mad_mac

Any chance of playing the original one so we know what it at least sounds like?

Grant breaking chairs in the dressing room, I like his style

yeah, didn't we sign about 21 15 year old from Africa to our team (or at least to have the option of them joining our youth teams) while Jose was here?

Mate, I would like to see what ANY manager in THE WORLD would do with 90% of their first team missing. the bloke has earned us some points that other teams may have dropped....who say's Jose would have done better (other than Jose himself?) it is all speculation. Ballack not playing well, and you want Heselink????? You truly are not the gaffer...thank God! Scott

I don't know if all these stories about Roman messing with the team are totally founded. However, it wouldn't be the only case of such a thing happening in Europe, especially in big clubs, and any manager will have to expect that. I also think that Jose's stubbourness has cost us a bit this season too. I also, in the back of my mind, think that Jose will continue to bounce from club to club, have short term (albeit marked) success, and then piss off to the next club. thus further increasing his status as "The Special One." I think he would be more special to stick at one club and ride out their success for a few long seasons Scott

the only way I could see this happening would be if we were to sign someone else in the Jan tran window....a midfielder that is. I can't see any point in selling sidwell (albeit I didn't see much point in signing him) to Bolton at this time of the season. The only way that this has come up, is probably due to the Anelka saga. He may be being offered as a way to soften the deal! If sidwell were to leave, we would be relying on Ballack and Lampard during the ACN, with Maka in behind them? OR two of those 3 with wingers in a 4-4-2 formation Scott

I don't think buying players "just coz" is the right idea. I truly would like to see what Arnesen could bring to our table. I also don't vouch for buying players just to piss other clubs off Scott

Surely that should be the challenge that drives all great players on!

Cashley is back for this game too, but after his performance in the last game, I would like tosee us stick with Bridgey...doubt it will happen. The other 3 in the back 4 pick themselves. I still don't think cech should be rushed back, and no word on Carlo. Sheva is still ruled as "doubtful" according to SSN. I think Sinclair will see action, but again from off the bench. For me (and due to work I couldn't get this in to the BPL) .............................Hilario ....Belletti........Alex............BlueBeards Gran.....Cashley ...............................Essien ..................Mikel....................ballack ........SWP...........................................Joe Cole .............................Kalou Bench. That young welsh bloke Pizzaman Sinclair ZX Spectrum Red Headed Reading bloke Maka one maka two maka three makalele With it being a Derby, and us with a half a squad, I think this will be a potential banana peel. However, I hope we squeek out a 1-0 win Scott

thanks for the education lads....I guess deep down I was merely trying to make an excuse for us getting a goal we clearly shouldn't have had. Not that we didn't deserve a second goal from our play in the first 60 minutes, but that goal, that late on, after letting the toon back into the game...it saved some embarrasment Scott

Tiago was one of his too, but he was decent..scored a cracker against the mancs. Generally I feel that Jose signed athletes and then installed a winning mentality in them a deadly combination. However, now that jose has gone, and taken his mentality with him, we are left with some great athletes, but not that great footballers (in the sense of creativity). It would be nice to see some injection of flair back into the team, and I think the freedom Joe Cole has been given under Grant is testiment to the direction Grant may take us. I also expect us to sign a couple fo Dutch players in the summer....quite possibly Van Der Vaart and Huntelaar. VDV is a creative midfielder, and that is something we need. Huntelaar is a giant, and a great scorer. He also believes in being able to run for an entire 90 minutes while on the pitch. These are the kinds of signings we need to make Scott

I still think that some of the best football we have seen from Mikel was when he played at the head of our diamond, behind two strikers. I also think he has a decent shot on him, and is a future great for our club. I hope that we start using him more up the field than trying to mold him as a maka type player. I think that was something Jose liked for him to do, but we had Diarra?! If, we went to a flat 4-4-2, though, I think Mikel would struggle to start ahead of Lampard (wrongly so) Ballack, or Essien. What does anyone think of Ballack holding, with Essien and Mikel just ahead of him? Ballacks vision and passing are great, and Mikel and Essien have the physicality to run the midfield all game

