Klaxon could actually be quite good, though I don't think you'll get any reward for it, apart from perhaps getting a poll as to whether or not we want you kicked out.

Touché

Impressive...but quite sad really.

Those are his only two goals this season.

If I actually had to make the decision I'm sure I'd go the tried and tested route as well, but it is always nice to speculate.

I actually quite like Emerton and think that recently he has been good when he's come on as a sub, so I for one am hoping he hasn't played his last game.

With Pedersen now out I was thinking to myself that this could be a great opportunity to play a sort of Diamond formation in midfield. Let Tugay sit deep with Reid and Savage in front of him and then Bentley further up in behind a front two if we are feeling adventurous and give the fullbacks full permission to get forward. If not then maybe play Bellamy alone up front with Bentley in behind and a sort of diamond formation with Reid, Savage and Emerton forming the three across the middle and Tugay sitting deep. It will be interesting to see what happens. Can't wait for this game.

Well he's now probably in-line to start in one of our most important games of the season. We'll get to see just how much Hughes thinks of him or if someone like Emerton or Bentley will be stuck out on the left.

Just filled out my results, being generous to all and of course had my blue and white tinted glasses on though tried to be as unbiased as I could. 1. Chelsea 100 2. Man U 88 3. Liverpool 87 4. Blackburn 65 5. Arsenal 64 6. Spurs 57 7. Newcastle 55 8. Man City 54 9. Bolton 54 10. Everton 53 Seems a bit messed up to me so I subtracted 5 points from Blackburn and gave every other team 2 points to try and counter my biased predictions which sees us finishing in 5th though I'm not sure how Spurs and Bolton finished with as few points as they did, especially as I even predicted Spur s to beat us. Oh well, won't complain if that is how the table finishes up.

Bit harsh to say "compare that to under Souness". None of the players we have that can play left wing were signed by Hughes. Also, when Souness had us playing our best stuff we had Duff as first choice with Mahon as a decent back-up.

That would be great, very surprising, but great. Yes, now top 6 make europe.

I've had an odd thought about Emerton and his playing below his ability. If it is confidence causing him to play poorly I don't really understand why it hit him so quickly, so what I've decided is it might not be his individual confidence, but maybe something related to the team. This is probably explained poorly but perhaps he goes into his shell in a struggling side and this has meant he ends up not taking on his man and just trying to keep the ball, which he does very well. Strange as it may be but perhaps with our side flying high at the minute it would be worth sticking him back into the team and seeing what he can do.

I think Peter has shown some talent but yesterday he wasn't poor but didn't bring much to the party. However, to say then that he isn't now good enough or shouldn't be played in games is a bit over the top, as over the top as it was to say that he was already deserving of a regular first team spot. If MGP is injured then for me it is between him and Emerton for the left midfield spot, I'll leave it to Hughes to decide who gets it.

When you say per seat per game do you mean per filled seat or total in the stadium?

I don't buy into that particular extreme either to be honest with you. I think that 20,000 as a core support is more than good enough given our other rather firm financial settings to maintain a premier league team for a good length of time, certainly longer than a lot of those around us. If people really feel that illegal feeds are denying the club a couple hundred fans or more every weekend then I really think we should give the names of the pubs to the authorities, or even just let them know what is going to happen first and then if they don't stop it give their names. Even if you enjoy foreign feeds for the away matches it will still be better for the future of the club and this sites chatroom could more than do with a few more people in there on matchday.

I think the important part of that is the chasing promotion though. Young and exciting team up at the top of the league beating most of the teams we came across, the price helps but it's just a small extra incentive there for people. I think success on the pitch gets people to consider coming and then if they think they can afford it they do, but until we get them to consider us as an option they aren't going to think "hm only 5 pounds to watch Blackburn lose and play poorly...not much money really". Obviously we aren't at that point anymore but I think until we stay in our current position for a bit longer we won't win quite a few over.

The problem is with this argument is that I'm not sure how much dropping the price affects the number who show up. We've seen time and time again that the prices have been very low but then so have the attendances. I'm sure that the club has thought long and hard over it but if we drop the price to a pound and it only brings in an extra 500 then it isn't financially worth it. In economic terms it just comes down to the club working out the price elasticity of demand for tickets. It seems to me that we have a core support that shows up come rain or shine (within reason of course regards to price) and that after that until the club has done something special (which we are on our way to doing) that dropping the price serves to gain us very little.

Liverpool beating City today improves our chances of making Europe even further. We need Bolton to slip up somewhere, though they do have a few tough games to come. Hopefully we can hold our nerve and they won't.

Agreed. I might stick Emerton in the left if MGP is out as he gives that defensive side that I don't think Peter has but that we will need against Spurs.

I hope by top flight club you mean as in top of the premiership and not being in the premiership. I hope we won't be relegated if we lose on Sunday. The only other option to Peter is Emerton, he's been pretty impressive in this small cameo appearances lately, but we'll have to see what Hughes thinks.

The Manchester United job is the only one we have to "worry" about. It is unclear when it will become available and even when it does, as pointed out, I'm not sure if the Glazers would prefer to appoint one of the massive European names rather than go for an old favourite. Hughes is certainly showing some potential, but a decent two year spell doesn't in my opinion put you on the same level as managers who have been doing it for 10 years or more.

I think we are a better team than that and I'm rather tired of people talking like this. Yes, when Bellamy plays we have an extra dimension and a player of real quality up front, but we didn't get to 5th, or even in the top 10, because we rely so much on a player who's been injured for quite a large part of the season. Against the top clubs we probably need him in order to really cause them trouble and win, though the Manchester United game maybe proved otherwise, but I still think that as a team we are better and good enough to beat a lot of sides in this division and that is what will keep us at this sort of standing in the league. As for having trouble holding onto him, I don't think we will. He'd probably only leave us for one of the big 4 and I can't really see any of them coming in for him, firstly because they can get better and secondly because of his long history of problems. It was a great performance yesterday and I had honestly expected us to lose, but we played magnificently. It certainly would be wonderful if we win next Sunday but I don't think we will (but I thought that before this game as well). Have to agree with flopsy, the only dampner on the day was England losing to Scotland, other than that it was pretty much perfect.

As Manchester United winning tomorrow would mean only 6th spot gets UEFA cup (7th we'll have to be waiting on the FA Cup results) then I think there is only one team we should want to win. Time to forget who we like or dislike and think of the club. European football is what we need.

On the basis of this year, no. We've taken 9 points off of the champions league teams this season with a possible 6 more to come. Would we get anywhere in the competition? No, but if we did get there I think we'd cause a few teams some trouble.

We should save that one for when the groobies come around.