maggiespaws

Whilst it looks entirely possible we could go down, I think we have enough about us to drag our collective ar$es to safety. I can't see (perhaps I'm blinded by my optimism) the likes of Shearer, Given and a few others letting that happen. I also believe that, as piss poor as we are, there are poorer teams than us currently in the league. This is where LM reminds us of how much we have spent and how little return we have had and how much better our position was under SBR. Before he does that, I agree it's a disgrace and to have reached that halfway point of the season, looking to consolidate our position to avoid relegation is nothing short of disasterous. If reports are to be believed, we may have a happier, more collective dressing room; but we appear to have an unhappy, directionless, disparate group of players on the pitch. Please Sir...... can I have my unhappy dressing room that wins games back please?

With all the criticism he's getting, he's bound to fail. I dont see how people can form such a staunch viewpoint on him when he's barely played for the club. Most of his games for us have been out of position (just as we did with Viana) and he hasn't cut the mustard. However, he's Spanish, little knowledge of the language, young and away from home. He needs time to settle in. He's hardly going to settle in if after only a few games for us we're calling for his head. I agree with the point made about Ronaldo and he is fairing much better at Man U now. On top of the fact he is coming to terms with a new area, new language, different game etc he's trying to do it in an environment which is pretty volatile at the minute. Team spirit is low, we can't play for shit and everyone is snipeing at each other. This is not conducive to settling in a new footballer. We have no tactics, little belief and no real direction at the minute. Look to the root cause of the problem, not the periphery. Given time, patience and some support I'm sure he'll come good..... unlike our manager......

10 month gestation period for hobbits? 70716[/snapback] Thanks for that Lurch. Bastid Thanks for the posts from people too. I'm off out with Mrs Paws nowfor a bite to eat and a gallon of beer. Christmas came early today - Mrs Paws bought me a Bose Sounddock for my birthday Sounds mint

Apart from when he volloyed the ball of Solano for their first goal 69404[/snapback] Didn't see that

I was using Artistic License Also, i've never used in a post before.

I agree a year is long enough to get used to the premiership, however, I reckon JAB has a fair excuse. It's an obvious distraction.

Well, I'm as cynical as the next man, but this would explain his change in form. To have your wife AND your new born ill like that at the same time??? How many of us would have taken a leave of absence???

Moving the thread off topic already but 5 years??? bloody hell. 69285[/snapback] I thought it was longer than that........ my mates ex-missus looked just like her. Not that that had any real substance or added anything meaningful to the thread..... I just thought I'd say it

This wouldn't be as funny if you weren't an oompa lumpa

Seriously, I'd like the Bramble of late last season back. I've never been one to sing his praises, but he looked the part late last season. I'd take it all back if that Bramble would show up for work. He played well tonight I think. Didn't put a foot wrong. Keep it up lad.

No. I am mearly a number. I am a punctilious sub-serviant to the system. The same is said for all of you. ..... I think i need to lay off the port....... My score was really 68. Mrs Paws was 33.

Despite danger, daring, despicable, duplicitous despot dutifully deepens disparagingly desperate deadly dapper dandy diving "Disco Diva" Dyer's despair, decidedly dashing delinquent Dyer's downright dirty, devious dreams. Daft December disaster due!

Aye, credit where credit's due like. Everyone stepped up a couple of notches today, except Shola and Faye who had to step up and additional notch or so to match the others. They did that and we benefitted. Some of Shola's efforts down the left wing showed he can look like he can be arsed! He was out of position yet he got stuck in and was positive. Faye didn't pull out of tackles or look weedy and ineffectual yesterday. He put in a spirited and commited performance and help to break down the calm and collected (and highly frustrating for the opposition) passing footbal Wengers man played in the first half. Scott Parker - above the call of duty??? That man is fast becoming my new Toon hero.

Despite danger, daring, duplicitous despot dutifully deepens disparagingly desperate deadly dapper dandy Dyer's despair, dashing Dyer's downright dirty, devious dreams. Daft December disaster due!

you're absolutely right, Keegan wouldn't have been stupid enough [or a prick] to sub him when he was the best player on the field 65239[/snapback] Leazes man. You letting your obvious affection for CB muddy your argument. Whether or not GS was correct in subbing CB is a separate issue entirely. CB reacted wrongly and showed no remose whatsoever and obviously believes he was justified in his response - otherwise he would have apologised. I seem to recall CB going on record saying that he felt he was the best player in the squad. Therefore, if you put yourself in CB's head for a moment, of course you feel that GS is a prick for subbing you for you are the best player in the squad. Tough bollocks. You've been subbed, it happens to everyone. To react the way CB did showed a complete lack of respect. CB did not know the reasons he was being subbed and because of his own pig-headedness, felt he was above such things. That's why he reacted the way he did and as a result of this and his subsequent lack of apology; he left GS little choice. I'm not saying GS was right necessarily to sell him, but your arguments sounds like you feel CB should have been able to say and do what he liked because he was a good player. No player should have that level of power. The manager is in charge, the manager picks the team and the manager makes the decisions. As soon as you give someone like that an inch of rope they'll run a mile with it and eventually hang themselves with it. If the stories about SBR losing the dressing room are to be believed, then this is the perfect example of someone giving someone like CB a mile of rope. However, he hung himself under GS. I'm not pro souness, but let's at least keep things in perspective.

