S-Clarke

Just seen the scores, wow. What a total ****ter for all 3 clubs at the bottom if it stays like this.

Crosby is the defensive coach. But to coin a phrase, you cannot polish a turd.

Yep, monday night football @ 8pm.

Stoke were actually very effective when they had the pace of Etherington and Pennent on either flank. Not sure why they have fallen down the pecking order though, as they look less effective this year. Pace is very important, and it's why we sometimes grind to a halt as we get to the final third, it's all well and good keeping the ball in the middle but we sometimes lack that killer punch. Without pace the attack can become very predictable and easy to setup against

The top 8 at the mo means nothing though (Apart from the usual Manchester's, Chelsea etc). Pretty confident the likes of WHU,, Fulham, West Brom will all finish lower than they are. As much as people say you cannot read anything into the teams in and around the bottom at the moment, the same can be said for those 6-9th.

Never really bother with a 2nd team. I guess it's whoever is playing a team whose result affects saints.

One vision.

I'd be surprised if he starts, but you never know. And he's going to be a bit rusty to be fair, so let's not expect any miracles from him on Monday. He's not a CB is he? But great news all the same, should give everyone a shot in the arm as he is genuinely, at this moment in time, light years better than us.

Did they ever find it? That's probably to blame for our result on Tuesday.

Interesting, which CB was that?

Yep, he does keep changing the goal posts which is annoying for all. He did similar at SMS for some refurb stuff in the summer, although that was small-scale so didn't take long to resolve.

I thought Chaplow was in the team to provide bite and tenacity on Tuesday? Oh. At the end of the day, he's living off of a spell of 5 or 6 games at the start of last season. I don't think he's a PL player if I'm honest. He's not got the touch or passing quality to make it at that level, too easily beaten to the ball as well. One player I think we'll start seeing less and less of.

Looking at the teams going out tonight and last night, you have to look at this as an enormous chance missed to make real progress.

I think it's naive to think that Reed doesn't have a big say on what goes on at this club, so because of that it's silly not to credit him for the last couple of years, but it also means that questions will obviously be raised at times like this. Our transfer committee consists of Mitchell, Reed, Cortese and Adkins. They all make the calls on the players, produce the scout reports and discuss between themselves. Obviously Nicola has the last say as he signs it off, but each one of those people have a big say on the recruitment at all levels of the football club. In that sense, I don't think they've got a great deal wrong. Our signing hit rate over the last 2 years has been pretty good, we've signed some real jems - but with that, you are always going to obtain some duds such as SDR etc. I think Mayuka will prove to be a good find, same with Yoshida. But the question marks over recruitment aren't really around who we signed, but probably who we didn't sign.

If we play like we did in the first half against Spurs, we will be down by February on single figures. Play like we did in the 2nd half, and we have a chance. But alot rests on how in touch we are come January, and what players are available for us to strengthen. There's still a long way to go, but you get the feeling a rot is setting in.

It's not just this game though, is it? Surely even you can see that? It's the fact that we have lost 8 of 12 games this year, which is horrific. I don't care competition we play in, we need to start winning and quickly, otherwise the rot just sets in and it's impossible to get out of. I'm surprised at some peoples views regarding last nights result. This result benefits no one, it just creates more bad feeling amongst fans and malaise within the squad. Unless we start winning soon, we have problems.

Robbie Fowler ‏@Robbie9Fowler Worst premier league team performance I've just seen... Absolutely shocking and I'm being kind, seriously fans who went should get refund

Yes, of course it would bloody well matter. I'm shocked at the general attitude towards potential relegation. It would set us back years. People are assuming that we will bounce back up. People need to wake up and realise that the team we had out tonight, is probably the team that would represent us in the championship should we go down. We would lose players such as Adam, probably Rickie, obviously Gaston, Clyne...basically, anyone half decent would leave. We'd be left with a shell of a side with no momentum and losing habit. I'm of the opinion that we must stay up this year. With the massive payment we get as a PL club next year, football will change again and it will be even harder to get back and establish ourselves.

That's a fair point MLG.

He's quite clearly a skate.

Of who? QPR? Reading?

I want to see my football club win. All we're doing this year is losing, so excuse me for seeing this game as a winnable one to boost our morale.

oh my word, they are worse than us at the back.

He's one of the players on his way out IMO.

I think it's fair to say that Reading are as bad as us, if not worse, at the back..!