Jim D

Why is it every goalkeeper who has played for the club recently always seem to crumble after having an outstanding first season. James lost the plot Friedel lost the plot Westerveld lost the plot Dudek lost the plot Reina seemingly loosing the plot Why does it happen to us?

Mancs were nothing special today, I thought they played quite poorly but the problem was we were even worse! That is what so disappointing and frustrating about our performance today. It will be Chelsea all the way again, Mancs don't have enough quality overall in the squad to challenge. I think we would have of been capable if we learned how to string two passes together!

Well from how the season has started, I think Gerrard should be played in one of two positions. Either in the middle or in behind the front man (Crouch) because he links up well with him.

Gerrard should stop trying to play in the middle everytime he is picked for the right hand side. It is so annoying, there was a big chance there today to really test Evra, take him on, supply a few crosses. None of that happened, Evra probably had the easiest game in a Manc shirt. Finnan and Gerrard have got to build a partnership down that right side, but its becoming impossible because Gerrard is just far too selfish and wants to pull into the middle everytime. Rafa has got to make a bid decision, he either tells Gerrard to stay on that side or be dropped or he drops one of Alonso and Sissoko so he can play in the middle. I think we should move to out and out wingers from now on the flanks. Though I was totally baffled at the Gonzalez substitution.

We still haven't scored away from home in open play yet, in either the Champions League or the Premiership. 2 goals thus far have been from the penalty spot and a corner kick. Major worry.

I think Rafa has to take the blame in this more than anything. It was clearly shown last season that Garcia should not be starting games in the Premier League away from home. He is ideal for Europe, the odd home game and as an impact substitute. His tendency to give the ball away so cheaply is costing us so badly particularly away from home.

Clueless, unimaginative, woeful passing, the Mancs themselves haven't even got out of 2nd gear and its comfortable for them. Pathetic 2-0.............

Yeah right, lets sack a manager who has won Two La Ligas, UEFA Cup, European Cup and a FA Cup. Sack him, he obviously doesn't have a clue about managing and winning trophies for a football club.

International Football has always been amateurish compared to club football and it is vastly overrated. Most teams in the Premiership would beat England.

Yes and it has been ongoing for the past 35 yrs. McClaren isn't the only guilty one, what is it with England managers and their inability to pick a TEAM that can play effectively with each other? Is it because in England we focus too much on individuals?

Anyone saying that Reina needed to be more careful is having a laugh big time he let go of the ball TWO YARDS inside his own penalty area before kicking it down field. It wasn't like it was borderline or a matter of inches! Too many people are making Reina a scapegoat for our showings this season whereas in truth in each away game bar Sheffield United we have deserved to take at least something, maybe a win from each game. Our inability to convert chances and dominance to goals is costing us big time on the road, as a consequence it highlights and magnifies each situation where we have a lapse in defence. (Almost reminds me of the 2004/05 season) Though the fixture list hasn't exactly been kind to us....our first 6 away games this season in the league were: Sheffield United Everton Chelsea Bolton Manchester United Arsenal You could say we get all of our difficult fixtures out of the way by the end of October. We are capable of going on a long unbeaten run, though you just feel we have to go to Old Trafford to win.

Last season we only had 10 points after the first 8 games and still managed to finish on 82 points. Anyone who is saying we are out of the title race is a lunatic.

Didn't take our chances simple as that, harsh, Chelsea never deserved to win, we were by far the better team. Riley also bottled it when the Fat Frank pushed Gerrard over.

Didn't take our chances simple as that, harsh, Chelsea never deserved to win, we were by far the better team. Riley also bottled it when the Fat Frank push Gerrard over.

Lets just say it was Everton's day, all of the big (crucial) decisions went in their favour. Ontop of that we hit the woodwork twice and the three goals we conceded were gifts due to awful defending.

He did but he hasn't scored a competitive goal for England since Euro 2004. Which for a player of his supposed calibre is quite shocking. Whereas Crouch is knocking them in for fun at the moment and offers alot more to the TEAM than most people realise.

All McClaren needs to do now is drop Lampard and move Gerrard in the centre. Lennon on the right.

Something very dodgy going on here........

Odds on Betfair have crashed on Cole and Gallas leaving their respective clubs. Down to 1.1

WORST SIGNING EVER! Bloody Leech.

Something Fishy About Tevez And Mascherano To West Ham Deal August 31st, 2006 by Alan Hylands And I?m not talking about the year?s supply of jellied eels they?ve got in front of them either. The deal to take Argentina stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham United hasn?t officially been confirmed yet but football discussion forums are white hot with the news and the potential implications, not only for West Ham but for the premiership at large. What would attract two of the world?s most sought after, young, talented international stars to Upton Park and the waiting arms of Alan Pardew? At first glance there is no logical explanation. West Ham had a great season last year after their promotion and surprised a lot of people (me included) with their classy football and solid defence that not only gave them a respectable league finish but also took them to the FA Cup Final. I doubt that their Cup Final defeat in one of the liveliest and most enjoyable Cup Finals in many years will have been enough to tempt the two Argies though and despite having a foot in European competition with the UEFA Cup, I doubt that?s the real pulling factor either. My suspicions lead me to a somewhat shadier deal being cooked up between the players? club Corinthians, their owners MSI and another club with shady links to MSI and their owners. It?s long been rumoured that Roman Abramovich is the money man behind MSI and the reason that a broke Brazilian club like Corinthians could afford players like Tevez and Mascherano in the first place. It leaves no doubt in my mind that Chelsea and Roman are behind this proposed season long loan deal for the two Argentinians to West Ham and it?s only for one purpose - to acclimatise the players to London and the Premiership and see whether they are worth signing for Chelsea properly next summer. There can be no other reason for this transfer to take place. Yes, West Ham are a good, homely club with some good players but for a club to sign Carlton Cole this summer and turn around and also get Carlos Tevez, it leaves me wondering what the motives are. I think I?ve worked out the obvious answer and it doesn?t bode well for the rest of the Premiership. We?ve seen Chelsea?s strange buys and loan deals in the past with players like Smertin and Jarosik but this moves things to another level completely. Chelsea don?t outright own these players or their club but their guiding hand can skew the transfer market that they can prevent any of their near rivals in the top five from having these players while they park them at a safe and respectable club, close but not too close, for a season to let them mature in the English game. Something stinks around here and the smell is increasingly eminating from Roman Abramovich?s direction.

Spot on its another case of Chelsea preventing their rivals from buying good players, it is the Mancs who have suffered as a consequence. Very sneaky negotiations indeed. Leaves Chelsea in a win win situation, if they perform and adapt to the Premiership, Chelsea will just buy them by outbidding everyone else. If they don't, doesn't matter because it is West Ham who are paying their wages.

Of course we can, he was the best in the business at selling matchday programmes before kick off.......

His finest hour....

Its amazing what a 2-0 win does