Papa Lazaru

I've no doubt we'll lose again this season, though i do think we have a great chance of going the whole season unbeaten at home, but i'm also exteremely confident of us finishing first and at worst second as we are the most effective team in this division. Not the best footballing team, may not end up top scorers but we're top on points and i think we'll end there. Forest will lose more games away from home now that their unbeaten run has come to an end, though they're looking good at home and West Brom always look capable of a sudden defeat following a really good result, plus they have an FA cup game to fit in and a replay in that would start some fixture trouble. No idea what will happen in each of the individual fixtures listed but i'm going to take a shot at us being unbeaten at home all season, and maybe 2 more away defeats, at worst 3.

He does have good technique under pressure, however what happens quite a bit is he'll beat one player whilst looking for a passing option and will then have to try to beat them again or thread an impossible ball because no passing option s have presented themselves. I'd put it down to imitations of other players which in turn goes back to team selections. Guthrie doesn't have pace or trickery, but he's half decent at using his body to protect the ball. It would be nice to see him form some sort of partnership with a steady midfield setup. I really thought he'd be a central figure for us this season - hasn't turned out to be the case because of what appears to be blatant favouritism towards some of the more 'experienced' players. Thats how i look at him too, he knows how to collect the ball to protect it and can play one-touch stuff, both attributes are important in a tight midfield. He has a lot to work on but i think he knows how to control a football, which for me sets him apart from other options we have in there. How many times has Guthrie started centrally this season? Guthrie is the only one out of him, Smith, Butt and Nolan i'd give a chance to in the prem, as long as he's central and not out wide. Ideally we'd sign to central midfielders who were better and he'd be 3rd choice but that's not going to happen. And he's never had a good run in the centre under Hughton so he's never had the chance to establish himself there.

Yeah, theres definitely an attitude or mental issue with him as i'm sure i remember spells where he looked like a really decent player with plenty of talent and an eye for a goal, certainly at this level and perhaps prem level but he never seemed to stick at it and ended up moving to another club. He'd certainly create more than some of our lot and would be worth a go.

He can't be as slow or inable to pass as Butt, Smith and Nolan, so he's likely to be a step up so i'd take him till the end of the season!

Would certainly be interesting and would annoy the "big four" so would amuse me if nothing else. Because as things are now with the 4 clubs having had year upon year of CL money and the reputation to attract the best players like you say its then self fullfilling that they qualify again. Theres only Man City with a genuine chance of breaking into and staying in the top 4. Others like Spurs, Villa, Everton etc may get in one year, but next year they'll be out again. As for the play off idea itself, its bad enough teams who aren't champions get into the "champions league" allowing a team who finished 7th a chance is ludicrous.

Have you not got homework to be getting on with im off tomorrow and the next day, keegans off also, did you hear? he walked out on his job, wouldnt be like him eh. Fuck off you daft cunt. Concise and well put! Still going a bit soft on the know-nowt ungratefull little prick though, who's definitiely on the wrong forum.

I've just bought the latest Alexander McQueen top, its a bit tight around the neck but it hangs well!

Forest losing and West Brom have yet another fixture to squeeze into their schedule, so it all went our way apart from our own shit performance!

Well that was fun wasn't it, i thought i was just watching the Leicester match again! Apart from Routledge who had a go the 3 in midfield want shooting for that match and Hughton as well for doing fuck all to change it. I actually forgot Smith was playing as apart from a couple of fouls he literally wasn't in the game at all. Guthrie was dire, woefully slow, caught in possession continually and couldn't pass, yet Nolan managed to make him look like a world beater with his "efforts". When players need more than 5 seconds on the ball to do anything with it they need to have a word with themselves and if the manager is sitting their thinking it was fine then he's an imbecile. And when he did make a change he takes of the only player who has any pace other than Routledge! Carroll had a shocker, but came up with an impressive header to snatch the point and the defence were ok, though i've no idea why Williamson had been dropped. Still think we'll get promoted though, as we were a complete disgrace, they dominated for 90 mins and we drew, thats what this divison is like and Forest are now out of their unbeaten run and struggling with suspensions and injuries likely to hit them. But in the prem we will be ripped apart.

Much prefer union, but you're right, i've watched it since i was a kid and you still can't know all the rules and interpretations of them. But league is just guys running into a line of the opposition, taken down, back heel the ball and run into the line again and again. No competetive scrums, no rucks or mauls, no tactical kicking, lineouts or anything like that. Don't get me wrong the league players are admirable in their athletisism, strength, stamina and guts but the game isn't a patch on union. But as somebody said earlier union is currently suffering from some rule changes which massively favour defences when a player is grounded and its lead to teams not risking playing and so kicking far too much. Also Brian Moore is probably my favourite co-comentator of any sport! Did you read about his 'Gollumesque' psychological problems? In the Sunday Times a few weeks back I think. Weird shit, but still seemed a canny bloke, regardless. No, haven't heard/read anything about that, and you'd think if it is even slightly linked to lord of the rings i'd have heard about it!

Much prefer union, but you're right, i've watched it since i was a kid and you still can't know all the rules and interpretations of them. But league is just guys running into a line of the opposition, taken down, back heel the ball and run into the line again and again. No competetive scrums, no rucks or mauls, no tactical kicking, lineouts or anything like that. Don't get me wrong the league players are admirable in their athletisism, strength, stamina and guts but the game isn't a patch on union. But as somebody said earlier union is currently suffering from some rule changes which massively favour defences when a player is grounded and its lead to teams not risking playing and so kicking far too much. Also Brian Moore is probably my favourite co-comentator of any sport!

