Lord Duckhunter

Is Townsend a better play now than the nipper they brought on ? Of course he is , but what was better for the development of the club? I've no doubt Ron picks the best players. Reed isn't getting a look in because others are better . A straight pick between OR & Reed is a no brainer ability wise . But what if Ron trusted Reed , played him instead , coached and devoloped him around the first team. Maybe in 2 years time he'll be a better player than OR. It'll also encourage other nippers & other parents when choosing an academy for their kid. The question for me is whether it's the clubs job to provide players that are good enough for the first team and are then judged purerly on ability against the established pros or whether it is Rons job to take players that are not good enough yet and make them good enough. Surely one of our younger centre halves could have done as well as Caulker or Yoshida this season . Yes they'll make mistakes ( that they'll learn from ) but **** me Caulker & Maya made them anyway. I hate the new trendy word of " project" but that's what it is . We need a manager that buys into it. A manager that will play a nipper who is not as good as a senior pro , but could develop. I go back to my earlier point . Had we signed Alli , he'd have an appearance pattern similar to JWP this season, not heading to the euros .

Almost as depressing as Sat was watching that yesterday . The way Alli & Carroll played , had they signed for us they wouldn't have progressed like that. The way he's made Walker a better player , but the icing on the cake was when we were told that Toby had played every minute this season. Coincidence, maybe or maybe he's fitter . I agree about the sub , was there any way Ron would have put Seager on Sat , no he turned to Gaston who appears to be shipping out.

Laudrap had a great first season at Swansea , even winning a cup . The second season lack of disipline and general drift meant he ended up getting the sack . Look at the fall out between LVG & Ron . LVG was Dof & Ron manager , LVG wrote in his book about Ron being too soft with players and he tried to step in . I'm not saying this is right , but from the general drift of this season , who is to say there's no truth in it . I don't want Ron out , but that could change if we continue like this . Personally I think we'll get a few one off Arsenal type performances to stay safe . However, end of season will be a crossroads . I'm not so sure he's the man for next season , particularly if he doesn't sign an extension

" Brilliant" or lucky to have Morgan , Vic & Jose . My view is he was the perfect manager to manage the meltdown from last summer , cool headed & calm . This season I'm not convinced . Had we signed Alli instead of Spurs , would he be as good . Would he even be playing every week , he'd be in and out and people moaning about lack of ambition by only spending £5mil on an mk Dons player . Can anybody name one player that's shown major improvement under Koeman? It's not a fluke Alli is doing well , they didn't just put him in and he played well . He's been coached and managed fantastically .

My point is that maybe we could identify players of potential and then Koeman could coach them , devolop them & generally make them better . I see no sign that Koeman is making any of our players better and plenty of evidence that Poch does . It's very easy to blame the board , when does the manager take his share .

How much did Spurs pay for Alli

Some of the comparisons on here are laughable . For Scott Dann read Jose Fonte , who we kept . Cabaye couldn't wait to get out of Newcastle , and failed at PSG . Nobody lost the players we lost in 2014 & nobody will , not because of the different boards strategy or ambition , but because ours were an incredible set of circumstances. Leicester , Palace & Watford are overachieving with ok players adding up to more than the sum of their parts . We had exceptional individual talents , who it could be argued underachieved as a team . They were also English or " homegrown" , with the exception of Lovren , a massive attraction for champions league clubs . They had all also ( again with the exception of Lovren ) been at the club a number of years, whether in the first team or the youth . Who in the Leicester side is comparable to Adam Lallana , or Morgan . Who is home grown and played 4-5 years . Who is comparable to Luke Shaw at Watford , the exceptional young player of his position . Our players got better & better , showed they could play in the premiership . They were champions league standard . Who on earth in the Leicester side is? Palace , Leicester , Stoke , Watford are flavour of the month, but you wouldn't buy their players off the back of that . Come back at the end of next season and if they are still top 7 & their players getting better and better , the same ****ing thing will happen to them . If Harry Kane wants to go to Real Madrid and they want him , he will . Same with any Liverpool player . Even Utd , the keeper will end up there . If Barca come calling for Augero , he'll sign . Is that City showing a lack of ambition and "cashing in" , or is it the natural order of things . Every single gem we get will move on , get used to it, accept it and you'll all be a lot happier . Im grateful to Marcus & Kat that they set the foundations and ran the club in auch a way that I get to see these really good players for a part of their careers . I wouldn't swap our future with Stoke , Watford , Palace or Watfords and I wouldn't swap the way we run out club with theirs either .

And every single one went to a bigger club . When was the last time we finished above Arsenal , Spurs , Utd or Liverpool ? Not only did they increase their wages by a massive amount , professionally they furthered their careers . I can't see how anyone ( even that genius Nicola ) could have kept them

That's not their blueprint at all . If it was Vic would be at Spurs & Mane at Utd .

Exactly , what's up with these people . Every player that's gone wanted to go. There's no long term solution to that other than to get the best price . Nobody can name one player that wanted to stay but was sold by the board .

If we go down it will be 100% down to Koeman , not The Board

Can you name one player that has left who was happy to stay & sign a new contract and wanted to stay , but the board cashed in . If Vardy wants out , he'll go and there's not a damn thing Leicester can do about it . I've no doubt that the powers that be would have wanted Lallana , Clyne, Morgan & Lovren out there today as much as any supporter .

