Wes Tender

Why will we have to spend an awful lot more than the top teams to improve our position relative to them? That is not a neccesity at all and there is the distinct possibility that we could improve our position by spending far less than the top teams. Just for starters, several of those top teams are seeking to buy some of our players to improve their teams, which is a rather contradictory position, isn't it, as they would have to spend quite a bit to buy players that are already ours.

He wasn't too bad, but like many others he was conned by that cheating, diving Spaniard who was awarded two critical free kicks by going down like a pansy when one of our players breathed too hard on him. Credit though for not allowing that penalty appeal that Chelski had, as that would have been very unjust.

A brilliant preformance producing an unexpected result. As the Chelseas fans were too ready to remind us, they are the European Champions, so we ought to point out that we beat the European Champions today and have taken 4 points from 6 away from them this season. Having also beaten the Champions and Liverpool at home, drawn againt Arsenal and should have beaten Man Utd at home and gave them a nasty fright away, I think that it is fair to say that we are capable of beating any team on our day. Hard to choose a man of the match, as several players paid their part. Clyne and Shaw were superb, with Hooiveld and Yoshida also excellent, but I believe that the part that Cork played seems to have gone unnoticed. I thought that he was immense, really up for it. Davis played his part in support of Lambert and Rodriguez and it was good to see Puncheon's trickery until he tired in the second half. Indeed, he should have had a shot in the box before he was closed down. Rodriguez also should have worked Cech when he was clean through, but his shot lacked any power and was straight at him. Lambert showed Lampard how to take a free kick. His goal was superb, whereas two efforts from Lampard within easy range of the goal and neither breached the wall. During the first half, we were bossing Chelsea and had the better possession and carried with it the more potent threat and certainly deserved the lead at half time. In the second half, Benitez changed things around introducing Hazard and Ramirez, but as fine a player as they each are, it is to the credit of the defence that they were largely inneffective. Mata might have made a difference had he played, but Chelsea had to keep a team fresh to play United on Monday, so arguably it was a weakened team they fielded. On the other hand, we had Lallana out injured. Interesting to speculate also whether our Ramirez could have played an effective role in that match, but as we won and only conceded one goal, it must be accepted that Pochettino's tactics, team selctions and substitutions were spot on. The crowd were great in their support of the team throughout the match today and gave the players a boost to keep them going. As I left the stadium, I could hear the chanting for several minutes after, so I imagine that there will be some very happy people in town tonight.

Schneiderlin has obviously been encouraged to shoot more often than before and it is beginning to pay dividends. Even if he doesn't score, there is always the possibility that the goallie might parry the ball back into the path of one of our players, or that it might deflect in off another player. Additionally he would be another attacking threat that would require a defender to mark him. I also admire Cork for the attributes that he brings to the team, his 100% effort at all times and determination to close down the ball and chase the play, never letting the opposition settle on the ball. But in terms of ground covered, Schneiderlin I understand has the highest figures in the Premiership. I agree with your opinion on Ramirez and that it is a possibility that he has perhaps hampered Lallana's development. I see shades of similarities to the England situation whereby it was deemed difficult to accomodate Gerrard and Lampard in the same team. Also there is the question mark that surfaces over whether Lallana provides enough cover for our left back, but Shaw has proven to be better defensively regardless and if Rodriguez plays ahead of him there isn't a problem, but then it makes it difficult to play Ramirez and Lallana together. Puncheon had seemed a good fit ahead of Clyne, but currently seems to be out of favour again. All in all a bit of a connundrum as to which is the best strategy to fit our new style of play, but Schneiderlin and Cork, teamed with Clyne and Shaw suits it well.

Phil was merely passing on Gary's opinion after they had discussed it over a pint recently.

Well, whichever one. Always get them muddled up. Phil is the one still playing for Everton then?

Hammond? :lol:

No, but your response is bizarre. They just prove that he is the most effective midfielder currently in the Premiership. I can see though that the way that your mind works, you would prefer the type of midfielder who played for us when you were just 16 and who likewise would have been red-carded in five minutes flat nowadays. As you're in reflecting back mode, you might like to consider Lawrie's views (see the familiarity that I used there?) He stated that to be successful a team needed the right blend between road sweepers and violinists. Well, Ramirez is a violinist. Schneiderlin is a very rare breed, a mixture of both. I wouldn't swap our midfield pairing of Cork and Schneidelin for any other pair in the division. Ramirez is already a very accomplished player who is adapting to the style of play over here and will only get better. He has the foundations and just needs to build on them. So what about Phil Neville's opinion? Plainly wrong in your eyes, even though he is emerging as probably the most astute pundit currently on television, with a wealth of experience to back up his views. Excuse me if I place a bit more credence on his views over yours.

I suggest that you do a bit of research before posting your usual infantile drivel. Schneiderlin's stats for tackling and interceptions are currently unrivalled in the Premiership. Or would you want a Chopper Harris, or Norman Hunter, who wouldn't last five minutes in a match without being red-carded?

Why, thanks, Barry. Kind of you to say so.

