SoccerHQ

Fabregas will play but dunno if he can last 90 minutes. Arsenal have played injured players against us before, they played Hleb at VP a few seasons ago when he was supposed to be out and then Carew cleaned him out on the 60 minute mark! I too see Liverpool as the more crucial game tbh. While it's great keeping pace with Arsenal at this moment in time, I don't really see us finishing above them. However if we lose to Liverpool, then that will get them right back into the race for 4th and is the sort of result that could well give them the impetus to go on a mammoth unbeaten league run.

Bassong is off aswell so with Woodgate and King still crocked, means Corluka at CB in the near future. Spurs's next three are Fulham and Liverpool away and West Ham at home. I expect them to beat West Ham but if they can get even one win from those two away games, then I'll seriously consider them having a chance of 4th.

Same. Could well be good enough for 4th that.

Cook is a tosspot. Amuses me that he's preaching instant and constant success for Man. City when he supports Small Heath!

Looking forward to this, will be in attendance for this game in the home end just like the previous two games we've played there in which we've been superb. Certainly a stadium the team feels comfortable at. I would go 4-5-1 for this as I'm looking ahead to the Liverpool game a bit. If Heskey's injured, then we're left with two strikers in Gabby and JC. Gabby (and Young) are on 4 yellows and so would miss the Liverpool game if booked. Also if Carew picks up any sort of knock then he'll struggle to make the Liverpool game which would leave us with hardly any attacking players for Liverpool and we don't want that. So I'd save Carew for Liverpool and bring in NRC to strengthen the centre of midfield as even though they have a few strikers out, Arsenal are still very strong in midfield. I think Arsenal might nick this 2-1 as we are due a defeat at the emirates one of these years...

Mascherano suspended for our game. Lucas and Spearing Liverpool's central midfield for that game. :shock:

Honestly though Carlos had received more. Bit annoying we'll probably lose Gabby and Ash at some stage over the next few weeks as we could do with them at the Emirates and against Liverpool certainly and not having either at Sunderland or against Stoke would be a blow aswell. Don't 5 yellows get expunged around the new year period this season, not that I'm expecting either to last that long.

Had a few booked today, Carlos must be close to a ban now?

Young was far more silly for reacting imo, needless yellow. We seem to be getting more Yellow cards this season than in previous ones even though we're not a dirty team at all. Petrov must be on 7 by now while the likes of Young and Cuellar must not be far away from suspensions. Anyway, routine win today, Milner best player on the pitch by a mile although Petrov also played well I thought apart from long range shooting! Excellent first half, comfortable second half and good 3 points as we have a very tough run of 6-7 fixtures coming up.

ESPN gave him MOTM. I think his big problem was being unfortunate enough to be playing alongside Curtis Davies.

International break aswell so have to say the state some of our internationals return in aswell.

Petrov in for Sidwell. Have Sidwell as an impact sub. Keep the same back 4, harsh as it would be on Collins if he's fit.

I can see them going on an unbeaten run from that in the league.

Arteta's suffered a setback with his injury so won't be back until November now. I think Everton will dip a bit this year, probably around 8th as there's better quality amongst teams this season even if Everton's squad is a lot stronger than a year ago.

Very little chance of him playing against SHA as MON admits in that article there are still days when he obviously struggles with the loss of his brother. Plus a full blooded derby game isn't the wisest game to start a player who hasn't played for quite a few months. He'll start against Cardiff which is logical and I don't think it will be too long before he's the first choice RB. Beye's been o.k but I prefer Luke there as he's more defensively solid.

Kiraly wasn't as bad as made out. yes the boob at Old Trafford was laughably bad but he was solid in the other games he played for us and helped us out at a difficult time when Taylor and Sorensen were injured.

So did I. He's not awful by any stretch. Last season he played in the majority of our 14 or 15 game unbeaten run (admitedly mostly at right back) and apart from getting outjumped once or twice in the air, it's not like he was costing us goals every game. He's good in the air and I think he's a good anticipator at tackling and stretching to get the ball like Mellberg was. His weak points are that he can ball watch at times and so lose the man he's marking and he's a bit cumebersome so keeping up with pacy strikers and passing the ball are challenges on occasions. I thought he looked good today with Clark as there was balance today for a start with Clark left footed which we don't get with him and Davies. Not sure him and Dunne would work that well as while we shouldn't have any problems in the air, I would worry about them when he come up against the best teams who have plenty of skillful and quick forwards (Rooney, Arshavin, Keane, Defoe etc.)

Err we need two. Dunne and Distin for me. Failing that, I think Shawcross at Stoke can potentially be an excellent centre half so him and Dunne.

Fair enough, I think in this instance the manager dosen't have a clue either and is making it up as he goes along.

O.k fair enough the shoulder problem. But you have to think if that was as serious a problem as you're making it out PB that a) he'd have an operation straight after the Barcodes game so 3 months to rest and get better and why on earth did we sell Zat Knight if we're worried Curtis will get a 3-4 month shoulder injury at any moment?

I dont think we can "all see Davies is a poor footballer" at all I think he will be a quality player Disagree, yesterday in the game there was a 40 yard crossfield ball coming in from the left, Davies chose to leave it and Rodallega nipped in behind him and luckily Friedel produced an excellent save. A big fault in his game is he gets dragged out of defence too often to track a forward wh's dropped deep. Too often yesterday, he came up to near the halfway line and lost out meaning we were exposed in central defence. I also don't rate his composure much. How often when we're under pressure do we seem him just swiping at the ball and slicing clearences all over the place (evident for me at the Brittania last season when instead of kicking the ball up the pitch, he sliced it out for a thorw in from which Stoke scored). Now Cuellar isn't great on the ground either and isn't very mobile which is a big worry in the prem but to me he's better than Davies in the air and I think if we signed Distin, then him and Cuellar would make a better combo than Davies and Distin. Davies at the moment wouldn't get in the North Korean world cup squad and is a billion miles away from the england one.

So right let me get this thread straight: The synopsis is for Harewood who played about 5 times this last season and I think still just about exists as a villa player to be replaced by JPA who'd do exactly the same! And here was me thinking the striker we'd get in would challenge the front two, particularly Gabby, for a place. Nah, JPA wouldn't fit in out style of play at all as while Young and Gabby are breaking at pace, he'd be trotting along on the halfway line.

Spurs.

Old libary pictures perhaps? Surprised Beye is still there, expected a bottom half prem team to snap him up as he's a decent RB.

Geremi has a 4 year contract or something mad.