barak81

Dont think his substitutions where the smartest in the world I don't think Grant generally is that sharp on tactical subs. It's just he gets away with it by the team being technically and mentally strong enough to surpass this weakness he has in his managerial armour. He lets the team sort out the problem by it's own devices and so far he's been lucky enough to get away with it. I wonder how happy people would have been today if we had finished 1-1 would they have made more of the tactical changes or did they make little difference today to the outcome and were actually okay? Missed this game though (caught the final whistle!)' date=' Grant wants this trophy no doubt about it by his reaction on the whistle , think it was an [i']own goal [/i]at the end that saved us despite all our pressure and apparent good play. We need that lead going to Goodison. Seemed like we pretty much dominated Everton though by all accounts, I wonder if Capello being in the stands helped SWP look good today? I'm pleased for him but wish he could do this more often. I actually agree with all of that and if we'r on the money we will slowly see the team go backwards. then again it could just be because he just doesnt have the players at the moment!!

You boys would have had paddy viera shipped out aged 22 if he had been playing for us as opposed to gooners.

THANK YOU!! buy the man a drink!!

Amen to that. Other than the time it took us to regroup after the sending off we were much the better side. Dont think his substitutions where the smartest in the world

In the heat of the moment, playing competitavly, i cant say i wouldnt have gone in the same way i think that a lot on here would have as well! you dont have time to sit there and wiegh up if its an acceptable challenge in todays climate!! where the f**k is blue beard when you need him!! I do think his reputation helped change it 6to what should have been a yellow to a deffinate red! Incedently on both the red cards over the weekend that where simmerler to that, namely ipswich and burnly, it seems to be the concesis from a pundit point of view that they should never have been red cards!!

It was a red. I'm usually the first to disagree with the ref and call him a stupid, blind and ignorant t*at, but this time he got it spot on. Mikel can just f*ck off. Or better yet. Let him stay in Nigeria. no disrespect moos but if you think that challenge is a straight red then you'v been watching to much of that italian stuff and to maybe be a bit harsh havent really played a great deal your self!!

It looked 50-50 at one point on my stream, mikel was slower so slid in and was late, all there was to it. the fact that red's are being issued for those at the moment is a joke and really running the game as a whole!

It was never a red card loz!!

First of, never a red card! any one that thinks so really hasnt played football at any level! that said ive seen 3 of them given now in a week and think its a ridicules, its runing the sport!! Secodly thank f**k for sweepy! i spent the first 15 mins of the game thinking he will never be at the standerd we need him to be. Does any one else think he's a lot better down the middle than out wide? Laslty IMO you could see tonight why grant is not the long term answer. with 10 men you need to keep the ball, so he brings on the player least comfortable on the ball! And with 10 men we where still the better team so should have been going for the win not bringing of a striker for a right back

Piz is well of the money tonight, not offering a lot at all in my oppinion, time for saha, wont happen but i can hope!

Dont quite a few on here class grievsie as a legend? and he was with us bugger all time? bit young my self but im familure with the facts..

We should have had a pealty for a clear handball in the first half so swings and round abouts!!

ballak, head and sholdurs classiest player on the pitch

Gonna happen...

Just a note of caution about good old berbatov, for all his class, any pass he doesnt like the look of he doesnt chase, and tends to throw his arms in the air in an all to familure way, for this reason alone i know a fair few spuds fans who are not compltetly devistated to loose him

For what its worth i dont think we will come close to the league again under grant, i dont think he has that winners mentality needed.. weather or not he has the tactical nouse is still up for debate. I have however decided to judge him on a game by game basis for the time being untill he gets "his" sorted with "his" players then ill probably be a lot harsher on him than i am at the moment if he fails. In answer to Loz's question about challenging for the title under Jose, simply put... yes i do believe we would be further up the table if Jose was still in charge. One thing id put everything i own on would be that we would not have shipped 4 goals yesterday!!

