UpweySaint

Agree with a lot of the sentiment on here. Ramirez is class and needs time to settle. Between injuries, a new country/league, our own patchy form and flying back to uruguay I fancy he's yet to really hit his stride. When he does I fancy he will tear apart a few defences!

Even my Villa supporting mate agreed, it was not a dive. Rodriguez loses his footing under a challenge and did not make ANY attempt to appeal or claim it as a penalty. I don't think it was a penalty either but today, unlike other days, we got the rub of the green so I figure we should take it with good grace and accept that next week it may well be us who are on the end of a dodgy decision (Turnbull's handball in the Chelsea game anybody?) ...

Even my Villa supporting mate agreed, it was not a dive. Rodriguez loses his footing under a challenge and did not make ANY attempt to appeal or claim it as a penalty. I don't think it was a penalty either but today, unlike other days, we got the rub of the green so I figure we should take it with good grace and accept that next week it may well be us who are on the end of a dodgy decision (Turnbull's handball in the Chelsea game anybody?) ...

QPR too far behind and lack that "team spirit" that often keeps teams fighting to the bitter end and, of course, I dont buy the 'arry hype Wigan looked utter dross against us. I admit they have a habit of grinding out points and performing great escapes but this has to be the year. Not enough quality throughout their squad and a couple of injuries and they'd be sunk for me ... Reading just poor. Championship squad for the most part. Again they, like us, might have real money to spend this month but their summer recruitment was uninspiring at best and, unless they manage to find real quality to add to their squad, can't see them picking up enough wins. Of course ourselves, Villa, Sunderland and even Newcastle may yet find themselves in the bottom three come the end of May and this is all just a bit of guesswork

Again you have absolutely no evidence for this. Total wind up merchant at work ...

How do you know? We only know who we signed and the rest was mostly paper gossip. Nothing to say we didn't line up brilliant transfers and have all the right ideas but they didn't come off for one reason or another (Buttner was the lb we all wanted, Butland we refused to pay over the odds, Phillips at Blackpool had some strange goings on at there end between chairman and manager ... these are just three high profile examples, may well have been more behind the scenes!). Crikey do you ever get bored of spouting the same tired line every week...?

I'd suggest our tactical set up has been different, we've played with a bit more passion then the sunderland game and don't think Guly's defensive work has been up to much. Agreed we've been impressive against Arsenal and, to a lesser extent, Stoke but AL has dragged us through games before now. If anything it's showed that Guly has a role to play and we can have some sort of tactical flexibility. Little off topic but Guly has certainly played like a man with a real point to prove in the last few games, can only be a positive for us.

It was a tactical change and, to be fair, I was surprised to see he was one of our better performers. Who else actually tried to get past their man? Right idea from NA just didn't come off.

It wasn't the best atmosphere but it was a dreary day and there was sod all to get that excited about! The sunderland fans only perked up when they got a goal to be fair. I think maybe this one should be chalked up as a bad day at the office and hope it doesn't cost us come the end of the season ...

Agree with most of the sentiment on here. No point taking two mil for him now when we he plays such a key role for us. If he has to leave i'd rather it be in the close season when we can bring in a proper replacement and get them blended into the side.

Ok maybe not inevitable but how else do you establish a side in the premiership that has a core of players not good enough?

Hold on I said likely. He may leave sure, of course its possible. But if he genuinely felt we would go back up and be better for itwith him central to this ...? Well no but my opinion is we are financially well managed, a few big player sales would see us over and we'd keep high attendances. Besides I have faith that long term our academy would see us right

Maybe, maybe not. But NC seems to have acquired a reputation as a man with a keen trigger finger for very little reason. He's been an astute, if perhaps a tad unsentimental, businessman and has run the club on such lines. All the "pressure" on NA was paper speculation. Yes results weren't going were, there was a meeting. Surely it'd have been absurd not to have a chat about things not going well? The meeting may have gone "Nigel I see the task, its difficult, you have my faith. Anything I can do to help?". We dont know NC has backed NA long term as our man and I hope, though football is football, he would see that through. Sorry for the rant but one final point on the spending. Yes in pure transfer fees we spent a good ammount, commentators and other managers LOVE to mention that, but lets be clear we kept wages reasonably low (so we're told) and didn't pay massive agent fees so the disparity between our outlay and other teams on players may, in real terms, not be that great. While we have to have the perspective that of course the team needs a lot of strenghtening. We achieved back to back promotions. A lot of the senior pros from league one wouldn't be good enough for the prem. Butterfield, Barnard, Dickson, Hammond, Jaidi ... I think, or hope, NC would recognise the spend was inevitable and would've happened even if we took another year to reach the prem (we'd have still been in the market for j rod, clyne, davis etc ...)

