VectisSaint

Don't think many are saying he should be first choice, but as a creative option off the bench he is just what we really need right now. His creative ability really isn't in question, but you are right that he is prone to injury and his international duties makes him unavailable at times. I'd still rather we had him than another team in the PL. I'm also sure that Ron would do better with him than Poch or Nigel were able to do. He really is a misfit at Hull, but then that was always likely to be the case, really surprised that Steve Bruce thought he was a good idea for his style of play.

or just that they have played less games. Assuming DC is Diego Costa, he has played 10 league games, Aguero has played 14 (although he has gone off injured in at least two of those). If Costa had run as many miles as Pelle in 10 games he would be on 62.

No watch? Have Eterna sold out?

Otherwise known as "lack of options"

Shouldn't this be on the Osvaldo thread?

Good shout, David Armstrong also comes to mind.

Though he was clearly fully involved in training yesterday. Depends on any reaction now. Davis also a doubt but he did train.

You might not moan, but I bet you would look completely ****ged after 10 minutes (of warming up). Unlike little Raheem, I don't think anyone has complained of being tired, but it has been clear for a few weeks that Tadic needs a break (in fact he has looked shattered ever since the Albanian drone fiasco). Without more options we have no way of giving players a rest, at least the international breaks used to be good for something, and getting knocked out of the League Cup early at least means less games in the run-up to the Christmas/New Year fixture congestion, whereas the ultimately fruitless task of making t to the QF has made things even worse this season.

Pelle looks perfectly fine in the training pics today, his hair is almost perfect. Davis is in just one of the pics, but it doesn't look like he was fully participating. He can be seen pulling on a tracker bib so he must at least be running I would guess.

The pity from RK's POV is that he was expected back In Dec/Jan (would have been like a new signing) but now its not so clear. RK won't put a date on it because it puts pressure on the player, but looking like end Jan at least, much along the lines of what was originally expected, but maybe a little later as he has had to "step back".

Having just watched Ron's press conference he is basically saying the same thing. It is not a fitness issue, it is playing too many games without enough options, heightened by us now having nearly every player away on international duty during the international breaks. Lack of squad depth is costing us big time for the second season running.

Trying to think of any pacy singers. The only one that comes to mind is Speedy Keen, Thunderclap Newman, who sadly died in 2002.

Good, probably confirms he will sign for us in that case.

Agreed. In fact in most matches this season we have been much better 2nd half than 1st. I don't think we have any more suspensions/injuries than last season, maybe about the same (but Boruc last season was critical), but with an even smaller squad we cannot cope (17 or 18 out, 7 in during the summer), it is a salutory lesson for any team that wants to do well in the PL, 17 players is not enough, we needed 4, 5 or 6 more good players capable of fitting straight into the first team to effectively challenge for top 6, and would need even more if we achieved that.

Think its probably got more to do with most players having played about 19 games and also been involved in 4-6 internationals as well. We have no squad depth so everyone has to play nearly every game. Several players are carrying knocks/minor injuries as well, Tadic, Long, Morgan, Toby and Davis for sure. But not much to replace them with. We may not be as fit as last season under Poch but we are still very fit.

Here's hoping then.

Technically not true, 3 each so far 13 apps for Osvaldo, 19 for Long. All of Osvaldo's were in the League as well.

Not neccessarily, Galataray are known to be in arrears with their pay, he migjt actually get an increase in real terms.

Took a knock on the knee. Possibly available for Saturday, lets hope so, we are ****ged if not.

The irony of the ultimate happy clapper now wishing we had Ramirez back. The all-seeing one who knew everything during the summer and how wonderful everything was and how nothing could have been done better and how you were the only one who knew it was all going to be OK and everyone else was a fool. Glad you won a bet against Saints, your pomposity deserves it, enjoy your winnings. Unbelievable.

Yes thanks, because some people actually had the brains to realise that our squad was too small and we did not have enough creativity. Gaston is not the be all and end all, he has been an enigma, frustrating because everyone can see how good he could be but having him as an option in the last 4-5 weeks would have helped. He is certainly an improvement on Mane, but its not about having him instead of Mane, its as well as. His creativity has never really been in question, though not consistently, but his ability to keep the ball and his defensive lapses were awful. We currently have no one to create anything.

Gazza has not played all of the u21s this season, Cropper has played a few of them as well. I watched a few minutes of the U21s last night (for Leicester's 1st and 2nd) and saw the same old Gazza, sadly. Still makes me nervous even at that level. If you can't command your area at U21 when you are nearly 23 really have to question whether he ever will. Perhaps we can sign Mignolet after Brenda replaces him with Cech. With a decent defence Mignolet is still easily good enough for the PL, just being made to look crap at the moment playing behind Lovern and StevieGee.

Well we certainly don't create much in the way of a threat when he doesn't play in AM role that's for sure. I'm sorry but I think these stats are just complete garbage, and if you don't see what Davis brings to the team well, you're entitled to your opinion, but there are many others in the team who bring far less to it than Davis. How anyone who actually watches can say that Davis doesn't run with the ball is just beyond belief. Maybe his runs don't count as "dribbles" because they are in space and he doesn't actually beat anyone, I don't know, but that's good, his passes take players out of the game and create chances. Football is about opinions, they say, and your opinion and mine are completely at odds, but I'd rather have Davis in the team than not, and I think he has been one of the most improved players under Ronald, with the exception of his goal-scoring which this season has been pants.

I think you read too many stats, try watching the man play instead. If the stats say that he only makes 0.3 dribbles per game or 0.1 through balls per game, then quite frankly the stats are a complete load of ********. That would mean he only played 1 through ball so far this season, which is patently nonsense.

Its worked well before, remember Sunderland in the FA Cup last season. Oh.