S-Clarke

I've got a real positive vibe about tonight, no idea why. But I can just picture us clicking all over the pitch tonight. Based on absolutely nothing other than blind faith, but we'll see what happens.

Let's just keep it slightly calm. It will be a set back, but a defeat tomorrow doesn't end the season. Defeats all throughout august will go a way towards ending it though.

I don't think we can look at it like that anymore. As Noriwch and Wigan have shown, if you're well drilled and catch them on and off day then they're as winanble as any other.

Good, but I hope we have defneisve priorities in front of him. Any other rumours?

A recentish example, Stoke City stayed in the league pretty comfortably in 2008. The likes of Tom Soares, Vincent Pericard (Yes, actually him..!), Leon Cort, Andy Griffin, Dave Kitson, Richard Cresswell all featured for them that season. I believe Griffin was actually their captain. I'd like to think we have better players than that available at our disposal this season, although that may just be a bit of blind faith on my part.

Let's hope so. Would give everyone a huge shot in the arm ahead of a huge, potentially, deciding month.

Remember seeing him linked a year or so ago. This is probably the type of player we'll need to target. I'll imagine we'll go back in for Boro's Rhys Williams as well, but he may well look at our situation and Boro's situation and think twice...!

Maybe RW was a litte more of a bonus signing, I'd like an upgrade on Puncheon eventually though, and I think we probably need a tad more cover on the flanks. If we can get Jack back then that'll be great, still think we need a bit more muscle in the middle though.

But we played differently in the CCC. How exposed these guys are in the PL is criminal, they just have no protection. I had a look at some highlights today, and the ease of which the oppositions front 3 run directly at our back 4 is frightening and it happens game after game. When Nige was on about a ''change of tactics'' in pre-season, I assumed it was a more defensive themed tactic which continued to offer goal threat - but it seems to be the complete opposite, which is crazy. I too, don't believe our CB's would be as bad if they were given a bit of cover and protection, and I think we'd have more points. We'd probably have scored less goals, but I'd be pretty confident in saying that we'd have more points than we do. Ok - They're not world beaters, they're pretty average defenders, and if you're average and are exposed to players like Bale and Cazorla then you are screwed. They need help from the rest of the team. Time for the club to swallow some pride on this failed tactical setup in my opinion. Try it again when we're established and have players that can actually play it.

I can sense a frustrating window ahead. I can see some people already jumping up and down demanding signings on the 1st, and even if that would be ideal, it's never really going to happen. And with the position I believe we'll be in, our options will be limited to scraps at best. That's what worries me, we'll need to seriously gamble our finances in January in order to stay in this league. Decent players are only going to come here for money. I think we need 4 additions minimum. CB, LB, RW, CM.

This is the problem, there isn't another option. This is as good as we have. I don't believe Dickson is even championship quality, Shaw is too inexperienced and Reeves isn't really a left back. We'll have to deal with it.

The problem we had was our first 5 fixtures, that pretty much killed any momentum we had from the last year and that's what a lot of promoted sides use to get a head of steam. We've never been able to get a head of steam, and we've got progressively worse, and worse as the season has gone on. A lot of it is confidence you'd have to say, but certain players have been completely shown up which has disappointed me. I didn't think certain individuals were as bad as they are showing this year. Our defence gets 0/10 - embarrassing from all aspects. Defending from the front is non-existent, midfield protection is non-existent, and don't let me start on what happens when the ball actually does get into our box. Calamity central. Our attack is quality though, and more akin with what I expected us to produce. Lallana has settled in ok, although his defensive work leaves alot to be desired (and I don't think he's a captain for a team in a relegation scrap). Lambert is a presence and causes problems at this level, and even Puncheon who is somewhat limited, is still providing a little bit of spark here and there. So the attack gets 6.5/10 for me. Overall though it's been poor, I expected more points and I expected us to be higher in the league, but based on our defensive displays we are exactly where we deserve to be. I keep looking forward to the next game hoping that it will all be magically fixed, but then you realise...it's the same defenders and will probably be the same tactical setup, nothing is really going to change until we change things in January. But it'll probably be way too late by then.

Frustratingly, I can see our game with qpr coinciding with their new manager.

No idea, probably not. More telling will be where we stand after the 3 games following.

A lot of games are winnable at this level if you have something about you as a team, and actually know how to keep the ball out of the net. As Wigan, Villa and Norwich showed yesterday. I just can't see us ever producing similar results because we always give the opposition a lifeline or 6.

I never quite get this view, surely we all went the best for our club? And we all want it to progress as much as it can? It won't do that sitting down in the lower leagues losing away at the likes of Boro and Bristol City I accept your view and others that hold the same, but it doesn't ring true with me personally.

He doesn't play for them does he? Just a squad player, but when he's ever featured they've let in goals left right and centre. Palace fans think he's awful. Maybe all our CB's took a drug over pre-season which caused them all to forget how to defend?

I'm desperate that we stay up. Going down next season will be miserable as we will probably carry on losing against lesser teams, the habit will not just stop. If it was that easy to switch off Derby would be back up by now. The Leeds game should have opened the eyes to many as to how difficult and potentially miserable it would be down in the CCC if we fail to survive. I just don't buy the view that we'll bounce back up unharmed. It will set us back years. It's important that we stay up no matter what this year.

Football is a funny old game though, I remember Newcastle getting relegated with a squad that should have been easily mid-table. Don't take anything for granted, they're in the **** as much as we are and it will take a fair bit to get them out of it as well.

Seems a bit odd. He's done little wrong in those games either. I like Gazzaniga, but I feel fans want him back because he was present in our 4-1 win. He was pretty dodgy at Everton.

Both of those sides will be fine, got more than enough nous about them. They'll flirt for periods, but will be mid-table.

I think it's the first time we've seen a gap like this, and it does look a bit daunting for the first time this year. Previously a win would have taken us up to 15th or so, now we'd need to win 2 to get to 17th. But still plenty of points to be won, but we're where we deserve to be as it stands if we're honest.

Villa, Wigan, Norwich win. Fulham and Swansea pick up points. What a nightmare of a day.

Luckily we have a chance to take points off them this month.

A defeat would make things very daunting, and would make November even more massive. We'd literately have to win the games against the likes of Swansea, Norwich, QPR to get close to 17th. If we let them get points off us, we'll be getting to a stage where we're completley cut adrift.