shurlock

Ffs- we've probably suffered as many, if not, more injuries in training than in actual games, Lee being a good example. Morgan also did his knee in training it seems.

Argentina and Bolivia games are on Oct 12 and 16 respectively, so yes the article is current.

Agree with this - getting to the premiership requires an upfront, one-off payment -and the loan may have helped us bridge this need -after all, we probably didn't budget for or anticipate coming so far, so quickly. This is not to say we won't spend money in the future but the first year is always the hardest and most expensive. If we stay up, future years will be about tinkering and selectively adding to what we've got. Of course, if we spend £30m every year, that's a different proposition but there's no reason to believe we will.

Exactly this: % of long balls to short passes is a far more meaningful measure while accepting that not every long ball is a speculative hoof.

Agree it might constrain our ability to bounce back up -but then again we've gained assets/players who can do a job in the NPC or whom we can cash in on. Fortunately, we've bought 'young' players who have significant resale value should the need to sell arise and we've no doubt negotiated flexible relegation clauses into contracts.

Why is it a risk -tv money/parachute payments are as liquid as they come. Either eventuality -whether survival or relegation- we'll be paid and that will probably mean we're borrowing on relatively favourable terms.

We'd still be living in the stone age if we couldnt borrow and take on debt. Then again perhaps you are.... Nobody is berating the skates for borrowing money -it's the amount they borrowed and the assumptions they made regarding their ability to repay it.

Why? We need to borrow money against something and revenue streams like TV money/parachute payments are as liquid and certain as they come. Indeed, when has debt been wrong? More important are the terms/interest we've agreed with the company - more worrying is if we were forced to borrow on onerous terms. And just because we've borrowed from a third party doesn't mean the liebherr's money has dried up - it might just involve a rebalancing between internal and external financing.

Doesn't surprise me that Newcastle and Everton top the list. Everton looked better on Saturday when they started to play it on the deck more and spread play -till that point, we were dealt pretty comfortably with the hoofs.

We've missed Guly esp away from home, a player who can link defense and attack and tracks back.

Thought he had a poor first half, played a lot of backward passes for the first 20 mins of the second half whereas Davis was playing with his head up but was then exceptional for the last 20-25 mins, finishing as one of the strongest in the team.

Don't disagree with you about our transfer activity -it was massively unbalanced. And we should never have been in the position we now find ourselves. That said, I think square-pegs-in-round-holes explains only part of the problem. The bigger problem is quality. Yesterday Clyne was fine at LB even if he is very one-footed. By contrast, Richardson had a poor game in his favoured RB position. Jrod is the clearest example of square-pegs-in-round-holes but, even in this case, perhaps people are underestimating the fact that he's not yet quite ready for the Prem -whether down the middle in his natural position or being forced to drift off the flank. After all, Mayuka who has pedigree looked good when he came on and drifted from the right.

Good player- saw him for the first time at Millwall in the cup and was arguably our MOTM. Plays with his head up and looks to play quick, short, forward passes and decent in tight spaces.

It's only temporary. I'd rather steady the ship and give us more of a backbone -and that starts with midfield personnel, not formations. At any rate, Jrod apart- not sure we've really suffered for playing square pegs in round holes, even if it's not ideal.

Having now seen the highlights, Gazza was at fault for their 2nd and 3rd goals. Was obsessed with his near post for both. For the second, got his angles wrong and gave Jelovic too much of the goal to aim at; and for the third, he gave himself too much to to do to scramble back and stop the header coz his starting position for the cross was wrong.

Didn't see your post but, yes, agree with you. Better than suggestions that Fonte should be played in midfield.

Yoshida could play as a DM in the absence of Cork/Morgan - indeed he started his career as one. Got a nice touch and reads the game well.

I thought their second came from our backline being ridiculously high. The throughball was child's play.

Haven't watched the highlights but thought Gazza got his angles wrong for the second.

If NC was picking the team, Mayuka would be starting or would have come on a lot earlier today. Jrod was a 100% NA signing and got his start - perhaps undeservedly.

Agree - the most disappointing thing was that we didn't it give a go 2nd half. NA will be drawing positives from that period but it was a red herring performance.

"We've got more teeth than you"

Prowse will be toast.

Ravens -old man has lived in Baltimore for over a decade when the franchise really came into its own (ironically he grew up in Columbus, Ohio in the 1960s with Jim Brown's Browns). Spent enough time in Baltimore to enjoy the atmosphere of game day and its a proper sporting city. Will be going to the Ravens-Cowboys game during the international break. Like the identity of the team and the emphasis on defence -constantly overlooked but one of the most uncompromising and hardworking teams around, though perhaps they've mellowed a tad. They also play in the AFC North and the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is the best rivalry in the sport.

In recent times, Bristol City.