Ok going down would be a dissapointment BUT perspective. Lambert would stay, his value to us combined with his age he would ikely be overpriced for over clubs. Lallana is likely to stay. He's stuck with us through worse! Ok we might lose a couple but we'd reinforce, it's normal and natural. Financially we'd be ok and could hold onto plenty within reason. Worse case we see more playing time for the young players on the fringe maybe. But we'd come back up sharp. I am very much in the "I'd prefer to go down with Adkins" crowd. I have every faith that long term he's the man to take us onto the next level. He's learning as a manager and will one day possibly be brilliant!

Success is staying up, gladly take 17th though my nerves might not, anything above that would be a bonus and our young squad looking better is also a real plus. Shaw and JWP being in and around the side is a mark of "success" for our long term goals

I think maybe you're being knocked because you've stated your own opinions as if they were gospel fact. Sturrock actually had a good record before coming to us and Hoddle, good tactician or not, may not have been accepted by the fans, players etc. Perhaps it was felt we wanted somebody who would build the club without wanting to jump ship at the next oppurtunity? (Similar situation to Pardew and Adkins, Pardew allegedly had us down as a road to better things will NA wanted to take us onto these better things "together as one"). But heck it's a sport of opinions, this is an open forum, and you're more then entitled to yours though i'd suggest you shouldn't be so surprised a pro hoddle rhetoric is not all that popular

I'm sure other people have a better idea about the technicalities and costings of all this but how practical/expensive would it be to convert one stand to the "safe standing" model? Personally i'm in favour of anything that helps lower, or at least keep down, prices and helps to create a good atmosphere at games. Many lower league and non league seem to have three sides of stadia for standing and a seperate seating area at additional cost (my local club, weymouth, adds on £2 so hardly a fortune for anybody not keen or able to stand for a full 90) and it would be interesting to see if that could ever happen in the top flight ...

In three papers, may have actually come from somewhere. Not sure all the negative press around his agent situation is encouraging but the transfer fee seems reasonable and could be an effective player though I have to admit I have only read of and not actually seen him play!

Ince or Phillips for me in january now more important then ever. Both can play on either wing or cut inside like punch and lallana both do. Personal preference is phillips but wouldn't be dissapointed if we got ince! Of course there are always going to be options abroad and I wont be surprised to see our recruitment special advisory board (or whatever they're called!) find somebody we know little about from a foreign league. Maybe Anders fancies one last season back in the prem?

I'd still say its a learning curve for him. He's made mistakes but long term he is the man for us. He'l grow as the club grows hopefully and I'd suggest sticking with him regardless will eventually move the club on to the next level (a stable prem team!) even if, worse comes to worse, we do a wba boing boing for a couple of seasons ...

I'd suggest Dann is an improvement on Jos so improves to squad and has shown, in the past, the kind of ability to suggest he could genuinely challenge Fonte and Yoshida. Genuine premiership class players who would want to join us, could settle in well, not cost ridiculous fees/wages and are proven at this level are few and far between ...

Ok ok, Dann is not going to be a world beater but could he do a job for a season and a half or more while we see the likes of Stephens progress? If we all agree we need a bit more back up for the season I think he does that, if the price is right. Does anybody have any other realistic options?

Had this conversation with others and seems to be an agreement Dann would do a job but at the right price. For me he knows the league and could well come in and do a job but value for money seems to be found abroad. I'd draw the line at six million personally but sure others would disagree on his value and ability. I'd just like to point out that january is difficult and is not the ideal time to be bringing in players who need time to settle. Better options?

Ryan Dickson would never wear a onesie ...

Lower league or not I'd suggest first team football really helps. If he had gone to Arsenal or any of the "bigger" clubs he might have found himself sat on the bench or rotting in the reserves and may not have realised his potential as early or at all. Dyer, Bale, Theo and AOC are all playing first team football. Though let's be fair I think now Morgan could do a job for many a "bigger" side without doubt ...