Dr Gloom

babayaro has been the worst player in the side since he's come back from injury. the problem is that it's either him or ramage, so you have to play him. left back should be a priority in the transfer window.

how could i forget that classic? he's used it more than once iirc

reminds me of big les the way he hangs in the air, only he's half his size. great timing on the header

he definitely looks a confidence player. once he got his first goal today he was buzzing around everywhere

watford deserved something out of the game. martins was the difference between the sides.

quality link barney

yes please

i can't get the link to work

what's the best radio link?

dyer and milner on the flanks, le bald genius fit to start up front with martins. i fancy our chances more now. got to be beating watford at home.

absolutely

our chairman speaks a lot of crap. some of it is funny. most of it is cringeworthy. which quote wins? you decide.

I don't think many people would say a plan is 'perfect'. We had such a setup under Robson with all the promising young players and the wheels fell off very quickly. Spurs have planned to the extent they have more under 18s on their books than Kenton Comp but they too are finding it very hard to make that jump into the big hitters. But we are going nowhere if we stay on the path we're on. The beauty of a great 'plan' (perhaps strategy is a better word) is that it is more than just a piece of paper or boardroom diktat. It instills a mentality across all club employees about what the clubs goals are and how it wants to acheive them. Within that fundamental framework, you can build training policies, transfers, ticket prices, pretty much any function the club carries out. Within those sub-levels there are plans in place but prepared in a way that anticipates that in football your best player can be crocked in a second, managers can walk out, freak own goals can plunge a side towards the drop. This isn't about a step-by-step guide to success, no such thing exists. Rather it is an understanding and shared principles that can be applied to every action the club can take. Souness was rightly sacked and his squandering of cash on shit like Faye and Boumsong was a big part in that decision. To be honest, I see that as the least important part of the bid. As we all know, £20m can be spent on very little (Luque+Boumsong+Faye). It could save our season, it could just as well add to our wage bill with nothing to show on the field for it. More important than that is that the current regime looks to have run its course. A good job may well have been done then but this is a vastly different game to the fledgling Premier League. The Shepherds are reasonably successful local businessmen, the Halls to a greater extent becoming known nationally via the MetroCentre development. But this is now a global game, with big hitters than add a couple of zeros to the sort of figures talked about 10-15 years ago. Can we really compete and continue to grow with a board which is virtually down to family members and Russell Cushing? Where are the non-execs? Where are the specialists? I have grave concerns about the intentions of Polygon, Gillette Mach 3 and Belgravia but one thing's for certain they'd make sure that the people in positions of responsibility are the best they can get. Not someone with the right surname. Yes the club is in a (far) better state than the club was in 'pre-92' but we're not going any further than being mid-table floaters for the foreseeable future. Spot on again. seconded. shepherd's plan, strategy, lack of foresight... whatver you want to call it... usually involves ignoring problem areas (ie the defence) and blowing the majority of our budget on players he thinks will win the fans over meaning we are over-stocked in certain areas and pitifully thin in others. and then sacking the manager at the most absurd times...usually a handful of games into the new season or just after the transfer window closes. sheperd is a joke chairman in most people's eyes.

The irony of this comment. Fucking incredible. especially when you read the whole of this thread. leazes continues to avoid questions he can't answer without contradicting himself ... ie repeatedly ignoring the fish.

you praying for the takeover or Leazes hanging himself? The takeover it would be too much fun leazes baiting when we win the league for him to hang himself. would I now ? I find it extremely puzzling how a long term supporter like you - or so you say - is STILL naive enough to think that any such takeover is going to put us automatically into the top 4 on a permanent basis, as there are only 4 clubs who have finished higher than us in the last decade and qualified more for europe. Because - if they don't, then they have not done so well ? Whatever their "plan". I can understand Dan the brain thinking this though not like you to try and put words in people's mouths leazes.

sign of things to come?

nope. stella early doors. jim beam, gin & tonic or havana club and coke late doors

i can't see a place for parker in the starting eleven on current form assuming all of the below are fit: Given Nobby Taylor Ramage Baba Milner Butt Emre Duff Martins Dyer

leazesmag will be buzzing

i can't understand why lucas neil keeps being linked with big clubs. he's always looked complete gash whenever i've seen him play.

why the sad face? that's more like it imo. hopefully we'll have half a fit side by then

i quite fancied a big club this round

not many massive clubs in it this year. i can't see a clear favourite out of tht lot

Given 7 - differnt class as usual. Huntington 6 - coped well with robben on a difficult debut Taylor 6 - solid Ramage 5 - good defensively but awful distribution Baba 4 - awful. playing alongside three kids and he looked like the rookie Milner 6 - can't fault his workrate but his final ball lacks quality and he isn't quick enough to take the likes of ashely cole on Butt 7 - up there with le sib for man of the match Zoggy 6 - looked good before injury Rossi 5 - nice touches and neat in possesion without ever posing much of a threat in the final third. The Sib 7 - used the ball well, brought others into play. Martins - 5 great effort and some signs of pace but he lacked composure and movement was poor. Pattison 4 - crap. Luque 4 - ditto

How long have we been waiting on a commanding CB? Woodgate was the last and the first we've had in a long time. The effect this sort of player can have on the whole back four cannot be underestimated yet they are few and far between. We do need to take our time and select the right player after the money we wasted on Boumsong but it certainly is a priority and is what I would identify our most urgent need. Yes we need new full backs but the influence of a leader at the back maay even turn Carr and Baba into semi-useless players rather than the giant-turd like oxygen thiefs they currently are. I'm a firm believer that when it comes to centre backs its not just their skill but their effect on the players around them and their ability to lead and command which is something we need desperately (although Moore does it to a certain degree). i don't think the likes of taylor, moore, ramage and bramble are good enough for where we want to be, but if we had a couple of decent full backs they would improve the back four end. carr and babayaro are just not good enough and we don't have any cover at either right back or left back