Chewy

Do they use that South African guy?

Up - Leicester and qpr automatically, play offs is anyone's guess. I fancy forest might sneak it. Down, so many to choose from. Sunderland, palace, Fulham and Cardiff have the strongest chance IMHO and of the those I think palace might scrape through. Would obviously enjoy seeing west ham go down, though.

Based on what?

Depends on your age of course, but I'd say best year since 2003 and second best since 1990 (or was it 89?). This on its own puts things in perspective as to how we are currently doing. Sunday was IMHO the one and only time this season we've played what I would describe as badly. Great time as a fan, one of the best, and seeing the likes of chambers, jwp and shaw establish themselves as first team players, and lallana, Jrod and lambert get into the England squad, is reason to be very proud. The best thing, though, is that with the current regime, I don't think this is the high water mark, I really do believe the future looks even brighter.

Worst op of the year. Disgraceful over reaction to our first poor performance of the season.

Second half was the worst I've seen us in ages. Like many, when I heard the team I was worried but until their equaliser I thought we were very comfortable. One simple goal ( need to watch MOTD but thought gazzaniga should have claimed it) and it all changed. Never got to grips with adebayor, fox was covering jos at centre back half the time (I can't blame fox for any of the goals), cork was missing passes, lambert and Jrod not at the races at all, and once they bought on bentaleb they dominated the midfield. Really disappointing today, but chambers and lallana were the couple of bright spots. We need boruc, wanyama and shaw back urgently and have to sign a keeper and centre back in January if we are serious about Europe.

Bonkers situation, but Mackay will be fine. Didn't he play for west ham ... ?

Agreed. Some people like to think they're being clever picking at people constantly, but in reality they are just tedious bores. IMHO

I agree, but he is the current favourite, which is mental. I wonder if Malky makay might fancy a move away from his mental chairman? Zola could be in the frame, though Watford are faltering of late. Other than them I'm struggling to think of many sensible candidates.

From the outside it looks odd, but as we of all fans should know, if the board have decided he's not right he will be sent packing. If he's replaced quickly it will mean it's been planned. If it takes a while it will mean the Xmas party was the final straw so wasn't planned as much. Either way, timing is good. Couple of weeks to understand the squad before the January window. Be very interesting to see who they get.

My next 8 then Spurs (H) - D 1-1 Cardiff (A) - W 2-0 Everton (A) - W 2-1 Chelsea (H) - L 2-1 West Brom (H) - W 2-0 Sunderland (A) - W 2-1 Arsenal (H) - D1-1 Fulham (A) - W 2-0 I may have been too optimistic there!

Thanks, although I actually got 7 right and if it wasn't for the ridiculous game against villa ...

Awful grammar. Shaw out!

True, never makes sense to me. Bearsy makes a valid point about not liking ten men, but when it's blatant cheating its fine by me, which is why sin bins for professional fouls that aren't reds seems fair to me, stops cheating. Still, would be difficult to have sin bins for only some kind of yellows. I'd prefer it for all but looks like I'm well in the minority there. Nothing wrong with discussing rule changes though. Many suggestions are daft, but the back-pass rule change has definitely improved the game immeasurably. Remember red star and steaua wining the european cups on pens after playing no football for 120 mins?

I have long supported the idea of the sin bin, the above response makes little sense to me. The principle of punishing the player in the game where the offence takes place is clearly just. It would be the biggest positive step in dealing with dissent in years, would osvaldo and lambert have got themselves booked on Wednesday if it meant being off the pitch (maybe not the best example as it was the end of the game, but I mean this type of situation)? And how many games see a litany of yellow cards for fouls and time wasting at the end of a game by the team that's winning? It would eradicate these offences because coaches would tell players not to do it - better to keep 11 players on the pitch. I do get that referees might be more reluctant to issue cards, but am not sure that's a bad thing, and is also balanced by the fact that players would be more reluctant to commit the offence in the first place. And it would be the best tool in the box for the 'respect' campaign. Refs are reluctant to deal with dissent by issuing red cards as it's too severe, but giving the yellow an immediate, if lesser, consequence would allow refs to manage and control this far more effectively. Just my opinion.

