Altamullan

Week 12: What a week! Got massacred off AFCB (note the ‘A’) 0-1 (WOO-HOO! Payback for repeatedly playing well [in parts] and getting sweet FA...) AND a cracking week for a lot of you in our own league. An incredible 17 players scored 20+ points, the highest average score (20.4) to date, the highest group guess (23 points), 37 spot on scores including 8 x 10 pointers, an astonishing 6 of which were from the Man Utd game—though the buggers scoring in Fergy time cost me 4 points! Unsurprisingly the latter was the top scoring game (142 points). Don’t know where to start or stop re congratulations. Hats-off to Magpie, our glorious leader is now ... well, our glorious leader. Phenomenal points total from BillClinton, psychic-like great shouts from Ryan for our game, Sho’Time for the Leicester game (nominated), Kaizero for the West Ham game (nominated too), and Interpolic for the brave Stoke home win. Pick of the bunch though, for me, goes to “Mr President” again, who not only gets 30 points, but five of them come from being the only person to take Palace to beat Liverpool, and only going and getting the score right too! I genuinely feel like sending you a crystal ball as a trophy! Hope you get some Monica Lewinsky-like attention instead! (...not offering you’ll no doubt be glad to hear). Lawro would have a good week again, scoring 22 points (he would be on same points total as Magpie, btw: 234). His guest notorious Wealdstone fan Gordon ("You want some?...I'll give it ya”) Hill scored 21 points. Lawro’s guests’ total for the season would be 174.

Formation 2... with post Jan newbies: Krul Janmaat Shawcross-alikee Mbemba Mbabu Shelvey-alikee Thauvin Aarons Wijnaldum Mitrovic Austin-alikee Assuming Sissoko, Perez, Cisse, Tiote and Anita all sold to fund newbies; would prefer not to sell first two, but suspect they have the most value. Not sure re wages etc but would hope to wave farewell to usual suspects too (Obertan, Gouffran etc).

Formation 1, Assuming no newbies & trying to make the best of the strengths we have/mask the weaknesses: Krul/Darlow/Elliot (they'll never score past three of 'em!!) Mbabu Coloccini Mbemba (RWB) Janmaat (LWB) Haidara (CDM) Colback ( ) (AM) Wijnaldum (RF) Sissoko/Thauvin (LF) Perez Mitrovic The wingbacks and R&L forwards effectviely forming a box formation, plus giving opportunity for overlapping runs; would like to see more of Haidara's crossing and Janmaat plays like a wingback anyway. Mbabu better at/prefers CB apparently; could swap with (equally unimposing) Dummett.

None are mine; mine were significantly worse!

Left foot finish (I think) too; keeper would probably have been expecting another step. Clever and skilful.

I like iT! Took some time mind,,, just searched through for raft of songs floating around about time of his signing. Found this:

Fair play to Colo, thought he made a positive difference yesterday: more of an industrious Bugs Bunny, than a rabbit in the headlights (... ).

They were broke. Looked like he'd lost a tooth as well. Perhaps Shearer had demonstrated his Neil Lennon 'tackle' in rehearsals, since Wrighty had recently brought it up...(kidding, btw).

Good on ye TM. Not sure what you're apologising for, but makes me want to go and read your posts! Hope you feel ok soon.

Really, man? I´ve watched worse this season Cracks me up whenever people say "this is the worst I've ever seen us play" when every single person here knows for a fact that isn't true You speak for yourself mate - How do YOU know that 'every single person knows it isn't true'...? I said it like I saw it, and to quote another poster on a different site , 'a social club side could have played better'. They were total and utter rubbish, and if you and everyone else thinks not, you are either easily satisfied or taken in by Ashley's brainwashing regime. Jeez...we won man. Won ugly, but won. You'll have seen it before, no doubt. I'm sure you have a lot going for you down under (no Roger Mellie 'fnaar, fnaar' intended!) but hope you can find some enjoyment in this Merls-mate, suspect we'll not have shed loads of opportunity this season, otherwise you risk coming across as a right rigid crumpy gunt.

bright side would be his ego would finally swell large enough that he collapses in on himself. You know what, I think it might just do that. In that. most folk who are soooooooo egotistical must surely have quite vulnerable self-esteem. Fuck-up at Palace, and he may stop believing his 'I'm the best thing since sliced bread/it's everybody else's fault' internal broadcast. If he does... he'll deflate like a blow-up doll banged by a needle dick...

Fully get the change of shape/formation (though half an hour too late, imo). Don't get necessity to change the striker. Mitro has much more to offer as a sole target man, back to goal with five , make that three, midfielders to join him, or in the box for crosses.

Seemed to be up for it. Running at people, taking the initiative. Two great flatout sprints into space (found once, not the other). Would have loved him to get a goal (for him/us in future, more than to kill off that game - never felt anxious/had real sense that Bournemouth were never going to score--a familair feeling, but usually resevred for us). In short, it was reassurring.

Good point; it all comes out in the wash. Fits with my 'just world' delusion.

Feel nothing but pleasure about today tbh. Great to get an undeserved win. My only concern about SMc today was slowness to change. It was evident we were over run in MFD. Both Tiote and Anita were too deep; they had an extra man and were basically making use of the vast amount of space we conceded to them (imo); also, on reflection Gini had a poor game, so we had three AWOL/or 'in the trenches'. SMc did change it, and we looked better (Thauvin looked to have found his mojo again!). Would have expected SMc to be more responsive and certainly before half-time leave Mitro up on his own and shift Perez, left. That said, if he did this may have given some cause for complaint as we moved from a shape which has been working for us (ish). The lads will gain confidence from today. For periods this season we've bossed good sides (and poor ones), and lost (or drew). Shit like this happens; gave them most of the pitch--and therefore possession and chances-- we won.

Well done sb; there are going to be some high scores this week! And Newcastle 'won ugly' . Tiz a just world after all...

It is truly beautiful to get an ugly win.

Fans sound first class.

Nice move Thauvin and Colo. Young Flo looking confident.

Just need Thauvin on for the second goal now.

I'm enjoying this. Belief in a 'just world' reinforced. Want to win ugly.

Play on.

Be tempted to swap Gini with Thauvin too.

e Yep. Done it. This is better formation against them.

Hope Ayoze goes left and Gini AM.