You're laughing so hard at the innaccurate rubbish that Dorkish is posting, because I'm running rings around you and the almost unintelligible drivel you post and you wish to attempt to put a brave face on it. I've already explained on several occasions the situation regarding the ST protest against Lowe. I never ripped up the ST, but just didn't renew it for one season. If there is anything about that that you cannot comprehend, I'll spell it out more clearly by typing more slowly, just for yours and Dorkish's benefit.

Why don't you just admit that having questioned the timescale and finances of Cortese's European ambitions, that you just don't know what they are? What exactly does this mean? Can you please attempt it again, so that it becomes something easier to comprehend? You've only been on this forum for about 5 minutes, so you won't know that when Lowe and his mottley crew ran things, I was certainly not a happy clappy then. Since then, I don't apologise for the enjoyment brought about by the club being bought by a billionaire, the excitement of our journey back to the top flight from the third division and our plans and ambitions to go much further towards being a foce to be reckoned with in the Premiership, rather than the perrenial relegation fodder we once were. I was critical of the sacking of Adkins and the way it was done. I'm still of the opinion that unless we finish above the 15th plece where Adkins had left us, then the replacement of him by Pochettino will not be justified. The question Wiggles asks of you is perfectly justified, but I suspect that the joy you derive from your seemingly niggly whining has far more to do with the pleasure you derive as a WUM.

Why should you expect others to see the reality that you can't even see yourself? You infer that it can only be achieved by spending like Chelsea or Man City, then produce an example of a club that did it by using their own academy stars, thus not needing to spend megabucks. It obviously escaped your attention that we have produced players arguably of that calibre ourselves. OK, previously it was difficult to keep hold of them, but I would imagine that a Saints team comprising a core of existing players like Schneiderlin, Cork, Lallana, Lambert, Ramirez, supplemented by the likes of Bale, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, wouldn't be too shabby. And it isn't as if we don't have other great future prospects coming through the academy now, either. In my lifetime I've already seen us finish second in the top flight. I was alive when the Skates were champions. I remember the Busby Babes that preceded the class of 93, which shows that even with Man United that was not something that was once in a lifetime. Where you might have another 50 years of your life remaining, you really ought not to dismiss these things as impossible, improbable as they might seem now.

So no sign of any evidence that previously I have posted unswerving support for Cortese then, nor anything validating your claims about the timescale or finances available.

The sarcasm went right over your head. Over your head, or in one ear and out of the other are the two default modes with you.

I do not have unquestioning faith in Cortese, but no doubt you'll back up your opinion with posts of mine saying that I do. At the same time, you can also provide proof of the timeline and finances that Cortese will have given you for the European "project." As for your opinions, you start one of your usual WUM threads asking in what year we can realistically challenge other European teams, then state categorically that we never will, without providing any reasoning behind your opinion. Typical Barryism

And the biggest div reckons that there is as much chance of West Ham being relegated as Man Utd.

What time limit? What budget? Please explain where and how you came by this information. And "it ain't never going to happen" is presumably only your opinion and not anything factual as usual. Or does your use of the double negative mean that you think it might?

Certainly it opens it up a bit if you consider who the finalists were in the last decade. That includes such high flyers in the World of English football as us, Stoke, The Skates, (twice, as winners and runners up) Cardiff, West Ham, Millwall. So when in ten years of finals, 7 of the teams were not from the top three, or indeed 2 were actually not even in the Premiership, then it is crystal clear that the top teams do not have a monopoly in the FA Cup final at least. And Millwall are in the last four this year too from the Championship. So pardon me if I conclude that the FA Cup is indeed a lottery and I'm happy to be reminded of this when we next find ourselves winning it, if I ever forget that opinion and deny it.

Of course it's just a lottery. The teams are selected to play each other by a random method. Earlier on especially, the top teams which draw much lower division teams then field a weaker team and sometimes are knocked out as a result because they have underestimated the opposition. Home advantage is also chosen randomly. Top teams are often chosen to play each other, so that by the later rounds, half of the Premiership teams have alreay been knocked out by their direct rivals. The most successful of those teams might also be playing in European Cup matches simultaneously, so they either have two squads, or field some very tired players. If it wasn't a lottery, then the top few teams from the Premiership would win it every year. Instead, a variety of factors and good old fashioned luck of the draw conspire against that happening every time.

Well, ask them why they are minus the following players in the last couple of seasons:- Adebayor, Nasri, Clichy, Kolo Toure, Fabregas, Robin Van Persie and Alex Song. Had they kept some or all of those, I suspect that they might be more of a force to be reckoned with than they are now. And there were some results this season that back that up. Like losses against Norwich, Swansea, draws against us, Everton, Fulham and Villa, knocked out of both cups by lower division teams and conceding 5 goals to Reading.

****s like Lowe, Askham, Richards, Dulieu, etc, then Lowe and Wilde together, you mean? And how long does that list have to be before the "nobody else" begins to look a bit silly?

Arsenal are a selling club too.

Doing well in the Cup competitions doesn't equate to a club being ambitious for success in Europe. Parcipitation in Europe Cup competitions is merely a by-product. And the Cup competitions are also a bit of a lottery anyway. Wigan could win the FA Cup and suffer relegation too, so how does that lie with their ambitions?

You were and are still supporting the club, allegedly, Barry Happy B'day, anyway, WUM.