David Kelly

I'm no fan of Guthrie at all. I've said on many occasions that he's not up to premiership standard and tbh at this time I stand by that. But I can't claim to be anything other than impressed with his last three games. He looks like a different player at the moment. He's showing a lot more quality than I've ever seen from him and he actually looks like he has an engine at last (actually the the fitness of all the players is staggering at the moment. Not sure where the credit for this lies, maybe Pardew or Stone?). I'm not going to say that I think he should be considered for a starting place when Tiote and Caybaye are fit or even that I'm confident in him as cover yet. But if he can keep this up those times could eventually come. Put it this way, if he was a new signing and these had been his first three games then I probably would be getting carried away thinking Carr had come up trumps again.

I can't see anyone underestimating Everton so I think this is the perfect game after Monday. I think we'll be confident as we should be but I think this will be a positive thing and help us sneak a tight win in a close game.

I was being unfair on Stevie then, its just a few times this season i've read 'we're just lucky' in reference to the team's performance and i thought he was 'still peddling this'. The lack of cover and luck with injuries is without doubt fair enough. I support the team and the manager, if we win the Champions League I'll stay hate that wrongun looking casino manager, and the fat thick barrow boy. Even if that means he was right all along? I know why you say it and there is more to his reign than just the affect on the team but there is a basic logic at play here that doesnt make sense to me. Focussing solely on the football, he makes a load of decisions which piss you off because of your belief about the impact on the football. Those decisions lead to (in your example) us winning the champions league. Ergo, all his football decisions were correct and your opinion was incorrect. I know its hypothetical but if the things he did which you hated turned out to be correct, then your hate was mis-placed. Not that this matters that much, its just the internal logic (from a football perspective) makes no sense. Even if Ashley's decisions to sack Hughton and replace him with Pardew, cash in on Carroll and sell Nolan, Barton and Ricky and replace them with younger cheaper options turn out to be a massive success that leads us back into Europe, it won't absolve him of the wrongs he did in the past. The way he acted with Keegan was massively wrong showed a massive lack of respect for a club legend (which he then managed to do again with another in Shearer) and more importantly us fans. Even if it turns out that everything (in terms of getting shot of Keegan and not giving Shearer the job) was the right decision in the long run, the way he did it makes him a cunt. If he continues now to move the club forward in the right way, I can forget about that and rejoice in his good work but that won't change my opinion of him as a man. I won't be shouting for his head but I won't be lauding him either.

He's lost all his pace which is what his game was about so I don't think there's any reason to keep him now. He did a good job for us particularly in the championship and he does his best for the club but he's just not a premiership quality player any more. He'd probably be best of going back to Rangers where no doubt he could still score bucket loads in that mickey mouse league.

Think this is just the right sort of fixture for us after last night tbh. Everyone knows that Everton are one of the better also rans in the league and while confidence is high, no one should be going into this thinking it's going to be a comfortable win like I think we did against Wigan (and have so many times in the past). This will be a tough game but with how well our defence are doing and the form that Ba is in, I'm confident we can pick up a result before we head into those three games where we're expecting nothing.

I thought ours was more of a pen but both wouldn't be given most games

It also depends on what you mean by real deal. If it's being able to hang around the top four for the rest of the season then we aren't. If it's cementing a position in the top half then we could be but that depends on the above.

His best game of the season by miles

Add to this the fact that our pen and consequently the winning goal came from a throw in of ours. Great stuff. Fuck you Pullis you cunt!

Fantastic result and performance by every one of them tonight. I'll even give credit to Guthrie and Best which is obviously something I'm not accustomed to. I thought everyone grafted their bollocks off and it resulted in an almost perfect away performance.

No he didn't looh quite right yet and I think I'd be sticking with Raylor tonight but I'd be seriously thinking about him playing ahead of Simpson. Pardews comments about Santon the chronicle today are interesting in that he's picked up the same issues as us and says Santons worked on them immediately which is good to see.

I said the same myself in another thread the other day and I think Wednesday proved it. Guthrie actually came in and did ok but without doubt the midfield looked a lot weaker. I think we'll struggle tonight. Even if Taylor is playing I can't see him being 100% which we really need against these and I think Pennant and Etherington will give Raylor and Simpson a right roasting.

Santon was shite at LB against blackburn, he seemed to struggle physically and whenever he was challenged with the ball he just fell down and gave up Don't agree that he was shite like. He was definitely better than Simpson was even at left back. I do think he needs a bit of time to get himself physically used to the league like.

