OTF

Game over. Loss, check. Enrique injury tweaked, check. Tiote suspended, Cheick. Ferguson's confidence dented, check. Back in the scrap, check.

Steve Harper FFS.

Only one stat that ultimately counts, plenty of teams will go there and be on the better end of many statistics and will still leave with nothing. Our shots on have been weak, our final options for the most part poor. If we get some possession in their box that's what will worry them.

West Brom leading Arsenal 1-0 at the half. At this stage of the season Arsenal is the team you want behind you if you're top of the league.

Shawcross is an ugly caricature of Nolan. Tiote yellow FFS. Misses two games, if he didn't get a card in this the slate was wiped clean. Harsh call from the ref, no way it was a yellow though no doubt he'll say it's for persistent fouling.

Colo just saved Ferguson's bacon, lesson clearly not learned as he just did the same thing.

Yeah, his enthusiasm got the better of him and he forgot about his primary duty. Let's hope we don't see any more unmarked crosses from Pennant.

Why? Colo, Willo and Taylor all ahead in the pecking order?

I'd prefer Ferguson to start at left back over Taylor or Perch either hijacking Simpson on the right or filling in on the left themselves. I'd say though that Pardew will want Taylor out there to assist with defending their set pieces and long throws. Carroll would have been good value in a game like this, Shola by contrast is useless in defending set pieces - loses his man most of the time.

This is going to be painful to watch. With no Enrique and Jonas we lose two of our players who are strongest on the ball. On their narrow pitch with no real wide players we're going to have limited constructive possesion, can see us reverting to lumping the ball up towards Best and Zorro, if they start with two up front. Otherwise I guess Shola with Nolan looking to pick up scraps. Whoever we play I can't see this being a very entertaining match. A point here would be a good result, though with the high possibility of another Steven Taylor or James Perch fullback performance I'll be highly surprised if we don't gift them several chances though Taylor giving too much space, or Perch goin missing or diving in committing reckless fouls. Hopefully Simpson starts at right back. No sense in shifting him to the left.

Spurs won't progress. Especially not if Ronaldo is fit. Their defense is crap. Still an admirable run in the competition. Inter aren't very good at the moment so I'd say who ever progresses out of Chelsea and Manure will be in with a good shot of reaching the final. Against manure it's Chelsea's to be won IMO. Manure are consistent, but on their day Chelsea is capable of better. On the other side I can't see Real progressing past Barca who seemingly have their measure.

Let's just get rid of all our wide players, that way we won't lose any attacking ability or width when we inevitably suffer injuries and have to move centrally based utility players (code for slow, shit and inconsistent) out there to cover for them. If the talk is already like this imagine at the end of the season we'll be getting the same we have for years - lots of irons in the fire, hope to bring in 3 or 4 players to strengthen the side, deteriorating down to the end of the window where we've very close with a couple of deals, but some of the others have fallen through ...and besides, that player who's been really crap for ages is suddenly a superstar in training so why pay money for a player when you have such an excellent prospect under your nose. ...and the talk of the 35m will be nowhere to be seen. Then after the window closes with hopeless lack of serious movement we'll get some crud statement that tries to justify hope the 35m actually has been spent on something completely unrelated that would have needed to have been paid anyway.

Yep, loaning out Routledge and consequently having to play a right back as a right midfielder... the type of vision that only this mob could display.

Got nothing less than we deserve.

Tiote yellow coming soon it seems..

Good chance that would have gone in if Nolan wasn't there in the bloody way. Kuqi.

Free-kick in a great spot.. noone on who can take it.

It's possible that nothing is better than that (though he did touch the ball unlike Best).

Best puts it in the back of the net.. clear push though

Arteta should have scored there. Lucky for us. Anichebe and Nolan at it...

Nice movement and passing there. WOuld have been a lovely goal. WOULD.

Finally on comes Fergie AKA Oliver.

Ameobi should have seen our guy on his outside there, would have been a great chance.

Noone closing down Arteta again down the right, thankfully a completely open Saha horribly messed up his header.