram. I think since we seem to be using wingers who cut inside I prefer to describe it as 4-2-3-1, demonstrates the slight reduction in width, whereas 4-4-1-1 seems to imply wide men. Marveaux maybe can do both. Either description makes sense really.

Stoke, and the game will be completely shit, and afterwards I will conclude I'd rather lose than win games like Stoke

Just fiddling with guardian's chalkboards, he was fantastic, made 6 tackles, no unsuccessful tackles (much better than Parker despite everyone saying how great he is at 'mopping up). He made a lot more passes than Cabaye today as well, though as usual Cabaye's passing was more forward and towards important areas. We had much better passing stats (though Parker did have good stats for this too, but Modric less so, cos he was on wing for loads of it I suspect). Cabaye and Tiote midfield is just so :fwap:

He's probably going to need a lot of rolling of eyes more than anything.

Reading that throughball and coming out to clear it in time sometime in second half was spot on. Another solid game, Spurs didn't make him do enough to really impress of course, which is how one wants it.

Would like to see Krul Santon Saylor Colo Raylor Tiote Cabaye Marveaux HBA Guti Ba Seems the squad we've been building towards, and had enough time now. Best didn't put in his best shift last game, so willing to drop him for HBA.

Think Obertan gets some unfair stick, he's alright, and one day he'll race clear and get a goal, or race clear and be hacked down for a red. Would still think he'd actually work better as an impact sub, coming on against tired legs is a good idea, though then for that I'd prefer Sammy ahead of him anyway...

Their defence is a mess, and starting to think that only Shawcross is a worse defender than Gary Caldwell in the league... That said we will probably be all cocky and overconfident and we'll concede 3 flukey goals

Should be comfortable win.

Think he was desperate to get a goal or such, he needed to lay off the all more, needs more time on pitch but slightly less annoyed by his lack of starting now. Marveaux needs to start instead of Obertan though ASAP.

Man Tiote was a rock today, and his shot wasn't far off. Can people stop saying our midfield only looks good against bad teams already. Most midfields are going to succumb to the Beauty and the Beast (should totally be on the back of their shirts)

Gutirerrez MotM for me. New contract seems to have given him superpowers Colo solid. Ben Arfa wasn't great to be honest obviously needs time, needs to be more willing to pass it, made some good runs then rather than laying it off ran into a defender, but he'll get there. Draw against totenham is great, better is coming from behind twice, pity Colo didn't follow it up but he's not a striker for a reason, oh well. I'll take a point from this very happily.

crap

Gah.