He's trouble with a capital T but as a player he would be just what we need. Cloughie used to be able to work wonders with his type....... or as in the case of Stan Bowles write em off inside the first month or so.

Stupid tactic then. That will not endear him to the Ewood numptie....err 'faithfull' will it? It'll just show him up. No one can trap a ball of their forehead can they. But is that chicken or egg? Are we passing too deep or is he not forward enough?

Last season we employed a simple tactic of lumping long high diagonal balls from the right mid to Pederson on the edge of the box for him to win in the air and knock across the box. It frequently worked well too as he is exceptionally good in the air for a winger (Q. to all you Petrov groupies..... how good is he in the air btw?) but recently this tactic has been almost totally abscent. Anybody care to speculate why? Only thing I can think is that RSC is crowding him out on those now. If so he'd be better peeling off to the near post / pen spot area and waiting for the header across as Benni did last year. A few of those assists and Ped would be everybodies favourite scandy pop star again.

I wonder what became of those little bguggers that were sent on expensive holidays to try and mend their ways? Guineas to nuts that they are either inside or due inside. Anybody shed any light on the results of the 'experiment' to send social workers on exotic and wildly expensive holidays...... with a fistful of travellers cheques and some teenage low life in tow?

Could you keep that to the Hughes out thread rover6 so as not to send out any mixed messages.

Barton is one mentally screwed up kid.

Not altogether suprising. Sky's been out for yonks but in all those years I've never been persuaded to sign up either.

MoTD pre-match info Sunderland v Reading revealed that the starting pairing of Yorke and Cole was the first time that they have started together since they were at MANCHESTER UNITED in 2000! Great research eh? btw I put the red scums name in capitals because the pundits and commentators just love emphasising it every chance they get.

Is it hell! Get real....It's life. The spoils of war and all that. How naive are you Colin? Did you really come down with the last rain shower?

From Philipl's Daily Mail article....... After comments on Axe and Sav "Hughes, who also now has Steven Reid's pace and power available after long-term injury, as well as fans' favourites Tugay and David Dunn, suddenly has an embarrassment of midfield riches." Not really the phrase that I would have chosen. They are a lot of flawed diamonds at the moment.

In fairness Dunny's been rifling in some decent strikes on goal too.

Crikey...... Thats a bit spooky gunner!

McCarthy / Roberts.......... Roberts / McCarthy... Very few appear to have grasped the subtleties behind the fact that RSC has dislodged the pair of them. Benni is unlikely to score as many as last year when he is not 'up top' as he was last year but is now playing a more supporting role (frequently too deep). Roberts too has usually played up front on his own for Wigan. All of a sudden because of the input of RSC they are not in their favoured positions, are no longer 'the main man' and are not scoring or enjoying their football as much. The fact that they have had their noses pushed out of joint and are losing confidence / sulking now becomes a little more understandable. We have seen this before. Rem Sutton's first season? He started off 'up top' with Shearer in support and scored plenty (... more than AS btw) but by about Nov for whatever reason they had reversed positions and Shearer was far more prolific with Sutton's goals drying up as his scoring opportunities were reduced. He coped with it but it looks like BM and JR are struggling to accept the change.

Only a guess but reading the smoke signals Roberts has effectively been sold to fund an incoming deal that Hughes wants to happen. Wrapping him in cotton wool to ensure that he stays fit in the meantime effectively means us not playing him. Pity cos I quite like what Roberts has to offer the squad. Power and pace is a very necessary option in some matches. Maybe the emergence of RSC as our best front man have rendered Jason Roberts as an expensive luxury. Unfortunately our finances no longer appear to allow us to improve the squad without making some room on the wage bill first.

The lad is obviously struggling with his form and I can accept that, but Jan is taking great personal delight from twisting the knife at every available oppportunity, and that is something that I do have trouble with. Not a very nice personality trait imo.

Right thats it! All I want to do is make posts and not have em continually deleted. My transfer request will be on your desk tomorrow!

Just read the Hughes thread and imo you are in that group eddie.

EDIT

More important to spend a few extra hours a week practising square passing, diving, shirt pulling, time wasting and feigning injury I would think. Those 'talents' will come to the fore if we are to improve internationally I'm afraid.

Thanks..... I've never had one before. ..... He's got an unusual name too.... care to guess what it is? ......

Obviously they aren't.

I've wondered about Italian managers before. On the one hand...... 1. I'm not to sure that our players have the necessary inheritent professionalism (and cynicism) to play Italian the Italian keep ball game. whilst on the other 2. We desperately need somebody to put a stop to the inane and immature attempts of the gung-ho / Roy Race / attempt a killer 35 yd pass at every opportunity / abilities of messrs Beckham, Gerrard et al and to introduce some structure and thought into our play. Our Charge of the Light Brigade style of play (even when playing for a 0-0 draw v Croatia) will never work at international level and certainly not in WC / Euro competitions which are nearly always played out in searing mid afternoon temperatures.

Just to put the thought processes of the average football supporter into context...... I was invited to OT circa 1999 for a MU v Spurs match and sat in the (north?) stand opposite the dug-outs and the stick and criticism given from all sides and aimed solely at RYAN GIGGS was unbelievable! I was literally gobsmacked! The simple fact is that discontented opinion whether right or wrong spreads like a virus amongst the massed ranks of know-nowts.

I've always thought Paul Ince was an intellectual derelict, and this is confirmation. From the BBC ....... "Former England international Paul Ince says it is a "sad indictment of us as a nation" that the FA is consulting so many foreigners about who should be England boss, and would re-appoint Glenn Hoddle or Terry Venables (Times)."

I've never heard of Jimmy Mullin for yonks. Wonder what he's up to?