And get who in ? Venkys , Ellis Short , Randy Lerner , Mike Ashley ? Anyway , how do you " get rid of the board"

He needs to manage within the budget he's given . I don't believe for one minute that anything has changed in terms of ambition or budget . The only thing that has changed is our results & like most managers , when results get bad they want more money . If he doesn't like the budget or ambition of the club he should **** off and we can get someone in who will. He was happy with the ambition of the club when he's winning and getting praised , poor results & surprise surprise it's down to the board not him .

Sat on the train home trying to be objective , but it's ****ing hard. 2 poor sides , but one had every single player doing all he could for the cause and we had 2 or 3 going through the motions & one shamefully unprofessional on the pitch & one off it . Steve Davis worked his socks off today , can Tadic say the same? JWP looked like he was playing in his slippers & the centre halves shakey again . I thought Bertrand was poor . Complete lack of mental strength to concede when their tails were up like that . Classie nutmegged by a big lump , shocking . Worrying signs that Jose is tipping over the hill imo . **** blaming the board , The buck stops with Koeman . Tadic, VvD, Classie are his signings , he picks the side dictates the tactics , makes the substituations ( poor again today) . If we don't match his ambitions or if he thinks we're not big enough or spending enough he can **** off , and we will get someone else in . I don't mind losing , **** me I'm used to it being 50 , but give all for my club . Too many prima donnas , and I don't see Ron kicked their arses

So one of the greatest centre halfs & best readers of the game in the past 30 years, a bloke who won the euros & played for Barcelona, needs to sit with the great unwashed to read the game better? I've no doubt whatsoever that he sees things supporters don't even realise happen. The idea that " most supporters" see things that he fails to is just nonsense, saying that they also know what action to take and he doesnt is pure & simply nuts. Its not a ps4 game .

Rip , seems he was only diagnosed a couple of days ago. Not really near the top of my lists, but an interesting bloke , incredibly knowledgeable about music and led an incredible life. I just felt that he became a bit of a parody the past 30 years,although I did get persuaded to see them in concert about 82 and it was pretty good, some hot dirty women there too . Was once given the On Parole album to listen to by a fan who thought I'd like it . It was before the classic lineup and was I believe the first recorded album, but wasn't released until they'd had a couple of hit albums . I thought it was pretty good , not so aggressive and ott as they later became ,but still with that punk/metal edge to it . It also contained what I think is their best song" Leaving here". Lemmys vocals are far better than they subsequently became . They were a touch to fast and heavy fir me , but I can see the attraction .Certainly a one off , and we need more of these types and less xfactor rubbish .

I've always thought he'd fit in with our system and style of play . Only question mark would be his spell at Palace and why it went wrong . If he's not a Big time Charlie or a pizz artist I'd take a look , there's a decent footballer in there somewhere .

I don't know what was more annoying today . Having to work , listening to Dave ****ing Merrington & that other plum , the half bakes who text in afterwards , or reading some of the comments on here . I can't comment on the game , as I didn't see it , but my take on it is this . 3 points out of Arsenal & today is ok . We are ( like West Ham ) in the 7-18 band of clubs and are pretty inconsistent . There's no point in harking on about Morgan or Toby & no point in thinking we're going to " push on" and spend money in Jan .We spend sensibly & buy mid table type players , sometimes you get lucky & these type of players flourish , but in the main they'll get you mid table . They are honest hard working pros , but they will deliver results and inconsistency like today . We shouldn't get too down and complain that we didn't play like we did against Arsenal , just enjoy The Arsenal days when they come along . Palace , Stoke & Leicester will be just as inconsistent as us over the next 5 years , it's just their turn to peak this year . What do people think that we were going to be the " best of the rest " season after season or were going to join the elite clubs? Let's just be thankful we're not Sunderland , Villia or Newcastle and not run or managed like them.

This is going to be be the hardest side to predict as we don't have the medical information and all this " red zone " stuff that clubs go on about . We really don't know whose knackered or carrying a knock that'll make playing again so quickly dodgy and put them at risk of missing more games . It's not like sat is a cup week , Ron will also have one eye on a very winnable Norwich game . Is Shane Long capable of 2 games in 48 hours , followed by another one 5 days later . His style is to give it all and he hasn't played that much since his last lay off . If Pelles out for Norwich , I'd be tempted to rest Shane for this one and play Mane & Juanmi as a front 2 . Obviously that depends on Mane and how he feels after Sat . Tadic should come in & OR , as they should be pretty fresh , and JWP hasn't had as much game time as Davis or Big Vic so I'd be tempted to rest them with him to stay in . I'd also give Reed a run , again because of his freshness , but cant see Ron doing that . If any of the back 4 are suffering then let's get Yoshida in , I can't believe Martena can play 2 games in 48 hours after not featuring much . It's not about picking your best 11 but a balancing act , giving you the best chance of picking up points , but limiting injuries . Remember last season when Big Vic pulled a hamstring minutes before he was going to be subbed. So I'd go with an old fashioned 4-4-2 Stek Yoshida Fonte VvD RB OR Reed JWP Tadic Mane Juanmi with long coming in for Mane if Pelle will make Norwich.

That's because it's one country .

**** me, and to think you're allowed a vote .

There's only 3 consistent , coherent policies on immigration . Nobody comes in, everybody can come in , or anybody with the skills we need can come in . Last time I looked the " out" line was the third one . You might not agree with it , but it makes more sense then the " in " policy which judges people by their race and nationality rather than their need or the content of their character .

The same nonsense was spouted by the same idiots over the ERM & The Euro . Wrong then , wrong now .

Wait till 70mil Turks get their invites