pingwing

Tactically limited manager with one of the worst squads of players to every grace the premier league (only better than Blackpool's squad a few years ago). Utterly mental sacking though, no chance someone can turn them round in 9 games.

Match thread I called it as a penalty clear as day, then they were given a stupid non free kick just afterwards. There's just an eternally bad list of decisions in the league "which should balance out" but for us they haven't quite so far. Occasionally it is fun to challenge the slightly odd world he lives in, especially in a doom and gloom we are going to be relegated week (though that really should have been last week)

Tear them a new one I think is in order, 9 men sit on Suarez till he punches Clyne and is banned for hate crimes and then they have no strikers...

Cost us much more against Newcastle away as their 2nd was a foul on Clyne (regardless of the offside), cost us at home to Newcastle for the 3rd goal (just on goal difference terms), cost us against Arsenal at home for all 3 points when their CB fell backwards to disallow Gaston's 2nd goal... It's cost us in the mad number of times players like Lambert have been fouled in the box and the ref has given it against us...

Haha! Sorry I forgot how the internet works, I will go think up a good chant how we finished 19th and Reading are 20th therefore they can stick their champ win up their arse because we finished one place above them in a better league....

1) Wrong. Majority of our purchases have been very good, couple of debatable one yes but we have added real quality to the side. 2) Wrong. A squad that challenged for the champ title the entire season last year can't suddenly be not good enough for the prem. This is real life not football manager, get a grip. 3) At least debatable, neither have been "woefully amateurish" both have been naive at times but both have set the team up to play properly and try to win games which is much more than the majority of teams in the bottom half of the premier league. The reality of the situation is most teams who get promoted are instantly in the relegation scrap, no team goes from champ to top 8 in a season and the way the prem is set up if you are out side of the top 8 you are in the relegation scrap till the last 5 games. Realistically we are only in the relegation scrap through a) a lack of composure to see out a few 1-0's and 2-1's b) a naivety about how to beat a 10 man behind the ball hoof and c) some pretty terrible refereeing over the course of the season.

I fancy a bit of optimism considering most the thread is doom and gloom, the way we have been playing football recently is very good and feel we have been quite unlucky not to get more out of the last few games (Wigan had exactly 2 chances in that draw, United could well have been a draw as well and well Newcastle was a very good showing despite conceding 4, 3 of which were debatable/very preventable) so there is a fair bit going for the side, just can't really deal with teams that play horrific negative hoof ball, like QPR and Norwich. Only really West Ham and Stoke left who play that... Both play a game that is much more attackable from our teams point of view, both like to pass it about and build up nice play, if we keep our concentration up and stick with the high pressure game we will be a lot more competitive in both games. Reading is the one I am most nervous about really, if we let them have a sniff of a goal they will probably take it and shut up shop for a 1-0 which we have struggled to break down. Everyone else is less prone to doing this (or at least as over the top) which given our style of play should really help us.

QPR 18th, Villa 19th, Reading 20th. Chances are we will beat Liverpool and Swansea just because they both try and play properly, the chances of either team sticking 10 men behind the ball are very low. Chelsea we can get another draw out of as they are staring to implode, WBA and Stoke are beatable and turning up at Reading who could already be pretty much done for should be ok. West ham we'll probably draw with Spurs and Sunderland being down to what they have to play for really.

He's been a noticeable joke all season! Then again almost every ref in the prem has come under the title of **** poor recently. No standards, no professionalism and a lot of "oh it'll even out on wrong decisions". Fa need to introduce a video review system and drive up the standards of officiating so these situations have no reason to happen in the first place

So are we all in agreement, we should have walked away with 3 points but through a mix of terrible officiating and almighty goal keeping we walked away with a 0-0... Good as everyone would be wrist slitting if we lost that. Also universal agreement we had plenty of good chances but had exactly no composure to finish them off, they had a few but were out done by being a. crap and b. out foxed by some good defending (mainly from yoshida forced into RB where he couldn't display his positive attributes). Finally Holt fattest lump in the premier league!

Player of the season HAS to be Morg, it would be an insult of football and all of humanity if he doesn't get it this season. Probably the best player of his position in the league this year. Shaw young player of the season.

For comedy speculation I think we would have lost at home to Everton, drawn against United, drawn against Wigan, lost hopelessly to City, lost a lot worse to Newcastle, beaten QPR and probably conceded today (but still draw). Basically about the same number of points but beaten a team we really should of beaten but not taken down a hopeless city and long a few draws/losses changed for complacency. Either way its a bit pointless because we have Pochettino now and he's doing alright so far.

Agreed, first half he was unlucky not to score or set up a couple, second half he faded a bit as Norwich got really tight on him and needed to come off earlier (same for Lallana)

It wasn't a penalty because play should have been stopped just before for a foul on our player... Then again the pull on Holt in the first half was such a penalty it was embarrassing that wasn't given against us.

20 chances and should have scored one, Holt should have had a second yellow for being rubbish, Clattenburg only person worse than Norwich on the pitch. Boric out and out MOTM for some competent catches in their half chances and that pen save that has stopped every saints fan going to Clattenburg's house and taking a dump in his letter box/set fire to his house.

Boric i love you!

Get the fu!ck in!!!!!!!!

Clattenberg not fit to do his job the cûnt

Too late to fix it I think...

Got it in one.

Can we just get Punch on please, Lallana hasn't done that much this half...

Mark Bunn keeps surprising me!

Yoshida MOTM

URGH! Should have just put his foot through it

Clear pen for once. First half has been a massive advert for a rugby style TV ref!