That made me lol in the office. Now clocked looking at the forum @ 13:40. Combined with having to remove sprayed coffee from my keyboard. Incidentally, I dont know how I feel about KK. I agree with a lot of HTL and Leazes sentiments but I cant help but feel we'd all expect it to be like it was in the mid 90's and we'd all be gutted if it didn't go that way. Expectations would be high. Plus, it didn't work the first time (although it was bloody close) whats to say it's going to be better 2nd time around? I dunno

It's a fact, it's a thing we can't deny just like there are Nine Million Bicycles in Bejiing ...... sorry couldn't resist it. Mrs Paws currently has the Katie Melua album on

Agree with that. I do think he's under instructions to come inside a lot more, he said so himself, but even so, he's still not playing well. In the games I've seen, a lot of it was down to there being no movement from the players ahead of him though. We need to get Owen and Dyer on the pitch to use his link-up play and passing better. I've been a bit disappointed with his set-pieces as well. 64020[/snapback] Thats pretty much how I feel. I've been hoping it's lack of match fitness, but he's played a few now. The cutting inside thing is getting right on my tits though. He crowds the midfield and it's not as though he's becoming the ultimate playmaker whilst in there either. I'm hoping it's Souness' tactical ineptness that's causing Nobby to play so bad rather than SBR recognising something many of us didn't and selling him.

Bliddy left-handers I've got a very old Spanish guitar that my mam bought years ago (in Spain funnily enough) Might be a bit far to go to buy one like... 62607[/snapback] No, no, no. I've got the right handed version, as despite being left-handed, I play the guitar right-handed. Musical genius tbh. 62610[/snapback] I'm the same. Yet I'm a left-handed saxophonist (much to the annoyance of my ex) and a left-handed violinist (much to the annoyance of my tutor). Needless to say I gave them all up and stuck with the guitar. Well, I say stuck with it..... barely pick any of them up now much to the annoyance of Mrs Paws as she bought me one of them! I have a Black and White Fender Strat (now used and abused to the point at which it needs new pickups, a rewire, new pot's and a refret). This was my second guitar after the cheap one I bought as my first. Now 12 yrs old. Vantage Semi acoustic. Had never heard of them but played it in Sounds Live (Dean St IIRC) 10 years ago and it still sounds mint now. I can leave it for months and months without touching it and then pick it up and it sounds perfect elec or acoustic. Les Paul Std in Vintage Sunburst. Pressie from Mrs Paws and my favourite. Just feckin' mint. Sounds class with my Marshall.

N-R I didn't think Luque was getting that much stick. Sure, a few people have commented, but reading recent threads I think most people realise he obviously isn't fit yet. He looked slow, but as you have correctly pointed out - he's just come back from a serious injury and is not ready. I personally don't feel this i a reflection on the player, Souness has played him and it was a risk. He's probably been told to take it easy (this of course begs the question as to why the feck he's on the pitch like ). It is impossible to make a decent judgement on Luque yet as the blokes only played 5 mins (not literally obviously) and anyone with an ounce of sense will see this. Christ his shirt isn't even worn in yet!

You see, now you're making the schoolboy error of believing we deploy tactics. 63364[/snapback] Schoolteacher error 63377[/snapback] Naa, he was right with the School boy error. It's Mrs Paws who's the School teacher

I have been sat in the camp with SLP and believed we should give him till the end of the season as dropping him mid-way would not be clever. I'm starting to wane from that as we are such a shower of shite at the minute. However, we dropped Robsom at the wrong time of the season and were paniced into making a decision and settling for 3/4/5th choice manager. This proved (as many of us expected) to be a poor choice and we have gone from an established top 6 side to a side yo-yoing around the bottom half. I take HTL's point about damage control and getting rid now but not necessarily your point about 'not getting rid of a bad manager when there is not a replacement is not an excuse to keep him'. Look at it this way, we've done this once before and ended up with Souness, surely we can't make the same mistake again??? If we are going to get rid of Souness before the end of the season we need to have a suitable replacement lined up - not sack him now and find one later. If we go any further down as the result of another bad choice, we'll defo be relegated. Better the devil you know perhaps??? I'll be honest, I'm not entirely convinced by my own argument but it's something I've been musing over for the last couple of days. We dont want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. I agree something needs to be done, but we need to get it right this time or we're f**ked. EDIT: The point about not gettig rid was made by LeazesMag not HTL - this is what happens when you have a sneaky post on Toontastic whilst you're at work

Bastard! I actually went to .com to check

Ameobi's timing in the air is better too. Mind you, as Alan Smith said, it's hard enough when you're adjusting to a new team and not match fit, but it's even more difficult when you're being used out of position. 63151[/snapback] How was he played out of position last night? Wasn't he playing as the left sided striker - his favoured position? 63355[/snapback] To be fair, just like the rest of the team, I don't think he knew where the ---- he was supposed to be playing last night. 63356[/snapback] Fair point. Nobby was all over the place. Everywhere except where he should have been - on the right wing! Surely he's been told to do this? Or has he come back to us as a player who no longer want to be a winger. Perhaps he's been talking to Dyer???

Ameobi's timing in the air is better too. Mind you, as Alan Smith said, it's hard enough when you're adjusting to a new team and not match fit, but it's even more difficult when you're being used out of position. 63151[/snapback] How was he played out of position last night? Wasn't he playing as the left sided striker - his favoured position?