Ketsbaia

Better than what we've got, plus he's versatile (not in the Alan Smith way)

I love gingas

Is there an argument in that? I didn't think so. It was meant to be a list of my personal opinion of everyone in the first team squad. Feel free to agree, disagree, blow off etc. there's nothing argumentative about it.

Another year over and done with, eh? Goalkeepers Shay Given - Became more and more inconsistant as the year went on and began playing more infrequently as niggling injuries set in. Is beginning to look less like the invincible Irishman we all knew and loved a few years ago. It's too early to write him off yet though (6/10) Steve Harper - Done more than enough to start next season as our firm number one. He's been more than dependable, he's been great. Will he ever get that England call up he deserves or it it too late now? Who knows. (8) Tim Krul - I've heard little of the lad since the last post (-) Fraser Forster - See above (-) Defenders Stephen Carr - Bye, bye you below average midget. You'll not be missed (3) Habib Beye - Player of the season by a country mile. Great going forward and solid at the back he's one of the few good things to come from the Allardyce era. A consumate professional who I wish was five or six years younger. (9) Peter Ramage - See Carr, but replace midget with "lanky streak of jism" (3) David Edgar - Has came in and did a job when needed. Certainly not amazing and probably wont make the grade but he's a squad player if nothing else. (5) Steven Taylor - Over the past few games the venom i've felt the need to direct at him as dissipated somewhat as he's shown flashes of the Stevie T of old but he still has a long way to go. Firstly, he needs to be more consistant. Secondly, he needs to act like a professional both on the pitch when it comes to rolling around after committing a handball and off it with this contract lark (5) David Rozehnal - The fact Lazio wanted nothing to do with him after his first game or two tells his own story. I do think he could've been a half decent player on the basis of his early performances but his head has went. (3) Cacapa - Has been inconsistant with the occasional glimpse of class about him. I do think he can stay as a squad player and try and work his way back into the side once he recovers from his injury troubles but i'd be dissapointed if we didn't sign a better centre back this summer. (5) Abdoulaye Faye - Been solid throughout the season. The prospect of both him and Woodgate had my mouth watering for all of the 15 minutes we were in for him. I'd keep him for certain, but like Beye I wish he was younger. (8) Jose Enrique - The lads head was down, he was either on the bench of in the stands. He looked like £6 million wasted. Keegan comes in and does what he does. He puts a hand on his shoulder, puts faith in him and gives him a chance. Enrique pays him back by performing well, if not amazingly. I think he'll have a great year next season once he gets a full summer under his belt and his age means he can only really get better. (7) Midfielders James Milner - Like I said earlier, he's committed to the cause but he's certainly not the answer long term to our right side. Now we're playing 433 i'd like to see us move him into the middle as his long range shooting is much more effective than the bog standard stepover/cross act he pulls when out on the wing (6) Geremi - Fat Sam's wet dream. He looks as if he does little but the stats seem to show him consistantly being our most accurate passer. He's did better since Keegan came in but I wouldn't stick with him next year. (6) Emre - Get rid. He's done nothing wrong per se but I just can't fine a role for him in our squad anymore (4) Joey Barton - Another player that has upped their game significantly since Keegan came in. Had one or two games where he looed shit, one or two where he looked average, one or two where he looked great....rinse and repeat, although the shit games are becoming less. (6) Nicky Butt - I still love the man as much as I did when I wrote this earlier. His performance against the Mackems was immense - he made their middle five look like amatuers. Picks up the silver in the POTY stakes (8) Charles N'Zogbia - Moody, uncommitted and pretty much gone. If ever there was a player who was on their way... (5) Damien Duff - Another we need to purge from the squad. He looks shot and I can't ever see him getting back to the level he once was. (5) James Troisi - Gone. (-) Strikers Obafemi Martins - One match he's our most dangerous player, looking like he could be a world class striker. The next you can barely tell he's on the pitch. I've knocked his tally up one notch for YouTube comments but i'll knock it back down if he doesn't become more consistant (7) Michael Owen - I can't see him being here for much longer unfortunately which is a shame because since he started playing in the hole he's looked like the Michael Owen of old. Smart, fairly pacey and clinical infront of goal. 3rd in the POTY (8) Alan Smith - Go now. Please. (3) Mark Viduka - "No one stands still better than Mark Viduka..." was a common complaint earlier this season, now it's praise. Some of his flick ons for Owen are sublime (7) Shola Ameobi - Sign for Stoke, you daft shite. You're not wanted here (2) Andy Carroll - He's looked like a youngster when he's played. (-) And the others... Sam Allardyce Kevin Keegan - Lifted the fans and has put up with some immense pressure from the press. He's spoke his mind and fair play to him for that. The move towards 433 and putting Owen in the hole should be a sign to all he's not this tactically naive old man some want to paint him out to be (7) Chris Mort - I still have nothing bad to say about him. He's came out and said what's needed to be said. Some people are intent on spinning his words to suit their own agenda but I quite like the lad. (8) Mike Ashley - It's hard not to listen to the press murmurs of discontent between Keegan and Ashley. I for one don't expect managers and owners to be best mates and have a constant dialogue, that's what the chairman is for, but Keegan's comment about how they never talk was a bit unsettling. I'm still confident he'll get it right and he'll give a fair amount of money to spend in the summer. The deals for Modric and Woodgate say more than any Daily Mail article ever will (7) At the halfway stage...