In an interview earlier today with Skysports, Grant said that we don't want to sign a player just to use for two months, that they are looking for players who will be with the club for a number of years. I don't know if Berbatov, or Anelka really fit that criteria. Berbatov is a whinging bar steward, and I truly detest the blokes attitude. I don't think we need to be spending big money on another striker right now after the Sheva debacle ( a great palyer, once, but we paid WAY over the top for him. I can't help but feel Berba would be the same IF, it came down to him or Anelka, I would take Anelka for a fraction of the cost, and then bring in Huntelaar in the summer Scott

will be interesting to see him back. He scored a screamer against us...last minute, but I can't remember who against. hten didn't he go and languish in a Serie A side before going to the Serie B??? Rangers could be a good move for him. European football, and a decent squad about him. SCott

The one thing I will say in Mikel's defence for letting the newcaslte player by him for their equalizer....it was in the penalty area, and the last thing we needed was for Mikel to make one of his challenges in the area, thus giving them a penalty, and quite probably, a one man advantage after Mikel would have been shown red Scott

It was me who posted our "injred/ suspended team." However, Essien was not part of it. There are 10 out of 11 players out or suspended who would walk onto most other teams in the prem Scott

He was a full 2 yards offside at least when the shot came off Pizarro. Not obvious enough for you? read my post again, I said when MIKEL'S initialy shot came off. HTe defection of Pizarro would surely then not matter as Pizarro didn't intend that pass. therefore, the offside ruling comes from when the initial strike was taken....which was Mikel's.....where I feel Kalou was still slightly offside, but not as blatant. Scott

I think a replay would be useful in something like this. It would only take a second, and seeing as it is being used in this instance to send someone off, and give a penalty, I would rather take a minute to see if that was the case, rather than have the ref balls it up, and the have the FA completely reject any reasonable claim because they don't want to over-rule their precious refs

Interesting that the coach says "we need a pacy forward" and then says "we would love Shevchenko here." Bit of an opposing train of thought there

I think that the score line flattered Le arse more than the game warranted. Everton just couldn't make the most out of their chances, then the poor communication between defender and keeper really seasled the deal. Of course Arse also bossed the ref, and got scrappy a few times....nothing will eb said of this. Also, that tw*t of a journo who said Mikel should have just got up and dusted himself off after the Crouch tackle....I wonder what his take was on fabregas's antics to get Arteta sent off. If I had been Arteta I would have stamped on the f*cker while he was on the ground: "if your getting me sent off, it might as well be for something wirthwhile" would be my excuse Scott

honestly, if we were to buy him we would be paying enormous wages for him. We already are paying way too much for sheva, and I think Ronnie would be a sheva-esque signing. Unreal wages, and way over the top expectations; would he be able to live up to all the hype surrounding him? It also all depends on what our system will be next season. Right now we are playing a style and team left for us by Jose....who says we will continue this way next season? Something in me tells me that we may switch for a 4-4-2 next season, and thus use more players like Cole, Sweepy, VDV, Malouda will be used. Ronnie may just head back to play in Brazil

Bill O'reilly writes for tribal football?

So true, Enrico, so true Ideally we'd ignore both of 'em and get someone like Klose or Huntelaar in, but I won't be holding my breath. Count me in on those sentiments. I don't like either player because of their attitudes, so for me it would be best to bring in a player who we can mould into our style of play rather than a player who probably feels they know better about how to play in the premiership. If we want whining players who sometimes offer something, why not try and bring Mido back to the premiership?

He has been one of my favourite players in recent memory for the blues, but I wonder if he would even come back? He looked dismayed that he knew he was leaving, so I wonder if, for Eidur, it's a case of...thanks for the memories! He may leave Barca, but I don't think he would come back to us

just a quick glance at the names suggests the founding family brought a few co-patriots down from north of the border!