shurlock

All said and done, it was a superb tackle.

Maybe my eyes were deceiving me but I thought Jayrod started up top then switched positions with Guly.

Is a converted winger who tracks back and would work well as an inside forward in a 4-3-3 or play at the top on his own. Yesterday won't be the only time we consider dropping Lambert for someone more mobile. http://backpagefootball.com/one-2-watch-pierre-emerick-aubameyang/45797/

Back from the game - those two goals were (almost) worth the ticket price. Long time since I've celebrated goals like that. Very proud with the commitment and sensed the confidence oozing into our play as the game went on, particularly so after we went 3-2 down. Still, the fact remains we lost and gutting that the goals we conceded were so scrappy, especially given their other chances. Adkins has rightly banged on about a winning mentality. But today it felt as if we didn't quite believe in ourselves - obviously that has to do with the quality of Man C; but perhaps also with being in the premiership. Talking about spirited performances while losing, as if we're still pinching ourselves that we can mix it with the big boys, is fine for now; but ultimately, its a bad habit. We need a Leeds type result sooner rather than later. A bit more prem experience in the team, mixing the emphasis on youth, would also help. Regards the formation, got the sense that Jrod started up top and then switched with Guly after 10 or so mins. We also switched formation after Lambert and Davis came on, Lallana taking up a wider position- and we looked more comfortable without seemingly sacrificing any discipline and compactness. Guly was very good when he moved to the no.10 role. I understand the decision for leaving Lambert out -and the game vindicated NA's decision in some respects- but I don't know if it was the correct one. Thought JWP had a decent league debut but is clearly not quite ready - Davis was excellent when he came on. From Adkins post-match comments -praising JWP for his endeavour and bigging up his contribution- you can tell that he's clearing the way for Davis. Tricky one for JWP and his long-term development as he could make real strides with more game time but I don't think we can afford it -and he's not really an impact sub in the Oxo/Walcott mould either. We're lacking in wide areas. Punch isnt quite able to make things happen on his own and beat a man. Still, he put in an excellent defensive shift (fantastic how he tracked Clichy) and was a key reason why our right hand was solid. The arrival of Phillips and Ramirez -assuming they happen- should address this and hopefully mean that Lallana can move back to the left. Apart from a 10 min spell in the 2nd half, thought the City fans were poor and doing a good impression of Old Trafford. Btw, how many fans did we bring. It was pretty empty in the lower tier, though I assume it was full in the upper tier.

How's creative with the truth then?

At least, Phillips is honest while Holloway is a hypocrite. Told qpr fans he was going nowhere, while asking the chairman for permission to speak to leicester (as a result, was suspended for disrupting the team), not to mention the time he told the plymouth fans he was going nowhere before submitting his resignation so he could go elsewhere.

Agree-CB's the priority. He's so confident that the story will raise eyebrows you can't but help think its a big name, especially as the ramirez has become the new normal. Not sure that any of the CBs we've been linked with to date eg Biyik tick that box.

Complete b******s but long outside bet it's Alvaro Pereira, though he's a LB. Do think the vacant no.3 shirt suggests we're still after a LB.

Slightly optimistic. That's not how the market works. No matter how well Ramirez did for us, his resale value would only go up if the club as a whole performed -if we started qualifying for Europe and doing well in it. That's a much larger and less predictable question.

Not quite off- he's being tracked/considered if their Brazilian winger Nene leaves (was their top scorer last season but is 31 and unhappy he wasn't offered a new contract after PSG signed Lavezzi from Napoli - the latest, however, is that he's agreed to stay one more season)

Or Fergie's numerous updates while the Van Persie deal was going on - just like our loose-lipped Nige....

Obviously you haven't heard the opinion of the south coast's Woodward and Bernstein, messrs Blackmore and Temple if you think most managers are as non communicative as Adkins -and that holds for all information from transfers to injuries.

They don't play the same roles as Cortese does though? They aren't as involved in the day-to-day management of clubs -for better or worse. Plus it's a club-wide policy. NA is also told to shut the **** up. Getting the weather out of him is like blood out of a stone. I've never know anything like it at least in my time supporting the club. Most managers are permitted to speak with greater freedom, even if their chairmen don't. We're not setting any precedents but we are doing things to a greater degree.

Agree it's a lot harder but it's not impossible. And it's not an absolute standard, a case of having to keep monastic silence, more a case of doing things discretely. The Gaston story wouldn't have reached fever pitch if the player had kept his mouth shut - and usually you can count on players discretion. We still don't know the juicy story Nixon's planning tmrw. Lens was kept under wraps for a while and even after it broke its we knew nothing about its progress.

Surely, the issue isn't with the player's agent but with the club's representatives?

Southampton = L1; Blackpool = Prem. FACT

Or surely we could just convert the ownership stake into a sell on fee/% of future transfer fee instead, something permitted by PL rules...if we so wanted.

Butner's totally different - if you believe the reports, the breakdown was due to an unknown third party and an issue between that party and the dutchies. Nothing to do with us.

And both sides will posture, make noises, play to their respective constituencies....and then meet somewhere in between.

Make your mind up.

He hates scousers, he hates yids Ramirez cost 12 million quid To the knick knack paddy whack song

Source?

He's to keep Douglas (Teixeira) company

Yeh, buy a whole team of overpaid, overrated players instead. Hope that works out for you.