Park Life

Cause he's got key components missing. He's got no pace and no vision infact he only seems to dribble or fiddle around with the ball when there is no one near him. Once in a blue moon he misses the first man on a cross. He rarely seems to have the instinct to move into areas further up where he might be able to do some damage. Nothing player. Can't tackle either. The deceiving thing about him is that he is quite fluid on the ball. The Turkish Ray Wilkins without the passing.

What does that mean? I mean he seems to have a good impact when he comes on as a sub and definitely improves 'stickability' up front. I think his role will remain similar next year and depending on the summer spending he will slowly drift out of contention next season. Strategically I don't think he is a player who will be a major part of the next wave.

Fuck off Dave.

...there isn't that much wrong 3/4 astute purchases won't put right. We need an attacking CM with a creative component one CD and a new DM...If Feye covers one of those requirements (CD or DM) then we need to up the stakes and get a big name and mobile forward in the Anelka mould. I'd try and shift one of Martins or Owen out if at all possible, they both lack too much from their all round contribution for us to keep both. The Viduka thing will run its course. If the spending is massive then we could probably also do with another winger.

It was his mistake that led to their goal iirc. ...he always gets beaten jumping at the back post. Even the tiny Tevez out-jumped him iirc.

Did you see the game? On a positive note I'm very impressed by the way Duff is beginning to play. Much more positive and seems to have license to roam and probe for weaknesses. That is for me the first signs of the KK factor. I thought he was better yesterday. Still ordinary though and no end product. I'd like to see him run at the CD's more when he comes inside. Fuck it might have been an illussion but I thought I saw Emre run past someone!!

I thought we were going to shit Boro Nicos? No, you thought we were going to lose to them...and the next two. And now you're covering your arse with talk of how Boro were too timid and should have won. By the time they scored we could have been four up, and should have been at least two up. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. The only fact is we both guessed the outcome wrong. I said we would lose 3 games and but for the post I would have been right. Although a draw was a fair result and yes we were both wrong but you were wronger.

Did you see the game? On a positive note I'm very impressed by the way Duff is beginning to play. Much more positive and seems to have license to roam and probe for weaknesses. That is for me the first signs of the KK factor.

Beye and Feye will make a heck of a difference. I'd stick Feye as the DM.

I thought we were going to shit Boro Nicos?

It was 10m net but the club were extremely fortunate to get what they did for Dyer and Parker which was more down to Mashley than the previous incumbents ability to sell players at a huge loss, were they getting tax rightoffs or what. Also the club knew they wanted to leave so it was no surprise and must of been factored into the 40m. If Allardyce was promised 40 and he got to spend 26, that extra 14 would of only just covered Anelka's fee if we could have got him, so I personally believe all the hype about Ashley not willing to release funds is wide of the mark. You think we spent enough but a simple look at the table (and the piss poor haggard squad) says we didn't. No debate really. The Dyer and Parker deals were good business I agree. And Mort has to take credit for that.

Nah, 1-1 was a fair result. We just sat too deep and panicked a bit at the end I reckon. We could have chucked it away but that would have been harsh. They gave us a lot of posession by playing one up and dropping deep for about 70 odd min. When they came out they were the better side for whatever reason. But for the post we would have lost. If GS had done his research he would have actually had no fear of us...Even shit sides who attack us get rewards. In saying that we played some of our best football this season in the first half and the Owen goal should have stood. Draw fair yes. But too much fear to bode well for upcoming games I'm afraid.