And so it begins! Can't be England going into a major tournament without key players either missing with injury or coming back from injury when it starts and not being fully fit and at their best! I was just wondering the other day who would be first, my money was on Rooney as he is absolutley on fire, but he'll probably get injured nearer the time of the world cup!

If you want an oscar go for disability (mental or physical), triumph over adversity, biopic of a celeb who had some sort of disability or triumph over adversity, or somebody who is a bit mental but with a special talent (such as maths or piano playing!)! Or maybe be an glamorous film star who makes themsleves a bit ugly for a role and that has a good chance as well. Throw in the holocaust as well and you can't fail! Be interesting for once if they just went solely on what was a great film even if it was about somebody who was totally 'able' and didn't triumph over fuck all!

Exactly, if Ashley et al hadn't been such a bunch of lying, cheating, retarded cockends in most of what they've done in destroying this club, then this January would have went down with most fans as a decent effort. No sales of our best players and people brought in to pad out the squad for the promotion battle. Sadly i think deep down we all believe that come next season we will be fucked over by ashley yet again and left to suffer at best a poor season in the prem and at worst relegation again.

Finally the kind of game we've wanted to see at home! Routledge makes such a difference with his first touch, then setting off at pace and attacking defenders and its not just crosses, he is picking out some lovely through balls. The two wingers and Guthrie in the middle makes all the difference and to be fair i thought Nolan had his best game in ages as he's been miles off the pace recently. Thought Williamson was solid at the back yet again, Fitz hall did a job at the back though as we suspected he will be a limited footballer on the whole, did get an assist as well! Best didn't get much chance to shine, i thought he was tidy in a few things he did, but didn't get the chance to show us how much pace he might have. I was surprised Hughton took him off as on his debut in comfortable win i thought it was a great chance for the lad to get a goal and boost his confidence, however you can't argue with the decision when Lovenkrands comes on and bangs two in himself! Carroll named motm and i wouldn't argue with that though personalyl i'd have went with Routledge as he is just so different to what we've been suffering lately! And on the left Jonas worked his arse off in defence and attack and linked well with the young Dutch lad. Now, does Hughton have the brains and/or balls to realise why this was different and play every game with the 2 wide men and Guthrie in the middle and attack the opposition.

What about big Willy ?? Yeah, forgot about him, he'll be very important to be fair!

Except Terry, who'll get booed by his own fans and play below-par throughout, but Capello won't drop him because he feels guilty about stripping him of the captaincy in response to the demands of a couple of tabloids and the retards who listen to them. Definitely worth the effort though. Definitely. I don't think he will get booed anyway, once we're talking competitive world cup games, he'll get it playing for Chelsea though and thats tough shit, but he's the sort of guy who it will be nothing to, won't change the way he plays at all. The tabloids love to try and sabotage an England campaign but the fans at the world cup won't, they've paid a fortune to go and supposrt the team there. A home game at Wembley with some of the piss poor crowds there, then yes, he might get some shit, but not at the world cup and it'll have blown over by then anyway. So it won't cause any trouble at all IMO.

Listening to SSN you now have the people saying its going to derail our world cup bid, we're pressing the self destruct button, what a bunch of utter dicks! It won't matter in the slightest, Terry will still play and will still be running the defence and shouting at them, and all the other players will do exactly as well (or badly) as they were going to do before this happened!

Bit of a blow as the defence on which this whole season has been built is now more or less all out injured! Suddenly we have a kid on loan at LB, Simpson just back from injury at RB (Or Raylor who isn't really a RB), Kadar who is inexperienced and Hall who is yet to play for us and is hardly a world beater! Hughton really had better pick the 2 wingers and Guthrie in the middle as we have to take this game to them now, we can't rely on the defence and try to pick off a goal and close the game out.

As Meenzer said footballers are dicks so its hardly a surprise this has happened, but good on Cappello for dumping him anyway. Personally i don't care who they make captain, its not something that ever bothers me. A cricket captain is in charge of every aspect of the teams play and often selection of players and is a massively important choice, and a rugby union captain has a lot of tactical decisions during a match to make, but football its just a figurehead. Players who are leaders/shouters or whatever will do it whether you make them captain or not, the likes of Terry, Adams or whoever will orgainse their back four with or without an armband. The only possible benefit i see is certain individuals themselves seem to get a boost from it and it raises their own game, but other than that, it doesn't really matter. So Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard any of those mentioned would do me, and Cappello has shown they all have a real leader to follow who will make decisions and not stand for any fucking about, and that is important.

Obviously the Jedward-Vannilla Ice combo has taken rap to another level since this thread was last aired!

I'm more worried at Guthrie having to play two positions at once!

Its manu and Fergie who think they have a divine right to do as they please and shouldn't be punished for anything they do. The FA should just grow a pair and hammer him and next time Fergie rips into an official on about his tenth warning, hammer him as well, but i doubt it.

Pretty much agree, Nolan's goals will have played a massive part in promotion should we go up so i think he deserves credit for that, but as a midfielder the game just passes him by and in the prem he will be far worse. Smith has went right of the boil and is now becoming anoymous himself and good or bad in a match you don't expect Smith to just disappear from the game. Guthrie i always find hard to judge as he so clearly hates being out wide and is not suited to it at all, but he should have done better than he has, and as everyone on here and in St James knows, Butt was finished last season never mind this! So i'd say Nolan is bad, but if we go up his contribution will have actually been big simply because of the goals and little else.