I wouldnt go as far as to say a particular signing was that bad, but I do think some of them are not doing the role he wanted them to. We know he likes players who can play in different positions and I think that can be smiths problem. Used anywhere, excels in none. Geremi has been nowhere close to what I think he can be, nor Barton. I like Beye and Feye. Rozenhal has looked ok at times in the centre but I thought an awful choice at RB. Cacapa has looked composed and strong at times. Prob with the whole back four though is they dont operate as a unit yet and its been changed so many times. Then Viduka who looks ok at times, and awful in others. I would, Smith, Barton, Geremi and Viduka being 4 prime examples. You can bet all of them are on hefty contracts too Smith - Bought for a large amount and played out of position. Not bad, just not showing his worth. Barton - Gets away just for kicking Etuhu in the balls Geremi - Aye, you have a point Viduka - The type of player you build your front line around. I'm surprised he's got as many goals as he has playing in this uncreative side.

Well in my eyes theres no debate! He is a good player and should not be subjected to the shit some do on here! As a manc what was your impression of him? Scored a few beltin goals for yas! He's playing out of position, which is Allardyce's fault. Unfortunately, he seems to have been bought because he's 'versatile'. When I say that I mean that SAF tried him there once or twice so that means he must be. That's bollocks, he always looks like a striker playing in midfield and the fact he's almost got more cards to his name than Hallmark is indicative of that. When he plays upfront he always looks busy, quite Sheareresque in a way barring his finishing. Problem is Viduka, Owen and Martins are all going to be ahead of him in the pecking order so he'll rarely get a run out there. Shame because i think you play, smith and oba or smith and owen you'd get a good partnership. Instead we get to watch an imobile fat useless ozzie instead!! I still think Owen and Viduka will prove to be the best partnership once we start to create more.

Problem is Dave, deep down you know there is more than just a passing possibility that it is true. Nobody knows that. That's another assumption based on the fact that Allardyce once worked with him. I'd be very surprised if we got Nolan, I certainly don't think he's the type of player Sam would be tracking at this point in time. you'd hope! I just think its lazy journalism imo To me it looks like a complete non-story to fill a few column inches. I can only imagine us buying an attacking midfielder since that's widely identified as what we need. Even BSA and his ProZone should be able to see that.

Well in my eyes theres no debate! He is a good player and should not be subjected to the shit some do on here! As a manc what was your impression of him? Scored a few beltin goals for yas! He's playing out of position, which is Allardyce's fault. Unfortunately, he seems to have been bought because he's 'versatile'. When I say that I mean that SAF tried him there once or twice so that means he must be. That's bollocks, he always looks like a striker playing in midfield and the fact he's almost got more cards to his name than Hallmark is indicative of that. When he plays upfront he always looks busy, quite Sheareresque in a way barring his finishing. Problem is Viduka, Owen and Martins are all going to be ahead of him in the pecking order so he'll rarely get a run out there.

Problem is Dave, deep down you know there is more than just a passing possibility that it is true. Nobody knows that. That's another assumption based on the fact that Allardyce once worked with him. I'd be very surprised if we got Nolan, I certainly don't think he's the type of player Sam would be tracking at this point in time.

Difference being Sam is like the worst points of both those managers put together and then some! Fuck off

I wouldnt go as far as to say a particular signing was that bad, but I do think some of them are not doing the role he wanted them to. We know he likes players who can play in different positions and I think that can be smiths problem. Used anywhere, excels in none. Geremi has been nowhere close to what I think he can be, nor Barton. I like Beye and Feye. Rozenhal has looked ok at times in the centre but I thought an awful choice at RB. Cacapa has looked composed and strong at times. Prob with the whole back four though is they dont operate as a unit yet and its been changed so many times. Then Viduka who looks ok at times, and awful in others. Rozenhal confuses me. He was brilliant in the first few games but now he's utter dog shite. Lacking confidence due to the reaction any error gets from the stands perhaps?

That blog is not bad. Linky

The Ronny ran his back story and dubbed him as our "newest signing"

I prefer this to being "everyones second favourite club" under Bobby or Keegan

No idea Every paper seemed to think it was a done deal at the time.

Christ. Looks like he could Milner's crown of the "player that looks most like an extra from Deliverance" at stake.

I'd start him in the replay, see how he does then try and ship him out on loan to a Championship club.

Arsenal away. First fucking one out

I can't believe some Oliver shite has got people thinking

Acrossthepond and Sammy are the only ones i'm trying to get bites off at the minute. Just the ones who are stamping their feet like bairns

Thorpie, everyone knows that Alex! But what's your opinion on Allardyce's insistance on playing Smith in the midfield and as captain????? To me it is an example of why Allardyce must go NOW! Everyone knows Smith is not a midfielder and yet the twat continues to play him there week after week and it's as good as playing with 10 men. Also when did Owen become such an ancy cunt? On more than one occassion he was abusing his team mates for not playing a ball into where he perceived it should have been, quite often somewhere where he could of easily got to if he had of made an effort - but it looks like that's above him now. EDIT - there is no doubt across the pond saw the match (although I can't vouch for what he saw) because he would of seen the same feed I had on ESPN. And it was here where the one highlight of this shower of shite we constantly have to watch was found, as was one of the commentators was none other than Shaka Hislop. As much as I think Alan Smith in midfield is a waste, i'm not using that as the sole basis for wanting Allardyce out. I'm not that one track minded. As for Owen he has every right to have a go at his team mates. He's not the biggest fucker on the pitch so hoofing the ball forward against a team like Stoke is going to result in him getting very little. He's much better with the ball at his feet, that's a given.

agreed! taylor and faye together works! Faye and Cacapa. I'm not convinced by Taylor, even though he did pull out a decent performance last night.

Sammy's got some fairly forthright opinions, for someone on the other side of the world.

Beye a close second.

I had my fill of Motty after his constant jokes about the time difference during the 2002 WC. "Good afternoon, or should I say good morning. I hope you're enjoying your breakfasts over there" Just fuck off Motson, okay?