shurlock

#intangibles

Clasie bottled that challenge.

Well played Martina - both CBs poor (for Mbokani's earlier chance).

Already pointed out how our situation might be different from those of WBA, Boro, Blackburn and Fulham. Instead of Watford, insert any of those aforementioned clubs (if it isn't blindingly obvious).

So we’ll finish where we finish –and if we finish 6th -or hell why not, win the league, durrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, that’s great. Circle of life platitudes meet Tony the Tiger – you’re breaking fresh ground this year already, CB. Needless to say, your post lurks with dubious assumptions, not least the idea that outside the top six, the league is effectively a random game of musical chairs, with the only regularity that teams that do well one season are just as likely to fall down the table into 12-14th place the next. Am pretty sure the club thinks there’s more to footballing life than this. Our two top 7/8 finishes, for instance, were secured with decent breathing space from the rest of chasing pack, even as we limped ungainly over the line both seasons. That’s what meant by best of the rest – regularly (not always) posting 60ish points a season which with stars aligned, permits the occasional crack at the big boys. That cannot be said about current darlings, Watford. Our situation is different from your boys in gold and black in another key respect (or even past lovers Stoke circa the Pullis glory years). We’ve enjoyed a massive cash windfall from player sales to the Top 4– no other club has been in such a fortunate position in recent memory, with perhaps the exception of Villa nearly a decade ago. In itself, that challenges the notion that teams outside the top 6 are seatfillers, guests at somebody else's wedding or prize ceremony, milling around the garish lobby or ballroom, hoping for some cheap plonk or to get lucky. Top clubs don’t buy players willy-nilly from whoever is the flavour of the month; rather they recognise that differences in quality exist and believe that they can be distinguished from luck. The deeper point is that windfall should give us a significant starting advantage over rivals. Invariably, that advantage will be eroded over time, as it is washed out through player churn and others increased spending. But, for now, that advantage is very much real and we continue to live in its glow, both financially and reputationally. As such, the reference to crossroads makes plenty of sense and it is perfectly appropriate to ask how much the club want to capitalise on its position, indeed perhaps more so than in 2003.

Not entirely my point. My point is that we get new incoming players on cheaper, longer contracts rather than face a situation where we have to resign players on more expensive ones. Clearly, Clyne was never going to stay once Liverpool came calling, though we were braced to give him a huge pay rise, even with clear wage structures in place - one that was probably much higher than the subsequent wage we offered Cedric. Other things being, resigning a PL regular -and they don't necessarily have to be world beaters (e.g. Cork?), is subject to greater inflationary pressures than hoovering up less established talent or talent from Europe's less affluent leagues. In other words, you fail to view the problem in dynamic (as opposed to static) terms, though any long-term club worth it's salt will be planning in exactly this way.

Fonte clearly will be, though I'd be surprised if Mané, as a young player signed from a minor and poorer European League, is. Of course, that would change drastically if we get him to sign a new contract, that's unlikely to happen.

Still waging your one man crusade against BBC scum, Adam Blackmore, Vikes?

I's also suggest that the wages for our new signings (leaving aside Long) - now we've stopped signing 'names' are much lower than the players we've replaced. Either way, it's safe to say we're both in the dark, though you wouldnt think that from your usual bluster.

That they didn't pan out is irrelevant, though a case can be made that Sharp helped us get over the line. Fact remains both were £1m+ signings which by our standards were relatively ambitious at the time. HTH.

Probably 2010. Fonte and Puncheon. Otherwise 2012 with Sharp and Lee.

Relax bodge. The January window is for the desperate and profligate.

Crashed my computer the only time I used it. Never again.

And what do you think of VVD's position. If he's in position, that cross gets cut out and never makes it to Carroll and gets deflected to Antonio. Simple.

I bet VVD wasn't even showing up on your screen he was that far off play In the meantime, I suggest you watch replays of spurs 2nd goal to educate yourself about a real example of ballwatching.

Spam and potatoes man, I assume.

Are they allowing punters to cash out? If so, what are they offering if you backed relegation at 200/1.

They also had more options off the bench than us, even for a side plagued by injuries. Lanzini's introduction probably had a bigger impact than Carroll's (btw Noble couldn't do any worse after his first half display).

I would like to see him play there, maybe in a preseason friendly, especially once VW goes. He's good on the ball and might allow us to drive forward from central positions in a way none of our other DMs do (or even Morgan did). Saying that, unless we have another CB with suitable pace -and they don't grow on trees, probably best he remains at CB. And let's not underestimate the positional nous that DM requires, even if mistakes don't tend to be costly as those by CBs.

If it was a boxing match, the ref would have never stopped that. You make it sound as if we were consistently working Adrian, creating clear-cut chances. Nope. To extend your metaphor, we were commanding the centre of ring, landing some good punches with plenty of clinching by Wham as a result. But we never really had them reeling on the ropes.

Eh. The goal had much more to do with VVD who was 15+ yards off Fonte. Had he been closer and helping Fonte sandwich Carroll as the first defender, the cross would have most probably been cleared (the height on ball wouldn't have made it past the first man had he been in place). Yoshida was anticipating the ball before it got deflected which left him flatfooted and unable to adjust to the ensuing scramble. Perhaps he should have stayed with the attacker, though to call it ballwatching in the case where the ball was diverted inadvertently into the attacker's path is a stretch. Either way, things should have never reached that stage.

Have no idea where VVD was for the cross. Was also guilty for the Carroll chance that was blazed over the bar. Got sucked towards Fonte and the ball. VVD has great technique but his football IQ ain't all there.

Half-chances. And the only real save Adrian made was from a setpiece.

While it was a dominant first half -thanks in part to our intensity (unsustainable) and in part to a s**t and injury-plagued Wham performance- don't think we were truly dangerous. We never looked like scoring in the 2nd half. Suggested we're not capable of playing with Long up top on a consistent basis, as the first instinct, especially when we're short of confidence, is to go long and throw cross after cross into the box.