notnowcato

Calm down dear. Ditching is a bit dramatic. My formation and selection is for the Palace game only. I don't think we need 2 DM's for this game and I think Victor is the unit to play in front of the 2 CB's.

Not sure we need to play the 2 DM's for this game, 1 should be enough. I'd go with a 4-1-3-2. Holy Clyne Lovren Fonte Shaw Victor Lallana Ramirez Jay Dani Rickie

England's front 4 of Sturridge, Wellbeck, Theo and Rooney doesn't look too bad at the moment. Wilshere and Gerrard behind is not too shabby either. If we do make it to Rio I wonder how many of those 6 will be fit enough to get on the plane? Adam is probably competing with Milner for a place in the squad, if that is the case then it had to be Adam. I admire Milners work rate but Adam offers more.

I disagree. When Rooney is not available Lambert is the perfect replacement. He's not in the same class as Wayne but he disrupts the system less when he steps in for Rooney. I also think suggesting things will turn sour is unfair. Tonight's game could be a very tight one, a game that you often see Rooney becomming frustrated in and having a poor game.

I presume thieving covers tax dodging?

I always admired Jason Ewell. Was subjected to some unnecessary advise from the stands because he was a"big" earner during lean times for us. It was just as well he was practically deaf given the crap he had to put up with at times.

I don't remember Bale's form being that bad at the start for Spurs, they did go on a long run without a win with him in the side though.

Yep, to say it's a cultural thing is clearly wrong. Jumpers for goal posts does not make a player. Otherwise we would have dominated world football in the 70s 80s and 90s. I have some sympathy for the writers point of view but it really did read like a view of reasons for failure rather than a list how we will succeed in the future. To much of this rhetoric emanates from the FA, hopefully those involved in St Georges are different to the naval gazers of FA HQ.

Missed the original posting of this but completely agree. The FA appear to have so much focus on paying for the completely unnecessary national stadium, in a location that would have been better sold for redevelopment of business or housing.

Imposing quotas of home grown talent on premier league clubs would only dilute the quality of the premier league, that ain't going to happen. That being the case the FA need to get real and find a way to improve things and not hide behind the charade of the nasty boys at the BPL stopping the national side from realising trophies.

I've had no involvement in coaching football. My oldest is 4 so I've been considering taking a coaching course. Would you recommend a course or not?

Monk, I don't know the extent of your involvement in coaching and I'm sure you have your reasons for believing the above but it struck me as quite sad that this is your viewpoint.

Not sure I entirely agree with this. The German national side has been successful for decades now, the Spanish were the perennial under achievers but that wasn't down to lack of opportunity or quality. Technically both nations have long been ahead of England, these technical skills are not inherited, they are taught.

There is more money in the BPL than La Liga but that does not explain why there is such a stark difference between the percentage of players available to play for the country of the league. I think it approximately 35% of the players in the BPL are able to play for England, where as in La Liga it is 65% (give or take a couple of points). Further to this the respective national sides are miles apart in quality too. Spain and England are relatively similar in sporting opportunities available to youngsters, the youngsters (climate aside) have similar upbringings. So why such a difference in quality produced?

The FA has no right to tell any of the clubs who to pick. The money currently on offer in the BPL is such that clubs will not put the nations side ahead of their own need for success / Premier League status. The sooner the FA stop battling the clubs and focus on teaching the youngsters properly, the sooner we will see more youngsters being good enough to compete in the BPL. It really is as simple as that.

Jacques Le Cork - n'est pas?

FFP is actually very straight forward, for most people. Gold's quotes on us clearly shows he has not grasped the concept of FFP.

With all due respect Bob40 (I hate it when sentences start with all due respect but it seems appropriate here...) you seem to know the square root of jack shet about the FFP, as does Gold. Anyway, back to Moses - interesting player, would have him on his Wigan form. Not sure he really got a run in the Chelsea side. Would take him on loan if the chance came.

Wesley Warren - the man with the 10 stone testicle. Not sure if he sat on it or was party to some vigorous spuding for this to happen.

#moaningsonsofbeetches

thanks for the heads up

Agreed that JP's opportunities may have been limited for us this season but he was deemed worthy of a new contract less than 6 months ago so he must have figured somewhere in our plans. Does suggest to me that someone else is on their way in.

Hmmm... I'm not so sure, I don't know the full details of JP's reasons but Croydon to Southampton is hardly Newcastle to Buenos Aires is it? Having said that I do think the club have been sensible here. Best of luck Jason and thanks.

It is a proper conundrum. At home I would expect the 4 attacking options to consist of DO / RL / GR and AL. Spearheaded in the main by DO with RL in behind. DO's stock goals come from threaded balls and set pieces / crosses into the box. Wing backs to supply the crosses in open play. The threaded ball is tougher to supply - GR and RL definitely have an eye for the through ball, more so than AL (who isn't that far behind). VW could also be a supplier from a little deeper. IF I'm right (doubtful) in this then it does question how a Scott Sinclair would fit in to how we could play at home. Ever Banega on the other hand.... (drool...) Anyway, back on track. I think the WBA game shows that we will set up more defensively when away from home, therefore reducing the number of attacking players picked. We are less likely to see GR and RL from the start would be my guess. Scott Sinclair would fit nicely here and I think we will see more of JR. Can't believe I'm even thinking this way considering where we were a few years ago.

It would never happen but I would love to hear Danny Boy being sung for Danny O in the stadium but then I'm a sentimentalist with an Irish heritage.