OTF

Have to wonder about their ability to compete in a match that will be high intensity and physical. They offer something different to the players they'd replace, that's for sure. Wonder if Vuckic has snuck onto the bench.

I wonder who we have on the bench? Anyone who could change the match if required?

Awesome

Under 3 hours. Quarter past 10 in the evening here. Expecting to see the exact same lineup from the West Ham game.

Shoosh, I'm trying to give the lad some confidence after all the crap he's read about himself on here the last few weeks. I agree re: CB. Honestly though if he worked on his positioning and didn't push up the pitch so far to escape responsibility he'd be nowhere near the liability that he currently is. Still not good enough though. Keep up the good work Perchie!

I was going to pop an amen on the end of this, but given the direction of the thread maybe not the greatest idea. Talking GPs here - They will give you very general advice from experience, or redirect you in the case that they deem it to be serious. Sports physios see these sort of things all the time and crtiically are closely involved in the rehabilitation process so they will be able to give you a good indication of how bad the injury is, the best excercises to nurse it back, and along the way will be able to let you know if the recovery is going to plan.

Owen: I'm not injury-prone Fresh Setback for Owen Oh, dear.

.. and should say that I thought Perch did ok today. Made some good challenges and interceptions.

Must've been a left uppercut he dished out. I heard he was waving to someone and their face slipped onto his fist.

Commentators were belting on about it before the game. Don't see how this talk could have actually picked up after the win over West Ham, doesn't make sense. The club should have reassured Chris behind closed doors and not entered into this sort of 'discussion' with the press etc. We don't need any distractions ahead of the game on Sunday.

Lovenkrands still has value, but certainly not in games where we're going to be starved of possession and resort to playing long balls. In those sort of games, like he was today he'll be largely anonymous. Routledge actually did some things ok today, beat Ebou nicely with some trickery. His final ball is pretty ordinary, but I'm far from writing him off completely. He does add something different I think, but at the moment it's hard to see that difference having much of an effect on the result. In the end result is the most important thing. Speaking of Ebou, what a diving twat he is.

Did you not see his through ball that put Ranger one on one with the keeper? Ranger's first touch was half decewnt but then got the ball under his feet with the goal virtually at his mercy. I wouldn't say he was slow an meadering at all, he was always looking up to see where he could make a pass to, something others (like Routledge) don't often do. Was horrible for the goal or course, can be no excuse for that. Is Ranger not the most clumsy looking player of all time? Makes Shola look graceful. I guess he's still growing into his body. Might help if he wasn't wearing skates out there. Vuckic looked quite good today I though. Would like to see him getting a little more involvement in the first team now that Ben Arfa is out. Has some good pace once he gets moving and looks to have good vision for a player of his age.

Communication and movemoent off the ball is lacking, thatr's where they're killing us. Combine that with the fact that we're hanging off them it gives them plenty of time to make easy passes, loads of 1-2s penetrating. We've created chances though, the most notable from an excellent pass from Danny Guthrie. If I was Hughton I'd think about bringing Jonas on, someone who is decent at holding possession.

Vuckic is lised as left mid.

Commentator going on about how some bookmaker has suspended betting on the next manager to go because they'd taken a lot of money on it being Chris Hughton... WTF? Chris back in his tracky (tracksuit in case tracky doesn't translate), unless he's planning an outfit change while he stands on the sidelines.

Where's Ferguson. He looked good for us against Chelsea, naturally left sided.

They're showing Newcastle v Everton at St James' from 03/04 in the leadup to the Carling Cup match. Shearer and Bellamy together up front. First goal was a Shearer knock down that Bellamy read and used his pace to get to, then cooly rounded the keeper. Have Fox Sports been reading this or something.... The look on Dyer's face was priceless after he scored a header that bounced over their keeper, said 'whoops didn't mean that'. Of course Shearer's got two of his own as well.

Kinda off-topic, but I hear a lot of journalists, players and many, many nobodies all promoting their Twitter feeds. Now I know naught about Twitter, but is there some sort of benefit that a person receives if they have more people following their feeds, or is it just all about building one's ego 'cause he/she can say 'Oh, look at all the people who follow my Twitterings!' (Actually, I can kinda understand it for newspaper journos because I guess that if you follow one of their feeds, there's a greater chance you may eventually land on that newspaper's website ... which increases website hits ... which increases likelihood of receiving paid advertising etc.) Yep, and that's why the Chronicle and lee Ryder spam out every article. I don't mind it though How else would I know that Andy Carroll is focused on the cup and the derby, that Steven Taylor is racing to be fit for the derby, that Gosling is back on the road to recovery, that Steve Watson wants a win in the Cup and against Sunderland, that Haris Vuckic wants to play against Arsenal TWICE in the space of a few hours!

They should have been an almost perfect partnership that lasted through to Shearer's retirement. Would have been in both their favours IMO and of course ours as supporters as well. It's incredibly frustrating when you think of the money wasted on players much much worse than Bellamy after his departure.

The fact that I'd completely forgotten about him probably says something about the way he's been playing of late. I'd like... Krul R. Taylor Coloccini Kadar Enrique Routledge Tiote Guthrie Jonas ......Vuckic Shola We might get... Krul R. Taylor Coloccini Kadar Ferguson Routledge Vuckic Guthrie Ranger ......Lovenkrands Shola

I'd like to see this team line-up.... GK: Krul RB: R. Taylor CB: Coloccini CB: Kadar LB: Enrique RM: Ranger CM: Tiote CM: Guthrie LM: Jonas ......SS: Vuckic CF: Shola Alternately, rest Enrique and play Ferguson at left back, or rest Jonas and play Ferguson at LM. Or, Ferguson at LM with Jonas on the right and Ranger on the bench. Coloccini and Williamson interchangeable.

On the contrary I think in a side with Bellamy in it Shearer would have scored more goals as he would have had a lot more space to work in .

Name 30 then and don't even think about saying Tim Cahill. I will, and don't think Cahill will figure either, though you can't really compare hem positionally.

Kadar reminds me a little of Coloccini, likes to be on the ball quite a lot for a defender. I'd say he'd be a little quicker than Coloccini and is a little taller as well. As for his defense we'll need to see him play more against quality opposition. He's an option at left back in a pinch but couldn't see him being too comfortable on the right.

I used to put on a toon top to watch in my lounge room, often alone at 3AM or some ridiculous hour of the morning. Stopped doing it because it obviously was making SFA difference.