Dr Gloom

definitely. hughton installed it and pardew - to most peoples' surprise - has carried it on. got to agree about the spine of the side krul - colo - tiote - ba is as good a core of of players in the key positions as we had in the glory days of the 90s. if we can keep them together - and fit - and add more cabayes, santons and cisses around them then we're looking good for the future. whether or not the fatty running the club allows that to happen remains to be seen. he's got to be loving this season - will it get him excited about the club again? got to just hope that he builds on this season and we have another window in the summer like the one we just had where he adds to the squad rather than reverting to type. Which is? selling senior players we don't want selling.

Getting him signed on an improved contract to see out his days with us would be no less than he deserves and a massive statement of intent from the chairman. What's the bets he flogs him in the summer instead? A player approaching 30 on a massive deal doesn't fit with recent policy does it. Shame because he's a class act, our captain and he's earned it. Hope I'm wrong but I can't see him splashing the cash on an extension.

my leazesmag sense is tingling. i see a bite incoming

definitely. hughton installed it and pardew - to most peoples' surprise - has carried it on. got to agree about the spine of the side krul - colo - tiote - ba is as good a core of of players in the key positions as we had in the glory days of the 90s. if we can keep them together - and fit - and add more cabayes, santons and cisses around them then we're looking good for the future. whether or not the fatty running the club allows that to happen remains to be seen. he's got to be loving this season - will it get him excited about the club again? got to just hope that he builds on this season and we have another window in the summer like the one we just had where he adds to the squad rather than reverting to type.

LM blatantly shitting himself in case we finish top 5. his world will literally fall apart if he can't come on here every day bleating about being right about the new regime never being able to match the old one

i fucking love jonas me. his style of play encapsulates our success this season - he battles, defends, never stops running, must be a nightmare to play against. he's not the most expansive winger we've ever had and his delivery can be hit or miss but he still gets his fair share of crosses in. and i love the way he takes the pressure off his full back by keeping hold of the ball, going on a mazy run and tracking back. he obviously loves playing for us too, which is a bonus. that's another thing i like about this team. it's a bunch of players that seem to recognise that it's a privilege to wear the shirt, not a chore.

The more weeks that go by and we remain where we are, the less ridiculous this thread looks. Talk of 4th is still a pipe dream but I'd be a little disappointed if we didn't finish top 6 now as we've been up there all season. You've got to be able to dream as a football fan. Otherwise what's the point?

Oh no, it's the others

There's fuck all wrong with our crowds. 48k for a televised early game just after Xmas in Baltic conditions combined with a piss poor away following and the derby coming up. Not many clubs would get that.

The fear that Ashley will contrive to cock up any success we might enjoy remains but as a supporter you have to judge every season on merit. This one has been an absolute belter.

That was mint obviously but I think the fact we knew we had a good team and expectations were raised changed it a bit. Watching the results come in every week when you're not expecting it is something special.

...01/02. You know, the year SBR got us going after a few seasons of mediocrity, signed Robert and Bellamy and we finished 4th. There's a lot of parallels. I think the main one is that no one saw it coming. I honestly thought we'd struggle this season. The likes of Sky, Stan Collymore and Mark Bastard Lawrenson have been talking in hope as well as expectation about us falling off the pace and the usual clubs finishing in the top 6. Most of us still expect them to be right but I'm loving that we keep putting their noses out of joint. The weeks are rolling by and we're still hanging around like a bad smell, putting in performances, picking up results and fucking off the hacks who want to see the same clubs up there every season. Long may it continue!

Not with you there. Ben arfa is clearly the more talented player but his recent outings have been poor. Obertan has responded to being dropped with a goal scoring cameo off the bench and a much improved 90 mins today.

tbf, his last two games have been better than ben arfa's last two.

Has nothing to do with us, it's the same every Sunday. i'm sure there's usually something on the first game - some brief analysis at least - before they cut to the build up for next one isn't there???

one point off 4th and still no bastard interviews or analysis on sky, the absolute turd burglars.

Watch the replay to be undumbfounded. He went for the volley and it came off the outside of his boot and was rising at a rate of knots I have never seen a ball fly straight and true at that speed when coming off the outside of a boot. It didnt deviate from its path one inch, so thats why i questioned it. Saw the replays obviously, so will have to look at it again as i doubt you'd say that without reason. It would be spinning and curving if he sliced it surely? The fact that it was rising and going at speed suggests he hit it sweetly, no? looked as clean and true a strike as you'll see to me. he knew it was going in well before it beat the keeper - you can see him already wheeling away to celebrate before it hits the net. great strike.

nah, obertan put in a good shift today. he did well.

where's the reaction and analysis? fuck all in the way of post match interviews - straight to the fucking "united"/chelsea game ffs.

why not? makes perfect sense. fresh legs to hold it up and run down the clock. Fresh legs and Ame-casual-obi? Anyway, great result. Three points, two Demba's on the score sheet. Can't really have asked for much more. he helped run down the clockm shielding the ball in the corner. did what was asked of him in two minute camero. job done. three points in the bag.

definitely. him and guthrie have been top notch replacements for the first choice in centre mid. one of our strongest areas of the pitch today, centre mid and probably the reason we edged the result.

good game. great result. tough game but we just about edged it. absolutely brilliant stuff for cisse to bag one on his debut. that'll give him a massive boost. quality finish too. demba ba back in the groove too. happy days! my ratings; krul - 8 simpson - 6 williamson - 6 colo - 7 santon - 6 jonas - 7 perch - 8 guthrie - 8 obertan - 7 ba - 8 cisse - 8

why not? makes perfect sense. fresh legs to hold it up and run down the clock.