Happinesstan

We just haven't gone far enough with the technology. We need to eliminate every human aspect of the decision making process. Including the players. Just get a computer to simulate the results based on the plethora of statistics available.

Opening question is a bit weird, but reflects current attitudes within the tv studios. The expectation that Man City winning the Champions League is a foregone conclusion.

Quality

Swings and roundabouts, innit. If we didn't have that rich tradition in the cups, Radford's goal wouldn't have been as meaningful, and probably wouldn't even have been televised.

I think it depends where it comes from. My first match was the season after Cox/Keegan got us promoted, and I was delighted to be a mid table team. The players, despite having the 80s version of Bruce in charge, played their hearts out, and we could dream of improving. Then we sold Waddle, and sent nowt. Then we sold Pedro, and spent nowt. Then we sold Gassa, and spent it on half of Wimbledon. At that point I was still blindly optimistic. At least they were spending the money on players. But we were shite. I gave up after consecutive home defeats to Forest and Wimbledon, and by the end of the season we were relegated. Then Keegan and Hall happened. Anybody developing a love after that point will look at things differently. I can remember us being shit before Keegan, but even then I think it was wrong to run the club with such a loser mentality. Mckeag was a small time owner who had no business being in charge of such an important football club. It pisses me off when I read that we were a small club before Keegan. That's not true, we won the FA cup a record number of times before the small fry took over. John Hall showed the true potential of NUFC. I don't mind the money making such a difference in the game so much, just think we should at least be up there fighting for 3rd or 4th given the size of the club. This is a one club city after all. Oh aye, I just wasn't aware of the business side when I first started going. 3 seasons in a row of selling our prized asset taught me pretty quick. At the time we had a reputation of a club with a proud history in the cup, and yet we reached a point similar to where we're at now; A chance to reach the 5th round for the first time in in a long time. Replay at White Hart Lane after a 2-2 draw at home, I think. Can't remember anything about the replay [watched on Sportsnight] but I can remember Gassa hitting the woodwork with a lovely free-kick, in the home tie. I also know we lost the replay. Can't remember when the run was broken either. Don't know what the statisticians would say, but, to me, Spurs were a bigger club than us at the time

Is that 9 second video, with a clip of Danny Rose standing, supposed to prove his claim?

Two blindingly good and completely scary articles.......... This, fundamentally, is what's wrong with football - too much money 'earned' by too few clubs. Inflated values. Greed. Loss of a true fan base. It's not really football anymore, is it? Just a front for money laundering.

Dwayne Dibbly should be fit for Palace.

Can't remember his name, Seymour, or spencer, or something. He was definitely one of them.

I think it depends where it comes from. My first match was the season after Cox/Keegan got us promoted, and I was delighted to be a mid table team. The players, despite having the 80s version of Bruce in charge, played their hearts out, and we could dream of improving. Then we sold Waddle, and sent nowt. Then we sold Pedro, and spent nowt. Then we sold Gassa, and spent it on half of Wimbledon. At that point I was still blindly optimistic. At least they were spending the money on players. But we were shite. I gave up after consecutive home defeats to Forest and Wimbledon, and by the end of the season we were relegated. Then Keegan and Hall happened. Anybody developing a love after that point will look at things differently.

Aye. Weren't they our defensive pairing that closed out our first season back in the prem? Forgot that. We were perfectly fine with a back 4 that had Dummett and Manquillo as fullbacks too. The issue became the following season when peak Diame and Shelvey were not upgraded like Rafa wanted and those levels of ability were instantly dropped down, coupled with injuries. Rafa then went to a back 5 because he had been blessed with riches in CBs and needed to stop the team leaking goals and not scoring. Didn't Lejeune get injured, though. We didn't have anybody else who could play the left side of a two. Not arguing your point, btw, just refreshing my memory.

After saying bringing him on was a waste of time.

I feel sorry for the fans who have to watch him week in week out, saw him over three games in Christmas and it was soul sucking. Don't, they know what they're paying for. The free trial isn't finished yet. Maybe Colback will be commissioned for a seventh season.

Hes kicked off and called him/them a disgrace because of some 10 year old being let down when they wouldn't take a photo with the kid. Supposedly got nothing to do with the result. Dunno like. I'd be less likely to relish a photo-op with fans, if I'd just been fucked 4-0

Christ! A dead Shearer wouldn't be far behind. Hail Mary Hail Mary Hail Mary.

Get some specialist crossing training at the Oxford St/Regent St junction.

Try to prise Rob Elliott out of the ice bath.

It's an amazing coincidence how everyone in the team, new or old is shit right? Man ... I just hope we keep losing at this point. Sick of this stupid manager and team. Well we have a shirt manager that everyone knows about. However at least trying would be nice from some of the players. Trying?! Are you serious So you think this is down to every single one of the players just not being arsed?! Stop it man. Aye. Can't blame lack of effort, they run their socks off. They have to due to a lack of any coherent strategy.

At least our goal difference...

Another remarkable achievement by the club. Brought in the only midfielder that would make the fans long for the energy of Shelvey.

Keegan never forgave him for his impudent retort in training.

Pardewesque.

Probably not his natural instinct. That being the case it shows a lack of understanding between the two. Hard to say ASM does the wrong thing but if he pulls it back Big Joe likely scores. Actually, the earlier chance ASM does cut it back.

Apart from the centre backs. There again, if they just passed short instead of hoofing it wouldn't be an issue. One of the main reasons why Rafa's 3-5-2/3-2-2-2-1 worked in possession was because there were two centre-backs on either side of the pitch who could generate attacks, or at least offer a useful option for the midfielders. Complement that set-up at the other end of the pitch with: a centre-forward who can hold up the ball, an attacker who can dribble and run the channels, and an attacker with infinite stamina who is consistently creating space - and you're pretty much onto a winner. Literally all of that is gone now. We should have kept all of that, added a CM and improved the wing-backs. From what I've seen, very little about the set-up we have now is effective. We're basically a one-man team, ASM's dangerous and that's it. We've got the wind today as well.

We are more dangerous when we give them the ball straight back, before they've decided what to do with it. The tactic is called Stevie's Surprise. Download it NOW at FMScout.