Hasta

Taking penalties out of it, 3 goals in 19 Premier League games would suggest not this season. Even when we were playing well early season he struggled and didn't look the player of last year. Why?

We need a central midfielder without question. The fact hughes is letting Sav go tells me he MUST have one lined up with Mokoena being away and Dunn/Reid injury prone. Everything else thats wrong must be internal because everyone agrees our season start was superb. Whether it's unrest or something else I don't know. Obviously Savage and Roverts are unsettled. Has this been caused by Hughes sticking with out-of-form players in the starting eleven no matter what? Who knows. However it's Hughes job as 'manager' to 'manage' this problem. I don't feel we need £15 million investing to make us european contenders.

I agree, although I am confident Hughes knows this and will address issues in this transfer window.

Although if Tottenham still rate MGP in the £7 million bracket it should become priority. For what he's done this season then someone like Matt Taylor could fill his role. I'm not saying Taylor is improving the squad but he could do what Pedersen has done this season.

Looking at the statistics for the games they've both played so far and there 3 dart averages are as follow:- John Part R1 V Losper - 94.1 R2 V Sudjovic - 99.1 R3 V Roy - 91.3 R4 V Wade - 94.8 SF V Painter - 92.84 Kirk Shepherd R1 V Jenkins - 79.1 R2 V McGowan - 87.2 R3 V Bates - 85.9 R4 V Manley - 89.7 SF V Mardle - 88.8 Obviously the averages don't tell the full story. However Shepherd will probably need to lift his average higher than at any time so far in the tournament to beat Part. Certainly over 90. However it may be a case of when he needs to improve he does do. Should be a good final.

Leeeewwwwiiiiis Leeeewwwwiiiiis Leeeewwwwiiiiis Lews for the title now I think.

Just backed Maney to win despite being 2-1 down. Hoping the young lad bottles it. Come on One Dart !!!! Edit - phew. 4-3 Time to lay back off I think.

Good call Abbs. Superb.

Not quite Cheltenham yet but I am getting excited about seeing the two greatest staying chasers of this generation run over the festive period. First Gold-Cup winning Kauto Star in the King George on Boxing Day. Then Denman in the Lexus chase on Friday. Denman has come along way since LDRover and I lost quite a bit on him nearly two years ago (see page 1 of thread) in what has been his only defeat. His win a few weeks ago in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury off top weight in deteriorating soft ground was the best chase performances in a handicap I've ever witnessed. It would be great for the sport if they were both to win and turn up to face each other at Cheltenham in March.

Yes but his confidence hasnt been 'up' for a long while. Thinking about it Jan might have something with the miss against Chelsea at old Trafford. It's been down hill for Morten since. For most of the season I have defended him despite arguments against from my mates. The last two or three games I've watched him closely with them trying to point out what he's doing well. And it's not a lot. On Saturday at Wigan it was one of the worst displays ever. He couldn't control the ball (which he normally can), he couldnt pass to blue and white and he even once just ran the ball out of play with no-one near him. It may well be a confidence thing but at some point he's going to have to make way and sit it out. That may well harm his confidence more, but you can't have him spending the next 5 months doing very little on the hope that he 'might' find it again. He hasn't so far all season.

Not strong enough? Not fast enough? Doesnt get up or down? Not technically good enough? Nowhere near Premiership sandard? Step forward the 2007 model Morten Gamst Pedersen.

Thought not.

The vast number of Rovers fans who booed Carson and Barry tonight are complete numpties. Carson got put in for his first competitive appearance in Englands biggest pressure game since Portugal in the World Cup. Barry was one of the reasons England had a purple patch of form (three 3-0 wins) at the start of the season. Booing them was bandwagon jumping just because it's 'trendy'. If it was some of the players who have played every game including the key dissapointing ones (Gerrard, Joe Cole etc...) I 'might' understand. But tonight was just plain sad. Anyone care to name themselves and explain why. It certainly didnt put them off their game cos Carson hardly put a foot wrong and Barry played very well.

True. I wasn't convinced with Martin ONeill's press conference today. He ruled himself firmly out, then went on to spend quite a bit of time saying how he wasn't bitter at the FA for not giving it him last time and jokingly saying how he'd make a great manager. I also remember Randy Lerner saying at some point that he wouldnt stand in MON way if he wanted it.

Don't get too excited. Mourinho, Martin O Neill, Fat Sam all rule themselves out. Capello announces himself as desperate for it. His price is always going to shorten. I feel the market knows nothing as we are weeks away from the FA announcing they have a 'short list'.

