benjii

He wasn't even going to book Cole for a border-line red card assault on Yoshida until people started agitating. How they didn't get any yellow cards in the first half is a mystery. The general standard does seem to be particularly bad this season.

I thought Reed was excellent today. West Ham not really having a midfield probably helped but he was class. If Morgan goes for £20million+ I dont think we should bother shelling out for another CM.

Terrible defending by Spurs. Gifted them two goals really. Still, 'pool win better than Spurs win. Oh, and Rodgers seems like a complete cock.

Phew ...! Pep arrive after, if I may say, is a *****, because it is virtually impossible to improve what he did.

Is there a case for 352 again? We know we will need to play three CBs, even if we play a back four so it seems logical. Also allows Mane to play more centrally. The dilemma would be wing back. Clyne on left and Davis or JWP on the right? Probably too disruptive but I'm sure Big Ronnie does think about these things.

Massive month for Spurs. Arsenal, West Ham and Liverpool in the league. Europa QF and FA Cup, then League Cup final in March. I think their league form is about to drop off. Would like them to get a draw today though.

I've definitely been bummed more lately. Bloody sex cases.

You canis be serious! Fidon't know what the world's coming to. I chient be losing any sleep over this. Mbwa t the fock? I'm nay having it.

It does sound like he's trying to polish his image in Spain because he can't believe that crock. He's probably realised the best he is ever going to do at Spurs is 6th or thereabouts and is thinking about his next move.

Ok, so I would pick Forster Clyne - Font - Yoshi - Targett ----Victor------Morgan------ --Davis-----------------Elia- -------------Mane-------- ------------Pelle------------- A sort of 4-4-2, 4-3-3 hybrid depending on the pattern of the play. Bench: KD, Gardos, McCarthy, Reed, JWP, Tadic, Seager

Well, sorry for any offence, but when you sell people like de Vrij and Martins Indi cheaply when they have played well in the World Cup you can hardly expect high offers for your substitutes.

I actually thought it looked like he slowed down to ensure he made contact. Barrow had been diving and whinging and he wanted to do him. Fair enough and we can't really complain about the red. However, "It's a red all day-long" is, IMO, somewhat glib and fine when looking at the laws in the abstract. The fact is, a lot of times the ref wouldn't have shown the red because they are extremely inconsistent. For that reason I would say we were a bit unlucky. I wouldn't be howling for a red if the Swansea player had done the same thing and I wouldn't have been at all surprised if a red hadn't been shown. Discpline and referreeing in this country is awful. Sterling can slap someone in the face half a yard away from the linesman and get no sanction, whilst in the same game Shelvey did a more ambiguous elbow and got a three game ban after the event. Completely perverse.

A true "option" means that it's at the buyer's discretion. Ie. it is a right which the buyer can exercise. For that to be the case then the player must have already agreed to it as well as the selling club. If either the player or the selling club has not agreed in advance then I don't see how it can possibly be described as an "option", as it clearly isn't. That's normal business sense but seeing as we're talking about football it may well be a completely misleading moniker...

Such a stupid comment. You are looking at the situation backwards. Yes, if he came back and did brilliantly people would rightly applaud him for turning the situation round. There's nothing fickle about that. But the only way he's going to do that (and it's complete fantasy to think he's good enough to score fifteen goals in fifteen games) is if he shows contrition, apologises and reforms himself. Seeing as he shows no sign of wanting or being able to do either, people don't want him back because he is likely to do more harm than good. Nothing fickle about that. Thick as *!@$.

"And you think you'll get in, with that?" What a plum.

I see Dr Who has found his new hobby then. Not sure it's healthy, mind.

Apparently he's going to be on 24k.hk a week (GWFX).

I don't see any particular reason to back any other team for top 4 (apart from Chelsea and Man City) ahead of us. In fact, I would say we are in a relatively strong position. 16 games left, do or die. We currently have an "injury crisis" although all injured First XI players are expected to be fit by next weekend (excluding Jay Rod and Gallagher who have done nothing this season anyway). I f we continued our form so far we would lose another 3 or 4 games, draw 2, and win 10 or 11. We would finsh with at least 75 or more points and that would very probably be enough for top four. We have two games you would be inclined to write-off (Chelsea and Man City. We have played Arsenal and Man U twice so no more games against the teams in fourth and fifth. We have home matches against the teams in 6th, 7th and 8th. So, on form and fixtures, there is no logical reason to expect us to do badly. Man Utd, for example, still have Liverpool, West Ham and Chelsea away and Spurs, City and Arsenal at home. They are bound to drop some points. Arsenal are still in the FA Cup and the Champions League and must have a decent chance of getting past Monaco. I fancy them to finish strongly but even if they get in front of us, that's fine as long as no one else does. Spurs have Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham in February so that's a massive set of fixtures in terms of the chasing pack, as well as a Europa League match sandwiched in between and the League Cup final in March. Liverpool have got at least five matches before we play them on 22 Feb (includiing Europa League quarter final three days before) and if they beat Bolton that will be six; we've got three. Unless they beat us, it's hard to see them overturning the seven point lead we have now. Interestingly, Man U play Arsenal on the penultimate weekend. Could be a key week for us, what with our final game being against City. You might say we are over reliant on one or two players but I'm not sure if that applies to us any more than it does to Man U (de Gea, Carrick), Arsenal (Sanchez) or Spurs (Eriksen, Kane). For us, I gues it would be Pelle and Forster. The key for us is to keep making sure those wins don't turn into draws (ie. we dispatch the "winnable" games) and to ideally avoid defeat to Spurs, Lpool and West Ham. I'm pretty confident.

Or you could just stop worrying about trying to present yourself to the world for a second.

I quite fancy taking up bowls when I am much older. Looks quite easy, to be fair. I reckon I would beat a lot of the old codgers and be the envy of the tea room. How about a martial art, in the meantime, Dr Who? Good for fitness and focus. You will go to classes at fixed times so it won't start ruining your life and causing you sleep deprivation like some of the other suggestions on here.

If realising a few million for Cork means we can sign Schneider or some other impressive player then I'm all for it. Cork's a good player but if he's holding our for a relatively high wage when he's a reserve then the money would be better spent elsewhere. I know we brought in more than we spent in the summer but it's about maintaining control of the wage bill, not just capex. Even with Vic and Morgan out, I would question whether Cork would currently get in the team. Personally, I would go for Reed, Davis and JWP on Sunday.

Ba would be a superb signing if his wages are affordable.

I don't see why he shouldn't be in the squad on Sunday if we want him to come back in short order. He can get a night flight tomorrow to London via Madrid. Chill/sleep on Thursday then training on Fri and Sat. It's not as though he's been sat on his arse, he's been in a tournament so coming back after two days training shouldn't be a problem.

Oh, that's fair enough then. In fact, congratulations.

Pap is sooooo sixth form!