shurlock

Wouldn't be starting but would have done in a good job coming off the bench, especially in tight games like skates and reading where his movement and composure would have made us slightly less predictable.

Where's Roger when you need him.

Watched the game with some Leicester fans- shame the injuries ripped apart their central midfield, making it a doddle for West Ham. There couldn't have been a greater contrast between their tempo and M'Boro's. Anyway, West Ham will be living in hope till Saturday which will hopefully make the comedown all the more painful.

Its 2012, the fashion is s**t, the music is s**t and the drugs are s**t. Why expect any more from the football? Other than live in a desperate time-warp, each to their own. The bigger point is that the last few years have been great in terms of the support we've taken to the midlands and up north. You open the windows, you'll always let a few flies in...

Good lad. Here's hoping you're a grand poorer this time tomorrow evening

Still not in a mood to watch the highlights. Was there and I thought he had a decent enough game, though he left us exposed down the right where they had acres of space. Thankfully, they kept looking for LJ. His departure left us a bit unbalanced in an attacking sense; but it was far from a game changer. I agree that he's definitely kicked on since the Palace game but then again some of those games were relative cakewalks. I don't know how Punch would have fared yesterday or how he would have fared had he been given a longer run-out. Chaplow has been cut some slack for some very average performances. Obviously that hasn't happened in Punch's case and given the history, I can understand why NA has been more ruthless, even if I don't totally agree.

I've seen every game since he's back -and he's been pretty poor. He has definitely picked up since the Palace game and had his best game at P'boro; but I think Punch would have done just as well in those games. Ultimately we can do much better at RM.

Interestingly he did mention the skates but only in the context of Norwich's game at Fratton which saw them promoted. Says it left a nasty taste in his mouth. Strikes me as the kind of player who likes winding others up. Ending Wham's slim chance of auto would no doubt give him satisfaction.

No http://www.lcfc.com/articles/20120421/nugent-we-need-to-show-we-care_2264710_2743496

yep, agree with that.

They are also better against top half sides.

Walking around in Boro in flipflops - that's a health and safety issue as much as a fashion crime.

What happens if you want to go for it i.e. you're chasing a game and need three attackers on? Either way, we only had one attacker on the bench. Perhaps 4 outfield players were sufficient - just that NA picked the wrong options. Somebody says that Davis might have been struggling with something. I'm more inclined to believe that or another outfield player was injured than NA having a change of heart. He's gone without Bart in some massive games including West Ham away and Reading home.

M'boro were very good in the air. It wasn't just Lambert who struggled but also the rest of the team. Just look at the number of corners we had - and the lack of impact or penetration from them. Re. Lambert, thought he lasted the course against Reading - one of his best performances of the season. He was quiet at P'boro. Think the Lallana challenge got to him. Was also getting angry with himself after a few misplaced passes. He is a confidence player and the kind of player who puts pressure on himself.

Bournemouth away was his last decent free-kick.

TBF, Fox's shot was pretty decent in the first half and Lambert had a pop from our two free-kicks in the second. We've tried to work things from setpieces -not just the chip to the back stick. You're not likely to see a better worked goal than the routine against P'boro at home.

Yep can understand that, but as St Garrett says we were so close at Palace and P'boro too.

No chance - this season, we brought 4 players in the summer window and 2 in the winter. Its pretty clear that we were looking for another striker last summer, so it would have been 5 players. I can see a similar amount coming in again and then a few departures -out of those who are leaving, only Punch could really claim that he could do a job in the Prem.

Anyone know why he featured yesterday? Was NA just being prudent? Or was SDR or another outfield player injured? Having been used to five outfield players on the bench, our options did look a little limited, especially as we brought Morgan on to sharpen our attack!

No we can't, though its clear that NA has been looking to strengthen the defense - hence the deal for Collins that didnt go through or the repeated links with Upson. For all NA's talk about squads and rotation, the two CBs pick themselves week in, week out. That's not a healthy state of affairs.

Kyle Naughton is a decent RB - on loan at Norwich. Still think Clyne is a class act (while Zaha is overrated) QPR who I hope go down have a few defenders that might be cut loose - Onuoha, Traore, Taiwo etc.

Up after a night's sleep. Did a tour of Boro's clubs. pubs and bars -f**k me, they gave Hull a run for its money in the liveliness stakes. Then waited in the bus station. Nice touch that the station's toilets have special blue lighting -not a stylistic cue from House Invaders but there to stop smackheads who want to shoot up finding the blue of their veins. On balance it was a very even game and another day we would have won. At times, we seem to struggle against teams that play 4-5-1. Credit to Boro who recovered well after we went 1 up. Its pretty clear why they don't score many and we looked very edgy. They played into our hands somewhat by going down the middle with LJ rather than hurting us on the flanks where they had acres and acres of space. After that spell, we came back into the game and Chaplow should have tested the keeper with one of his two chances. A 2nd goal, even after they equalised would have killed them off. Their equaliser was gutting - we were finishing the half the better side; we lost several 50/50s in the build up to the goal and the shot got a slight deflection. There even seemed to be hint of offside about their player in the box who was obstructing KD's vision. And I cannot understand why the CBs dont head the ball into the channels or touch (watching the prematch warmup where Crosby throws the ball up for the defenders to clear, they're almost encouraged to head the ball back straight as it saves Crosby from going chasing!). We started the 2nd half the better. In paticular, Sharp snatched at a shot. While we didn't really test them, we were getting behind them with relative ease. Challenge on Lallana was as cynical as they come. Hines knew what he was doing and no doubt had accepted his fate. We lost our discipline and shape after that. The hoofs didn't pay off and their defense snuffed out Lambert (not surprisingly, one of our best chances in the game came from playing on the floor, not hitting it long). Similarly, we never really threatened from our stack of corners (probably should have gone short with a few). A bright spot was Sharp who again was excellent. The freekick for their goal looked soft -LJ was giving Fonte as he good as he got all afternoon and neither the ref nor the lino (who had a clearer view) blew up initially. The crowd no doubt played a part as it was still fuming about the nonaward of a pen mins earlier. Still Fonte makes it too easy for refs - his holding is too blatant. It wasn't a particularly well-struck free-kick and all the haggling over the distance of the wall distracted us from the more important task of positioning it properly. The loss of Chaplow made a difference. His runs from deep were difficult to pick up and with neither Cork, Hammond, Butterfield pushing on, we were squeezed into ever smaller triangles between Lallana, Sharp and Lambert and occasionally Fox. Guly didn't show any willingness to drive on, a killer when you're playing with Butterfield. If Guly starts against Coventry, he has to play with Frazer who relishes the responsibility of getting forward.

F**ked up big time with bookings, reservations - having to take a national express coach from london and do it all in one day. If anyone's desperate, there are coaches from london to m'boro. just means leaving m'boro midnight on the saturday.

In Reading's case, probably just a way to launder dirty money.

Worth noting that nearly half NPC clubs had wages that exceeded 100 per cent of turnover. Even with the additional revenue coming in, would be surprised it ours have stayed south of that figure this season.