I don't see it as a myth at all - it is a reality that unfurled before our very eyes. You only have to look at the squad we now have to see that fact. We have one orthdox winger in SWP with the other two (Joe and Malouda) being wingers who rarely hug the line, rarely beat the full back and rarely deliver a killer cross. Meanwhile when it comes to picking who should play in the centre of our midfield we have more options than Ron Jeremy when asked to name his sloppiest co star - yet despite the fact we have more central players than the current British political spectrum not one of them is a player you would seriously call a creative force. At no point do i remmeber him telling duff or robben to go, both pretty much made that decition and as you'v said many times on here good wingers are hard to come by now days. in theory kaulo should have been perfect as he played that position in holland but as ive said jury still out on that one. There were games we were fantastic and there were games we stuggled but won, same as any team, but because we spent a fortune we should have autamatic great winning football regardless of what the opposition might have to say about it, or at least thats the way people seem to think

Said it before he was let go and i feel the same way now, "jose's rigid football" was a myth created by the media and Liam. that most on here bought in to... fikle fikle people!! Jose had to deal with a squad that lost two keepers for long long periods, both jt and ricky being out for long periods, lampard injured, Cole out for most of a season, robben doing his usal pysio stuff and swp even spending some time on the treatment table! He didnt have the luxery of sexy football because he didnt have the players to make it happen Instead he pushed manur to the bitter end with a masivly depleated squad, and in his spare time picked up both domestic cups as well beating arsenal and united in the finals. This is what sets jose appart from all others. Go back in time a season though and with a fitter squad we'd won the prem by x-mass (ok not mathamticly but near as nailed on) and we where wiping teams aside add to that livepool at anfield, playing some great stuff. We have never been arsenal in terms of style but we dam sure knew how to win and manur super football is a myth as well with out ronaldo they aren't that special!! and are they any more attractive than when we had robben/duff/cole all avalible? im in the no camp But he's gone now and grant ha a four year contract in which time a predict a repeat of the claudio era... he's the faveriot manager of all are opponents!!

For me Joe's been below par for most of the season. He's had the odd good game here and there and isolated moment of brilliance here and there but nothing substantial. Ok some may say he's doing enough no worse than any other but end of the day in attacking sence he's supposed to be one of the go to men, actually since robben left i see him as the go to man on the wings. He supposed to be the one making things happen and by his own standereds and abillity he's coasting!! the problem is there's not a whole lot of ability behind him, SWP for me will never be the player we want or need him to be. He just a level below unfortunatly and thats not from lack of trying!! Kaulo has all the ability and skill but not sure where his heads at some times although had a good game today and maybe a run of games is what he needs. Id like to see sincalre given a run of first team games and not used just sparingly in the cup, but if not then we need more than just a striker in the window.. Any one rekon blackburn would take 10 mill and sidwell for bently?

went for riky

We'r in a bit of bother hear, now, i would trust hilario to carry my shoping!!

Being away first is the ticket with this one(which i believe would have been the case no matter what because of topping the group) The problem with the draw is its going to be one of those where are players may struggle to get motiated for.

Truth is he's not good enough!! Its a well know's fact that Me and G4 dont agree on n awfull lot, its also a well known fact that when we do we are with out question correct. Fact with out question.... sidwell is not good enough!!

Ive only seen the fella play out wide and to be honest i was'nt very impressed, G4 has ashured me he is the mutts playing more centraly so if he was bought in centeraly with the option of covering the wings when and as required simmeler to the way kalou can play up top or on the wing and cole can come in center if required then would be a good buy. I dare say Lamps will stat but at the same time maka is almost done jury still out on balak so if we take him out of the equation at the moment if are midfiled breaks down either through injury or suspesntion then we are looking at sidwell.... not good enough.. compare it to united who have carrick, scholes, anderson, hargreaves (ok i dont rate him but some do) when they play a 4-4-2 then we need to improove to compete!!

You are having a f*ckin' laugh, surely??? Nope, Look you have already admited that your judgment has been impared by thoughts of sue barker, go with me on this one