shurlock

Only Morgan - but if Im sure we had any other decent outfield players, I'm sure Alpine would be carelessly throwing their names into the mix.

That's even more ridiculous - it effectively means we target our better players i.e. anyone who has been linked with a bigger club or is capable of playing at a higher level -irrespective of any evidence that they're acting like c*nts. On this logic, there's only one possible conclusion: thank god there's so much deadwood and dross in the squad

-Morgan not a chance. But whether at his age he's got the boll*cks to try anything or needs to be pushed is another matter. -Saga's got valid reasons in world cup year to move but check my post above - AP has been on record as stating that the guy's attitude has been top-notch. SO while he wants to move, that won't get in the way of performances. -Lallana will stay - listening to his parents at away games they appreciate that his football education is best served by getting games under his belt. Again just because you've been linked with big money/team moves doesn't mean your head necessarily drops. If anything, all this leads to is a perverse form of witch-hunt i.e. we start questioning the commitment of our better players just because they are capable of playing at a higher level than L1...

I don't have a problem with questioning players commitment/attitude as long as it's factually correct as possible - and for a bunch of ITK fantasists and in-the-dark forum posters, the bar is set pretty low.

If the OP had been watching/reading AP's interviews, he would have realised that while Saga would like to move away, his commitment cannot be faulted, that he has been praised for acting with integrity and professionalism throughout (unlike say Rasiak). Despite patchy form, I think that's why alot of fans still have time for the guy - he does give his all in games. Alpine makes the error of assuming that because players believe their ambitions are best served elsewhere, they necessarily start throwing their toys out of the pram. True sometimes, but not always. Thank god nobody important actually reads such careless cr*p.

Wish some of the other posters were as balanced.

Admittedly, its become ballbreakingly hard to sign 'quality' players on FM or Champo. Any troll would understand that

Nada, no comings or goings as far as anybody knows apart from Poke going to Torquay on loan.

Sounds like something our former dutch masters would say when selling their 4-2-1-2-1 formation.

Teams like Chelsea have full-on wingbacks -Cole, Bosingwa- that give them that option. Just look at the £18m spent on Glen Johnson.

We got more chance of signing dimitar van nostrilboy than any of this happening...

Which row do you think that would have gone in? X, Y or Z?

That's some leap of logic:confused: So not keep possession and letting the ball come into the box too much means that we were inviting a harsh penalty? That's like saying better not have too much possession and get into dangerous positions, because we're more likely to have a goal disallowed! For a contrast, think of the Chelsea-Barcelona match last season -there your point might have been slightly more valid i.e. "I know you've got a team of thieving, cheating, diving bast**rds, I'll need to be extra convinced if Drogba goes down in the box". Yes, the ref got the decision wrong, but at least the context leading to his decision was more understandable and closer to the issue.

Yesterday, tickets weren't unreserved seating, so I guess quite a few people went to their allocated seats, splitting things up. When seating is unreserved, its easier for people who want to stand to group together (i.e. go to the back or sides) and start an atmosphere without causing aggro for those who want to sit. I have no idea why clubs don't use unreserved seating for the majority of games.

See that Luka Modric is out for 6 weeks with a fractured fibula after a crunching tackle from Lee Bowyer. While Murty's injury came from a 50/50 that wasn't malicious, Brum were by far the most aggressive team in the championship last season and show no signs of changing this one.

The lower down you go in most sports, the lower the stakes and the more relaxed players are. Most top flight sports would be envious of the attendances/coverage that even League 1 gets and the financial doors things like promotion open. No wonder that people get more animated by wrong decisions. Cricket hardly covers itself in glory - the aussies are renown for going after the likes of Rudi Koertzen. I would say that a single bad decision will rarely decide a 5 day test because of the time involved and the chances a team has to put things right whereas in football -an disallowed goal, a sending off, a pen- can change everything.

In cricket, rugby, tennis, refs are helped by technology. When you see the preposterous Howard Webb in action, you realise how much the refs enjoy the attention.

