shurlock

Step forward Banega.

Yep - was even thinking how I get from the last row of the East Stand down to the pitch.

Behave

If you consider a two yard layoff to a player behind, then sure, fill your socks yesterday. That said, among all the miscues, he did hit a lovely cross-field pass. One observation is that he has to open up his body and side foot the ball when he attempt a pass. You don't get the time or space to do that in the Prem. I also never want to see Boruc again rolling the ball out to Wanyama outside the area with his back to play. Agree with the Cat, am happy to let alot of this slide as long as he succeeds in protecting our defence.

Don't know what game you were all watching but his passing is a joke and liability. No problems with the defensive and physical side of his game.

Fair play the BBC post match analysis focused on us and our strengths rather than fodder for a critique of United's flaws.

He stretches teams which is crucial to counter-attacking away from home and stopping teams squeezing us. If we had another player with his pace/directness, we would be much less reliant on him. But as it is he offers something important, even if his performances have been sub-par.

I bet we sign someone in January.

Is it? All the rumours linking us to wingers/inside forwards with pace would suggest otherwise. Some pace would make us infinitely stronger and less one-dimensional and, in no way, would be in conflict with 'our' style.

Why? It doesn't stop Spurs and our styles are quite similar.

He's not lazy and works hard off the ball. That said, don't buy the argument that the BPL and the style of football are somehow a struggle. He has had a tendency to drift out of games whenever I've seen him play for Uruguay. Indeed, his form for club and country is strikingly similar. And for a player who's meant to be so skillful, he doesn't half give the ball away cheaply. Would be understandable if it was because he wa trying things but often it's not. No excuses. Ironically, NA seemed to get more out of Gaston than MP.

If we could reinvest immediately and get a Banega-type player, then it would be a no-brainer.

Agree - was even going to mention Dyer.

Sterling has been garbage -listening to Liverpool fans on the way back from our game and the consensus is that he's been struggling. Other than a big club bias, the only explanation is that Hodgson wanted a direct, pacey winger -not only because that's his 'old school'' philosophy and consistent with the sides he put out at a club level but also because they could step in for Townsend if the gamble to start him didn't paid off. Nobody will confuse Lallana for a pacey winger; but it really shows how shallow the talent pool really is at the position.

The way Roy talks about players returning from injury, its as if he wants to sweep the whole Lambert experiment under the carpet like it never happened, like some embarrassing, messy one-nighter.

Another mongboard gem - those who dismissed Townsend as a one trick pony -pace and little else. And on here, if you value pace and directness, you know nothing about football.

Or how to cherry pick form guides, though I guess that market's already cornered.

Yep - the IoW boys. Amusing for the novelty value; not sure its the basis for a chant, though.

File away with the other frothy-mouthed beauts. Perhaps next to the post in which mins after we lost to QPR and the rest of the normal world was down in the dumps, you came on here to crow how Lawro was right. As others say, slightly obsessed.

To play a broken record but after the first ten games, our defensive record last season was top 5-6. On one level, this season's improvement is no great surprise.

Agree pound for pound Davis, Clyne and Lambert have arguably been our most successful signings.

Good to see him encouraging Luke Shaw at one point and even helping Tourė who pulled up with cramp. If anything, think he's actually eager to please.

Vic and Morgan will get stronger but don't ignore Steven Davis who is hugely underrated. Would love to see him start. Our transition from midfield to attack was much more fluid after he came on.

And West Ham and Norwich got away with pretty clear cut handballs. The Norwich one, in particular, was much more of a stonewall pen than Sturridge's. Swings and roundabouts.

True and perhaps MP will change things against Palace. IMO team selections say as much about MP as Ramirez. MP is fundamentally risk-averse - he rarely changes things up top unless we're trailing -hence Ramirez featured in the Sunderland and Norwich games. He's much more likely to take an attacker off for a midfielder to shore things up with another presser. Just look at the subs bench- it's chockablock with defenders and midfielders. Ramirez plays a role if only because he's our only attacking option.