shurlock

Why? 2 penalties weren't enough!?! Decent turnout in the end with quite a few in the lower tier.

Isn't he a RB?

Yep- would be surprised if he was their first choice but so late on into the season, I guess that's all they could muster. Didn't realise Afobe had been out so long with an injury; saw quite a bit of him at 'Udders last season and just can't see him making a difference. Not the greatest vote of confidence in the rest of the strikers either.

Agree. McDermott plays his cards close to his chest - unless this came from the player/agent, can't believe they would be so specific as 5 weeks is tantamount to saying JR won't play another game this regular season. If true will be a big loss- Afobe is another strong target man that is key to their brand of counter-attacking football; but doesn't bring the same level of control or composure as JR.

Taking a strong stance? To some extent. But also the case that the NFL is covering its back, fearing a fresh spate of legal action - if concussions etc weren't enough. IMO an act of self-preservation as much as principle where the NFL needed to be seen to be clamping down.

Cant see us losing this. Having been on a decent run, Donny appear to have had the stuffing knocked out of them by the Derby and Millwall results, two games in which they were really expecting to make ground on their relegation rivals. Watch Saunders Millwall postmatch, downbeat is an understatement. Their defense is struggling with injuries - both CBs Shelton Martis and Tommy Spurr are out, so we should get some joy from set pieces/crosses and I expect NA to go for the jugular. Seems set up perfectly for a conventional wide man like SDR provided he can get his delivery right.

Maybe we can take them off theirs hands and offer a couple of lifeboats in exchange. Do the honourable thing...

True- not one for extending permutations to a vanishing point of absurdity. Guess its just that the cliche about teams tailing off as they thinking about the sun and the beach is as venerable as any in a sport littered with over-analysis and wishful thinking.

Agree though you'd want teams that still have to face Reading/WHam to be pumped up and chasing the playoffs. Leicester and Burnley's seasons effectively ended tonight -and in a small way, Wham will be glad.

Yep it is. It was pretty obvious on Saturday with Chaplow. http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?36552-Chaplow&highlight=chaplow The problem probably goes back further to the Dec/Xmas period when Morgan was filling in. Punch's return offered another option but it hasn't quite clicked. SDR looked decent yesterday and on saturday; but he's shown that starting a game is totally different proposition. Will depend if Lee is back - if he is, Guly will revert to RM. If not, think SDR has just about earned a start IMO.

Very poor first half but looked better in the 2nd after SDR came on and he moved infield. His performance was certainly not as bad as Chaplow has been in recent outings.

His last blog entry said he would only be out a week, so wouldnt be surprised if he features in some way or form on Saturday.

Talk about stating the bleedingly obvious-it goes without saying that pace without quality is useless-read the quote properly. If you've watched the interviews, NA has stated clearly that Lee has got the nod at places like Watford because of his pace and ability to keep defenders on the backfoot, thus giving midfielders more space. And if you've seen us away from home, you'll know alot of teams have pressed us high up the pitch because of our lack of pace as well as giving us an additional outball. As to Sharp, I've been slightly disappointed by his ball retention and link-up play which is strange given he often played as the lone striker for Donny. With time, I'm sure he'll get better - whether it's enough is another matter.

Tho they all have something to play for...

The team is winning and picking itself,a far cry from the position we found ourselves in when Sharp joined (tho note DC is again injured).We've also benefitted from the pace that the likes of lee bring away from home where teams push up. Evaluate Sharp again after the busy Easter period during which we'll be invariably rotating players and freshening things up. A lovely luxury to have.

Just woken up not knowing where the f**k where I am,the sound of industrial machinery droning in my ears. Could be hell, not hull. Still who cares after last night's set of results.* Like others say,it was a gritty performance but it was no Watford. Despite what was said about the pitch,the game was played on the deck and ball zipped around as if it was the truest Augusta green.It was an enjoyable game -and thought Hull were a decent side with bags of energy and potential. Like Millwall,we started brightly -and our first chance came after a lovely cross from Guly which Lambert headed at the keeper.Lallana then went close meeting Fox's cross first time that would have gone in had it been steered either side of the GK.The goal was coming and it duly came. Hull pressed well and got plenty of width-they use the wings as much as any team I've seen this season -and found their men quickly and very accurately. Plenty of their play came down our right -and Richardson and Puncheon were often caught too narrow.Fox also kept getting dragged across from crosses,leaving their man -king I think- unmarked.he had three chances from identical positions -one he lashed against the bar.on another night it might have been a different story. Hull played the offside trap to good effect and we kept getting done.But Lallana did spring it -and went through one on one, missing a sitter.Dont think the ball bobbled;just that the pace of taking the ball around the keeper caused him to slice it. It was a miss we could have dwelt on-as a couple of the flask,blanket *and macvitties crowd around me were.Thankfully everyone felt a little better after Hull missed a gilt-edged chance from 5 yards following good work down our left. We tightened things up second half.Cork went to the left to give Fox a bit more protection&SDR came on and again was a breath of fresh air.Puncheon moved more central where he looked more comfortable.They also changed things (enforced?),bringing Mcclean on,though the result was that looked a bit more one dimensional and had a large bearing on the dynamic of the 2nd half. Our second goal was fantastic -surreal to see the two CBs linking up at the other end of the pitch-and to think some doubted they could play together. After that Hull huffed and puffed and brought a few saves out of KD from distance but we held on quite comfortably and even had a few sniffs on the break. An excellent,disciplined performance and having been to Leeds and 'Wall, I it was possibly the most satisfying performance of the lot. My motm was morgan-don't know what it is about away games but he saves his best performances for them.Jos was also very good,though Fonte had a few wobbles.Nice to see Lambert have a quiet game -Chester would be on my HCDAJFU list for the summer-as the likes of Guly stepped up and again ran their socks off and showed good awareness.Finally,SDR was a proper handful.The team is picking itself at the moment with the exception of RM,NA's biggest positional headache-possibly he's earned a start. Once last thought:it was great to return here after the last visit when we lost 5-0 in the mist and rain.Back then Hull were flying and we were pinning our hopes on vincent pericard to stave off relegation,unaware those efforts would be cruelly irrelevant the following season. Incredible that was almost exactly 4 years ago to the day.What a ride,what a transformation.

Was there- still am in a blissful state of exhaustion and satisfaction:) Morgan was my motm.

At the game,the final quarters and sides of the pitch look green and OK,only the middle (60x50) looks sh*te.

Not sure it's that simple. By your reasoning, Reading and Wham -both at 1/2- are excellent value.

What are the odds for us not to get promoted? Might stick a few quid on that too.

Even if Manning's neck and arm hold up, wonder if the Broncos WR/TEs are up to the task?

Don't deny the sentiment is real, though its taken on a life of its own. Me, I find it depressing that it has to take something so visceral to wake people up out of their stupor and complacency, even though everyday all manner of tragedies are anonymously played out up and down the country. Hope the lad makes a speedy recovery; but this place will be fast asleep again before you know it.

Cheers - will check them out.

Think you've got to fight fire with fire with these japs.. Get your best crayons out, knock up your own mong board and drop the proverbial lyrical bomb. 警告：ミーハーな、にわかファンは認めません！ A stern warning to to all JCLs. Or the old classic. 皆さん、ぼろ糞な時にどこにいたの？ Where were you when we were sh*t From an unlikely japanese ally who finds common cause with your campaign.

Its not Lambert's goals that makes him indispensable -most have come from pens which others would dispatch, albeit less efficiently. Its his hold-up play and ability to win headers. To puncture the myth, we're a direct team -and without him, we produce Donny-type performances.