shurlock

Some of you need to wise up.

The stats only show part of the picture. If you didn't go to the matches, you'll have no clue of the freefall and state of terror we were in under Dodd and Gorman and the resilience and professionalism subsequently brought by Pearson, illustrated amongst other things by the number of games in which we came from behind. NP had one of the hardest run-ins you can imagine and, by the end, had found a formula that would have stood us in good stead the following season. It was pretty obvious he would do a good job at Leicester (not only getting them easily promoted but pushing them within a c**t's hair of the championship playoff finals). The past is the past but it was a profound mistake sacking him.

On the Huddersfield forum, they've worked out the first team used 38 players last season (36 if you discount the two youngsters who made subs bench one time each) - i doubt we come anything close to that.

Thought Therry Racon was better when they (namely Charlton) came down to SMS.

Agree- they weren't that great during their long, unbeaten run either - just dogged and tremendously reslient. Should have fallen off the pace alot earlier. Speaks volumes that they generally only play with one CF - their first instinct is not to lose games and contain teams. Only needed a one-off game to expose their limitations, especially a team that scores goals for fun. As much as I think Fergy is a c**t, the better footballing side went up.

Police cordoned it off - manhunt on for a number of missing man u players.

Hardly - how was the game a turning when we were already on a winning run (having put results at Walsall and to a lesser extent Hartlepool behind us) and the wheels were starting to come off Bournemouth. Psychologically, MK Dons felt a much bigger win.

Ties against the big European tems are a joke - Leicester have Real Madrid lined up and so far welcoming it, many think its smacks of short-termism and a lack of seriousnes, a stunt pulled by owners with a low boredom threshold who want to enjoy their glitzy new plaything regardless of what is good for the club in the long-term.

Chicken and egg question- think we need to be successful first which will require us to spend serious cash on existing talent and challenge in the here and now before youngsters take us seriously as a long-term career choice rather than just a decent stepping-stone for bigger and better things.

Sounds like he's surplus to requirements at Stoke, though a return to Europe is probably more likely than a drop-down to the NPC. http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/sport/Stoke-City-Faye-way-Carew-follow/article-3592635-detail/article.html

Carew= unrealistic?

£20m -an example of what? Cortese willingness to back and fund ideas coming from staff? Hard to think of anything other that than the new training ground that would cost such money - and it was Cortese's idea of sorts. Or are there any other surprises on the horizon. £20m -if the figure is correct- is not loose change.

Read Michael Lewis' Moneyball - about baseball but tells how Oakland Athletic, an unfancied team with one of the tiniest budgets in the league became a powerhouse through its ability to interpret and find counterintuitive patterns iin the data. A v.good book.

Cheers for this and being an honest broker of info rather than a salesman with an agenda. Whether that info is true or partly true or not at all, I guess you take the rough with the smooth.

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/championsleague/story/ucl-final-manchester-united-americas-team-barcelona-catching-up-052411 More than enough reason to dislike them, though my problem is more with the fans than the team that has consistently played attractive football under ferguson. Still theyre no worse than chelski and the scousers. Neville has been a model pro and deserved his send-off, even if he did sometimes come across as a smarmy prefect doing his masters bidding. Hopefully Scholes, my fav out of that generation, finishes his career in a fitting way. At the mom, things risk tailing off and ending in a damp squib.

Spot on - political PR and a story-a-day are the antithesis of transparency; they are patronising and view fans not as equals but as numpties that can legitimately be manipulated and fed sh*t.

Very pleased -a decision based on logic not sentimentality. Barny's injury ultimately turned out to be a blessing in disguise - gave Connolly the chance to show the class he still has.

Mirfin was at huddersfield and their lot are not overly enthusiastic about rumours of a possible return, though he has that rare commodity for CBs - a bit of pace. http://downatthemac.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=56836 Instead would prefer to get Jack Hobbs who was on loan to Scunny a few year ago before enjoying really successful spells with Leicester and Hull. Like Jack Cork, has a v.bright future, though Hull will probably get him.

Hope not

True but it doesn't sound as unrealistic as some of the others.

Supposedly, even at his age, still got a decent engine on him - is a midfielder with goals who could play alongside either Hammond or Schneiderlin in a more advanced position.

Despite being offered an extension, wants regular games and will go where they are offered -an admirable quality. Most Sunderland think he's been criminally underused by Bruce and are desparate for him to stay: http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=594428 Good article on what he can still offer: http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/sunderland-afc/chris-young-column/zend_of_the_line_sunderland_will_miss_their_dutch_master_1_3407657

Zenden mentioned on the rumours thread would be a great shout.

I assume you havent read his bio.

good spot