Legod Third Coming

More a sign that there is precious little quality in this Division. Had we only started with Shaw at left back, with a Premiership standard keeper and a couple of half decent centre backs in the squad, we might be in a European spot right now...

It's not about scapegoating. If players make mistakes or aren't up to the job, we should say so, unless: Jermaine Wright really was a good fotballer and everything I know about football is wrong? Rory Delap really was worth £4million? Paul Telfer is now turning out for Corinthians?

Well, given that literacy starts at about 4, and then vocabulary like 'candidate' wouldn't be expected until much later, I'd be leaning towards 10 at a guess...

Just watched the game on TV and would have to agree... Also thought Kelvin could have done better with the winner. It wasn't a thunderbolt miles from him, it went right over his head well within reach from the pictures. Two things which worry me which we HAVE to change after January. 1. A decent keeper. None of our three are up to it at this level. Whatever it costs, Friedel is a must. 2. Which other club in the league changes their defence as often as us? Why take off Shaw unless he had a knock? The one place on the park you need TOTAL confidence is at the back. And that's only possible with a settled back five. It doesn't matter whether the guy you're bringing on is as good, it unsettles things for no good reason unless the player you're replacing is either injured or having a shocker...

We just have to hope we have enough to stay up and then start to learn not to give away points from winning positions. If you convert all the points we have lost when in front, we would be Champion's League material...

Not 6,2" Martin Keown, Tony Adams types though are they? Although maybe those players simply don't exist any more. I have seen so much bad defending this year - and not just by us...!

Tell me you asked Santa for a tripod for Chrimbo

It's a good point - maybe we spend too much time looking for footballers? Not meant sarcastically - but every player who has really cut it is a 'deft' footballer - Bale, Walcott, Lallana, Oxo, Shaw... None of them would stand up in a strong gale.

Felt like a roller coaster ride in someone else's glasses. Thanks for posting.

Same game I watched - apart from the first ten minutes of the second half where we looked clueless. Wet pitches demand shooting at goal more - our final ball into the box was pants all game apart from one De Ridder corner which we should have scored from.

I don't know what formation we played and to be honest I don't care. But for the first 40 minutes we dominated the game and only had one shot at goal... Ludicrous! It was a damp day and keepers struggle with these light balls at the best of times. We could and should have tested their keeper. The goal when it came was almost inevitable and against the run of play. But if you have that much control and don't score you've only yourself to blame. I don't know what the feck we were doing second half but it was cobblers football.

Both Lambert and Puncheon had little chance today because MON chucked two men on them every time - probably because he is a top manager who has done his homework...

There is enough talent on the pitch but really lacked a strategy today. Soaking wet pitch and not a shot on goal really and truly. Despite time and again being in excellent shooting positions first half....

It's so amateurish today. Poor football all round. Time for more clear ther air talks!

We strung loads together first half but didnt SHOOOT. And look at the conditions?! This is poor tactically I'm afraid. No idea what they were told to do, but this is cobblers football...

The problem is what this does for confidence against a very bad Sunderland side. It's not really good enough.

This is just a really really poor performance.

Agree with you today. We haven't worked out that they're doubling up on Lambert and Puncheon and used it to our advantage with the space it's allowing elsewhere...

They're doubling up on Puncheon so we should be wise to that and moving the ball inside quicker with Clyne overlapping more...

I just don't think we've seen the best of him since his first couple of games. Doesn't look up for it today.

It might just be me but I think Gaston has flattered to deceive so far this season. Some nice flashy touches, but little end product so far. Talented for sure, but not enough to justify £12m yet... Come on Gaston prove me wrong.

Brilliant corner, free header!

We're asleep - breaks are no bloody good for us.

Looks like Sunderland and O-Neil have us sussed...

This bloke has been our best player for the better part of the season. He's also turned around whatever issues he had with the Chairman (as far as we can see publicly). Sign him up now.