the positives are 3 games without Smallwood.

I feel like that Edvard Munch painting...

it's so hideous I darent even watch on the red buttton even though I fork out for it. haven't had this dread feeling since before maybe Shrewsbury away last season. in fact I haven't posted since then I've been so calm.

What he needs is a new dynamic unique nickname other than Mogga.

Teetotal? Not for long I'll wager.

my fulham correspondents are very worried...

It is! He autographed my briefcase at a gig at the Marquee!

That was a fitting obituary Martin. I only knew Mark for a few brief shining moments when I was London branch 89-91.those tours were marvellous sport. Warm memories now chilled by an untimely reminder of mortality. Howard Culshaw (regards to those contemporaries in the London branch)

Plymouth. Ardiles debut. Taken out by one Nicky Marker. We arrived at 3.30pm to see him stretchered off and then had our minibus trashed by Argyle psychopaths after the game, thereafter driving 306 miles with half the windows missing and forfeiting our deposit. A great day out. Oh and I think we lost, but that seems incidental. Anyone else remember?

Oh what a rich vein! Fantastic fun and shameless nostalgia. Haven't we done this one before though? Anyway I'll say it again - Dave Hargreaves. Possibly also Jack Lewis - not in terms of value for money, just their irredeemable crapness at the level they were bought to play at.

Bellamy - even if he's missed a lot of games. He's made the difference between an ordinary season and a very good one. His ability to make goals out of seemingly improbable situations is priceless and I worry that he will want away.

It's ben alluded to already but the defence worries me still. The guy on Radio Rovers said Todd was the best of our defenders - I thought he did little right defensively notwithstanding his contribution to the first goal. He was my not-the-man-of-the-match. It's a tired debate but Z and Nelsen look the better bet overall. Pedersen was patently unfit. Peter should not to be criticised I would agree, but he does seem to hug the touchline and disappear from games a little as a result, whereas Pedersen, with his experience, seems to come inside more to hunt possession to be able to infuence the game

Apropos nothing in particular, I had a wry smile when they showed a picture of old "Choccy" McLair with his official red s*** bench jacket on. Wonder what massive contribution he's currently making there then? The tea perhaps or repainting the cones? Someone ought to tell the Glazers seeing as how they may want to save costs at present.

I am not, repeat not, defending Poll for his performance last night, but he could easily have given a late penalty against us for Spurs at Cardiff in 2002. If he was a "big club" favourer then logically he should have given that. Plus, ok I am defending him now, he was I think unable to see the Ferdinand handball from where he was stood (criticise his positioning if you like) compared to where he was stood for Z's "penalty". (Linesman should have though.) No, I'm not his agent.

Prefer Emerton on the right with Reid next to Toogs. More defensive solidity than Bentley. Keep him on the bench if inspiration needed later - his best performance was from off the bench at Bolton. Pretty sure he'll keep the same front two after last week. Can't decide if I'd prefer Kuqi - he is Dickov on speed, but then I just can't forget Dickov's vital goal contribution last year.

Oh yeah - the football. I fear that we will be unable to ply 442 against all but the most woeful Premier League opposition. Particularly with Bentley, who talented as he is appears to have no will or ability to track back and defend (he may well have been told not to of course). Certainly there will be few occasions when he and Tugay can play in the same 11. Also Bentley has little pace either. But hell I can't help liking the bloke!

Well I don't buy into all this "marvellous away fans " guff. All lower league teams behave like that in cup games against top division opponents. We used to - eg FA Cup at Everton in 1986 (when Everton were the best team in the country). I was also annoyed (more than I should be at my age) by a couple of neanderthals who confronted me outside the Riverside after the game to put their well thought out and constructive criticism of Blackburn Rovers "Yer f****in' s**t aren't yer?" followed by a halitosis laced chant of "s*** ground no fans". Very charming. I couldn't help having uncharitable thoughts about the sheer ugliness of one of them. I do hope they were seriously inconvenienced by any congestion on getting in to the ground. Tossers.

Sorry if this is obvious and/or has already been asked, but can we buy a ticket for £10 on the night?

Concerning the DVD. I loved it how, spitefully, the non -persons' goals (ie Ferguson & Stead's 4 combined) were shown only once and not repeated in slow motion. Reminiscent of Nazi/Soviet censorship. Curiously Bothroyd's goal against Liverpool was repeated - perhaps they felt charitable as he was only a loanee (he has been returned to Italy hasn't he?) Good porn movie genre sound track as well, I thought. It must be the shortest DVD ever released...

As a close observer of the "matchday magazine", I like the way the club, in Stalinist fashion have huffily deleted his entry in the Man of the Match awards column, notwithstanding that he won 5 to all other players combined 8 and no other player having won more than 1(prior to Bolton game).

What was that chant on Saturday, something about "Bring out the Branston"?

Dead right that last poster. We seemd to get out of trouble last season without him - in fact we played our best football without him last term. (Admittedly he has played well this season.) Did anybody else get suspicious when the literary masterpiece that was his programme column, was, I seem to recall, missing from the Charlton issue? Aha!

The real downer for me is Bothroyd's 3 match suspension as he seemed to be operating with increasing effectiveness with Dickov - the first real settled front pairing of the season has been broken up just as it was about to look the business. Anyone else think that Mattias Jonson should have had a yellow for the challenge(s) which led to the red for Bothroyd? He had a couple of hacks at him and jumped on his foot/ankle just before the retaliation - he had of course been booked earlier in the half. I'm not defending Bothroyd but it might have been 10 v 10 for the second half and on what I saw we'd have won it I reckon. What a pointless hindsight post this has turned into.

Just seen a bizarre quote from Huuuuuuuughsey on the official site from this morning's press conference: "...we are at home and we are expected to rock!" Deliciously ambiguous, don't you think?

Has any one noted with interest, as I have, that Benitez appears to be an admirer of Traore? Thought not. Seem to think we were nearly in for him a couple of years ago and I was tremendously relieved that we didn't. i before e except etc.