Ted Maul

Agree actually. Think he's almost always looked shaky when playing for England tbh, never been convinced by him.

A lot of the time I agree with that. Sometimes they give him a yellow after making a tackle that just a few years ago would never have merited a foul never mind a card. Still however there are occasional moments I get exasperated with needless fouls he commits. Just a minor complaint really because he's class. I remember thinking most of this season maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we sold him but when he got a run of games and got back to form I remembered just how good he is. We'll miss him if he goes like. The way the Mackems go on about him is hilarious. If they walked up to anyone in the entire nation and tried to tell them that Cattermole is a better player than Tiote they would laugh in their faces. It's not really just Tiote either, it's almost all our players. Apparently both Tiote and Cabaye are overrated piles of wank, oh and Cisse's just been lucky to score awesome goals practically every single game, Santon's a total flop, Jonas does nowt and Ben Arfa's not half as good as Sessegnon Why does it pain them so much to just admit that we've got some good players?

He has but never a second yellow which I guess is what you're probably alluding to. He does walk that tightrope very well. Somewhat recklessly, but very well

Love that, how they claim their players would comprise 3 out of the 4 midfield places of a 'North East' theoretical XI. Then whenever anyone dares suggest that Martin O'Neill is in fact not the second coming of Jesus they all turn round and say he's had a shit squad to work with.

Did someone really say that and actually mean it?

Aye, Cabaye a starter in the French team, didn't look out of place last night supporting Benzema, Ribery et al in attack. Overrated s**** though who couldn't get anywhere near Man United's team in what is by far their weakest position

Did well when he came on, you could tell the wings are the most competitive positions in the side because the ones who came on were ball-hogging to the max trying to do something brilliant. Kudos to Benny that he didn't get roped into doing that apart from once when he tried to do too much. Otherwise made some good passes and was efficient in possession, seemed to be playing deeper than usual.

It'll be the spiked one. I'll reserve judgement until I see it out there on the pitch. That said, it's fucking vile

What happened there, saw Benny go past that bloke then signal cut out

Benny's done well since coming on, looks to be playing quite deep though.

Giroud looks on cowies, proper chewing his lips off

Pretty tough crowd them

That ESPN commentator's rubbish.

Looker that big cheesy grin from Benny

Aye Valbuena's always looked a handy player to me. Get Malouda off and Hatem on man.

Why'd he leave the Ronnie?

Quite a few years back I did work experience at the Ronnie Gill and Anal Oliver was acting like a right twat, walking round like he owned the fucking place. What happened to him in the end, did he get fired?

Must be so fucking easy to be a football journalist during the transfer window man. Swear they all sit round in the office at the start of the day and pick random names out of hats.

If it's true and Ferguson has in fact been twisting about how much the 'lesser' clubs are demanding for their best players he can quite simply do one. Does he expect us all just to lay down and surrender for him ffs. My suggestion to these clubs is go and get a proper scouting system you lazy bastards if you don't want to pay Premier League prices.

Re Simpson, I don't think he's a brilliant fullback but it's pretty stupid to diss him directly for what he does on the line. Clearly, one of the fullbacks is told to get on the line (Santon was the one doing it when Simpson was out) and clear anything that gets past Krul. It's hardly an art form but you have to look alive or you'll end up costing your team - as Kieron Dyer found out against Barcelona - so Simpson (and Santon) should be lauded for the job they do on the line. I can find plenty of ways to criticise Simpson - that he gets a nosebleed when he passes the halfway line, that he spoons his crosses so high they come down with snow on them, that positionally he seems to think he's a centre back half the time - but his work on the goal-line is not one of them.

Supposedly he had some kind of stage fright and was puking before matches or something. Can't remember where I heard it, probably bollocks like.

Wonder what went wrong with him, highly rated in the past. Suffered from terrible anxiety problems and also injury problems and I guess just hasn't progressed how we'd hoped. Even during an injury crisis he could barely get near our team so in that regard it is probably good for him to go and get football elsewhere. Wish him good luck wherever he goes, can see him going and playing back home tbh.

Been a full back all his career has he not?

Should make one definitely. Discombobulated would have to be in there somewhere.

Hell on