barry'sboots

Where did you get this from. This is not my understanding - you don't have to touch the ball to be "interfering" as far as I am aware?

.... even if he went to Blackburn, or just to Italy?? :winkold:

Come to support wee Barry hopefully? I hope you enjoy the game and find a second, English club hopefully in claret and blue!

Same to be honest. Defence will pick itself on the day depending on who is fit and I'd just put Delfouneso and Gabby up front. We need to start putting teams on the back foot. Don't disagree BUT their strength is their midfield and this where they blew us away at the Emirates last season, albeit that was with Fabregas. I do think if we went: --------------- Baker/Hogg/NRC ------------- ------------- Bannan ------------------------- Downing --------------------------------- Ash ----------------------- The Fonz ------------- --------------- Gabby ------------------------ It would give us the flexibility of moving Gabby/the Fonz out right and Downing or Ash into a central position if we were getting overrun.

Sounds like the long ball down the middle might work. Gabby, get your sprinting boots on!

Looks like Fabregas has pulled something playing in the CL so he should be out. That's a bonus!

Maybe we will benefit from Ash's desparation to impress his potential new employers??

On reflection I might try ---------------- Clark/Coker ------------------ ---------------------------- Bannan ---------- Gabby ------ Ash -------------------- Downing -------------------- Fonz --------------------- Subs: Guzan, Lichaj, Clark/Coker, Herd, SI, Pires, Carew

I don't think its just height, its about physique as well. At the minute, he looks tiny and probably needs to bulk up a little to get more of a presence/strength.

Interesting as he's probably nailed on for a start on Sunday against Blackburn. It will be interesting to see how he gets on?

They managed to get a kit that didn't swamp him as well!

Carlos in for Dunne and NRC/Clark (if fit/back) in for Hogg. Like to see us get in front and use the bench to go for a more solid central three for the last 15 with two out of Hogg/NRC/Clark and take one of Ash/DJ/Marc off for a rest. I think we could hold on to a lead with this. Also hope Emile is back? To replace Gabby for the last 20-30 minutes.

He was a fantastic player when he came to us - too good for most of his team mates. I haven't - and I suspect very few have - seen enough of him over the past 12 months to know whether he is still at a sufficient enough level to do a job for us as fourth choice with all the injuries. However, being released by NY Red Bulls probably says it all. Coaching staff would be great though as I think he is technically one of the best I have seen at VP, just lacked a bit of pace and a second foot.

Fair point, but there were three or four out there that could have been MOTM. Gab did a lot of hard work and had Rio and Vidic petrified - if the ref had grown a pair and blown up Ferdinand every time he had his hands all over Gab then he would have had more success I think.

while this is true i only think he is as guilty as every other footballer. Hes just a little more honest. For instance didnt he state at pompey that he saw them as a stepping stone, gave his all on the pitch and moved on to a bigger club. Compare that to the roles played by Milner and Barry, i dont see how hes any different. Good point, well made. Although, I think the comparison to Barry is a little harsh given his years of service and the fact he gave MON three years when he could have gone to Spurs at the start. :winkold:

Now you are talking, although I am not sure he would be the best dressing room influence and he has a bit of an ego. Palacios when Redknob gets Diarra??

I'm very excited to see this. Me too, but I do think they will need an enforcer alongside them?

Not a bad game to turn up to for your first experience. Let me tell you, before you buy a season ticket and plan your trip from Ohio to Birmingham every second week, some of the games are not as good as that!

I think there is a lot of overreaction to the supposed overreaction. IMO he was a weakness BUT I wouldn't have expected anything else for a young lad making his debut against Utd with an inexperienced partner. Like most though, I would still have rather had Hogg out there than any other player in our squad with the exception of NRC. More importantly, I think both Hogg and Bannan really tired towards the end - again not surprising given their lack of experience at this level - and that was where Ged's hand was really exposed with little on the bench that would allow him to make the necessary substitutions. But he is promising. The challenge for Ged now is to get him the right experience and development that will allow us to see whether he has what it takes.

I don't think our defence has been as strong as last year but I think we were also missing something in CM (a shield in front of the back 4) and I think our lack of depth (with current injuries) showed up here on Saturday. If I were Ged I would have loved to have been in a position to bring on Clark and/or NRC and/or Stan and/or Delph (as an example) to replace Hogg, Bannan and one of the wingers to close that game out for the last 15 or so minutes when we were 2-0 up and they started to look strong. Switching to a more solid three in CM would have allowed us to close out the game IMO as we did at OT last year bringing NRC on for Heskey (from memory) with 10 minutes left.

No question then he's a Jock and my e-mail has been sent off to the SFA notifying them of this, we need as many good players as we can get Yep. Would be good to add to the list that stands currently at 0. Wee Barry????

That GlastonSpur really is a saddo. Spends time posting on VT - okay but why so much. Spends time posting on Red Cafe about a game between Villa an Man U - bizarre. And that would be the same Delph that bossed the CM against Man U at VP last season? I agree, they really are biased idiots.

Thoroughly enjoyed today's game and a fantastic result given the team and the opposition. Friedel - 7 - good performance but had little to do until the last 10 minutes and little he could do with either goal. L Young - 7 - strong and got forward well Dunne - 6 - still losing concentration on occasion but relatively solid Collins - 6 - as for Dunne Warnock - 8 - best game for him in ages Albrighton - 8.5 - worked really hard, up and down, and mullered one of the best LBs in the world Bannan - 8 - Very good. Tires a bit towards the end but not surprising given his limited experience at this level Hogg - 6 - Not sure. Anonymous at times but that is the nature of his role. Probably a very good back up player for us as we go forward? Downing - 9.5 - MOTM and definitely our main threat all game. I would really like to see him switching with Ash more often and taking a central position as he seems to have found his shooting boots and Ash would provide a different challenge for the full back Ash - 7 - Not his best game but always capable of doing something as for the penalty. Gabby - 8 - a real handful and you can see that he upsets CBs and creates space for others. If Ferdinand had been properly penalised for his fouls on Gabby (will that ever happen to a Man U player?) he would have found himself with a lot more space as well. Ged - 9 - top man. Little options with the bench and probably had to give Gab a break and possibly Albie playing the amount of games he is. Ref - TOSSER - Brown and Nani should definitely have gone. Ferdinand got away with murder against Gabby - pushing every time. What happened with Clark as I didn't see any news pre-game? I assume SI had the flu as was released pre-game. I hope we can get Clark or Coker back for the Blackburn game as we will need more physicality in there against them.

thats a good shout seeing as he booked Young for exactly that Shame our Stewards didn't get hold of him .... heading a ball and then accidentally going over the barrier, I thought you get thrown out of VP for that! :winkold:

Agree with this BUT I would play DJ in the central position (or at least have him swapping much more with Ash) as we have seen what he can do with his shooting from central positions a few times this year. I also think Ash's pace would give Brown more problems on the left. I am more positive about this game as I think we have no pressure or expectation on us and the young kids should just go out and have fun. Utd's record away from home is also not as good as usual (only one win, although yet to lose) and they are without Rafael, Scholes, Rooney and, possibly Evra. It's going to be interesting!