Monroe Transfer

Nothing to do with Krul per se but the thought of actually weakening the squad in January is beyond me. Look what's happening to us now with a few injuries. We still haven't even adequately replaced Enrique. I know every player has his price but I'd imagine if we sold in January we'd come out with some excuse as to why we're going to wait to the Summer to spend it (and then not spend it at all).

Tavernier might get called into action before too long. Kadar (central/LB), Ferguson (LB) and Tav (RB, central as well I think) are supposedly genuine prospects with question marks over the other youth/reserve defenders. I really want to see them given a chance but I appreciate Pardew prefers experience and sticking with a settled team. And of course there's Santon.

The reserves generally train with the first team don't they? Either way Kadar is always involved in first team training sessions, and appears to do alright at reserve level. Yet Pardew does not give him a chance. Of course he might just feel that he wants more experienced options like Perch on the bench.

I swear referees are just getting worse. I know it's such a hard job and they deserve a lot of credit generally, but far too many games now seem to be far too heavily influenced by refereeing mistakes. Our last 2 matches and the Spurs-Bolton red card mentioned above are prime examples.

I love how he turns up only when things are finally starting to look up for his club again.

This is no laughing matter.

Even 6 weeks+ would be a big blow.

That's awful. Can't imagine what's going through these people's heads. On a less serious note, again a black font on a dark background doesn't look good.

Time for Kadar to step up and for Williamson and Perch to prove their worth. Massive loss, trying not to think about it lest it wind me up even more than I am already.

Alex has had a transfer request accepted by Chelsea. Worth bringing him in?

Eh? Ryan Taylor was 1242149124912 kinds of awful, we look a lot stronger as a team when Jonas is on the pitch. I know, but Jonas was only out because of suspension. Have I been wooshed here?

Any news on Tiote?

You just have to laugh. We all knew our lack of depth would fuck us over.

Spurs 1 up against 10 men. By all accounts a ridiculous sending off especially compared to the Luiz incident earlier. Seeing those twats in second in the table is making this bad day feel even worse. And now Arsenal get a very lucky break, and push us down to 6th.

Honestly, 2 or 3 additions (even with Tiote out) and we've had got more than 1 point out of it. Our deficiencies are glaring. The club's good position can not be allowed to hide this fact. It really is imperative that we strengthen when possible and I'm desperate for some of the reserves to get a chance at some point because it really is time for a few of them to step up and prove their worth. I don't care how high their resale value is, unless we get completely stupid money for them we simply can't afford to lose the likes of Tiote and Coloccini. Even selling them and replacing them for big money wouldn't guarantee success because a replacement might not adapt as well as they have.

Thing is, he does have attributes. He just doesn't have a football brain by the looks of it. He's had enough time in the team to have built his confidence up, so a lack of that is no longer an excuse. We're light on options all over the pitch though so there's not much competition for his place in the team.

I was up for giving him a chance earlier in the season but I've had enough now. He does alright at getting himself into space to be fair to him, but he does nothing with the ball. He gives the ball away far too much when he tries to go forward, and if he doesn't do that he just plays the ball back to the nearest man.

Ben Arfa did more than Obertan did. I thought Lovenkrands did alright.

Pardew's statement last Sunday about needing "two players" in the coming window is totally unsatisfactory. At least 2 defenders are needed plus giving the likes of Ferguson and Kadar a chance. Another striker is needed. Another winger is needed. We are playing players out of their natural position and it's not working.

First half maybe, but then we had an untried formation. I've never seen such an unfair scoreline in my life. Absolutely no luck whatsoever today apart from that Sturridge miss off the post in the first half. Unfair yes, Chelski weren't any good, yet they beat us 3-0. Yes we were unlucky but that's not the whole story. Not sure why you're bringing the scoreline up. They scored their second and third when we had Taylor either injured or off the pitch. They had their chances in the first half and didn't take them, and we were comfortably the better side in the second. We didn't take our chances either in that respect but to hit the post 3 times, to have a goal saved off the line, to not be against 10 men for most of the match tells a lot of the story tbh. Fair enough, I shouldn't have mentioned the scoreline. But I wouldn't say we were "comfortably" the better side in the second. We needed to score and with Shola on the pitch we started hoofing the ball. Created a few chances, unlucky not to get a goal. But they had loads of chances as well, Tim Krul was out of this world again. Comfortable was probably a bit over the top from me, admittedly. These 'easy' games coming up are absolutely huge now and I'll go into them full of nerves.

Don't think so.

Eh?

First half maybe, but then we had an untried formation. I've never seen such an unfair scoreline in my life. Absolutely no luck whatsoever today apart from that Sturridge miss off the post in the first half. Unfair yes, Chelski weren't any good, yet they beat us 3-0. Yes we were unlucky but that's not the whole story. Not sure why you're bringing the scoreline up. They scored their second and third when we had Taylor either injured or off the pitch. They had their chances in the first half and didn't take them, and we were comfortably the better side in the second. We didn't take our chances either in that respect but to hit the post 3 times, to have a goal saved off the line, to not be against 10 men for most of the match tells a lot of the story tbh.

First half maybe, but then we had an untried formation. I've never seen such an unfair scoreline in my life. Absolutely no luck whatsoever today apart from that Sturridge miss off the post in the first half.

Good news I guess. http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11787/7349765/New-Celtic-deal-for-Brown