shurlock

You're thinking of De Vrij.

I gathered that's what you're driving at; but interested to see the evidence, how the sale of Oxo factors in and how our record compared to the other clubs who, on the surface, spent much more than us.

Yeah rings a bell. I also remember selling Oxo for a fat profit and only using crumbs from that on Jack Cork, who hemmed and hawed about joining us while knobbing TOWIE stars, a YouTube Frankenstein in Steve DeRidder while loaning a CB from Celtic (later made permanent) who liked to wisecrack about the weather, though was widely written before he had kicked a ball because some jocks thought he was gash, he had pinballed around the Swedish and Icelandic leagues and his name wasn't Kaspar (Gorkks). Also have a vague recollection of how a motley crew of where-are-they-now strikers -from Craig McKail-Smith and Nicky Maynard to Jermaine Beckford and Sam Baldock turned us down because we supposedly couldn't compete with rivals on wages and ambition. Still we did get the Sheffield Inzaghi in January. As you say, seems a long time ago.

How did we get out of the championship?

Sherman doesn't move around a lot - will stay on the defensive left side, regardless how the receivers aligned. Think Kam Chancellor who is a proper bully in the middle (see his hits on Vernon Davis) actually matches up pretty well against Gronk, as much as anyone can match up against Gronk. Of course, that might change if Gronk does more than just run seam routes.

Times have certainly changed. For a while, some complete mentalists on here were convinced Nik Nak was setting the formation and picking the team.

PFI is a perfectly appropriate instrument for areas like transport; it's just that it has been extended to capital projects that aren't very PFIable namely, projects where quantity and quality of outputs are difficult to measure accurately (so real or shadow revenue streams cannot be used as a payment mechanism); projects that have high levels of complexity; projects that are too small or are subject to rapid technological change (due to the relative inflexibility of long-term contracts).

Ever thought we might be speaking horse****. Remember we almost released Oxo for being too small. It's a good soundbite but wouldn't be surprised if we do place as much emphasis on physical attributes as others and our selection criteria are pretty similar to other clubs rather than some sui generis, lightening in a bottle southampton way.

Newcastle are more direct than LVG's somnambulant, sideway passing United. As such, we're going to need to retain possession much better than we did on Sunday or last night; otherwise can see them getting on top of us and making life very difficult without the core trio of VW, Morgan and Toby.

The Seahawks O vs the Pats D won't be the key matchup. It starts and ends with the Pats O vs the Seahawks D where I think the Seahawks still hold a slight advantage - they've looked much more like the legion of boom since Bobby Wagner's return and their smaller, faster linebackers seem a perfect match of Brady's version of dink and dunk. Still if anyone can scheme a victory, it's Belichick and Brady (see their rather shady use of eligible and ineligible receivers against the Ravens).

We were never really troubled and it was excellently taken, if bizarre goal. Long was my MOTM, though that was often for his solitary work -rather than his partnership with Tadic which didn't really click. The Bertrand experiment, likewise, didn't particularly work -can't us seeing playing 5-3-2 until Toby or Maya returns. A shame as I think a midfield without both Wanyama and Morgan needs the reinforcement that 3 CBs provide. Still not really sold on Reed in front of the defense. It might work when we're soaking up pressure (e.g. Everton) but not when we're looking to dictate play: still not at a level where he can pick up the ball, bring it out of defense and initiate moves (as Morgan and Cork do -and Toby can do in a 5). Far too many balls went backwards -instead of going through the likes of Reed- only to be launched long. Things improved somewhat after Davis came on. All in all, a routine win and some lessons learned ahead of more testing and important games, soured obviously by VW's injury.

We played 5 at the back with a dominant Toby. He's out if you remember.

If RK thinks Cork is good to go, him over Reed with Davis and JWP.

Bertrand? No.

If I was an Ipswich fan, I'd be annoyed with some of the fouls the ref's giving.

Pretty extraordinary circumstances as well. Released in 2009 when we were cost-cutting left, right and centre. Perhaps we would have been able to retain him if we hadn't been under the same financial pressure.

Yep which he called a training session.

Would be surprised if he's fully match fit. Only just resumed training and not played a competitive game in six weeks.

As he pointed out in his interview after the Fulham game, his cameo appearance was only his fourth training session. Fit isn't match fit.

We had Toby and Maya for that game, so could go with a strong back 5.

Ffs

Longy!

Don't like Reed's position whatsoever. Playing in front of the back three; the ball keeps going back to the CBs, slowing everything down. Ideally play should build through him (as we do with Morgan). Would consider swapping with JWP or Cork who are more comfortable on the ball and confident in the setting the tempo.

Morgan with a recurrent injury, Toby with a recurrent injury - a coincidence?

Cork is as close to a fill-in as we have. No problem with a Cork/Wanyama screen in midfield - the combo actually looked pretty strong against Arsenal till Cork went off injured.