TwirlyDoors

Well, if they play like they did in the first half yesterday, we won't. Let's hope the reality of where they are has been hammered home, they certainly looked like they were more willing to fight in the second half.

I still believe we will survive, but of course every game we lose, it gets harder. We are a long way off the promised land of 40 points, but, I don't think that will be needed. Over the last 17 years, the points total needed to survive has been: 11/12 - 37 10/11 - 40 09/10 - 31 08/09 - 35 07/08 - 36* 06/07 - 39 05/06 - 35 04/05 - 34 03/04 - 34 02/03 - 43 01/02 - 37 00/01 - 35 99/00 - 34 98/99 - 37 97/98 - 40 96/97 - 41 95/96 - 38* * goal difference, so if Villas is still worst, add 1 point for guaranteed figure. Before 95/96 there were 22 teams in league, so more games. 8 seasons 36 points would have been enough. 3 seasons 37 points. 4 seasons 40 or more needed. I feel that this season could be at the lower end of the scale, just because of how poor the lower teams have been and maybe the high points total of the top teams (I haven't checked this yet) It's still squeaky bum time though!

NEAGATIVES Outplayed first half, second to every ball Looked tentative Some fans "leaving" after 31mins (hopefully just going for an emergency fag) Bent and Benteke, no real threat POSITIVES Vast improvement in 2nd half Gabby provided direct threat Weimann more willing and threatening than Bent Sustained pressure over the half. We looked better at set piece defending (although Newcastle aren't that great a threat from corners, so we will know more when Fellaini, the Spanish archer faces out defence. After Everton we have 1 game a week, so a high tempo should be possible with plenty of rest between games. We won't need 40 points for survival, could be as low as 34 (See, that doesn't look so bad now!)

Too many old experienced players, not enough young legs in the team.

Thats true, its better to win than lose. I think if we didn't have the Newcastle game on Tuesday, after the Bradford game 3 days ago, he probably would have gone full strength, barring Guzan.

Tonights game was not the priority, we know that because Bent played! We aren't going to win the FA Cup this season, so better out earlier than later. Just difficult because of the other cup disaster this week (although I think the real disaster was the first leg). Tuesday against Newcastle is more important, then Saturday against Everton. From then on its one game a week. This should mean there is more time to focus on defending during training, surely it can only improve. Our attack is ok, if the defensive side improves, results should improve. I think we should stick with Paul Lambert at least until the end of the season. As for the issue of local media, he isn't the first manager to fall out with members of the press, Ferguson does it all the time. Most of us get sick of hearing the same bland answers all the time, Lambert is probably sick of the same questions all the time. The papers are not there as the "voice of the fans", they are there to sell papers, and the stories reflect that.

The pass was perfect, Bent was too quick

Possibly, if you had a good option to go in. I guess it depends on your belief in the lad, if Lambert thinks he can play better as he gets fitter, with more games under his belt, maybe he can change peoples perceptions. Maybe Lambert feels that the team needs the attacking width he offers, if and when he improves.

Yes, and the problem with the vitriol is it seems to be unfairly dished out onto particular players, the lad needs encouragement to express his attacking instincts, this would also help defensively, because it keeps the opponents attacking winger/midfielders back.

If we are raiding Nuremburg for Esswien, lets get Timm Klose too. Shiiiiit, this transfer lark is easy.

I wouldn't be surprised if he looks fitter and leaner, after all he will be looking for someone to give him a new 3 year contract within the next few months, its not going to look too good turning up looking like Mr Blobby. I am never surprised when players get fit and play through pain before their contracts run out.

I think Joe Bennett will become a very good attacking left back, but he is not there yet. He has a lot of attacking skills, pace, control, and good crossing ability. At the moment he is not as strong in defensive skills, but there is the potential. Lambert likes to play an attacking game, with full backs pushing on to add width. If a player has all the attacking and defensive skills to a high standard already, we probably wouldn't be able to sign them. So we get a rough diamond who has potential. I think his recent games have been an improvement, I thought he did ok in the Albion game, and last night in the semi final. Clearly confidence has been hit througout the team, particularly the defence, and his season has been disrupted by injury before signing and the leg gash since. But I don't get the vitriol directed towards him. I think 12 months from now, with another season of Premier league ( ) under his belt, he could be a revelation, with talk of an England call up! (Although I not as sure about the England call up)

I think "Lamberts right way" is the same as most other clubs without a sugar daddy, buy the players and pay the wages you can afford to. As for ostracising the expensive players, I am definately not ITK, I don't know what is happening behind the scenes. I generally believe there are reasons managers don't play certain players, whether they are financial, tactical or personality issues, I think if a manager believes a player could genuinly make a difference, they will play them. After all Lamberts job and the teams success is on the line. Apart from Darren Bent, it doesn't seem that there has been any interest from other clubs in the likes of Warnock, Hutton, Ireland etc. As for certain players being sent to train with the reserves, perhaps he believes they are a negative influence on the first team squad at a time when confidence is fragile enough. The "prima donnas" in the team, you can have all the plans but if a player is not interested or commited it won't work. As I say, I don't know what is going on internally, but I guess there are reasons for the players being pushed out. Paul Lamberts style in interviews has generally been similar to the way it is now, he stonewalls and gives bland answers to questions, thats is what winds some of the press up, the opposite to someone like Harry Redknapp, which maybe why he gets a easier ride from some sections of the media. At the end of the day, I feel we will be better sticking with him and seeing the tough times through, hopefully successfully, than sacking him.

