shurlock

Shaw looking good. http://abload.de/img/shaw9psgu.gif

Only really see club employees in block 3 and they only take up part of one row (LL 35-50ish). In the past, saw far more people associated with the club in block 4 The bigger problem is not the dilution in support caused by every employee, wag and their dog but the fact that parts of block 3 don't sell period. Putting employees there is a symptom, not the cause of the problem.

That's always been the way with Fonte, perhaps due to some residual scepticism that he's been with us since L1 days. But he was one of our players of the season last season -something that the stats more than amply back up. Lovren wouldn't have been able to get away with half of the stuff he did - great for YouTube compilations mind you- without Fonte's positioning and reading of the game.

Why? He really stepped up last season.

Bolton also came sixth in 2005 and Fulham finished 7th in 2009 - both good enough to qualify for Europe. Do think Everton's 4th place finish in 2005 was also very much against the odds, especially when you look at how limited and workmanlike their squad was (one that could only muster a 11th place finish the following season).

Agree about West Ham - wonder how they'll cope with the changes forced by the Africa Cup of Nations.

Can understand why a teenager, a hormonal bedroom revolutionary, would find Brand's peter and jane portrait of democratic capitalism 'appealing'; but grown-up mboarders? At least, you could crack one off to Noreena Hertz, another complete airhead. As to why Brand gets so much attention from the mainstream press -the New Statesman, Grauniad, Paxman etc; Id suggest most editors find him mildly titillating and transgressive in a voyeuristic, chattering class way - just as most deep down wish they were mick jagger, another champion of style over substance.

Lovren missed the arsenal game through illness, Boruc did his hand in the following chelsea game, Wanyama suffered a hairline fracture in the Villa game. Spurs were the jammy beneficiaries of of the rash of our injuries -what's new- as we missed 3/5s of our defense/GK but even then and on reflection, we were perhaps unlucky not to get more from a very difficult period (Villa (h), City (h), Everton (a) results spring to mind).

Agree - thought he acquitted himself very well at Arsenal, facing not only Campbell but also Oxo. Would also have TA as left CB to provide cover. For a one-off game (well two games), too much chopping and changing and playing players out of position just to add a bit of experience at LB.

Obviously not. More interesting question is whether we trust Targett enough or switch Clyne to the left, play TA at RB and bring Yoshida or Gardos in.

A white scapegoat called Fraser, who'da thunk it

Forster did exactly the same thing in the first half. Attempted an overarm throw that went straight to a Hull player.

On a side-note, thought it was an excellent prematch tribute. Very dignified. One of the best I've been present for.

Retaining the core of the midfield and finding a clinical striker - the rest falls or follows from this.

Their league still managed to field a national team that put England to shame in the WC.

Not been tested enough to form a conclusion but the one game in which we had to deal with quite a bit of pressure -Spurs away- he seemed very nervy. He has all the right attributes and the physical presence but doesn't always seem to use them.

Remember Fonte getting called up for it at the Emirates - the decision was technically correct but ludicrously inconsistent.

Really? Long even said Hull hardly saw the ball that night. We ran circles around them - the scoreline was only spared by a couple of Lambert gilt-edged misses, Corky hitting the woodwork, a Guly chance that was cleared off the line to name just a few things.

And the two shots at Spurs preceding the goal? Weren't particularly convincing saves, regardless of your rationalisations.

Think it's more than that though. Clearly it's about value for money but it's also about finding hidden and sometimes unlikely relationships in large data sets that otherwise go unnoticed to extract value. To take one example, Big Sam worked out where clearances and second balls in the box were most likely to drop, a rich source of goals - a MoneyBall signing would be someone who has a knack for taking up those positions, a Kevin Nolan say.

Do you actually know what a 'moneyball' signing is? Seems to be the mboard mot du jour without any understanding what it means. Not a fan of Long -he's better suited to the red and white stripes of stoke than us- but fair play on his goal and endeavour.

According to mboard lore, Norwich's ascent up the leagues is as, if not more impressive.

No he doesn't chat **** - still pound for pound one of the most reliable observers of the club. You just have to put keep in sources in context (which he does) and not all of whom are ex-players with obvious axes to grind.

Does Les Reed still have the cushtiest job in football and is responsible for the whole failed southampton way? Best to leave sleeping dogs lie sometimes, isn't it?

Agree - it was a brilliant finish, there's no way Mane could have anticipated the shot pinballing to him; yet he took it with such composure. In a parallel universe, somewhere, that chance would have fallen to Long...