Bobbyboy

Sometimes - esp second half of last season - he didn't seem to be offering too much. At his best last year he was outstanding in two areas: firstly as a goal threat in his own right, secondly as a central target laying off for Davis etc. Which didn't always work because our midfield was often too deep. But second half of the season both those aspects seemed to dry up. This year, right now, we have both of those aspects of his play - and Davis really figured out the right place to be! - and he's also added something we rarely saw last year, he's going out wider (sometimes, not always), drawing defenders out to give more room for Mane etc, much more like Lambert used to do. Still don't see it a huge amount, but over the last two or three games he's done it a lot more, which encourages me that not only does that give him at least three really good things he does in the team, it means that Mane and, potentially, J-Rod can come in down the middle a lot like Lambert/J-Rod used to do a couple of years ago. Hopefully it's not just an accident, really have enjoyed seeing a more mobile Pelle the last few games.

All it means is that he actually watched some of our game this week. Which meant we must have been playing against A Big Team.

Quick quote from Jose: "The referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea. At 1-1, it is a huge penalty and once again we don't get. If the FA wants to punish me they can. They don't punish other managers. My players deserve it and the fans deserve it. Referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea, why because there is always a question mark and we are always punished. Clear penalties are not given." Oh ok Jose, so what about the TWO blatant penalties that Saints weren't given? Seriously?

The Rainbow Unicorns in the NELSA (North East Louisiana Soccer Association) U6 girls league. My daughter is a midfield enforcer a la Big Vic although she takes out her own players more often than the opposition. we're only two weeks in though. Also Plymouth Argyle as I was born there (well Plymouth, not in the actual stadium), although if we ever end up in the same division as them I cannot watch the games. Generally though there's no conflict.

Wanyama new contract.

I'm feeling very 'meh' about Gaston, don't really mind if he gets another chance or not. Thing is, we're not really playing well so far in the league this year, and often in the games we've had one or two players who are just passengers. If RK wants to give Gaston another go, why not? He's on the books, if he's doing ok in training then the worst that happens is that he's this week's passenger instead of JWP or Tadic or someone. I don't think we are doing so darn well we risk blowing a great thing by playing him now. But having seen him so many times just fail, I don't care either if he doesn't play for us again. Just saying it's not going to do too much harm to give him a try every so often and see what injury he gets. Worst that happens is he's anonymous and maybe gets taken off because of an ear strain or something. We've had several players like that this year.

That's excellent news. Glad you're doing better.

Definitely wouldn't put delicates in a boil wash. He should know that.

Best moment was that huge diagonal pass from VVD all the way out to Tadic on the far touchline. He's not a Toby replacement, he's a Morgan replacement! Apart from that and the Rickie Lambert song, that was about it. I suppose Victor looked a little more interested this week.

Agree with this. He's a long way from the finished article but there have been signs of improvement I think. Right now I think I'd rather have him there than Danny Fox, and there were spells earlier in the season where I might now have said that. Although the crossing is well below Fox standard.

Agree. Although one difference is that we have lost players to other teams in the same league as us, which does seem to make a slight difference. if morgan, lallana, clyne and co had gone to spain or Italy maybe we'd have felt a little different.

Agreed. The weakest link there is probably the right back. There's depth pretty much everywhere else also.

And just announced as new England U-21 captain! Well done JWP!

So anyway, is he out of hospital after his stomach illness yet?

Presumably the Norwich players would be sent off for that, so we'd have a numerical advantage.

Jrod booked for...?

Does Vic have the same illness that Chambers had that time?

The Man Utd strategy seems to basically be to buy everyone. So this would fit.

What it reminds me of is that initial Prem period under Adkins when we tried playing Schneiderlin and Davis in the holding MF role.. once Cork came back from injury it turned around, and allowed Davis to go more forward. I'm concerned that Victor is often up ahead of Davis today. That just doesn't seem right. Of course we had Jos and Fox playing back then, so there's no real comparison. Victor does seem both alone and too far forward though. Just made me think how Davis wasn't a holding midfielder.

When I read this thread I'm thinking things like 'well we never really replaced Cork', 'Wanyama always misses a chunk of games with injury/suspension' and 'we've got those Europa games if we qualify for the group stages' so I think Harry Reed will still get a chance, and this guy. I still think losing Cork may have cost us a position or even two in the league last year because we did end up a little short in that spot last season. The challenge is keeping everyone happy even if they're not first choice/playing every week. This guy may be a very good answer to that question.

Wonder why they're not saying how much the deal is worth? Just that it's more than the previous one. Still, very glad NBC keep it - sounded like the alternative was going to be all over the place with Fox and a variety of others all having a piece of the action. NBCs coverage has been really excellent and very accessible.

I think you may need to say this several times during the season, esp if the nuns aren't working.

This.

- Thanks, that's actually really good to know. We're thinking of just taking iPad, no laptop or anything this time, so hopefully something will work out. Be interesting if Valverde did go nuts and take Mur De Huy by enough to get the yellow. Do Movistar spend the rest of the first week wearing themselves out protecting yellow and leave Quintana exposed for the rest of the race? Valverde's just enough of a contender to make them at least think about doing that.