Legod Third Coming

I think it's pretty obvious we have been and are targeting the play-offs this season. There's still enough time to achieve that. What we need is enough patience to let the manager and team have a go, and the humility to recognise that if we don't make it, we have built a successful platform to push on next year with a full pre-season and improved squad. While we're all impatient, people have to remember how long it took Leeds to be in the position they are now. We have an advantage over them in that we have more money. But we all know that is no guarantee of anything! Having said which, I still think if the past few weeks is our 'wobble' we will make the play-offs.

The point is surely that the manager has still had only 20 odd games, is still building his squad, and that we are a work in progress targeting the play-offs from a minus 10 start. Are we right to question what we consider poor results? For sure. But a few are showing themselves to be just a little immature.

Have to say and hate to say it but I have been hugely underwhelmed by Hammond who was supposed to be an attacking midfielder to provide exactly that. Perhaps he was just better suited to the 4-5-1? But in recent games I have seen he's looked a bit lethargic and not urgent enough. Under the weather maybe?

We need to go back to 4-5-1. It was working. So why the feck did we change it??

AP on Thursday: Sometimes when you get new players in you have to take one step back to go forwards. But some people don't bother listening. More fool them.

So he failed a medical?? That's all I'm trying to find out - the reality of what happened.

Isn't that like was going to by a Jaguar and then decided on a Ford Fiesta?

In a nutshell can someone tell me what happened with Ward?

One Vicky Pollard, there's only one Vicky Pollard...

Accoding to John Motson's autobiography you get at least £38m in Sky revenue and £11m parachute payments for two years. Which is why the Play-Off Final is worth £60m. Which I would venture is considerably more income than we're getting now!!! Of course, because of Bosmam we have to spunk it all away on wages but that's at least a choice we would have to make...

He said after the MK Dons game that 'we've only ever used two options throughout our management career and we don't plan to change now'... He was referring to his version of 4-5-1 and 4-4-2. I would be amazed if, having achieved a win ratio better than his time at West Ham and only just behind his ratio at Reading (and with no pre-season) he was about to start 'experimenting'. And bloody good I say!!! If it works, don't feck it up trying something new or fashionable....

If there is one truism in football, it is that investment in the first team is most likely to pay dividends with success on the pitch. That being so and given our respective position and the owner's ability to foot the bill, I applaud the current ambition. The risk is that the owner chooses to walk away. So you have to ask yourself how likely (having invested tens of millions already) this is? For the short-term it's highly unlikely. Why get involved and lose such a substantial sum - and the dented pride. More likely is that he intends to take the club further/higher and sell it - probably by floatation, which would explain his reasoning of employing a banker to run it. So the only risk is that we don't rise quickly enough or the owner runs out of patience. But what's the alternative?? Are there genuinely any clubs (or any of us) that live totally within their means? How many businesses have zero debt? How many of us?

I don't want to disagree with Pardew's plans because he hasn't made a single decision on players that I didn't agree with thus far. However, I would like to see Holmes given a chance. I though last season before his injury he had a lot to offer from the left wing - a willingness to take people on and good delivery. But if Pardew moves him on, so be it. Who can argue with Lambert, Harding, Jaidi, Hammond, Connolly... He has a better success rate thus far than most previous incumbents.

I like Harding, don't get me wrong. But factually despite all our opinions, who has more assists? And where have most goals come from - right or left flank? James is not the same type of player Harding is - Harding is 'flashy' and those kind of players always appeal to fans. James is simply workmanlike - and still learning. And those kind of players are always at the bottom of the popularity contest. He's by no means the worst right back in this league and his accuracy from set-pieces and delivery into the box is excellent - where he hits the ball from is a matter for the manager. How Harding and James go about their games is miles apart. The results are not. If anything, James is ahead on points.

Agreed and he can pull out one midfielder and switch to the 4-4-2 with Connolly on alongside Lambo.

Pardew confirmed on Solent many games ago after we beat MK Dons that he has used 2 systems his whole career and he won't change that. To me they are a sort if 4-5-1 and a straight 4-4-2. And that's your lot!

Shoot the fecker and do humanity a favour.

I don't think you can blame James for the fifteen goal difference between us and Leeds! I agree his positioning often scares me but you've conveniently neglected all the saving tackles he's made and off-the-line clearences too. Not to mention all his assists. I agree he crosses from too deep for me, but he must be playing to instructions. If you want to see a full back skinned with a one-two take a look at the Brighton game... They all make mistakes. We're a league one side. He just gets his singled out and highlighted for some bizarre reason. Opta or someone will tell you how many goals we've conceded down the left (our right) flank. I bet it's fewer than down the middle and no more than down the other flank. People say Harding doesn't get cover from Lallana, but James doesn't get a hell of a lot from Waigo or Antonio either.

LMAO! Has to be said in a Geordie accent that...

If you could point to a host of goals conceded from the left side, I would be right behind you. But where have the goals against us come from?? James has made a couple of errors this season. So have Jaidi, Perry, Trottman and Harding. But for some reason James is singled-out. I don't understand it. Most full backs with the exception of Ashley Cole are skinned regularly. It's the nature of having someone with the ball running at you that they have a considerable advantage over where the choose to go. For League One, James looks adequate to me and he overlaps regularly setting up goals and chances.

What's happening there DD??

Agreed. It would be very disappointing not to go up this season and we will lose good players as a result. But you have to judge Pardew on a full season not a season with no pre-season and a deficit of -10... That said, I think we will go up this season with something to spare.

Well can you imagine how irritating it will be to have a song about you and for the fans not even to get your name right

Ah, I get it. The manager has decided that James should take corners and freekicks evern though Harding's delivery is better... And you have the audacity to say I know nothing about football. Priceless.

Er, how many assists does Harding have, from anywhere??? I want to see your evidence for judging them differently. To me, there's not a lot between them.