Happinesstan

We seemed to be trying to be too crafty in their half, glad to see we started banging balls into the box a bit more. Blackburn have been pretty well organised so we need to get more quick balls in, and unsettle them a bit more. Confident we can go on and win this.

Hmmm. 7 years since he scored 11 in 33 at this level. Last year, a regular on loan to Villa who went down. 2011, a regular in the wigan team that scraped survival. Not so sure.

Totally. It's not that I don't rate him, I haven't watched him that much so it would be difficult. But he has been successful at this level, 11 in 33? and at 27 I would hope he has the hunger to play his best years at the top. He has Premiership experience as a youngster, he's suffered a dip in his career, so he knows their is no yellow brick road to success.

a goal every 3 games from a central midfielder is just what we need to cement our promotion hopes. Loan til the end of the season whilst looking to sign Loftus-cheek in the summer? He'd probably be an improvement on Colback as back up too, so wouldn't be opposed to a permanent deal.

Pat Heard was more use than Colback.

I'm not over-reacting, I'm sure Rafa can sort this. But howay man,if we're being repeatedly dominated at home then we should be concerned.

Clearly it has worked well in the first half of the season. So much so that we were well ahead of third by mid November. But teams are beginning to figure out how to play us, to such an extent that come the new year that lead could be just 3 points. Unless you expect these teams to forget how we play, then it might be a good idea to introduce an element of flexibility,if only to keep the opposition guessing.

Funny, I bet if it was a nobody he would just call the police and offer support/protection to those affected.

What a wanker, tweeting that. Some people should have been drowned at birth. A sad state? Fuck off you ambulance chasing fucking parasite.

This weeks minutes applause official sponsor is Wonga, give your support for johnny nofingers who failed to meet his payments this week.

There'll be an official sponsor for the minutes applause before we know it.

I don't think we will, and I don't think we should, sign him. I'd still be happy if we did though.

Ayoze is set to flourish in the no10 role, in the absence of Diame. I reckon he'll get 4/5 goals in that period.

It's not the point, but it does offer up the opportunity for a different discussion, centred around the fact that nobody has been called up for offending Shelvey in relation to a medical condition. Lanky cunts can go and fuck off for now, but surely we shouldn't have to wait until someone like Jonas, is subjected to abuse that is normally reserved for adolf hitler, before we consider it's place in the game.

I was thinking that myself. And I was thinking that his signing a new contract could have been a gesture so the club could make some money. But the £8M release clause is weird. It suggests he maybe thought Man City would pull out at a higher price, and get somebody else. So maybe not so confident in his own ability. Of course it could be the sign of an ambitious, but modest professional.

Seems like a sensible decision to move on, and concentrate on the football. Shelvey doesn't come out too bad in my opinion, but he needs to be informed that he is now a marked man (in a sense) and needs to avoid anything like this in the future. It could be the making of him as a man and a footballer, or it could all end very messy. He's in the right place with Rafa though, hope he appreciates that.

Just heard. Teehee. Merry Chrimbo Al. Teehee.

Just seen it, Siss asked Shelvey if he wanted to come to dinner, apparently his lass, Ali Peshar does a mean cous cous. Shelvey replied "cous Cous? No 'anks."

I know it shouldn't come into it, but I think the fact that everyone could see we got completely screwed over by the ref in that game played a part in it being overturned. Like you say, based on the incident alone it shouldn't be overturned because he did kick out. I'd need to look again, but I felt at the time it could be argued he was merely untangling his foot from the melee. He definitely kicked out, like I concur, but did he kick out to hurt a player or did he kick out to get his footing. He is in the motion of getting off the ground, something that necessitates the positioning of the feet on the ground. He realised his foot wasn't on the ground, thus putting him in danger of falling flat on his face and his reflexes caused him to kick out in search. I know it sounds fanciful but it's just like stepping off a kerb that you have misjudged.

I know it shouldn't come into it, but I think the fact that everyone could see we got completely screwed over by the ref in that game played a part in it being overturned. Like you say, based on the incident alone it shouldn't be overturned because he did kick out. I'd need to look again, but I felt at the time it could be argued he was merely untangling his foot from the melee.

I blame the people who shat in the sinks. If they hadn't blocked them they wouldn't have overflowed.

I know Rafa is supposed to like his strikers mobile, based on Fernando Torres I wouldn't disagree. But if Rafa doesn't like a strong CF then why did he loan out our only other mobile striker and buy another big guy? Yeah Armstrong needed games for his development, so it was right for him to go on loan, but why replace him with a target man. My conclusion would be that, yes Rafa likes to play with a mobile striker, but has a penchant for bringing on a target man to hold things up in the last 15. To preserve a lead. I doubt Mitro will be happy with that role. That is maybe reflected in his most recent performances. Tis a shame coz I loves me some Mitro.

So he's had one quiet game against Blackburn and hasn't "imposed himself with 10 minutes to go" in the comfortable 2-0 win at Leeds and the 4-0 defeat of Birmingham? Fair enough like, hardly a damning critique of the lad though. Agreed. Nobody knows what instructions He is given when he comes on for 10 mins at the end of a nailed on victory. Knowing what we know about Rafa's philosophy, I would assume it is to keep things simple.

If I understand you correctly, then we are in full agreement on the issue of racism. Wipe it out. End of discussion. But that does raise the issue (the bit you deleted) of what sort of bullying is acceptable. This is not based on the fact that racism equates to bullying, only to that fact that racism can be very effective AS A FORM OF BULLYING.

Wow! you went to all that trouble of deleting the pertinent point.