S-Clarke

Gutted for Cork, bit suspect about Morgan. Hope this isn't going to be another one of those injuries that's quite bad, but the club keep under wraps! Sounds good on Toby and Tadic at least....luckily midfield is our strongest area!

Yep, they play Southport! So in theory....they have a chance to get to the big round. Aldershot are still in it to, which we shouldn't forget

I think it would be a bit misguided for us to go and spend, spend, spend in January - as the expectation of everyone is then permanently changed, and if we don't make it....we could be a bit of a mess the following season! I don't think we operate like that, we seem to have a stable policy and know what we want and when we want it. I'm not thinking about top 4, as that's not even in the remit...but top 6, possibly. If you look at the usual sides who are in and around the Top 6, they're struggling. Spurs, Everton being the 2 main ones at the mo. If we can keep our heads above those 2 sides - not really worried about the City's, Uniteds etc......then we can give ourselves a great chance for a top 6 finish. West Ham, Newcastle and Swansea are in and around it at the mo as well....but I think we're in exactly the same boat as those sides in terms of squad, so it's quite open I'd say.

I'd be tempted to give him a full season up there before taking a punt. Hasn't managed an injury free season in like..forever. But I imagine a few clubs are following that same mindset...

I don't think it's premature what so ever, as has been said he's been here for coming up 3 years now. The criticism of Mane is premature, and he's already shown more in his first few games than Mayuka has ever shown for us. Mayuka actually went out on loan to a relegated (I think?) French side last year, and didn't do anything - was just a bench player for them most of the time. He's been given an opportunity with us this season, but it's not going to happen. His touch isn't tight enough, his awareness isn't good enough, his technique isn't anywhere near good enough for this level. He was a poor signing for us, and if I remember rightly...a NC signing at the time, as he brokered the deal to avoid agent involvement.

Our crossing at the moment is the one thing that irks me, I must say. The full backs - Clyne and Bertrand can ping some great balls in there, but they're not always available in attack....so you're looking for players like Tadic to be able to pick one out, but over the last 4 games he hasn't been able to beat the first man once. He looks like he's running on empty, as his crosses just have no elevation or 'energy' behind them. I love Tadic, I think he's class...but if you look at his performance in the league cup, and then against Arsenal last night, there was such a stark difference. He's dipped alarmingly.

Probably the Burnley game, or just after. (Going by the 3 weeks Koeman said in the pre-city presser)

So, now people have moved from Forster onto Mane I see. Jesus wept, can't we just accept a few bad performances and actually realize how well we'e actually done, rather than seemingly requiring the need to have a player to berate. This is Mane, he will frustrate and delight. You have to take the rough with the smooth with players like him, but he's shown enough during his time here to prove that he's got something in his locker. I see a lot of people calling for Isgrove, but why? Can I ask what has he ever done at a high level to indicate he is good enough and a better alternative to a full international in mane? Why isn't he on the bench if that's the case?

Looks like a poor version of Antonio, no joke either. Just horrific.

It shows that no one expected what we have right now, so bloody well enjoy it and stop moaning at us losing 2 games, and the fact that our squad isn't as strong as Chelsea, Spurs, Man City etc...it isn't, and never will be - so stop hoping for that. We're not top 4, we won't get top 4. No one believed it at the start, and still shouldn't. We may finish 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th - that's our sort of zone based on what we've seen this year, and a bloody lot better than anyone predicted - so those complaining, pipe the **** down.

You are so silly, ART.

You'll get used to Tony, he comes over as a bit of a silly billy to be honest.

4th.

Top 4 was always pretty remote, to be honest. For mainly this exact reason we're seeing now. I think some people need to take a step back and recheck their expectations. During the summer and before the first game, most would have said they would be surprised but delighted to finish we we did last year - most predicted worse. We've had a start beyond anyone's wildest dreams which has given us a platform to maybe do 1 or 2 places better than last year, so let's not get away from that fact. We're doing a hell of a lot better than most thought, so there's not much to really moan about in the grand context of it.

Mane is alright, just having a right old mare at the moment though. Mayuka, well, what the hell is that? He's horrendous. If there's only 1 thing we do in January, it's to ship him out and replace him with a better player (which wouldn't be hard)

To be honest, most squads would look stretched with the amount of injuries we have at the moment. We're not very lucky with injuries.

Very concerned about our injury situation now. We're a right old mess, pretty much in the space of a week.

What can you do? You can have a squad, but when you lose as many players as we are right now, anyone will struggle. God knows how long Toby and Cork will be out for, but we're in a bit of a mess at the moment. To lose that is devastating really, that will hit our confidence a bit, as we didn't deserve that.

I think he's made a fair few people look like the pathetic idiots they are tonight.

It's 3 games. As long as we then go and pick up the points against Everton, Burnley and the likes, then we'll still be on target. I don't really get the idea of basing all our chances on 3 games before christmas. The teams in and around the top 4 will all drop 9 points between now and the end of the season, so as long as we win the games against the teams we should - especially the likes of Everton, Liverpool at home, Newcastle, WHU etc who are in and around...then we'd be at the head of the pack for a European place.

100% out for tonight. Having a scan this week to asses the severity of the injury. No comeback date set as yet.

That's what I feel as well, take a point tonight, get a win on Monday and go into Burnley on 30 odd points. Pretty impressive tally for mid-December, it has to be said!

This has always been the game I've fancied of the 3. They're on a good run, but I may regret saying this, but I don't see them as a team who can go 5/6/7 wins on the bounce as yet, they're still growing and they're full of injuries....and as they won their 4th on the bounce last night, it makes you wonder if we can halt it on Monday...it'll be good to put a bit of daylight between ourselves and Utd again, as they're on our tail a bit. By all accounts, Stoke should have drawn last night, they didn't play particularly well at all....so although results have improved, I don't think their form in particular has.

Ok.

Your post is all over the place and full of reactionary ill-thought nonsense. ''Incredible achievement if we can finish top half'' ''we can forget the top 6'' ''think we might just do it now'' so, what is it then?