John Boy Saint

I have to admit in light of recent rumours, where this poll is concerned I have splinters in my backside. I think Puel is capable of doing the job, and as mentioned before I have watched him on the sidelines doing his nut especially when the team on the pitch has repeatedly played the ball the same route up the pitch and it's just produced the same breaking down and coming back at us result. This Eric Black business though, the guy was brought in, from recollection, primarily to help Claude out with his English because Black speaks fluent French. As has been said and backed up with results his coaching record is pretty turgid. When you see the guy he always looks a bit sour faced, even in that Telegraph exposé I don't think he cracked a smile once. But going back to this translator business, made me think of a situation we have at work where we deal with Chinese factories and have a Chinese national working for us here in the UK, at a trade show in China last year we blagged a bit of lunch off a supplier negotiated through our Chinese person when we sat down only 2 items of the 6 ordered where there, when we asked our person made excuses about the missing items and they said they were not available, which we knew was not right. This got us thinking that as we went round the show and asked them to ask a supplier a particular question, whether that actual question was asked as our own Manderin was nowhere near possible of knowing for sure. With this in mind and the "primary purpose" of Blacks position, how much of Claude's instruction is translated to how Black thinks it should be done. Might explain why Boufal sparkles as he speaks French so understands exactly what Claude wants, without the instruction being lost in translation. As an aside to my musings here, if Black is the translator AND assistant, strange how you very rarely see him come to the line in games to bark out an instruction, whereas under the Koemans Dave Watson was often out in the technical area barking out instruction.

If you watched his exploits in the summer at the Euro's he seemed surprisingly more chummy with the Portugese golden boy than most of the other players, so it's hardly a surprise if his heads been turned. And if it has, at his age he must realise there ain't much sand left in the career hour glass.

The fact they swear we are going to have a winter like the one seen in the film Day After Tomorrow splashed over their front page every September for the past 5 years backs that up.

Poor West Ham having to play against 13 men with 10

To be fair Fonte was giving away free penalties at the beginning of the season.

Sometimes his own reaction to himself when he has fluffed a ball, I think shows he knows he is better than what he is serving up. Need to keep reminding ourselves that he is only 21

Spuds making Watford look like a pub team who got in from NYE celebrations at 4:30 this morning.

To be honest over the years no matter who is in charge we have always buggered about in front of goal, it's almost like its in our DNA to try and score a perfect goal, as a friend I go to games with often says walking back to the car; "it's always after you Claude (no pun intended)in front of goal".

Ordinary

Played the man not the ball, anyone saying it was a coming together need a trip to specsavers, my view from the Chapel Long was off to get the ball and Nyom trashed Long from behind end of chat.......... Ref bottled it. VVD was easy as it was late in the game, just like Foster was warned in the first half at length for time wasting, then spoken to again second half. Frasers Yellows he has been warned then pinged the second time.

Be madness to bin him off now, we have lead a pretty charmed life since getting back in the Prem, Adkins was just getting to grips with it when MP took over, then when he got on his bike we pick up Ronald who kept us going in the same upwards direction we had been on since clawing our way back from the edge of the abyss. Everyone asked once we started flogging off the family Silver every summer how can they keep doing it. Well it appears that chicken has come home to roost this season. Un fortunately we have a manager at the helm who isn't an all singing and dancing fruit loop like Jose or Klippety, but a quiet considered chap. Those of you attending the game today just take a moment to watch him on the sidelines, and watch him when the players decide to play the ball in field into a congested cluster of players when the ball to play was the free player on the wing with acres to run into is very free. He has caught my eye a few times in the technical area, handing out words of wisdom and at the same time doing his nut when the players persist in not doing what they are told repeatedly (Sparta away springs to mind) position McQueen in space and knock it up the line to him repeatedly it went right into trouble and both Sam and Claude were getting pretty ****ed off with it) then you will see the passion that's missing from the press conferences. Like I, and many other have said too, You can't get away with selling your best players and get away with it every year. I would prefer to stick with Claude rather than become the manager merry-go-round that put us in the clart before Leibherr saved our bacon.

Said to my mate Wednesday night, at least it's only the goalie who has acquired a slice.

Despite all the hoo-ha that was a spectacular miss by Kane...... In all the celebrations there was a voice behind "...... Surprised he isn't going to make him take it again".

So someone in the suites above did decide to opt for the very special Vindaloo!!

New Years Eve getting back to Birmingham at 9:30 I would expect a bit of family pressure creeping in.