Allardyce doesn't have a point. In the time he was with the club, like Souness, he had every excuse under the sun except admiting he was to blame for the way they were playing. Smith was undropable (sic) because as Alex said, he had all the qualities of a fat fuck Sam buy, huff and puff amounting to fuck all stuff. The only reason people assume Smith was a Ashley buy is because the silly twat wears (wore) a shirt with his name on it. I've got one with N'Zogbia but he wasn't my buy (although I'm quite willing to take the credit for it.) Lastly can I just remind you, Allardyce spent 26m pounds in the summer and look what we generally got. It was his team that didn't perform for him, he allegedly sold those he didn't want, it was no-one else's fault. SA is as culpable as Mashley imo I'd agree with that. I think SA also wildly understimated the pressure at SJP and that must have got to him as much as anything else. Concerning the spend it has to be said the had to rebuild the whole def and these days 26m doesn't really buy you that much in all reality. It was 10m net or summat iirc. I don't think the squad as a whole moved forward that much because it was already carrying that much dead weight. It would have been impossible for any manager to put that right in one window with what was in all reality (taking into account the size and quality of the squad) with £26m. People are still think of player prices in terms of 10 years ago imo. There are a dozen clubs now in the PL who can and will match or outspend us. There is a quantum change on our ability at this point to radically alter our situation. I also think SA began to see that too late hence all the 'negative' talk of finishing just higher than last year. IMO Mashley won't prove to be big spenders. Maybe KK is the only man that can demand that, we will see.

I don't disagree with what you're saying at all and I have no reason to believe he didn't see enough plus points in bringing in certain players. But, his constant bigging up of the current squad and talking patent nonsense about Emre's creativity etc is pure delusion. Not sure who's feeding him this bollocks...But sure as shit he can have no idea of the current teams ability....Although he is beginning to realise it.

TBH if Boro hadn't shown us so much respect they would have won at a canter. When they changed formation for the last 15 min and came forward in numbers they were all over us.

Fucking hell and your proof for the truth of that statement is what? The shirt he wears??? Christ don't wet your pants. It could be bollocks. See here is where you look like a twat. Followed by Really does nothing for your agrument. So what are you Arthur or Martha? I can't be arsed to get into this. I take it back, wrong choice of phrase etc... His undroppability through endless games where he contributed nothing did fuel rumours that he was chosen as much by MA as SA iirc. The pure facts are we didn't spend enough and SA is moaning about it cause FS probably promised him £40m or summat or all the telly money. If SA is saying he had to change his targets I don't see why he would lie on telly Mort is a lawyer after all and the pay off must have come with legal strings. He has a point (SA). All the legions of nodding dogs are fucked off on N.O. cause they've just realised they've been reading the back of a cornflake packet. I've said for months we needed to bring in some attacking players and it was vital in the Jan window. KK said he didn't need anyone at the moment and he seems happy at not buying. IMO it has been a huge gamble and might yet get us into trouble. BBC results predictor hasn't to my knowledge saved a side from relegation yet.

Fucking hell and your proof for the truth of that statement is what? The shirt he wears??? Christ don't wet your pants. It could be bollocks.

He was after Anelka and another French player a winger can't remember the name. He repeated a strange phrase in the press a couple of times as well.."If the owner wants to give me a present that would be great.." Or words to that effect. I think there is some truth in this in the sense that FS would have promised him a lot more money than he ended up getting from Mashley. Smith being a Mashley buy I thought was common knowledge.

Lucky we didn't 'panick buy' eh? Yeah, the prospect of watching the likes of Alan Smith masquerade as footballers in a black and white shirt just thrills me... The midfield as it is, it's going to be difficult to score more than one goal against anyone. I know a lot of people thought today would be a walkover with all the KK hype etc..But I never saw it that way and I won't be far off my prediction of 3 straight losses. We didn't buy properly in the summer (as SA has attested too reg money) and we have been totally negligent this window. Might even be catastrophically so....I really hope not.

I said in August that if given the choice between a modest spend with complete debt write-off and too many average players brought in I'd prefer the former and I stand by that. Fair point, but our first 11 is seriously wanting.

Lucky we didn't 'panick buy' eh?

He wasn't given enough money last summer and that is where the problems began. Another window gone and a loss to an average Boro side saved by the width of the post Mashley still haven't grasped that to have a good side you need to buy good players.

This is a must win game...No it really is...