goodrobotusses

I like him, but I don't think he's a last third midfielder. I prefer him deeper, keeping the ball moving. Should have switched him and Gerrard yesterday.

Who are you, his f***ing mum? Even dispensing with the Reina comment (despite the fact his jokey tone doesn't prove there wasn't some element of truth in it), the point still stands about Drogba's professionalism in turning himself around. If AC manages the same I'll be the first person on my feet applauding him. Now f***ing simmer down, Carol Konchesky.

Exactly. Guardiola's one big obsession is regaining possession. They're the amazing attacking team they are because they have amazing attacking players, but Guardiola turned them into absolute b******s to play against off the ball. They win the ball back constantly through positioning, pressing and team work, not throwing themselves onto the deck for a cheap crowd cheer.

Drogba admitted he was unprofessional as a kid, liked his Maccy D's too much and so on. The fact that he climbed from that poor start to the very top of the game is testament to his attitude and work ethic. Andy Carroll has been described as the club's worst trainer by Pepe Reina and allegedly likes a beer or two. If all that is true, he needs to turn himself around if he's to aspire to Drogba-like levels. He'd probably be given more time if he'd cost £80,000, mind.

Not to dredge up the debates on Xabi's comments, but I'm with him. Tackling is a vital part of the game, but if a young lad is naming tackling among his primary skills, then he's probably not going to be a great player. Well, maybe in this country he will, but nowhere else. But then I'm pretty much ideologically opposed to yard dogs like Lee Cattermole – players whose whole game is about flying into challenges with borderline fury (which the crowds love) and will traditionally get more credit for that than someone like Lucas, who wins it standing up through good positioning, but can also move the ball quickly and intelligently.

It was in the revised version of his book IIRC. Not 100% on that, mind. And Drogba wasn't a carthorse in his first season at Chelsea. He wasn't the all-singing, all-dancing striker he became, but he was an incredibly effective battering ram. Not to mention the best player in France the season before. You could more readily compare Andy Carroll to Michael Ricketts than Drogba – 18 months of good performances, 12 of which were in the Championship, only to 'lose it' and never regain it – but let's hope that comparison doesn't bear out.

Three at the back in itself is alright providing the opposition play with two up front. The theory is two mark while one sweeps, which makes perfect sense against Stoke when you're likely to be dealing with second balls in and around the box all game. The problem was that Stoke came for a point and Pulis figured our system (which we'd used against them last season) within about ten minutes, moving Walters out to the right. This meant we had three centre-backs covering one striker – Crouch – essentially leaving us a man short upfield. I thought the centre-backs made a decent fist of stepping into midfield to redress the balance (maybe Agger would have made a difference), but really the system was unnecessary once Pulis made his switch.

The formation was supposed to be 3-4-2-1, with the '2' drifting to positions out wide or between the lines. ------------------Reina ----Skrtel Carragher Coates Johnson Gerrard Adam Enrique --------Downing Henderson -------------------Kuyt I'm just not quite sure why we had Henderson and Downing in those roles between the lines when Gerrard, Bellamy and especially Maxi would have excelled there. If we'd switched Gerrard and Henderson, and played Maxi instead of Downing, I'm sure we'd have looked a lot more threatening.

The Neymar and Messi ones are a bit special, aye. That Glentoran backheeled volley was alright too… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzAZTdyOXcA

I still can't believe a national newspaper has published that as 'news'. Jesus wept.

Barclay is going to be in a competition with political commentator Matthew D'Ancona for the title of that paper's most insufferable windbag. When I first moved to London I'd grab the Standard for something to read on the way home. That lasted about a week. Awful newspaper.

Oh yeah. How did I miss that? My apologies Grover.

Pretty sure we started in a 4-2-3-1 with Henderson ahead of Gerrard and Spearing.

This content is not viewable to guests.

Is right. Villa didn't want to leave Spain.

This content is not viewable to guests.

I'm going to be in Belgrade for the second leg. Going to party with Milan Jovanovic.

His effort was good last night but he's never a player. Erik Meijer could do the job he's currently doing. And be fun with it.

225 club goals in 355 games (Real Madrid (8 in 20) and AC Milan (7 in 30) records not as impressive, but don't think he played regularly), 30 in 48 for the Netherlands. But again, he's basically a striker who just 'gets on the end of things', much like Darren Bent. I'm sure it sounds like madness to be dismissive of a player with such a record – and the fact that he's played with Suarez is an advantage (though wasn't it with Pantelic when Suarez really began to come on?) – but I don't think a pure finisher is going to help our issues with creativity. Say what you like, but chucking a load of crosses in the box isn't creative football. We need another striker who can get involved in link-up play with Suarez, not just benefit from his brilliance. EDIT: Pantelic only played about 30 games in one season at Ajax, so maybe not. Think Suarez was a wide forward/second striker with Huntelaar/Pantelic, No.9 after that. "You must be over 18 to view this video. And have some serious f***ing issues."

I properly cringed.

I'd actually fist myself in an impotent rage. Is that slightly hyperbolic?

Maybe. I'm beginning to doubt which way is up and which way is down.

Actually saw him stay behind a City player and deny Kelly a passing opportunity after laying it off tonight. Was doing my bloody nut. EDIT: Was probably Johnson he hid from. Or Henderson. Maybe I just imagined the whole thing.

If Newcastle do bid £15m for Carroll we should rip their f***ing hands off. If we hadn't paid £35m for him I'd say we'd be playing a blinder shifting him for that.

Problem is we've only signed one world class player.