S-Clarke

Our pitch has always been very good, it would need to have been torrential rain for 24 hours non-stop for it to be under threat. It's not really been too heavy here, just the depressing light drizzle...!

I don't think it's a big deal that they keep it close to their chest, as fans we kind of know he's out for a while - so if he's back any sooner than that it's a bonus to all. So let's just treat it as the fact he's out for a few months, and be surprised at anything less.

Already done, by 2.

Let's not...!

I should really start betting more You could kind of tell though, Reading just stood off them from the start and allowed Arsenal to just move it around with ease. Was only a matter of time before the goals flowed.

This is pathetic. We competed better in our 6-1 defeat. They're just awful, no where near good enough to compete at this level. They're gone, I think that's safe to say.

Reading can't get anywhere near them. Only one winner here as it stands, and it will be by a big margin.

That place is like a morgue, what an awful set of fans they really are.

He's been given a 3 game ban! Just for the headbutt. The other 2 incidents aren't deemed as violent conduct apparently.

Wouldn't say no, but he'd demand a hell of a lot $$$

I do totally get where you are coming from, and I do miss the fact that the season is kept alive until the last 2 weeks in the championship for e.g. That makes it exciting to be fair, and I did also enjoy the classic mid-week games under the flood lights. They were always a good atmosphere, but as a fan of this club I just want us to be as successful as we can be. I want to see us with more Gaston Ramirez's in the team, more young players coming through and staying etc, and even though the Championship is a good crack, that wouldn't be possible down there. It's easy to stagnate as well, very easy. and you find yourselves on a slope towards a relegation battle really easily in that league. Luckily we had the finance to get ourselves out and swing our fortunes around, but if you're a club which has stagnated, doesn't have a massive amount of finance etc, then you're in trouble.

I do like him as a keeper, I've seen a fair bit of him when I have been able to - mainly because of our interest in him, so i've taken more attention of him. Very confident, very agile, leads from the back and communicates very well. I've seen him pull off some complete stunning saves in some games, and then do a silly pass out from the back in others - he's young, and those mistakes from the start of the year are now few and far between. He's become a very consistent top championship keeper. If i'm honest, it should wait until the summer as he will cost a fair sum (and then he's got another 6 months experience in him). Would rather we concentrate our January budget on top quality CB's. If we stay up, then we'll be in a better position to get him.

I don't remember having too much fun in the championship in 07/08 or 08/09 The problem is, there isn't a gaurentee of success. Going down would open the door for a hell of a lot of our players to leave, so in many ways we'd need to start again and probably wouldn't be competitive for a few months. Ask the question to Blackburn or Bolton fans...I'm sure they're loving it down there, and I'm pretty sure they'd have been saying the ''championship isn't all that bad'' last year as well. I just want to see us competing as high up as we can, and we need to be in the PL to achieve that.

It's very odd, surprised when I heard a week or so ago. ''Gross Misconduct'' apparently.

Post of the day.

Let's hope Chelsea are as toothless when we play them in the cup. They looked completely hopeless in all areas.

Not quite sure on that, I think there's was as deserved. They were down there most of the season, and IIRC...were cut adrift at points over the season. In theory, they had to rebuild as much as we had to rebuild. They lost a hell of alot, signed a hell of a lot and then lost 7-1 on the first day! They then changed manager and eventually got going. I'd like to see us as a very similar outfit to Norwich in terms of what we've done, and if they can do what they've done in this league, then we should be able to - esp with players such as Gaston, who they wouldn't get close to signing.

Just ban him, we don't need someone like him around. It was a shocking comment, but it's not the first time he's derailed a thread and it won't be the last. He's a dull, vile, poster.

Having a browse through their forums, they really aren't a happy bunch. Everyone is **** apparently. They can't defend, their midfield is championship quality, and Fletcher is injured along with Rose (who will probably be back next week). I think, as a team, they're on the floor. Individually they have quality and can hurt if not managed correctly, but if we play our high intensity game as a TEAM, then our quality should shine through.

Would echo the same, good post.

It would be a stupid sale, because as you said he'd be irreplaceable. Not just because of his quality and his goals, but the way he's integrated into the group. He plays a huge part off the pitch, as well as on it, so our results - as they always do when he's not around - would take a sharp decline. We'll have to replace him one day, but it needs to be done when the time is right. At the moment, it's not right

I think we'll do alright, can see 5/6/7 points in those fixtures. We're a different team now than the team who went to West Ham, or Arsenal. We've grown up in the last 6 weeks and it's showing in our results and performances. I may be completely overconfident, but look at where Norwich are - they got themselves on a decent run and never looked back. If we beat Sunderland at the weekend could we experience a similar run? It's just amazing that just over 6 weeks ago Norwich were our rivals, they were locked in there with us looking awful. Now they're 7th on 26 points. Astonishing. You still can't say they're safe though, as Blackpool had 26 points at this stage a couple of years back...but it's still given them a huge chance. I don't think Norwich have any world beaters in their team, they just do the basics well and work hard as a TEAM. If we can get that side of our game right, which we have been doing in recent weeks, then our quality will also come through. We'll miss Lallana massively, but it's an opportunity for certain individuals to stake a claim.

Fonte took it on against Reading, so it's safe to say it will be him. Good choice, a natural leader at the back IMO.

You can never say never, but he was a **** here and for that reason I wouldn't be keen to ever see him here again. He is a talented manager though, that's undeniable, just a bit of a idiot with the way he turns himself into a media lovely.

A vile human being.