I think Paul Lambert should be given at east a full season. In reality, I thought this would be a season of struggle, survival being the aim. If we had got to a cup final that would have been fantastic, but I wouldn't have expected it at the start of the season. The problems have been there for at least the last 2 seasons, we have been struggling for a while. It won't be turned round overnight. We were undone in the first leg, our achilles heel is set pieces, something lower league teams probably have as a significant strength. Yes we should have beat Bradford (no disrespect, good luck to them in the final). The substitutions did seem a gamble, but we were in a situation where I think he probably had to. We can't compete with the top six clubs in financial terms, without Randy Lerner constantly covering the losses. The decision is the club has to stand on its own, like most other clubs in the league and Europe. So we have to operate in a financially responsible way. There is no other choice. I hear the cries of Randy out, but realistically, who else is going to fund the club the way he has over the last few years. Throwng a load of money on highly paid players won't solve the problem, at best it will move it down the road a little, but sooner or later the bill will have to be paid. I believe there is money to spend in this window, but it may be difficult to get players who are better for the fee and wages we are prepared to offer. I believe that Paul Lambert wants to do things in the right way, a sustainable way, I hope it works. Anyway, this has rambled all over the place a little, but I think Paul shoud stay and, hopefully the improvements will come.

I don't know. I think we are better when Guzan is in, and I thought Bennett was very good, especially in the first half. I think a lot of teams are worse at defending now, (obviously not quite as bad as us), I watched Southampton - Everton last night, Eveton have a lot of experienced and quality defenders, better than ours, yet they were constantly a little luck away from conceding.

At the start of the game I always thought we would need 4 goals, I coudn't see us keeping a clean sheet. The first half, we played very well, kept possession and created chances, and limited Bradford to very little. We needed to continue the second half in the same way, keep the pressure and take chances. When Bradfords goal came, the subs were a gamble, but probably one we had to take. we had already had an hour and only scored one, we needed another 3, so I think Lambert had to gamble. The gamble didn't pay off. There was too much of a mountain to climb from the first leg (with a dodgy defence). Well done Bradford, good luck for the final.

We took a point away from home, we are out of the bottom three. Benteke, Agbonlahor, and N'Zogbia looked good. Bennett played well. It was good to have Vlaar back. It was unlucky to lose Baker so early, may have helped on the set peices we are vunerable on. I don't think we had a lot of choice with the subs. Overall, a point would have been good at the start, but we are out of the bottom 3 today.

Loic Remy has not really worked out for Marseille, they are taking a loss selling him to an English Premier League Club. I think there was also a heart problem shown up during his medical when signing for them.

Sounds interesting, but he must have had a bad year as last January Talksport were saying Man City and Juventus were after him for £6m http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/1487/48/manchester-city-chasing-dutch-teen-sensation

Seems a perfectly sensible thing to do, not selling a potential goalscorer to relegation rivals. Is Matt Law Darren Bents agent?

I don't think Warnock and Hutton are the answer to our problems. There are clearly issues with the players, particularly Warnock. Sometimes players seem better when they are not in the team, then when they play we remember why they are not in. If confidence is fragile, you don't need words removed in the dressing room. All the teams around us are looking for quality to strengthen their teams, yet we are not exactly fighting off eager buyers for them. I have listened to Sunderland fans on a Radio Newcastle phone in a few times recently, and I don't think Cuellar would have made much of a difference. How many points we need, who knows, but it will only be one more than the teams around us. Southampton have a tough run coming up, Sunderland will probably go through the February, March decline O'Niell teams always do, as he is using the same eleven most weeks, sounds familiar. Hopefully we can get a good central midfielder in to add to Westwood, a good central defender to take some of the pressure off Clark and Baker. Bennett is starting to get fitter, with a few more games under his belt, I think we could see a real attacking threat start to emerge. Bowery has looked decent in his last 2 sub appearances. Things can only get better, probably.

Without offering top wages we won't get ready made Premier League (O'Neill type) signings, but even with our worst half season for a long time, we are only in the bottom three through goal difference and a dodgy penalty. We need to stay behind the team and give them a bit of confidence.

Now is the time for cool heads. We played better today, particularly the second half. Better finishing could have given us at least 1 goal, which would make things look quite different this evening. Holman was probably still feeling the effects of his virus, so maybe not up to his usual workrate. Delph looked a lot better in this game, Bannan did well when he came on. We can be so focused on our own club you sometimes don't realise that there are problems in other teams around us, they are not all going to go on unbeaten runs and leave us behind. Southampton have a lot of tough matches coming up, so we could be above them in the next couple of weeks. If we can find a couple of good buys to add strength to central defence and midfield, I believe we will improve in the second half of the season. Calls for "Lerner Out" I think are misguided, he has continuously funded this club over the last few years. We could be a lot worse off than we are now. Now is the time for a strong nerve and support for the team, as someone once said "Don't Panic" Just think how much better, and mentally stronger these players will be next season when we survive. Enjoy how much more exciting this season will be than mid table mediocrity, when we play Wigan away and confirm our safety we will be celebrating an achievement.

Above average manager then. Ive said too much already. Make of it what you will I don't claim to be any sort of ITK but just to back up your claim my taxi driver this morning claimed he picked someone up who he described as "having more than one arm". Don't shoot the messenger. That is an average passenger. News from my ITK

I am relatively happy we have been knocked out. Upto 15 less games to play with our smaller squad, we can focus fully on the league and the FA & League cups. We have a much better chance of a top four finish now (however unlikely) than we did with Europa football. So, as much as it hurts at the moment to get knocked out, I think this season it is for the best. :|