David Kelly

I don't think you change central defenders if you can help it during a game (unless you have a big lead and want to give someone game time). Like you say, a consistent back four has merits, I'd go so far as to say it's more important than that. The bigger problem is that we really don't have any other players we can bring in without significantly weakening the team or even players we can bring off the bench to impact a game(particularly while Barnes is out). Basically we need the current starting eleven to the majority of the work and then use the subs to rest them when the game is virtually won.

I would absolutely love to call them up and say something like that. Almost enough to make me pay for them for them in the first place.

Been lods of shit on Twitter the last couple of days after the sky reporter started his report on Isak's second goal talking about how Arsenal fans want him. I see Downie has chirped in defending his colleague, which I get, but then tried to claim there haven't been loads of instances of sky trying to push him to Arsenal (or Chelsea or Manure or Liverpool or even Spurs ffs) to which he's been immediately shot down. The most disappointing thing he's said though, is that if it was his team, he'd see it as a compliment. Why the fuck would we see it as compliment when they're suggesting we can't keep one of our players away from a team that's only a couple of places above us in the league and who we have a massive cup semi final against next week. Yet again it shows the unbelievable bias they have to the former top six clubs. They aren't remotely interested in promoting any clubs. I find it more and more difficult every day to bare sky sports. Glad I pay them fuck all.

If Murphy can continue anything like his form from the last couple of months over the rest of the season it might prove to be a masterstroke that allows us to go all in on a new right attacker in the summer. If it goes wrong, it could result in us having a poor end to the season and losing Isak and maybe others due to the lack of Eurpoean football.

Decent deal for everyone and good luck to a lad who always ran his bollocks off for the team and provided some light in the dark times and wonderful moments in the season we finished 4th (as well as that goal against PSG). I am a bit concerned this leaves us short on the right side though. Murphy is having an exceptional run at the moment (some might say similar to Miggy's from a couple of seasons ago) but I still have doubts over his ability to keep it going, after all it's not that long ago he was getting jeered off the pitch after putting in another stinking performance. I hope he can because no one else seems to really want to play there.

100%

Tonali obviously read my post and took note. Since then he's obviously more than justified his place in the team.

There are times when hearing isn't the benefit it's supposed to be.

He just ran alongside games. I don't think I've seen a less influential player.

Kendrick definitely comes in for consideration. Awful footballer.

Potentially we might have a better chance of winning the league this season than we do in others over the next 2-3 years. Win tonight and we are potentially 2 behind Arsenal and 9 off Liverpool. Obviously that's still a fair way to go but Liverpool aren't looking imperious at the moment and any injury to or loss of form from Salah would make a massive difference in this second half of the season (he has 31 goal contributions which is about 10 more than anyone else). Arsenal are missing Saka for a while and Jesus for the rest of the season and still don't look like they're going to win the league and City are already behind us. Of course it looks highly likely City are going to strengthen this month and Arsenal probably will too and we would certainly be relying on a good run with injuries (particularly Isak) but I do think this season is looking like one of those seasons were the legacy clubs could fuck up and leave a route through to allow us to challenge. Don't get me wrong, things could very easily go a different way for us. Next season I seriously doubt there will be as much of a chance. To genuinely challenge on a consistent level is another thing. I would say we need 3 elite level starters at keeper, centreback and right wing. None of the top sides would consider having Pope, Schar or Murphy as their first choice. On top of that the squad (which is certainly the best it's been for a long long time) needs filling out. I know he's going through a great spell at the moment, but top sides wouldn't even have Murphy as a squad player. We need a back up striker of the level of Wilson but who can actually stay fit. In general though, we need to improve squad depth in every position. Winning a cup would be massive too, especially if we did it by beating someone like Liverpool in a final. That experience for the players and management would be a game changer I think.

Dummett was a far more useful player than Hayden. And for a long time I couldn't stand Dummett but he eventually proved himself useful even in the top flight. Hayden never did over any kind of consistent period.

See it's shit like that which fuels my hatred!

Muto being an (alleged) striker and Dumas being a defender don't count (I actually think Dumas ended up playing a couple of decent games for us). McClen, Brady, Hamilton, Pancrate, Georgiadis and Ireland don't count as they barely played a game for us (same as Terry Wilson who would have undoubtedly come into consideration with Fumaca if I was considering just anyone who played a game or two). Even Bassedas is pushing it. Faye definitely deserves consideration as he was fucking terrible. Geremi, I wouldn't personally rate him as poorly. Maybe that's because I've seen that he was a good player before he ended up here and if I were to objectively judge him on his time here, he'd probably have to be considered. I'm no doubt being harsh on him but I think it's the fact that Hayden played 171 games for us (which will be more than all of these other players combined I would think), and that people somehow thought he was a consistent 7 out of 10 that makes me hate him so much. His best days weren't a 7 out 10, he was a consistent 5.

Is dressing as Arabs and dressing as Sheiks two different things?

My mate mentioned on Sunday that he watched a bit of their game against Stoke (unlike most of them) and I think he said Rigg got hauled off at half time. His opinion of him was too small to make it in the premier league where you have to be exceptionally quick or skilful to make it if you're that size. And he's neither, whereas Miley is 6ft 2 at 18 and has already bossed the PSG midfield in the Champions League.

Anyone got any idea who these two future captains are? I'd struggle to name two of their players full stop tbh.

Fuck knows, but there was quite the murmur when was back on Sunday.

There was actually a fight in our row at the Villa game. Man in his 70's headlocking the bloke in the row behind

You never got so much of that in the East Stand

Dillon isn't a bad shout to be fair. Fucking useless and I didn't even know he was a mackem at the time. I think Hayden just pisses me off because I kept hearing he was a good solid player which he simply wasn't. Mind that was largely from young uns who'd never seen us have a decent midfielder.

Pinas never even made an appearance for us other than a game against Benfield I think (some of my mates were playing for Benfield at the time is the only reason I know he played there). I may have been slightly exaggerating but I was thinking of players who played a decent amount of games for us. None of them did whereas we had to suffer Hayden for a mind blowing 171 games!. Any man of the street can put effort in, a professional footballer has to be able to show more than that but I don't call him a cunt or anything. Just useless.

I struggle to think of a worse midfielder I've ever seen for us (not counting Fumaca who I don't think was even a professional footballer). Maybe Pat Heard.

Bit much suggesting that Hayden just wasn't good enough for the current squad. He's not good been good enough for any squad since he's been here. Thank fuck he's gone.

I did see on Twitter one of them pointed out that they had played Stoke twice in December so people weren't gonna pay to watch them again!