I hate losing to Spurs there is a spawnyness about them always has been. Having slept on it, a few personal observations of the game. We were good for the first 15 and if Redmond had sent his shot a foot further to the right to make it 2-0 the evening might have been different, from that moment it seemed a combination of us just switching off and Spurs going "blimey that was close we need to pull our socks up". We seemed to suddenly be in last 5 minutes of the game defending a lucky 1-0 lead, playing so deep, and in doing so when we did get a crumb of relief and get the ball away it was coming straight back, ball comes over Fraser Forster the tallest man on the pitch just seemingly stands and watches it fall onto Ali's head who just plops it in the net when he should be getting across plucking the ball out of the air and wiping Ali out in the process. From then to half time I thought both sides looked like teams that had had the last 10 & 11 days off. The game changed in my eyes (yes I know a no whatsit Sherlock) when the second goal went in, in reality there was no need to give the corner away but Fraser thought he was still back playing in Scotland against Stirling Albion and dithered waiting for the ball to meander to him, as a result Jose spotted the danger of a Spurs player bursting towards the ball came across and hoofed it behind for the corner from where Kane scores. From then on we became easier to play against for a team like Spurs. Being at the other end of the ground I didn't have the best view of the goings on which saw Redmond heading to the showers early, but when you saw the skirmish you instantly thought Dean is going to love the theatrics of pointing to the spot here, and sure enough he didn't let me down. I always remember a cup game against v Chelsea he officiated in, Chelsea had run us about and the game was pretty much done, Super Frank bursts forwards with the ball but instead of shooting at goal he deftly plays the ball at the running arm of a closing Saints defender, now if that defender had moved his arm away the ball would have hit the Northam Kinsland corner flag Mike Deans body language was almost "oh goodie I can blow my whistle and point at the spot". Anyway its done. With 10 men we did carve out some opportunities and 2 gifted free goes at a pretty much empty net, first the "wonderful" Tadic who the numpties sing the name of when he is not on the pitch, gets passed a ball that all he has to do is hit in a goal wards direction, nope he receives the ball and as usual Eff's about and powder puffs the ball, Lloris goes walk about again the ball falls to PEH who also pats it goal-wards...... Ffs 2 of you get paid shed loads just to kick a bloody ball of air and 2 of you fluff it up. I don't get the swapping of Boufal for Tadic because to my mind they are the same player, beat someone then spin round to go and beat them again........ and try and repeat. They are both gifted players but for goodness sake someone please tell them to keep it simple, last night when the sub was made we just substituted Fabrice Fernandes with er-um Fabrice Fernandes!! Spurs did what they had to do and did it well, their attitude I thought was summed up by Danny Rose who in added time was still going after the ball like Spurs were 1-0 down. As always its 2 steps forward 1 step back.

See we have. Mark Clattenbergs Dad........... Mike Dean on the Whistle.

Yup may be 22 years ago, there is no doubt the responsibility certainly focuses the mind, you grow up. Embrace it, enjoy it, and as has been said already they grow up really fast, and make the most of them when they are little because the day they become stroppy buggers will be upon you before they know it. As for the tiredness there is no doubt there is nothing to match it. We had number 2 pretty quickly there is a year, a month, and a week between our girls (2 was the plan but a "oops we shouldn't have done that" moment brought things forward). Friends who had their first at the same time as us thought we were barking mad, but being in baby mode when number 2 arrived, it was frighteningly easy. Interestingly when the same friends decided on having another, when it arrived, jeez, you just watched them age before our eyes. Both of ours were fully operational and you could see our friends looking on with a thought of "you weren't as mad as we thought".

I was wondering if she was still about the other day when they showed the Royale family where Nana died.... That was only triggered by seeing Caroline Aherne who left us earlier this year.

1665 was pretty damn grim too

Just as an aside the Arsenal game last Boxing Day kept coming up on social media today, and especially Cucu Martinas opener, even now that was one hell of a strike....... Not sure why I hadn't noticed it before but not only does he bend it inside the post but right round the back of Monreal (I think).

Nobbles the Jay Rodriguez song a little if he goes on a little run now after the brace at Bournemouth.

Merry Christmas to all my fellow posters................ You can all get well oiled today cos you don't have to be up tomorrow till at least lunchtime.

The technical term is crowned. If you are unfortunate enough to catch highlights from Nottarf Krap their crown is more like Everest running down the middle of the pitch. When St Mary's first opened one of the claims was that we had the only totally flat pitch in the country. ........ Hood down - Anorak off!! Mate who is a Man U fan managed to get tickets at OT and ended up on the front row at the Stretford end he said he was glad him and his son were taller that 5'8" as his eyes were literally level with the pitch.

Nice fix Sir!.......... Merry Christmas