The Fish

Yup. Also, we face 5 of the bottom 9 in the final run in, we won't face a defence as well drilled as Leicester until we face Spurs. I fancy Rafa's influence and the opposition's limitations bringing us enough points to stay up. Janmaat had an absolute stinker going forward but was all right defensively, Anita was nothing and we looked more dangerous when he went off (though I'd still start a defensive midlfielder beside Shelvey instead of Gini for the derby), Sissoko looked great for the 1st 25 minutes, but when the goal went in, he reverted to type. That type being Perma-shite We lost by 1 goal to the league leaders, a goal that may have been struck off by a different ref. We were denied a penalty that, on another day, may have been given. We went toe-to-toe with them for pretty much 90 minutes. I'm worried about the derby, can see us losing or drawing, but I fancy us to stay up by virtue of facing another 4 bottom half clubs and Rafa having more of an impact on the players (and having players returning from the treatment room). I've worked out why CT demands the unfancied player to start. It's a no lose position; If they don't start and we win he can say he'd hoped to see them get more time and that was the perfect fixture for them, if they don't start and we draw he can say that they would have been the difference, if they don't start and we lose he can say that they would got us at least a point. I they do start and we win, it's obviously because of them, if they start and we draw he can say we would have lost it without them and if they start and we lose, it's because they haven't had enough time. He can state all these things without a scrap of evidence to back his claim. Hence his love affair with Ferguson, LuaLua, Sammy, and now Doumbia. He sees a player that might be better in the wings and pins his hopes on that, despite evidence to the contrary. It's a gut feeling and nothing more.

Yup, and that would have given Benitez 18 days in La Manga to prepare for 2 winnable games before this one and 12 games in total to get us to safety. 4 points from those two would have had us on 28pts, 3pts clear of sunderland.

Really frustrating but I am expecting Moussa to suddenly find his nutsack and play a bit. re: Perez & Wijnaldum, I was thinking it might be worth playing them both and have them trade positions throughout the game and if one of them is getting more joy stick with it longer?

You fucking haven't like. All you've said is that he "seems a natural goal scorer". Well he hasn't scored, and over their career, Cisse has a better record so I'm not sure why you'd pick Doumbia ahead of a someone who's proven they can score in the Premier League. If you'd said you think his pace would stretch Leicester's back line, that he can hold the ball up so we can build an attack around him, of that you believe he can fashion chances on his own... if you'd said any of that I might have disagreed but at least you'd have said something. But you didn't, you just said "he seems a natural goal scorer", well sorry mate but your track record of picking a player is god awful.

Aye I'd agree with all of that. I'd add that I expect the team to play with more cohesion under Rafa and as such we wouldn't see Mitrovic as isolated. Re: Perez, I personally wouldn't play him up front on his todd, I think he works best when linking up with players and he hasn't the physicality to lead the line, nor the energy to buzz around their back line like a Long or Bellamy.

Unfortunately for Gemmill, this wasn't a thread for boys, oh no, it's Just for Men.

horseshit ~ Pony tail? I dunno... Gemmill's not great at punning

Shit education and a deliberately provocative media?

I was wondering which misery would ruin the fun and, Bob's your uncle, Gemmil turns up.

I only used League performances because there are so many variable in cup competition that, without proper interrogation, could skew results greatly. Without knowing, he may have scored a stack of goals for CSKA Moscow at home vs crap teams? Dunno, but performing well in the Russian league doesn't really have my heart all aflutter. Once bitten and all that. I'm not saying never play him, I'm asking what has CT seen in those 32 minutes that make him think he can play as a lone striker away to Leicester and as yet, he's been unable to come up with a single reason beyond "he's scored goals". Well, Doumbia hasn't scored since 21st October 2015, against Man Utd. CT hasn't said if Doumbia can hold up the ball, if his touch is good, if he can fashion chances for himself, if he can get past a couple of players, or anything like that.

I don't buy that I was just thinking "That Gloomy, with one mohican get right back on the horse!"

FFS man, have a care

Don't be hasty, mullet over a while.

13 in 21. It's excellent no doubt, but as others have said, why wasn't he rated in Italy and why, after 6 weeks, is he still slowly being introduced to the team? I'm not writing him off, but I'd rather give Mitrovic the nod (given he's likely to get more support under Rafa than under McClaren).

trust me, if I didn't there'd be Hell toupee

He's a top manager, but I don't rate his transfer dealings.

I'm not writing Doumbia off man, but I certainly can't understand from where you've drawn the conclusion that he's the best bet to lead the line against Leicester at the King Power. I just have more confidence in other players, especially given Doumbia hasn't exactly shown sparks of anything. At least when Perez was being introduced to the squad we saw flashes of quality. Doumbia hasn't shown me anything, yet. You're honestly saying that, rather than trust a top class manager to improve the performances of a couple of players who've shown they've the ability to perform at this level (if only in flashes so far), you want to gamble on a player who, when he's been tried at a top level (Serie A) failed to impress? You do this all the time man, you arbitrarily pick a player to get behind, they then do absolutely fuck all, yet you insist they deserve their chance. Marveaux ahead of Ben Arfa, Shane ahead of Jonas, LuaLua ahead of Jonas... and have been proven right on no one (that I can recall).

I agree that I'm the voice of considered reason, thank you.

Just a telegraph article on the players that Rafa bought at Liverpool that flopped. Not my list.

And if it's only goals that we're judging a player on, why not play Cisse who has a career avg of 2.45 Games per Goal?

I'm still waiting to hear "The Fish Was Right" from some people... Those follicle words would make me so happy.

I believe it's the secret to the hirsute of happiness.

There was a lot of time between that last day and the start of the new season.