S-Clarke

He's always been a bit silly, but it never ceases to amaze me at how ignorant people still are to our current situation. I'm not asking the media to be experts on every single aspect of the club, but for christ sake it doesn't take much research to work out that we're no longer in administration, we've broken our transfer record twice in one season, are spending £15m on a training ground, and £30m+ on players. That's open knowledge, and it's just lazy comments by people in the media. It's not just him either, heard other pundits saying it'll be difficult for us - compared to QPR!!!! - because we don't have the finance.

You're right, football fans are funny creatures. These comments are probably at the heat of the moment after he'd made the error anyway, which clouds any previous good stuff he's done. Interestingly, only 2 days ago, he was being talked up as a £10m player by the same fans.

From a birmingham fan: Butland's shown flashes of brilliance, but he's also shown flashes of ineptitude. He might eventually become as good as he's projected to be, but at this stage he's barely as good as Boaz Myhill.

I'm with you on your last bit, for me - he's one for the summer provided we stay up. What we need now is a 6month loan of someone like Given, Friedel, Steklenburg or the like. But as I said on another thread, the club obviously want him, and transfers are often dictated by the situation of the selling club. It could be that this window is the best opportunity for us to get him.

I hope our players don't lose their confidence and belief on the back of an opposition result, as much as some of our fans.

lol holy ****. Signing of a team on the brink!

What is that based on? I think we've got more than the 3 in the bottom 3 at the mo. But I guess it's predictably all about QPR for the media now, so as they all want - everyone stand back and allow QPR and Harry to wander to safety.

Well, I never saw that coming. Football is a weird game. One of my main frustrations this year, so far, has been our inability to get a shock win. We've come so close, but never quite made it. Think we'll need to get one before the seasons out if I'm honest.

3 stand out to me. Fonte, Cork and Morgan. Probably in that order. Even when we were shipping goals all over the place, I still thought Fonte looked our better CB out there.

Everton don't look great so far, only just starting to get a bit of the ball. Wonder if they'll have a reverse to their usual season. They usually start slowly and have a strong 2nd half of the season, would be a bonus if they have a poor 2nd half instead this year! good time to play them...

People like that wouldn't appreciate a good player if it smacked them in the face. Yet I'm sure they all raved about Chaplow and SDR because they run around a lot.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, he's a massive part of our attack. We don't really have a replacement for him..... The fact that SDR is getting game time says it all for me.

I do actually share your opinion slightly. We keep the ball well, move it around well, but at times struggle with that final third push to create enough meaningful openings. I think we've got the strikers to put it away, but just a little bit more quality in the final third (i.e wide area's) then we'd be laughing. I know that sounds a bit silly given that the attack has been our best performing area' this year, and we always look like scoring goals, but I think we need to have a little more variation up there. (i.e an explosive burst of pace)

Nope, Gaston was actually well on side, linesman flagged for a push Gaston made - which was so slight that it wouldn't have knocked over a feather. Basically, their defender was caught out and had to improvise a way to get himself out of the ****...

Just attack their back 4, run at them, move them all over the place and the goals will flow. And based on what we've done to every side this season, that shouldn't be a problem. Without Vlarr, Dunne etc, they are absolutely hopeless at the back and that won't change - the players at the back just aren't PL level players, never will be. Just need to stand up against Benteke, but they're missing experience all over the shop. They also have a tricky tie away at Bradford on the Tuesday before they play us. You quite often get an ''established side'' that gets dragged into a relegation fight, and more often than not falls through the door. Newcastle, Blackburn, Bolton etc spring to mind in recent years.

Not sure he's the answer, yet. Would be happy with a loan GK for for 6 months, then go for him in the summer. But if we really want him, then to be honest we may find ourselves in a situation where it's this window or no window. Tough one. I think he's going to be class, and obviously so do the club, it's just when to go for him.

As a position we could add to it, but personally I'd want to throw our cash at other positions which are a little more problematic for us. (cover at CB/ GK and winger)

It was a priority at one stage, but all credit to Shaw who has stepped up to the plate - and then some. Fox is absolutely fine backup for this league. - and Clyne can also play LB if required.

No surprise to see Alpine take a glass-half empty view on everything.

What should he have done better for the Arsenal goal? Paused time, traveled forward, just to see what was going to happen? As that's the only way he was ever going to stop it. He woeful at the start, but grew into it. Stop looking to blame a goal on someone.

Poor start to the game, for sure. Looked nervy and edgy, but grew into it. Got a great claim in the 86th min, which he could have easily flapped. I'm keen just to stick with him now, fed up with all this GK chopping and changing.

Getting better and better and better.

A lot is being made of the fact that Arsenal looked flat, but we didn't let them play. Simple as that. Our tactical shape and balance defensively was spot on, as good as it's been all season. Whenever they picked up the ball in the centre, we got close...and midfielders also dropped off to close the space in front, so you often saw them passing backwards or sideways. So no threat really. But we also retained the ball very well, and it soudns simple - but as long as you have it, the other team can't create chances or score goals! I'll go with what i've been saying for the last few weeks, we're now a PL team. Competitive in every game we play, and I predict that 2013 will be better than a lot expect. I think we've got a new found resolve, as well as retaining our attacking threat - and against anyone we've shown we can score goals, and cause problems. We still can't ignore the January window, as it's an excellent opportunity to build on what we're doing and enhance the area's which we're a bit short in. But there's not much wrong with us, a couple of tweaks in the window and the 2nd half could be a lot of fun. Overall I felt it was a decent point today, and it keeps our head out of the zone again.

At the end of the day, no matter if we're in the PL or not, if a top club really want one of our players then they will go eventually. Everton are a pretty decent side at this level, but even they struggle to keep hold of their good young players. I don't think he's going anywhere imminently, as he'd be a completely misguided fool to do so, but he will do in the near future if he keeps progressing as he is. There's not a lot we can do about that. The 50% of young players in the first time is a good idea, but realistically only the top clubs will get success from that method - as they can keep hold of their young quality players.

I don't think it's massively risky, as there's very little cost involved, but it's an odd one. I don't think he's any sort of world beater for a start. If we signed him, imagine the melt down on here....'''OMG we have no money!!!'' ''Oh christ, we've gone for the cheap option''