SonicBoom

Hmm not sure. Kelvin has been ok for us but he hasn't really been first choice for several of those ten years. Also I think players should get rewarded for their loyalty (or a charity of their choice should benefit), but let's be honest, Kelvin hasn't exactly had a lot of offers. I think West Ham were keen a few years ago but that was it. We really have been his only option so he stayed here and got well paid. I see him as a decent guy who has been fortunate to be here for ten years and someone who has been very well paid for doing his job. Does that deserve a testamonial?

Yep these three for me. Villa are down. There's no way back. They've only won once or something so they don't have the team to suddenly win another nine or ten games. Makes their point against us even more galling. Sunderland are a nothing team and surely even with Sam they will be stood on the trap door this year. They have perked up a little but I think Newcastle and Norwich have the ability to get more points. Swansea seem in freefall. They don't score goals so that is a real problem and losing is a habit. Having said that there is the old adage that one team loses form and drops like a stone at the wrong time. It could be Norwich, Bournemouth or even Newcastle. That could happen but that might be myth rather than based on statistics.

Will be a shame if and when he moves on. He's been a great signing. Really good with the fans, humble and seemed to really want to give his best. That said we did become very predictable just knocking the ball up to him and letting him flick it on or holding it up. We've looked better recently with extra movement. He also never seems to create a chance for himself. With the arrival of Austin coupled with his age, the writing is on the wall. But I'll say again, for 8 million when we were looking for a focal point he was excellent business. I for one wouldn't be disappointed if he stayed to the end of his contract.

I agree Verbal. We have lacked any sort of goal threat from centre midfield from some time. Lallana was the last one that could actually create something and score and we often played him wide. I'm not sure about Tadic. He seems to have all the skills but he's barely scored a goal since he's been here. OK he plays wider but you would still think he would get a few chances to shoot. He frustrates me as he seems to be a great player but there doesn't appear to be any actual end product. Pelle is great at what he does which is finish chances made for him by others. He relies solely on service so if the team is not providing he won't score. As for the rest they seemto be mostly DM's. Davis is a good player but prefers to go sideways and keep the ball. We missed out on Coutinho I seem to remember as he preferred the scousers. He wouldn't have stayed long but he would have been perfect for us.

I am constantly amazed that so many people say the same thing. We sell our best players every year. We don't. We simply have no choice. Those players sensevthe chance to go to bigger clubs for more money. If you let them get into their last year their value plummets. Such as Clyne. All those players agitated for a move and I dont believe we ever punted those players around looking for a buyer. So to say that Ron will want assurances from the board is utterly pointless. He will never get that as they can't give it. Do we want to sell mane? No. Will we be forced into it if he demands to go? Yes. He can be disruptive and disinterested. He's got form. So all we ever do is try to get the most from the players before we have to sell for the highest price. We are not a big club so we will always lose players as will 95% of other teams. Finally it's said that other teams refuse to sell. So did we. Schneiderlin for one. Wanyama for another. But the contract ticks down..... Palace etc don't have players that the big clubs want. If they do like stones then they'll get them. It's just a case of when.

I'ts the progression that is the concern. Hes a bright likeable lad but Im not sure he has any more influence on a game now than he did when he got into the team for the first time. Of course he could develop spectacularly but so far there has been little evidence of overall improvement. This dead ball thing is a phallacy too. Nearly one hundred appearances and one goal from the spot and he's not even the penalty taker so they gave that to him to get him off the mark. And i notice in the last few games Bertrand has been coming over from left back to take corners on the right so he's not doing that now either. Big year for him this year I think.

I saw an interview he did this season where he seems to have addressed his issues. He said he realised he needs to totally focus. He hired his own dietician and cut loose a lot of his entourage. He came across as someone that really wanted to up his level of professionalism. I was impressed. I think we could really do with a guy in the centre of the park that actually wants to get forward and shoot. Cant remember the last time we had that threat instead of going wide all the time.

I think that our first eleven is a match for anyone. If we slide down the table a little we automatically start panicking and thinking the way back is to spend. At the moment our team is probably good enough to be in and around the top 6. Arguably higher if you look at Leicester's example. So what we should be concentrating on is why the team are underperforming at the moment.

I thought one of the reasons that Ron was chosen was because he bought into the philosophy of the club - that means bringing through youth. Apparently he had a good record elsewhere. So if he is not using our youth then we need to face the slightly uncomfortable truth that they are simply not good enough and Ron doesn't want to entrust his reputation to them. Secondly U21 football is useless. Unless a player stands out he is in big trouble when he gets to 21/22/23. Getting too old for the U21's but not pushed into the first team. Footballing no man's land. We can't wait for them to come good at 24/25 because they clog up the squad playing very little football. Finally as we have more and more money, we have a better first team squad. That means that fewer and fewer local lads will get into the first team. I think that is inevitable. Teams in the championship and lower will be developing British players. Look at City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal etc etc , their youth doesn't make it. That's because they have the money to buy finished products and not gamble on developing players.

It's always good to have a creative player in the middle of the park. We lack that number ten when the opposition drop deep. Lallana was capable of doing it, Tadic is creative but there's only so much you can do from out wide and Mane is also able to create but he does it by running in behind. Maybe Clasie will be the man once he really settles in.

Mark Hannibal *shudders*