S-Clarke

Kone? Are you having a flaming giraffe? He is absolute garbage, not even mid level let alone top!

Reading that first post is incredible. So much of that optimism from that pre-season was misplaced. The fears of many came true when we were just over ran in most games, I think that season destroyed the careers of some of our promising young players. It was too much for them to all come into at once.

JWP is an odd one, if you look at him exclusively you see someone who can control, pass, move the ball. He receives it well on both feet and is always available for a pass etc, but he just doesn't put his mark on games at all. I honestly stand by what I've always thought, the tools are there technically...it's just physically hes behind. He's still not an old player by any means and he could still well bulk up a bit. I think he'd be perfect in a Spanish league or a league where it's less physical and more slow/passing. There's definitely talent there and you wouldn't have had 4 different managers picking him if there wasn't, he just needs to start taking games by the scruff of it's neck and dominating. Just worry that he doesn't have the physical attributes to be able to do that in this league.

We're never going to be able to afford a player who can take us to a new level instantly. That would be like ourselves going out and buying Mane from another PL club for 38m. We can't do that, we're not big enough to do that and I'm ok with that. If we can get these promising younger players and unearth their potential, then for a club of our size, it's a no brainer.

Romeu has improved through playing time, not coaching. He was good when called upon last year but didn't get a run in the side. Now he's had a run in the side you can see his ability. Exactly the same will be said of Hojbjerg if he starts playing most weeks.

I read that as a loan which becomes perm after a set amount of games, bit more secure than the Toby one that's for sure! This kid has been highly rated, so we'll have to see. Don't know a great deal about him to be honest, but he isn't an out and out striker I know that much.

Holy ****, Gardos lives!

I think he wanted a bite, so well done on that.

To be fair if we play like that for the rest of the seasons we'll probably get lots of 0-0's and 0-1's. Death by football.

Interesting possibilities and important moments. etc. I'm bored out of my skin watching this team, absolutely bored to ****.

Surely the china bubble will burst soon? What they are offering players - and even flaming refrees - is obscene. It's just a ball on some grass for Christ sake!

Really good display from us, energetic and pressing high and playing with real intent. Redmond should have been more clinical but he was also a tad unlucky. Tactically we were spot on, closing the channels and restricting liverpool any space. People will say Liverpool were poor, but we really didn't allow them an opportunity to do anything. Obviously the disappointment is that it's only 1-0, but we go to Anfield with a goal and an advantage. Much more than many expected.

a £13m bargain then.

So Morgan isn't signing for WBA at the bargain price of £13m then? Thought as much.

Didn't he get another injury? I was sure he had a setback of sorts.

Not sure why Redmond keeps being hung out as the scapegoat here. He's a good player and has bags of potential, not even worth writing him off.

Saints and Villa both feature on Steven Davis's CV. ooooh errr..

Great game at Bournemouth, can't help but think it papers of the cracks for Arsenal though. Another season another failure for them.

OG for Glasgow there.

1/10

It's clearly a bit screwed, but it's always the same. I personally think this will be used as a convenient excuse for us to use, but we rotated the hell out of the squad to try and avoid this. I think it's bitten us on our arse as we're clearly not as fresh/fit as we should be because our players don't play every week. WBA/Spurs for example rotated their squad a little, not too much, and won both of the games. Their wins were born out of a cohesive team unit after playing together for a decent period of time. First team every week from now on should be: Forster Cedric - Fonte - Virgil - Bertrand Romeu Hojbjerg Clasie Tadic Remond Jay Couple of positions up for debate - Clasie. If we could replace him with a Sigurdsson type player - perfect. Jay - is he right for a lone role? I don't think he is personally, he's better playing support to a 'big man'.

Seriously Jeff, do one. Absoloutly making yourself look a prize fool here.

He didn't say that at all. He said January is a difficult time to buy, different thing all together.

There are clear concerns, but what I want to see now is a settled team (injuries aside) which we know will play every week. One which the players can get used to. If he still rotates the **** out of us in the 2nd half of the season when there is no need, he can do one.

There will clearly be a lack of team spirit and fludity in our play as it's never the same bunch, they're not able to build on the field relationships. I saw a clear rotation policy when we were going from league to EL, but now it just seems like a mess. No real reason, no real pattern to who gets rested. 6-7 changes per game isn't going to equal anything other than a few wins here and there but ultimatley a team lacking in any on the field relationships or partnerships. My hope is that now we are out of this very unfiar period over christmas, we can find a team - our best team - stick with it and get some consistancy building. There's no reason for us to continue rotating in the 2nd half of the season.