Cabrone

That article is roughly how most rational fans see things, for me the expectations were 3-6 points from these first 6 fixtures so we are slighly below par IMO but we'll only get a true reflection when we play the teams who are around us. Add in the fact that we've had to bed in a few important signings and the fact that by and large we've played some good stuff and I'm OK with things at the moment. IMO need to get Boruc in goal though, need to plug that defence as best we can. It's costing us. QPR and Norwich should be concerned though, QPR lack stability and Norwich look flat to me.

This is why I think that instead of having parachute payments (which just give relegated sides a big advantage and stifles competition in the champ) the money should be given to promoted teams to give them a chance to compete in that first crucial season in the prem.

This is going to be another tough game and for me a point would be par for the course. If he's fit I'd put Boruc in goal, this is a game he could earn us a point or three.

Every point is precious this season so we must put out our best 11. That should mean that if Boruc is fit he plays. We've only signed him for 33 league games and this is a crucial season so let's get using him ASAP. Gazza's time will come but in Boruc we have proven quality which we can ill afford to ignore. Everton are a good outfit and I want our best GK to face them.

I think Villa are one of the dullest teams in the UK, stuck in a mid table rut year after year, going through the motions. They are a bit Coventry'esque circa 10-15 years ago. However their world might be about to get interesting, they could get relegated. Would shake them up a bit. The only bright spot is their manager who I rate but he's really got his work cut out at that comatose club.

Brilliant, finally got what appears to be a class GK. If he's anywhere as good as Niemi then our defence will be getting a real shot in the arm and the team will have saved a pile of points. One thing I noticed from the videos is that he seems to like to push the ball back into play in a lot of his saves. Looks like our defenders will have to be sharp on clearing the ball. Hopefully he'll go straight into the team.

Great result and 37 points to go. Won't be the last time we give someone a tonking and any opposition fans assuming 3 points will find out that we're actually a decent team. However not getting carried away, it was only Villa after all. Should shut up some of their more arrogant fans though.

I fancy a real tear up on this one - plenty of goals. Could go any way.

Football is relative, most fans quickly adjust to the league they are in and get the same buzz from winning regardless if its against Colchester or Chelsea. From that perspective being at the top of any league is a lot more fun than fighting to survive but for me this season is still going to be interesting just to see how we will manage in this league. I think if we can survive the drop then we will only get stronger so 2012/13 is pivotal and thus fascinating. If I thought that we could only aspire to be perennial premier league strugglers then I wouldn't care about being in this league but I think given enough time we will be able to compete so I want us to stay up.

I'm enjoying this season so far, we're playing mainly good football and I'm sure we'll give a good account of ourselves. If it's back to the champ after one season then c'est la vie, the champ is a great league but I think we'll gel and stay up anyway. Totally relaxed about this season though we could have helped ourselves a bit more by getting a class GK.

You are right, a lot of it is to do with the back 4 + KD is not a bad keeper and the fact he stayed with us in our darkest hour earns him massive kudos BUT GK is such a unique and pivotal position we really should have made it our top priority to get someone as good as possible between the sticks. KD would have been a brilliant backup option. A good GK can turn 1-0 defeats into draws, draws into victories and keep the goal diff down, something which may be crucial come May. He also can have a calming effect on the defence. I'm not saying our back 4 would be world class or anything silly but if we had bought someone of the calibre of Niemi the defence would probably be more relaxed now and maybe make less silly mistakes. Confidence would be given a chance to grow. I really do find it strange that we spent so much on attack and so little on defence. Defence is what will keep us in this league IMO.

Was saying it all summer long, no1 target needed to be a top class GK because prem attacks are razor sharp and we need the best we can get. Great respect to KD who is a fine keeper and gave some terrific displays last season but he should now be our no2. Can remember loads of posters over the summer saying things along the lines of 'we owe him a shot in the prem'. Sorry, sentimentality ain't going to keep us up. I think not significantly strengthening this position is going to cost us dearly.

If NA gets the chop without at least 1/2 a season to give it a go I'd be massively disappointed. I'd even be prepared to stick with him if we went down. The team have by and large been playing some good stuff, we've just had a really tough set of fixtures. The team also has a lot of new faces and they need to gel. NA has been brilliant for us and given a chance could become a great manager at this level IMO. Besides which I don't want any of the alternatives. They all have their downsides. It was Lowe's managerial merry-go-round that was the start of our original downfall. I don't want to see that circus ever, ever again.

So NA got us promoted twice in 2 seasons and now having played well in large parts against the champions(a), the runners up(h), a regular champions league team(a) + Wigan some of our 'fans' are speculating on who to get next. Unbelievable.

Someone playing volleyball with a pig's head at at Norwich in the cup.

'Lies, damn lies and statistics.' I wonder where MLT would have featured on this list.

Yes, the best 11 has to start and that means Lambert. Those who are saying that he was a good impact sub at Citeh are right BUT they don't have a crystal ball and don't know what the score would have been had he started the game. Who knows, we could have been 3-1 up at half time with J-Rod coming on after 65 mins and could have held out for a point or 3. Not putting your best 11 out at the start is too negative. PS I don't know why Fonte is getting a bashing, don't think he's been too bad atall. I'd probably play him and Jos and give the Japanese guy a run out later in the game.

Relegation is a possibility but on the evidence so far I'd say we have a decent chance of avoiding it as long as the players keep on believing in themselves. It's a very tough league, there are no mug teams anywhere - just look at what Wigan did to us - but likewise we are not a mug team too. If fans reign in their expectations and stay realistic and patient then they aren't going to wind themselves up when things don't go as hoped. From the day we got promoted my target was 17th and that still stands. However even if we were to go down I think the champ is a great league anyway.

Like City we had them by the throat but we couldn't quite finish them off, gave them a tiny sniff of victory and they took it. Guess that's why they are top of the pile. Still, plenty of positives to be taken from the game, just need to keep on believing that we can compete with the best because we can. Lambo, Lallana and Puncheon sounded class today. Could have done with a class GK in the transfer window.

I like Harry and he's a quality manager given the funds but but NA isn't going anywhere. I'd have thought Harry would be more likely going back to Spurs once Vilas-Boas gets the boot.

There are no muggy teams in this league so it's going to be a real fight all the way. However now that the transfer window is over I think we can get 40 points and survive with what we've got, just.

Interesting bunch of signings, no premier league stalwarts so an element of intrigue about them. I hope that Ramirez lives up to the hype - a lot of pressure for a 21 year old but a very exciting signing none-the-less. Mayuka and Yoshida look very interesting, for a centre half Yoshida can certainly score spectacular goals but what is his defensive work like? Hopefully good enough for this league. Mayuka excites me, pace and trickery but the Swiss league is not the prem. Could be spectatcular....could be found out. Looking forward to seeing how they get on. Fingers crossed for both of them. Before season's start my hope was that we would avoid relegation, I'm feeling more confident now and it's especially pleasing to see the club buying young talent with longevity and sell on value. I think the fans are going to have a bit of patience but if the players gel this team looks to have the potential of becoming a very good outfit. This season is pivotal, stay up and our young players will only get better + we are looking good for a long run in the prem. It's going to be a very interesting few seasons.

Signing a decent keeper on high wages and then signing another just because he's had a few iffy games are the actions of a very confused club. QPR smells of instability and zero long term planning. Thats a recipe for big trouble.

I'd take him, a cool calm and collected CB. Was very impressed with him when we played up at Brum last season and from what I've seen I think he'd cut it just fine in the prem. Not bothered about the Villa episode, that club seems to bring out the worst in every player and may well be going down IMO.