OTF

Mike Ashley sacks the lowest paid manager in the league, the manager who took a broken team had them promoted as champions amassing a record total on the way, then took that championship side with minimal additions to a comfortable midtable position with 1/3 of the season gone because he's looking for value for money.

Gosling's return to training is just around the corner apparently. Will be good to see what he's capable of, though the rumbling I've heard are that he's not that great. Certainly I don't think his strength will be his creative play, so he'll probably rightfully play second fiddle to Tiote. Will be good to have him available to fill in when Tiote is inevitably suspended again.

Made more challenges, but that was a result of Chelsea having more posession which was at least partially a result of Guthrie turning the ball over more often and failing to keep posession like he did in the first. Played some nice attacking passes in the first hal as well, none in the second.

I agree that he had a decent first half against Chelsea last week. The second he fell away badly and this one against West Brom he was poor from the start. Wants too much time on the ball. Can pick out a pass but no sense if you need so mauch time to do it. A couple of times when the ball went to him whilst we were attempting a counter attack he might as well have been a black hole. I think pease could be onto something regarding his personal life putting him off, because he's a better player than we saw today. Whilst we're on the subject of player that are put off or not at the races mentally, that's been Jonas for the last month. I'm sure it has something to do with the cold and shit weather.

I've just realised what Qatar's contribution to World Football thus far is.... ...and for more lols... Sepp Blatter...

Completely odd to even be discussing this, but it's like a boxer knocking himself out with an uppercut. In my book it's embarrassing when a professional football player kicks the ground when trying to control a ball when no other player was involved. He didn't slip, he just kicked the ground, like someone who trips over their own foot while walking. The incident itself was embarrassing enough but to then have the opposition stroll in pickup the ball quickly counter and score is insult to injury. What is unfortunate is that Guthrie played today. Unfortunate for him that he was given a chance for the second week in a row to play in his preferred position and absolutely muffed it.

We couldn't have been any more flat from the get go.

Embarrasing why? If he's injured there's not much he could've done about it, is there? Embarrassing because he injured himself by kicking the ground with no other player directly involved. As a result of kicking the ground he turned the ball over and they scored.

...and that Guthrie injury/turn over/goal assist. He's actually injured. That's possibly the most embarrassing thing to happen on the pitch for us since Bowyer and Dyer swung handbags.

....and the misery is over. I was really looking forward to that as well, thinking that it had all the ingredients for one of our better performances (away from home, attacking side who allow space). Oh how wrong I was.

Simpsons balls into the box are consistent. There, I've found the one positive from this match.

Scary isn't it. ...and another one. They deserve it, we've been rubbish. There's nothing even to feel aggrieved about, depressing this is.

Sol clearly the second fastest player in the league, unlucky to come up against the fastest there .

Campbell unlucky to get a yellow for standing there.

Jonas has been rubbish the last 4 or so games, must really be hating the shite weather or something.

Nolan and Barton shoiuld be exempt from training just to decrease the chances of Guthrie and Smith getting on the pitch. WHere was Vuckic on the bench anyway? Are we ever going to need three extra strikers?

Alan Smith. That's all I need to say.

Never fear Alan Smith is here! Poor Routledge being subbed out. IMO he's put in the effort that loads of other haven't.

Deserved goal from then, we've been horrible and this has been a horrible watch. Danny Guthrie kicked the fucking ground and lost the ball as as result. Oh boy. They score as a result. He's injured himself as well.

Campbell and LOvenkrands conspire to mark each other out of a good chance on goal from amazingly a good Danny Guthrie free-kick.

Get Guthrie off.

Great pass from Campbell, good cross from Jonas, good hand from Carson to take it off Lovenkrands head.

At least HUghton's showing some enthusiasm from the sidelines barking orders.

And here's a yellow for Guthrie for a completely idiotic challenge.

Tiote lucky not to get a yellow there, one of the stupid things I've talked about in other threads. Andy Carroll is not having a good game, alwasy wanting to shoot when there's better options available.