I don't buy this 'the 11 players don't care' business. Watching the game on Wednesday I do believe that most care. I just believe that we weren't a good enough team. Crouch cared. Campbell and Beckham care but they're past it. Wayne Bridge may well have cared but crumbled under the pressure and put in an absolute shocker. We also have no evidence that to an extent Lescott and Richards also couldnt handle the occasion and were found to be not good enough. I'm pretty sure none of the came off the pitch not caring. The main focus is the gruesome twosome of Lampard and Gerrard. Two figureheads of the England team. Two supposed world class stars. However they never contribute their club form for their country. Why. I don't know but for the first time I found Gerrards comments before and after the game almost false. Joe Cole is one that I can't make my mind up on. As a player and a person I find him an obnoxious diver. However he can commit and go past opposition defenders. He's also fairly mobile. On the left wing he is being wasted. Before moving to Chelsea he was an attacking central midfielder. It would be interesting to see what he could do there. Unfortunately there are 'irreplacables' in that position for both Chelsea and England.

It's hard to know where to start to have a rant at this. 1) Goalkeeper. I feel really sorry for 22yr old Scott Carson. Never gets a game and then gets thrown into a pressure situation like this. He should have either been blooded a few games back or James should be playing in case of Fat Robbo. McLaren has made a big call on a crucial day in order to look 'decisive' and take the heat off him once England qualified. It's backfired big style. 2) Fat Frank and Gerrard doesn't work. It hasn't done for 5 years. It didn't do again. Sticking Barry in there as an extra man doesnt matter. They don't work. Gerrard was mediocre in the first half. Rubbish in the second. Fat Frank was woeful all game. At least he had the character to take a penalty which leads me to.... 3) Wayne Bridge. Spineless. Didn't want the ball. Played every ball safe. None of his usual enthusiasm to go forward. Scared to tackle around his box. His performance stank of someone who didn't want to be the one to make the 'mistake'. Shocking. I don't like Ashley Cole as a person but thank god for England when he's fit. 4) Whilst I'm criticising. Micah Richards was poor and appeared to me to look unenthusiastic, especcially later on. He often jogged back when a Hendry or Samba would be sprinting back. Lescott isn't good enough. Campbell has served Enbgland well but is past it. Defoe is a good Premier League striker but won't score international goals. 5) Fair play to Crouch. I thought he did OK. I also thought SWP did OK and looked positive. I know he's Bentleys rival for that position but in the first half he was one of the most likely. Joe Cole is out of position. He's a soft diving little git who I cant stand but he tried and did OK. Try him in Fat Frank or Gerrards position. 6) Beckham. Yes he set the goal up with a ball into the middle. However he also saw very little of the ball and is immobile. He's had his day. England need to look to the future and I'm talking more Lennon than Bents. Beckham has served England well, he's a nice guy and all but he's always been overhyped. Give him his 100th cap and wave adios. Or 'Have a nice Day' as he's now used to. 7) McClown. Must go. All my points above he's ignored at some point. even tonight in the last 5 minutes we had 4 men back. i know Croatia left a few up front but that should have left us space. Jesus Christ his job depended on it and yet Richards, Campbell, Lescott and Spineless were still in their own half. Surely, surely one (probably Richards) should have been moved upfield. He's cocked up time and time again in this campaign. Look back through the threads on this board. He's gone surely. Who do we replace with. I don't care. Give flippin Owen Coyle a go. I hear he's the next best thing since sliced bread. At least Bentley gets a rest next summer!

Hopefully it starts at half time and McClown as McClown is sacked.

Off topic but I've just put some highlights of Burnley away 2000 up.

Let's hope you dreamt it. The spineless idiot has decided not only to hand Beckham a start in order to get a soft cap to push him up to 98 appearances. He's also dropped Gareth Barry and re-united the dream-team of Gerrard and Lampard. He says Lampard is playing the 'best football he's seen'. Seriously, a poor performance tommorow night would be no bad thing for the national sides future. What a tool !!

Anyone see Andy Fordham in the daily mail today? He's lost 10 stones since January and you wouldn't recognisde him if you passed him on the street! Link here

Do you not believe that is how all players not in the starting line-up regularly feel - Roberts, Ooijer, Berner, Tugay (who has made similar noises in the past), Peter (who has also). A lot of players at most Premier League clubs who aren't regularly starting would give the same reply as Mokoena has done if asked by a reporter. Are you really suprised by what he has said? No because you knew thats how he was feeling anyway. Unless he says "I want to leave the club" it's not really a story. edit - In my opinion edit 2- Anyone that moans at Mokoena (such as the prats commenting on the original link) should realise that we do need a squad with back-up midfielders. We aint going to get a squad with 4 excellent central midfielders. (Do we have any?) The Axe is a solid squad member who does a job. He's not going to suddenly become Viera.

I agree completely Cocker. It's not only what he's good at, it's also I presume something he loves doing.

No he hasn't pretty much said that. I get frustrated at my work quite often and want to do things I'm not allowed to. However I am not disillusioned with the company and aren't actively looking for a new job.

Thats typical story-out-of-nothing journalism. Sometimes people need to look behind the story. He was probably asked how he felt about starting on 2 games this season. Look at what he is actually quoted as saying. ""Every player wants to play as much as possible .I've always been patient, but I don't like sitting on the bench. I started more games towards the end of last season, but it has been more frustrating this season once again."" It's not like he's stamping his feet for a move benni-style is it. Personally I'd play him before Tugay nowadays anyway.