Dont understand the OP. You're damned if you do -criticising the ref- and damned if you don't -remaining quiet and being accused of lacking passion. I would say that there's a big difference between attacking the ref in vague, blanket terms and attacking the ref for a crucial, identifiable decision that singularly changed the outcome as AP did yesterday. And if you want to throw in other key decisions -pulling Saga back from a one-on-one, not giving Mellis a pen, ruling out Saga's goal etc...

The lack of roof definitely had something to do with it. Its not like the away support is lower than last season or that many of the usual faces no longer go. If the performances continue to improve and we have a proper stand, the atmosphere will pick up.

We didn't get the ball into their half let alone keep it in the corners in the last few mins. We seemed content to drop off and defend bits and pieces coming in. Still none of it really troubled us- for instance, Stockport a wave of corners in the first half which was quite similar to the pressure that led to Millwall's goal in the first half; but we stood up to it very well. So I guess we got a bit complacent later on. Also we're not keeping possession long or well enough to be cute and play keep ball/take the ball into their corners.

Went to the game. Just knew that the ref would attempt to even things up and he dutifully obliged. It was definitely ball to hand/arm. The ball was hit at such close-range that little could be done. Trottman was easily MOM. Not the most polished of players but he's an absolute rock and has a presence and composure that spreads through the team. Thought James had another very good game and with Hammond has tightened things up in the middle. I would still like him pass and move more but he's tidy and disciplined. Even sprayed some cross-field balls a la Schneiderlin. Like Tuesday, Lallana also had a vey good game though too early to say if he's discovering some of last year's early form. Above all, I was impressed by his strength on the ball - opponents found it much more difficult to dispossess him today. With Harding, much of our threat came down the left. By contrast, I'm a bit concerned about our right - Thomas won't get forward as much as Murty and Mellis looks a bit lightweight. Lambert hasn't really shown his true colours yet. Was winning everything in the air, especially after their CB was subbed and was convinced his free-kick had gone in but often dropped too deep. Possibly stems from the fact that, in the absence of decent delivery, he's looking for the ball too much. Ultimately he won't come good until we get more to him, especially down the flanks. Although we settled down second half, we still played things too long - all too often results in players getting isolated and having no options around them. Also too few players are willing to step up to the plate, to take a shot when in space (and the last person you should be urging to shoot is Thomas - as he was the only one to try his luck today or tighten the stranglehold (instead of slow things down or go sideways) when the game is shifting in our favour. For those who are worried about relegation, get real. Today reminded me just how **** poor the league is and that it doesn't take much to be competitive- apart from Huddersfield and a crazy second half period against Millwall, i can't remember us being really stretched or overrun in any game. Yes we haven't been particularly fluent but we've never been uncomfortable. Maybe that means we should expect more, that we should be walking this league; but for me it means that we'll be OK and survive and shouldn't panic as we use this season as a season of transition. It won't get any worse.

I stuck my neck out and defended Kenwyne Jones a number of times with mates. You weren't alone there; doesn't mean you're correct about Gillett. By the way, I think DMG did a decent job for us last season but am more than confident that he won't go on and establish himself as a Premiership player. Just as way off/misplaced as your Gillett comments...

BWP v Forest last game of the season? Got a few goals like that -Burnley (a 2007/08 ), Plymouth (a 2007/08 ); but also missed a ton of chances from one-on-ones (at least can be commended for having the pace to break through). Otherwise, Saga v Preston (h 2008/09)...

I agree - thought he was a stand-out player last year. At first, thought he was just another poor talentless young'un herded into Lowe's PR rip-off of the century - in other words he had to overcome alot of resistance. But he did and I think he emerged last season as one of our best players (of course, nobody really covered themselves in glory). He's by no means the finished article -he's inconsistent- but that's true of a number first-teamers. The guy has had little more than half an hour of competitive football so far and on Tues we were upset less by the gap left in midfield by James departure/Gillett's arrival than the soft spot at RB which seemed to affect the composure of the rest of the backline - not good when you've got the permanent accident waiting to happen in Thomas who can look OK for long periods then completely lose it. Uni standards are dropping it seems...