Seriously Glasgow, you are an utter pr1ck. Why isn't this sh1t banned?

Usual bonkers posts. Dominated, they had three attempts on target and scored three. It happens. Now for some reality and non-scapegoat posting, maya did ok but made one error which cost us a goal. Cork did well making more of our possession than wanyama would have, but made one error which led to a goal, though Fonte lost his man (not maya) and cost us the goal. Gazzaniga not at fault for any. Mopo showed a plan b and c with his subs. We had at least four different formations during the game. Osvaldo played well. Jrod was ok, with three great headers. Lambert was average, so was lallana. And there should have been a red card at the end, not that it would have changed the result. Reasons to be happy? Our team don't play 8 defenders and lump it down the field from the keeper as our one and only tactic. Reasons to worry? Our excellent defence so far has been undone by the tactical addition of a second striker in the last two games. Needs sorting quickly. Would have taken this position now at the start of the season, and would expect some frustrations, but losing tonight was bloody annoying, undeserved, and a touch concerning. Like saints of old I guess.

Think we can get something here. Going for a draw.

Aside from lallana, I think Clyne has profited most from this set of internationals as both Johnson and walker have been awful.

OMG. That's all.

And yet stokes was the most reminiscent of this place. Hardly surprising when see some of the drivel spouted on here, but depressing nevertheless. Also, even more concerningly for the stoke fans, is the fact their horrific potters accent makes them sound even more stupid than they actually are!

And you wonder why so many people on here ridicule you. Wenger, one of the best premier league managers ever, rates him and picks him, as has every England manager since Eriksson. He's scored premier league hat-tricks, a hat-trick for England in a qualifier in Croatia, and is one of the top earners in the league. I'd rather go with everyone else's opinion (being qualified, experienced coaches and managers in rea world football than your dismissive "he's sh1t". He's inconsistent, doesn't have the best football brain and can go missing for games. He's not world class for sure. But he is not sh1t. And if you really think he is you deserve the abuse you get here because you are clearly clueless.

Much as I'm not glasgows biggest fan, perhaps he expected more points at home to Sunderland and west ham (5) four less at United and Liverpool and three less at WBA making 20, which is pretty much what we'd all have predicted on paper. I actually agree with him, the fixture list was pretty kind and we will know a lot more come Christmas. What we do have in our favour is great spirit and confidence which might enable us to over perform in the next few games. If that happens I will start to get excited about possibly making the top 6, but 8th is probably about right. We have all of the big 6 to play at home which means 18 points we could feasibly drop just at home. Not saying we will, but it's too early to think we are title contenders IMO.

The bookies seem to think we will finish eighth which is a realistic assessment IMO (I predicted 7th or 8th at the start of the season, between us and Everton). But, if we get points in the next two games I think we'd see those odds change. The other thing that seems to be going in our favour at the moment is the form of the so called big 6. Spurs haven't settled, city can't play away, utd still don't look all that (despite yesterday) and Chelsea aren't firing yet either. The longer any of these trends continue the better for our chances of improving on 8th. I was probably a happy clapper predicting top 8 at the start of the season, and am probably now a pessimist for thinking top 4 is still unachievable. I'd love to be proved wrong but we will drop from our lofty perch. That doesn't take anything away from the progress we've made as a club. Fwiw I think champions league ambition is achievable long term, but not this season, and it will probably be by quite a few points at the end of the season.

Behave, we are not challenging for the title. An arsenal win would definitely be the best result for us as it leaves utd a few points behind. If the pressure builds on them, as it will, it's not completely beyond the realms of possibility that we could finish higher than them, but only if they crack (which an arsenal win might help). Even then it's an outside shout at best, these are still not really our rivals. Great times, but let's not be silly, hey?