Alpaywasawesome

OH GABBY!

Luna should have gone for goal!

Our play through the centre is clearly not working, we need to play with more width, Newcastle has sussed out our approach play. Lambert needs to change it up.

http://www.7500toholte.com/2013/8/29/4671958/Premier League-transfer-rumours-barry-bannan-aston-villa-crystal-palace Just came across this old article. Hilarious.

Given is the one person who deserves a move, shame if he doesn't get it.

I was thinking the same.

Oh FFS.

Having flashbacks to Mon. Lambo, don't let the double sub swing the game in Chelsea's favour, My God. Don't make subs only when we're 2-1 down. God.

I think Lambo needs to tell us to clear our lines early in the games. El Ahmadi had the ball on the edge of the box, he should have booted it clear instead of trying to build something. I'm worried teams will notice out tendency to start poorly and try to capitalise on it like Chelsea did today high pressing, closing down quickly to scare and harry us into turning over possession in key areas. Clear our lines goddamnit!

Damn we're more than in this.

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Haha. Love this part: All those who travel to the Brittania must be prepared to pay ‘the iron price’ with their players for the rest of the season. It is also widely believed that their sigil – the mythical deep sea monster, the Kraken – is in tribute to former legendary manager Tony Pulis. No other creature has ever risen from the depths of league football to strike such terror in the hearts of men.

Listen I think Lambert is smart enough to say to Benteke, look we only really started playing with you as our out-and-out forward with tactics and personnel that supported you and set you up to do a lot of damage from January onwards, and you still finished at the 4th highest goalscorer in the league. Next season if you stay with us you'll already be familiar with the style of play we're aiming for, and you'e already had some key understandings built up with Lowton, Westwood, Weimann, Gabby. This sets you up nicely for next season to compete for the Golden Boot. If you go somewhere else, you will need to spend some time getting that rapport and understanding with your teammates that you already have here. And with the World Cup coming up, time is not a luxury you have, your best bet to shine is with us. I think Benteke will re-sign with us, I've convinced myself now. Lambert surely is smarter than myself, so I'm sure he'll make the case to him even better than I have.

Agreed, this would send a pretty powerful message, and would shift the power back to the manager, after so many years of giving into our player's demands for move.

If he's still undecided, I say tell him he gets Petrov's number 19 shirt. A symbolic changing of the guard. I think Stan won't mind presenting the shirt to him either. I mean it makes sense on all counts - this would boost shirt sales amongst Bulgarian fans, good for us, Stan gets a youngster he rates highly to inherit his shirt, and I'm sure Tonev would be well chuffed too. C'mon, Tonev 19! Let's make it happen!

Osbourne had 2 games - Man U and Everton - maybe another which I may have forgotten, where he looked pretty good, all action in midfield, and driving forward with the ball. I think those performances were just down to his athleticism and opposition underestimating/not knowing how he played. His lack of skill on the ball was sussed out eventually and he became somewhat of a liability. On Bannan, he can play some beautiful passes both long and short. We've all seen him do those kind of passes when he's had the time and space to pick them out (assist for Albrighton at Fulham comes to mind) but he doesn't possess the physique/athleticism or close control dribbling skills to make that space for himself. It's kind of like owning a Ferrari with no wheels, you know how fast it could potentially go but without the wheels, you'll never get to see it ... Same with Bannan.

Our Idiot Brother is a pretty enjoyable film, nothing groundbreaking, but a nice, sweet little film to watch on a boring weekday night. Emily Blunt and Elizabeth Banks are also in it. But Rashida Jones as a dyke in the film is stunning. She looks great.

He doesn't score easy goals, does he?

Regarding the 'dominating of the midfield' I thought in Delph, Sylla and Westwood, for large parts of the Chelsea game up until Benteke's sending off, dominated the midfield with strong harrying, tackling, good shielding of the ball, forceful running, and incisive passing. I can't say Bannan possess any of these attributes. He's not a direct runner with the ball, he needs time and space to play a forward pass, if not it goes sideways/backwards or he loses possession. Could you imagine Bannan helping to dominate the midfield any better than any one of Westwood Sylla Delph in that midfield trio against Chelsea? I don't have the stats to prove this hypothetical, but I'm sure everyone can agree it's hard to think of Bannan being more effective than any of the 3 who played.

Bannan has some talent, I don't think his crossing is good, but I've said before and I maintain I've seen him play some cracking long passes. Granted he's not done it nowhere near consistently enough, but he has shown he has that in his locker, and I can't ignore what I've seen he can do. But he's still not good enough or suitable enough for where we want to be. Who knows, maybe he'll work on being stronger on the ball, and being consistent with his long ' Hollywood' balls and becomes a world-class Champions League calibre player. But I don't see it happening to be honest.

Great. Honestly, he overlapped well, and did his part to support the attack. Keeper.

I'm not watching anymore. Too tense, see you in ten minutes, or 20 after 10 mins of injury time.

we're gunna lose this aren't we ....

Westwood mega clearance. Would have gone in ...

Just hold on to the point FFS!