thunderball

He's a lost cause, he's arrogant and stupid, and now it seems he's also injury prone. Always dogged by controversy and there is no mystery to that as it usually happens when you cross big ego/reality detachment/mega bucks/low IQ/PL footballer. Like a PLC company that issues a profit warning, cut your losses and dump the stock immediately at whatever cost. File him under "another well-intended mistake". That drawer is getting full now.

Is Moyes another O'Neill - solid but unspectacular, good on a shoestring, wringing the best out of average players? Has he shown he can step up like 'Arry has?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Wanted to see Makoun on for Heskey in the second half, but perhaps just as well it was Gabby. In fairness to Makoun, other than a few stout tackles and one good cross field pass, NRC looked no better than Makoun last week and I felt Makoun could have had more influence in the middle today. Difficult to argue after the win, but my thoughts anyway.

And the best thing is the boy is going to get better. If Houllier plays to his strengths (and sorts our pitiful defence), who knows where we could go. £18m or £25m, it is a bargain, the lad is worth at least £30m today, and more than that to Aston Villa.

No, quite wrong. The sooner these two go the better - Warnock hasn't been good for more than 12 months and is very disrespectful to the club and fans, we are better off without this kind parasite. Ireland: it would cruel to call most people stupid, however with Ireland you are on safe ground. How this boy has what he has is one of life's injustices.

He seemed off the pace today and consequently seemed rushed into sloppiness - he usually knows the pass to make before he receives the ball but today he seemed one step behind. When the understanding with other players comes he will be terrific - he's as quick minded as any player I know.

At least Makoun has got it to start with, that gives him a chance. We won't see his best until next season, it's been stop start for him, but he only has himself to blame for that. If he sorts out his discipline he could be terrific, especially if he gets some quality along side him.

100% this. We looked a unit yesterday. We can do ourselves a power of good if we win against Newcastle and West Ham, but if we lose either we could well be looking at the form of others to save us.

We win...... STAY We draw/lose...... GO! It's a bloody pantomime. What did he do wrong today, shouldn't have played A Young and Bent, someone else might have scored? Pathetic. As the saying goes: "When the Gods wish to punish us they they give us what we pray for". You might just get what you pray for.

HA! Come on, every side is a mixture of quality, but just shows how far ahead Man U & City, Arse, Chelsea and Spurs are. Liverpool have similar problems to us though. Goes to show 6th is about the best we can expect unless Randy doubles his investment. For what it's worth, I think Delph is ready. And Ireland was missed from the lists above. Oh, and why would Young stay?

Forget Houllier, Big names were given a chance tonight, what's does this say about Heskey, Gabby, Fonz? Also I think we know where we stand with Petrov and Bradley after tonight. GH called badly by playing 4-3-3, we stuffed in the centre.

Great debate, but the bottom line is that J2M is going to be a star. Two more like him and we will be Barcelona

The next game must be: Brad (do we have anyone else?) Walker Collins Cuellar Clark Alby Makoun NRC Bradley Young Bent Subs: Heskey, Delfoneso, Bannan, Downing........ Looking forward to Young and Delph coming back.

This. I suppose we shouldn't forget Fulham are no mugs, they properly turned over a good Spurs side last week.

I was looking forward to the rest of this season. Now I just want it over. Friedel, Gabby, Petrov, Downing and Young can all go as far as I am concerned, there must be better out there and have run out of patience, they need new challenges and we need a change.

He's here, he's there He's every **** where Jean Makoun, Jean Makoun He's thin, he's black And never passes back Jean Makoun, Jean Makoun With spi-key hair And a nice line in knitwear Jean Makoun, Jean Makoun He makes more passes Than Hugh Hefner's had lasses Jean Makoun, Jean Makoun He's here to stay Until we win the league some day Jean Makoun, Jean Makoun and so on.....

As long as Jean II Makoun stays in the summer I dont care who leaves. My only regret is that he's not 25 because we could build the team around him. If GH picks up more like Super Makoun, I can't wait.

Never mind. Play like that and the futures bright. Positives: Makoun, Makoun, Makoun........ oh and Friedel, Bent, possession, movement in the middle, thought Walker was OK too Negatives: GH's positive starting 11, 1-0 after 50seconds, Collins & Dunne, lack of penetration, GH willing to sub and shake it up. This is where we kick on, this is the business end of the season. I'm up beat.....

I getting my Makoun shirt tomorrow! This boy is the future, WOW! Confident, Simple, moves after he's released ready to receive again - terrific, what a breath of fresh air, a different class to what we've got. Got to get more to Bent, doing nothing at the moment. Downing or Albrighton off Heskey on (can't believe I'm saying that!)

If he's fit chuck him in, as Mr_Dogg states, he's played United before and bossed the match - he's 28 and had more experience at top level than most of our squad put together. He was bought for these occasions. He's going to be rusty but thats expected, and also need to learn how he 'fits' and our system. But tonight is as much about industry and breaking up play. The rest of the squad have only had one more game with Bent so they the sooner it clicks the better. He'll get a look even if he doesn't start as Petrov will run himself into the ground after 60 minutes. Its NRC Bannan Makoun across the middle with Young Bent and Downing ahead of them for me

United won't win this, its a seat of the pants desperate battling draw or win (single Bent goal) for us. We have something to prove now and our season only started a month ago, Man U's first defeat is long over due..... Last time Makoun played them he ran the show, hopefully he's up for it tonight. MOM: Young putting himself out there, just edging Makoun.

Of course there is a human story, but there always is. Part of the sacrifice of being a footballer is never really settling, but that's the nature of short term contracts. I just have little sympathy with someone who plays the game we all love, gets all the pampering and priviledge that goes with it, and pockets a quarter of a million pounds a month. Stephen Ireland played a little part in the story of our disasterous season. Don't expect many to feel sympathetic just because he "trained when he was asked", that's the minimum you give for your £60k a week? And regarding wiping the slate clean and the subsequent loan, the club cones first, and I would suggest we needed Bradley's steel more than Irelands indifference at present, and that takes priority over indulging him during our fight for survival? I really hope he finds confidence, returns and is a huge hit, but most people would swap his lot at the drop of a hat.

Catch 22 really though, if he does well and settles in Newcastle then chances are he'll probably want to stay. Not necessarily the worst situation though assuming the price is right, hard to see him wanting to come back here unless he finds the grass isn't always greener but if he does badly then his confidence will be as low as ever when he comes back to us. Surely we can't lose? He gets himself together at mostly their expense, and comes back improved or if he settles, gets sold to barcodes for some ridiculous money after receiving, but not being able to spend, the £35m for Carroll. If he's shit, he comes back as he went out, only they fund his wage and thus cut our losses until he goes in the summer. I did wonder for a while yesterday if they wanted to keep him we could part-ex Carroll in the summer, but no chance of that now!

He won't go this window. He will get a decent chance in the team in the run-in, and GH will decide whether he can use him next season. If he fancies him he stays, if not they'll cut their losses and buy quality in the summer, GH won't mess around. A lot will depend on Young staying. However they both may go and would expect another Bent style marquee signing to continue he push.