Phillip

Hmm, I like G4's ratings better.

OK, G4, here goes: Cech: 8.5 . Made two great saves in the 2nd half, which were so needed. Also, commanded the box as no other of our keeper can do for corners and free kicks. Diarra: 7.0. Would have scored him higher, but he let Faye clean in for one of his two great chances in the 2nd half. Carvalho: 7.0. Played a good game, was likely partly to blame for letting Faye in for his first great chance in the 1st half. Bridgey: 8.5. Super-solid on defence, and made three or four excellent crosses into the box in the first half, driving Charlton's defence crazy. Essien: 7.5. Looked very lively out there, and is very impressive at the back. Maka: 6.0. Not one of his better games, but he did nothing terribly wrong, just was not in the mix as much as I would have liked. Mikel: 6.5. Competent game, made solid short passes and defended well. Lamps: 8.0. Very lively out there, and his goal was fantastic. Good defence as well, with several times stealing the ball from the opposition. Ballack: 7.0. Seemed interested for a change, and was more involved than usual. Sheva: 4.5. Poor first touch as usual, bad finishing. Had a clean header that whipped over the bar. Does not pass the ball as much as he should. Drogba: 7.0. Good game, with no real chance at goal. Subs: SWP: 7.5. Three great shots at goal, and deserved to score on one of them. Kalou: 6.5. One nice shot on goal, which just missed. JT: 10.5. Great to see him out there for those 3 minutes at the end. MOM. Bridgey.

Don't hijack this thread for rugby, or this is what may happen Any, JW is more injury prone that Arjen Robben, and that says something.

Didn't you see my thread about free-view Setanta weekend???

Disagree, Kev123. I think it was a really disappointing 2nd half. It played like a game in the Christmas time period, whereby we should have given up the equalizing goal with sloppy play. The only good thing is that we have Cech back there, otherwise, we would have lost 1-2. I don't know who is more snake-bit, SWP or Sheva; both are so unlucky. Anyway, it is a win, but that is all I will say.

We have had several free kicks, probably 4. Sheva seems a bit selfish in his play, but I guess that is understandable given his scoring drought. I like Ballack's enthusiam today.

Diarra looks good out there. Actually, everyone looks good, especially Bridge, with his great crosses.

And the Chelsea match is on now!!!!

Hades, quite simple really. He was the son of Cronus and Rhea. He had two brothers, Poseidon and Zeus. The three brothers divided the world between them: Zeus took the upperworld, Poseidon the sea and Hades the underworld. Hades ruled the underworld together with Persephone for some time after he had kidnapped her from the upperworld. Zeus told him to send her back. He did, but the gave her a pomegranate (some stupid fruit I think) which she ate and became bound to the underworld forever. Apparently Hades is the least liked god. I wonder why Note quite. If my memory serves me well, Persephone had to stay in the underworld, each year, for the number of months corresponding to the number of pomegranate seeds she ate. I think she ate 4 seeds, which accounts for the winter months.

OK, I will partially agree with you. Sheva looked great as a winger, and his positional play and passing were excellent. However, his first touch and his shooting were unbelievably poor (can he kick the ball hard?). Moos: The strange thing is that your double-rating of Sheva is exactly the correct thing to do.

You must have missed the entire first half -- Blackburn could have scored 5 goals. Of course, we could have scored 7, if only Drogba had the chances that Sheva fluffed. I just don't see your cause for optimism with Sheva, Loz. As to the midfielders, while Ballack looked very good out there, Lamps was clearly the best of our midfield bunch. Moos: Your ratings and assessment of each player were perfect.

I find it hard to believe that getting JT back will turn our atrocious defence into a good defence. My god, he is just one person. Seeing Ashley Cole nutmegged, seeing Carvalho grabbing everybody in sight and trying his best to turn an easy goal line clearance into a scary thing, . . ., it's mindboggling!

He's doing alright. He's had five good chances compared to Drogs's one. And who put it in. He got a bit unlucky with one or two, but a striker of Sheva's caliber should expect at least two of those in the net. Not Sheva bashing, I worship him as a player and love his professional attitude, but there is alot of room for improvement in the second half. Sheva has an awful first touch -- reminds me of Kezman on a bad day. On a positive note, it is an exciting game to watch, and Lamps is looking lively out there. Other than Drogs and Lamps, everyone else is playing well below par.

Honestly Loz I dont think he even got the ball. From the replays I have seen that was a penalty and a straight red. My first thought was the same as yours....."What a tackle"....but from the replays I don't think he even got a touch. Agreed that it should have been a penalty. Our defence is at 6s and 7s, they have no clue at all.

Pretty England-centric, so I only know a few of the answers.

I'm surprised he was released, since with Parlour at Boro, noone could say that Southgate was the ugliest guy at the club.

The bugger also needs a hair cut.

I have lost a lot of respect for you, Qaz, with that comment.

Good one, Boulderbollocks.

Ugh, that is bad news indeed. Oh well, perhaps we will do OK with Carvalho back there, and with Petr Cech back.

I will feel better if someone will PROMISE ME that JT will play in the next Premier League match.

We might have to force him.

I guess we need to ask whomever has that avatar with VanPersie falling down after missing his kick to change his avatar, given the help he provided to us today.

And if anyone ever claims Rio is a better centre half than JT then just point them towards today's performance. Hell Vidic is closer to JT than Rio is! I would take Rio over any of our current center backs, and even over Carvalho. But certainly not over JT.

ManU looked very special to me -- 8 players with exceptional pace, and all of their defenders willing to make agressive runs into the box. We really need to learn from their attacking gameplan. I know they lost, but they deserved to win that game. We are back in the race, so let's not slip up now.