It does seem odd that they are calling up Long who's not going to be fit but Best's done nothing in the games since the last internationals that's likely to change anyone in the Irish set ups mind about him.

Whoever wrote that report hasnt seen him play. Whatever problems he's having off the field he's doing shite on it providing very little going forward and looking weaker all the time defensively.

Yeah I was going to say that too. John Gallagher looked mint in the same game. And around a similar time, Paul Stephenson certainly looked good in his first few games although I can't actually remember his specific debut. Alex Mathie had a class debut too.

Having seen them both play there's no question he's better than Perch. I'd never have Perch in a squad again.

Thought their last goal was miles offside. Watched it on the telly this morning and although the camera angle was shit it still looked it. But if we weren't so shite for most of the game it wouldn't have mattered. We have a massive problem in defence if Taylor or Colo are out for any time as Perch is in the top five worst players I've ever seen play for us. He's absolutely terrified whenever the ball comes near him. And with good reason as he's fucking useless with it. Last night also proved anyone who thinks we'll be fine without Tiote to be completely clueless. Guthrie actually did pretty well for him but it totally upset the midfield dynamic and we were much weaker. If the new boys, Ben Arfa was totally anonymous and pretty poor on the ball on the few occasions he actually touched it. Marveaux looks very good on the ball and has a good eye for a pass but playing on the right he didn't seem at all interested in getting down the wing (which had looked like a strength of his in other games) witch was something we needed last night. As had been said Santon looked a little weak but I think this will be just him getting used to playing in this league. Going forward though he looked very promising, regularly pushing up alongside and past Jonas. Either way he looks miles better than Simpson who seems to get worse every game.

Glad I've picked this for my first away game of the season. We've been fucking awful. Perch is embarassing and I'm not sure Ben Arfa has touched the ball. This has to improve.

Remember that. Despite the result though it showed we'd 'arrived' as a team and were a match for anyone. I thought that when we beat Boro 3-1 at Ayresome earlier in the season. Was a near miss that Blackburn game though, because we would've had Sheff Wed who weren't that good in the next round and they got to the final. Actually it would've been Sheffield Utd in the quarters (who weren't very good either), then Sheff Wed (ditto) in the semis - remember the all Sheffield / North London semis at Wembley that year? In fact, Arsenal weren't that great either at the time. And DK, I'd forgotten about that game somehow, I think the trauma must have put it into the dark recesses of my memory. Cheers for reminding me though Well if I'm still suffering there's no reason you shouldn't too

Good job I read on past your first post before commenting as I was going to have a right go at you . Anyone who thinks we won't miss him wants their head examining. Guthries a championship player, Smith's not even that and Gosling has a long way to go before he can be remotely considered as a replacement! I actually think baring the first couple of games Tiote's been fine. He was awsome against Villa in particular. But like you say Caybaye next to him as oppose to Nolan being barely noticable for most of the time in games and the likes of Jonas upping their games has meant that he hasn't stood out as being clearly our best player any more. Which can only be a good thing for the team.

Well the obvious bad memory of them was that little twat Fenton fucked us over but I wasn't there. I remember it was a bank holiday Monday and we were out down Whitley. Completely fucked up a cracking day on the piss. Actually being down there, my only memory is of Saha scoring (his only goal for us?) in a win.

That's part of his persona too though. I don't think it's that he actually doesn't care, but more like he's trying to do the Henry-esque 'I'm so good I could do that with my eyes closed, why should I celebrate something so mundane?' attitude. He's a complete head case, but as long as he stays away from the drink and drugs and has someone to give him guidance and counsel, he'll be all right, since he certainly has the talent. Yeah I think your right. At first I thought it was more of a 'why the fuck am I playing for Citeh' attitude but i'm thinking that's wrong now.

If Tiote is a possible miss for the Stoke game then that no doubt means he's out for a month which is a massive blow. We all know Smith and Guthrie aren't up to the premiership and Gosling hasn't done great so far. I'd definitely be looking to play Gosling though tomorrow in the hope that he still can improve and would be the best bet for the Stoke game (and is probably the most natural replacement for Tiote). As much as I want to see Abeid, I can't really imagine he's going to be ready to be starting premiership games away to stoke. I'm hoping for a good win inside the ninety minutes. Don't want extra time or penalties and not getting back up here til two.

The only thing I've disliked about him is that his celebrations (or lack of) when he's scored. He looks like he couldn't give a fuck which would really piss me off if he was on of our players. Looked like it meant more to him on Sunday like.