Davvo

Read again, although I'm not sure it'd be worth it as you haven't managed to understand it thus far. Just for clarity, THE REQUIRED SCENARIO PAINTED BY THE NEGATIVE POSTER IS AS UNNECESSARY AS IT IS UNLIKELY. Jebus, for the avoidance of doubt, I don't think we will win 15 in a row, and I don't think Chelsea will suffer as bad a run of form as we have. I also do not think we are reduced to fighting City, Villa and Spurs for 4th.

Who said we are ? I'm pointing out we dont need to.

Neither do I, and they don't need to. I think it will be very very difficult for us to get anywhere near Chelsea, but we're only 6 points behind the Manc's with 26 games to go for goodness sake. I refuse to wallow, just can't see the point of following the game if you're that negative. I'm not sat here with a jester hat on, big cheesey grin, blissfully unaware of out current plight, I can just see the potential for improvement.

Shame I can't admire the miserable world some of you lot live in. If you actually bother to read my posts, you'd see I was just pointing out how unnecessarily over the top the suggested, required reversal of fortune would be. I don't see anywhere where I've said I expect us to be 10 points clear. I'm not the fantasist , I'm just highlighting the exaggerated nature of the merchants of doom.

I was using the given example of us winning 15 in a row being excessive against their major slip up. If they carried on at current pace against such a scenario for us, we'd be just 3 points behind, a minor slip would see us a couple in front, a major slip about 10 or so infront. It's not my scenario, I'm just pointing out how unnecessary it would be for us to win 15+ games in a row, AND hope for a major slip by anyone. How would you define a major slip up ? I'd say something like our form so far of 19 pts in 12 games ? 24 in 15 would actually be better than our performance so far.

I can't be that negative that early in the Season, and a run like you suggest there would have us at least 10 points clear. City are on a bad run, Arsenal just lost Van Persie, and we had very few players in action this weekend. I'm looking forward to the next few games.

Who are you? His agent ? The words class, awareness, and touch look distinctly out of place in your appraisal. He's a decent Premiership player, nothing more, and he shoots like Cisse.

It's November, if your cup's half empty already it's going to be a long season for you. Don't look at the table between now and Christmas, Santa may just bring us a nice surprise.

Think Drogba's out at least 3 weeks too isn't he ? As you say, with the African Nations on the way too, maybe things will even up a little.

pav is certainly a better option to my mind. i imagine he'd want assurances of more game time than at spurs, or no point moving. can we accommodate him alongside torres? i think we could.

If we were to spend more than that I think we'd regret it to be honest. Agree with Leo he's improved the last year or two, but he's still far from the finished article, and at 26 I think West Ham are spreading this 20 million nonsense in an attempt to cash in. I think he flatters to deceive most of the time, looks like he's really putting effort into just trying to control the ball, not a naturally gifted player at the top level for me. I'd have him as a squad player ahead of Voronin, but not sure he's much better than N'Gog, if at all, with less upside. Wouldn't want us to blow much of our meagre budget on him.

Karma at it's best.

Indeed, and that's why they asked him to do one, in the nicest possible "mutual consent" kind of way.

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Disagree here, I think the reason Johnson is such a good addition at RB is becuase we play with Kuyt generally tucking in infront of him. They are a great balance. What we do need to do is address the balance of the left hand side. If it's going to be benayoun or reira up top, then we need a Johnson style full back. Aurelio can do it in a different style, but is always injured, and Insua is not quite there yet for me. That is why we bought Dossena, who unfortunately has not worked out. As thing's stand, I'd argue LB could be a more pressing position for a replacement than LM. I think Rafa's intention is to have 2 attacking full back's who can be covered by a)masch and/or b) tucked in attacking midfielder (eg benny/kuyt) when necessary. We have it cracked on the right, and need the same on the left.

Can't argue with that in many ways. Chelsea I'd say are benefitting from a new lease of life though,under new management, with players all pulling in one direction, something they were rumoured not to be under Scolari. They improved greatly after he left, and have started this season stronger. The Manc's have struggled without Ronaldo, would have struggled more had they actually lost rooney, did I miss something ? They've been scraping results and are not far ahead of us, we will finish above them this season with a little improved luck on the injury front. I really don't think you can legislate for the poor form of our CB's, having to keep hold of 2 players who'd packed their bags and ordered a taxi, having ?£20million? wiped from the budget in the last week of the window, the extended lay off for Aqua man, and the horrible run of injuries. Chelsea may yet struggle during the African Nation's, this next 2 week's is key for us, if it helps Agger/SG/Torres get back to something like full fitness, things will change.

No

He may have sat deep, but recycled the ball quicker and forwards. Both Masch and Lucas are inclined to taken an extra touch or two, and pass sideways too much. I'd agree Kuyt was not playing aswell as either masch or lucas, but we are more balanced and positive with just one of those 2 in the side I think, regardless of how well they may have been doing their jobs.

is right, any player knows that if he lunges at a guy going at pace in the box, and doesn't get the ball, he's given away a pen. Carsley's anger will have been as much at his own stupidity, though he'd never admit it the talentless yarddog. Yes N'gog could have tried to stay on his feet and maybe still end up stumbling, but if the defender's going to be so stupid, make him pay for it.

that's key for me. If we ever get to a point where the same pair (hopefully carra and agger), are available and selected for 4 or 5 games in a row (or even 2 would be nice), then and only then might we see some improvement defensively. Such a shame we couldn't, in hindsight, have conned Sami in to another year like we did in the Summer of 08. We didn't, and we must go forward with what we have, just pray Agger stays fit, as that should help Carra.

I realise that was tongue in cheek aimed at the numbnut's constant wittering and moaning, but you can see all last season's info on there too. Xabi's passing graphs are startlingly different to Lucas/Masch, and identical to Aquilani's, in that the overwhelming majority of passes are forward. Not particularly astounding info to discover that Mash and Lucas pass sideways and Xabi/Aquilani pass forwards, but on those graphs it really is a huge difference.

jeez that's some information to take in. Lucas and Masch's passing chart's tell a tale or two, like a pair of crabs. I know Aquilani was on for the sharp end of affairs, but there's a huge difference there which bodes well perhaps.

I hope that was his answer, accompanied with a puzzled, 'who the f*** are you' look on his face.

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you want to get help for that