JawD

Bit lucky on their part. Make your own luck though I guess.

Boro score.

Mackems score, Man Utd score, Fulham Score

Spurs take the early lead.

1500 GMT STARTS Birmingham 0-0 Fulham Chelsea 0-0 Newcastle Portsmouth 0-0 Middlesbrough Sunderland 0-0 Bolton Tottenham 0-0 Reading West Ham 0-0 Man Utd Wigan 0-0 Aston Villa LATER GAME Everton v Arsenal (1715 GMT)

Met him myself at a charity football gig a few years back. Was sound with me as well, but if you talk to those who know him. I dunno.

Indeed it doesnt, but Sams comment suggests we should focus like that on winnable games not the games like Arsenal. I;d rather he said "We should focus on the more winnable games as well as against the bigger clubs"

Unless of course he is playing Smith as a sweeper and Martins on his own.....

G: Shay Given D: Claudio Cacapa D: Habib Beye D: Charles N'Zogbia D: Steven Taylor M: Abdoulaye Faye M: Nicky Butt M: James Milner M: Damien Duff F: Alan Smith © F: Oba Martins Subs: Steve Harper, David Rozehnal, Emre, Michael Owen, Mark Viduka

Thats a stupid thing to come out and say. Our focus should be on winnable games? What is classes as a winnable game? Really, we should be focussed to get a result for ALL our games surely? what kind of message does that give the players for today? Saying our focus has to be on winnable games kinda says that we shouldnt focus on non winnable games. But if you dont focus on a game classed as not winnable then surely you have already lost it?

Last season We had players such as Bramble Moore Babayaro Carr Ramage Taylor Gooch (only played 7 or so) Looking at these on paper you;d expect us to have a poor defensive record. They finished the season conceding 20 at home and 27 away with a GD of -9. We kept 7 clean sheets in the league. This season. We ship out Bramble, Moore, Baba, Gooch and have barely seen Carr or Ramage. We bring in Beye who I think everyone will agree looks a great buy. Enrique who perhaps its a bit soon for yet. Cacapa, Feye & Roz who give us an improvement over what we had in skill and experience. I think most would agree that player for player we are better off. We then bring in a manager known for his more defensive approach. So, together with the improved defence and current style, how come we have gone backwards? We're half way through the season. Have already conceded 15 at home, only 5 away from last seasons total. We've conceded 14 away and still yet to go to Chelsea, Man Utd etc. Our GD is -3 and have kept 3 clean sheets. Against the same teams last season so far, we've conceded 12 more goals. So, is it the players, or is it the tactics? Is it the midfield not protecting the defence or loosing the ball?

We're not fighting relegation. We're not in worse shape than when he took over. If we won every game that the fans expected us to win, we'd win the league every season. Mounting this pathetic premature pressure will only make Sam's task harder. I certainly see him as an opinionated and clever manager, and if something isn't working, I trust him to be able to address it. The manager should be judged on his ability to turn things round at times of uncertainty, not sacked at the first hint of it. Yeah I acknowledged that in THIS season we were not fighting relegation, but drawing on your point of Sam being poor at bolton at the start. What happened with bolton (relegated twice). As for not being in worse shape? Are you really sure about that? 7 points worse off team for team and something like 12 more goals conceded against the same teams. Dunno about you, but to me thats backwards not improvement.

Im not personally prepared to be relegated if thats what its going to take to prove him right though. Edit : Not that I think that would happen this season. but thats what happened with bolton. Twice (i think). before he got it right.

Of course Alex knows what he talking about, but he is also very clever in what he says when and why. I'd also not say Sam was a bad manager. He has a style and a method, one that clearly worked at Bolton. However, I'm loosing faith rapidly in that that method and style will work or is right for this club.

Soundtrack to Philadelphia.

Aye, because made Man Utd the dominance they are today in just half a season, didn't he? Would you think Sam could EVER produce a team like Man Utd given any amount of time? I'm not saying we should be expecting that (a team like MU), but I dont think its right to compare every manager to AF just because he struggled initially at Man Utd.

Beardsley still is one of my all time fave players, not just for Nufc. However, as a person, he's meant to be a bit of a twat Trouble is with the media though, including many pundits, is that its easy to jump on the back of what everyone else is saying rather than what they think themselves. Saying "they need more time" is easy, far to easy. Often I think its somewhat of a lame excuse.

I really cant see sense in getting rid of him right now. Im not sure who could come in right away unless they had someone lined up. If this was the case (end of season) there would be no point making any signings either unless perhaps they were young prospects.

Aye but baring in mind Sams "midge" is :

Thing is, my arguement now with Sam isnt our points haul or league position. Its the manner in which these things are happening and the type of team we are becoming under him. Like I said in another thread, IF we were playing good football, things wouldnt seem as bad. IF we had better results but things looked at shite, we'd still be saying things looked shite. We now though have both. Dodgy results with harder games to come and we're playing shite.

Shit piece, shame alot of it is true.

Well said. I do know they have said the money will be put to good use as a charity for similar cases. Also they are hiring someone to chase these leads and not running around the world themselves

Went to see I Am Legend. Further away from the book than I expected, but still a very enjoyable film. Without giving anything away, I think he had done a very good job at giving the feeling of emotion due to the lack of narrative. If you bundle it in with the 28 days later style of film, then Id say it comes out on top.

I expect us to get beat, what I dont want to see (or expect) is us just to roll over. There in lies the general problem and not something Id expect from a team of Sams. That said, thats a small club mentality. Raising your game to play "big clubs". They should be fighting to win every game if thats his style. 2-0 to them.