pete165

cue gabby to cross for a bent goal

This will be incredibly tough at their place and considering we couldn't get anything at home to Wolves, away at Everton is logically going to be much much tougher still. Saying that, you just never know and if we were to keep it tight and nick something I'd be over the moon. I would play: ----------------------------------Friedel--------------------------------------- ---Walker/Cuellar---------Dunne-----Collins---------------Young---------- ----------------------------NRC----------Makoun----------------------------- ----------------------------------Petrov---------------------------------------- -------Young---------------------------------------------------Downing------- -----------------------------------Bent------------------------------------------ Considering that would mean having people like Albrighton, Bannan, Gabby, Delph etc on the bench, it still amazes me how we're doing so poorly - we've got an excellent squad of players!

personally, as long as he's fit, I'd play Pires today injury crisis is a real worry but we should have enough going forwards to score a couple tight 2-1 or annoying 2-2.

Over time, Delph will replace Pires/Petrov, Makoun will replace NRC and all we'll need to find is a couple of exciting full-backs!

Absolutely dominated the game from start to finish, playing the sort of football we've always wanted. Brilliant combination of youth and experience, brilliant work ethic and 4 goals. Houllier - 10/10 for a)playing Pires, who was an inevitable MOTM after the uproar on here when the teamsheet was announced and for keeping albirghton on after a poor 1st half (I called for him to go off) Top stuff.

on the Darren Bent thing - yes, he's had some openings and not taken them but he's consistently making the right runs. Albrighton a passenger. We need to go Heskey for Albrighton, Young left, Downing right and go for it.

Pires brilliant. We've played excellent attacking football, all on the deck with little hoofing. Movement and passing is world away from that shown under MON. This is what we all wanted isn't it? Add in 3 points and this match has been a joy. Need that goal, deserve it.

magnificent start from us

walker advanced as usual, good fk won

There is no reason why, if Pires gets advanced enough, he can't feed Bent's good movement. It might lead us to score one of the first 'slide-rule' goals of recent times!

I'm actually delighted with the team selection. You have to remember that Houllier sees Pires in training every day, he'll only be getting fitter and up to the pace and in a home game, playing in an advanced role, he has the creativity and class that we desperately lack to break teams down. If it doesn't work out, we at least have terrific options from the bench. The fact that we can bring the international quality of Heskey, Agbonlahor, Petrov, Delph, Bradley etc off the bench is good news; it backs up my thought that whatever scrapes we end up in this season results-wise, we'll end the season with a better squad than the one which finished 6th. I genuinely believe that. And that's with Collins, Bannan, Delfouneso, Makoun, etc not even on the bench. If things don't go well, we'll stick Gabby, Heskey and Petrov on.

--------------------------------Friedel--------------------------------- ----Walker--------------Dunne--------Clark--------------Baker----- -----------------------NRC-------------Petrov-------------------------- ----Young--------------------------------------------------Downing---- ------------------------Gabby----------Bent----------------------------- Bench of Albrighton, Heskey, Bradley, Delph, etc...

---------------------------Friedel---------------------------- --Walker----------Collins---------Cuellar----------Clark-- ---------------------------Makoun---------------------------- -----Downing----------------------------------------Young- ----------------------------Bannan--------------------------- -------------------Heskey-----------Bent--------------------- Bench - Gabby, Marshall, NRC, Petrov, Dunne, Albrighton

-------------------------Friedel------------------------- --Walker--------Cuellar----Collins------Warnock---- ----------------------Makoun--------------------------- ---Young------------Delph---------------Downing----- -----------------Heskey-------Bent----------------------

Is it me or is Makoun now your first man on the teamsheet for next game? Pure class.

Absolutely sensational performance. Only one way to describe him - when he had the ball it was like I was watching a Champions' League game.

Makoun was sensational. Never wasted a pass, always kept the ball, looked forwards when he could and his movement off the ball was a thing that every other team seems to have but we never do. Until now! Promising.

to win at old trafford you need to -defend well -get the breaks we've done neither but no disgrace

Basically: They can score at any time against almost anyone with their individuals - hence them being top, unbeaten etc without 'playing well'. So not looking like any points tonight. However, in more important news: -we look better on the ball than I've seen for a long time -Makoun looks **** sensational - pure class We look light up front which is ok as long as they didn't score early - they'd commit and we'd hit em on break. As it went, it got very tough because if we commit, they destroy us. Overall, no complains, and certainly no drama.

anything a bonus tonight have a feeling that young might play a blinder and that makoun should watch himself and not get into a scrap with fletcher rooney, giggs, berb, nani, chico etc mean that we could defend well and still get slaughtered, so whatever happens tonight, lets NOT overreact!

So, with a few wins on the bounce and some active transfer market participation, how many of you have changed your minds? To me, the signings: -Walker (loan) -Bradley (loan) -Bent (quality) -Makoun (quality) and even Pires (lovely goal today) aren't bad at all for January and GH clearly is looking to change things. I'm happy to give him the benefit of the doubt for a season, personally.

played well and dominated a team in 6th. Win or lose, we've shown that we're by no means a poor teams when we have our players back. The days of hogg and bannan in central midfield are over and I fully expect us to start winning games again, even if we've wasted the chances to do that tonight. Worrying, when you miss like that, you often rue it and Sunderland will certainly get better. We just need a break and a 1-0 win would be huge. Very tense, but face it, there are good signs here.

I'm going to say one thing and then leave this forum alone for a few weeks. We are a team desperately low on confidence playing three games against the top 4 sides in the league. Please - fans, don't overreact. And Randy - don't do anything stupid and get ride of Houllier. The fixtures on paper always looked difficult up til the end of Feb, then they get better. JUDGE in April.

and it's ASTON VILLA, ASTON VILLA FC. I love my team and I'll be cheering them on like never before today. Tough times and they'll need to play out of their skins but I BELIEVE they can do it. COME ON VILLAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep your **** nerve people. We're on a confidence low, our manager walked out 5 days before the start of the season. We're still trying to find our best team and a way of playing - that's what pre-season is about. Houllier wants to play a different way and needs the opportunity to buy players. We've clearly got lots of good young players. We've got easier games coming up February to April. We lost today to a very good team with better players than us. Let's NOT lose our heads and forget the context of this situation. We're not playing well and results have been poor. But if you're asking me whether we should panic, whether we should sack a new manager and start again - NO chance. This is the time to show some maturity and patience as fans while it's tough - it's the only way to build for the future.