The9

Absolutely spot on, but Koeman's been very clear that's our goal for some time. Makes you wonder what's happened that makes us suddenly unmotivated...

Thanks to Forster slipping when clearing the ball, no confirmation pitch watering had anything to do with it.

Didn't happen away at Cardiff last season. That's all I've got.

Cork was a backup who wanted to play more, and wasn't going to be able to with Schneiderlin and Wanyama ahead of him. Even allowing for the likelihood of injuries to one or both, the improved deal Cork would want for a player who was STILL going to be a back up at the level we want to be at, compared to buying someone new potentially on lower comparable wages than Cork would have wanted, plus still getting money for him in January made selling him a no-brainer.

I'd sign Elia if we qualify for the Europa, I think we'd get him relatively cheaply, he knows our squad and how the club works, what's being asked of him, he's got a decent workrate defensively and he's shown what he can do going forward on a few occasions. The kind of player that we'd need to cope with a European season. Initially promising partnership with Bertrand doesn't seem to be working at the moment, but I suspect that's as much due to the lack of options in the box as anything - they regularly get as far as the edge of the box by exploding using overlapping play towards the goal-line and then nothing comes of it because there's no cross on, the ball is cut back and goes sideways for 2 minutes. Not sure Djuricic can even say that much, though he's got a little bit more flair.

You're thinking of Hassan Yebda.

I went to Stoke, Sunderland and Leicester (FFS) and I don't think the effort has been anything like as bad as the Portsmouth away example given - at Stoke we were the better side and were unlucky - but Saints were clearly a level below that they'd shown at Chelsea. At Sunderland we were trying, but just didn't look like the urgency was there and were handicapped by the red card and certain obvious weaknesses in the team. At Leicester... ...overall it was definitely below the standard I'd expect of professional players, specifically ones who've showed they are capable of much better. They'll be busting a gut at City because of the motivation factor and need to raise their game, it's the performance at home to Villa and sleepwalking through that too that I'm worried about.

I'd say his lack of ability at this level is more significant. He made one decent save and couldn't do anything much with the other 2, but his awful kick pretty much led to the 2nd goal (bad defending afterwards also contributing).

By a mastermind-esque process of elimination, it's either Forster or Schneiderlin at this point.

I thought Reed fitted in well on Saturday - in that most of them weren't playing very well. Same team as this weekend for me, except JWP for Davis (who has had one bad match too many) and Kelvin for Gazzaniga. Obviously I'd have Schneiderlin in for Reed if he's fit. But with a rocket up their collective ar5es please.

FWIW I think we'll put in a hell of a shift at Man City as well, not so sure against Villa. It's all about motivation - we were good at Chelsea because we needed to be, we lost at Sunderland and Leicester because they put in more effort than us which made them quicker to react and more likely to win close challenges. In a game of narrow margins that across elevn players is enough for a significant tip in the balance of the result. Can't really explain it for Stoke, who weren't and aren't playing for anything, but we weren't particularly bad there and mostly on top, just a bit unlucky with the goals. Sunderland wouldn't have won that game 9/10 times even though they were trying harder, they were still incredibly spawny despite trying, because of the penalties and red card. Saturday we were just guff for 20 minutes and after that all Leicester had to do was defend against a side moving in slow motion and happy to pass sideways.

Even if we don't, Swansea need to beat 2 of Arsenal, Man City and Palace away. If they lose tonight, we only need a win from one of our 2 matches OR them not winning both of theirs in order to come at least 7th.

I went, and I expected nothing less than Leicester pummelling us. Shame that all moving Alderweireld back into the back 4 proved was how much weaker we are without Schneiderlin, and how much difference effort and motivation make. I have no idea why our motivation is so weak, but it was obvious Leicester were on a different level well before the kick off, and that could be seen weeks ago I thought Clyne looked like he couldn't be bothered with a couple of exceptions when he had the ball or actually switched on to make a supporting run. He was coming out of tackles, sluggish positionally, just not quite there. Wanyama looked like his usual self except for the couple of times he got caught labouring, and not having Schneiderlin alongside him must have a significant impact on how confident he is in shifting a pass on simply. Reed and Wanyama just don't have that understanding yet. Davis' performance was well within himself too, and he just wasn't there for the opening goal. We weren't on the same level as Leicester (FFS) and we let too much happen for too long and then couldn't do enough about it because we were all over the place and they were already in position to score. I'd say Pelle looked disinterested, but that's just what he looks like. Only Bertrand and maybe Fonte and Mane looked like they were at their usual standard. Even Alderweireld's chasing out wide for the second goal just left Mahrez unmarked.

Could also wear it away to City - Prem rules allow for wearing of a new shirt for one match at the end of the season (whether last home OR away game) provided it's worn the following season. I'm assuming that due to the nature of the renewed adidas contract and the lack of merchandising and brand name on the current shirts, there wouldn't be any of the usual legal contractual implications to changing manufacturer or sponsor before July 1st that we might normally have when usually changing shirts before the summer. Makes lots of sense to do it before the end of the season when you have the same manufacturer and sponsor, a lot less likely when you don't. There's always the possibility the club just won't bother, but what better way to shift shirts to overseas markets than a big ol' worldwide 90 minute advert last home or away match of the season?

Can't beat sitting on your jacksie not talking to each other because I'm posting links to rare 2005/6 sock pics and she's watching soaps. What's more concerning is surely that the fact we wore black socks in this match is burned into my head and I've just been waiting for someone to share a pic of it from the club's archives for the past 5 years or so. FWIW, those shorts (and the white version of those socks) had a good run - what with the replacement of the one-year nose-breaker shirt when Friends Provident were replaced by Flybe, but keeping the same shorts and socks, we actually wore them for 3 successive seasons, almost unheard of in modern football.

This would be why I said "the hard of thinking will read this as no-one is leaving". Reed said exactly the same sort of stuff last year. We don't want to sell anyone (other than possibly Clyne and Rodriguez if they don't sign new contracts), but that doesn't mean we won't sell them, and that we haven't also planned to replace anyone who might go.

More than aware of that, still unsure why you continue with your ridiculous use of ellipses, bold and underlining.

Nice to see the "never on sale" alternative 2006 FA Cup black socks pictured here:

It "does work like that" in the sense that they are our players and if they're U21s or named in the "25" man Prem squad they can play the rest of the season. That doesn't mean we'll pick them.

He was in the box, and it was a foul, but he'd still have been better standing up and taking the shot with Kevin "No Pens" Friend as the ref. Second one was a pen.

Yeah, I just reread that (see above) - makes sense.

According to the Prem rules the suspension for a non-Prem match kicks in from 14th day following the sending off. (NB not the 14th of the month as I thought - which would mean he was suspended from 4th May) Or to put it as the FA website says: http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/suspensions I guess the question then is as only first team matches count towards first team suspensions, do non-first team matches only count towards non-first team matches?

I wouldn't pick him either.

That's excellent news, especially as even if Reed plays and has a superb game on Saturday he'll still be suspended from 14th for, at least, the Villa match.

I can think of a couple of things, one is his tendency to make slightly late challenges when he just needs to stand up and block or intercept, but that's understandable with his lack of experience and something that's easily improved upon. His basic skills are sound and he's got an engine to chase around and close down where he might be a few yards out positionally compared to the likes of Schneiderlin - which is a high standard to be compared to. We are now at the point after 3 matches in a row of conceding 2 goals, where expecting different results from the same defensive approach is just stupidity, and we have to try something else. Wanyama doing his thing with Reed buzzing around hopefully not getting himself sent off for diving into challenges and using the ball well in the middle, with the back 4 restored to their most solid state would be the most obvious change.